Is it possible to change life midstream and get back to who you are at your core? From Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Dirty Sexy Money, Everwood) and Marc Guggenheim (Brothers & Sisters, Law & Order, The Practice) comes a story about a lawyer who finds himself at a crossroads between the man he has become and the man he wants to be... even if that means being a prophet. Driven by ambition, Eli Stone (Jonny Lee Miller, The Flying Scotsman) has built a successful career at a top San Francisco law firm in representing only the biggest and richest corporations where "screwing over the little guy" is common practice. After experiencing a series of odd hallucinations, including a crooning vision of George Michael, Eli turns to his neurologist brother, Nathan (Matt Letsher, The New Adventures of Old Christine), only to be told there is nothing wrong with him. As the visions persist, he's anxious to find the cause of his delirium and seeks the help of Dr. Chen (James Saito, I Think I Love My Wife), a Chinese acupuncturist who specializes in holistic medicine. Though skeptical of his practice, Eli finds Dr. Chen can help him recall important memories from his past. Eli's visions continue to intensify and begin to affect his practice, relationships and how he is perceived. But it's not until Eli puts his own life in peril that Nathan recognizes similar episodes their father shared and reconsiders what may be ailing his brother. Upon another review of the symptoms and an MRI, Nathan discovers Eli is suffering from an inoperable brain aneurysm that's causing his illusions.

If Nathan represents science, Dr. Chen represents hope and faith. As Eli struggles to cope with his diagnosis, he looks to Dr. Chen for his take on the relationship of his revelations to his aneurysm. Dr. Chen suggests there could be a divine answer for why he's having delusions of grandeur— Eli may be a prophet. While Eli is skeptical of being a prophet, his visions have helped him to recall what his father once impressed upon him— "You're meant to do great things... speak inspired words... you're going to help people." With his father's words in mind, Eli redefines his outlook on life and his intent as a lawyer, beginning with a case in which he represents an old acquaintance against one of his firm's most important clients. Despite opposition from his imposing boss and future father-in-law, Jordan Wethersby (Victor Garber, Alias), and fiancée Taylor (Natasha Henstride, Commander in Chief), he chooses to stay the course. Eli's resolve will be further tested by his colleagues, who include his sassy assistant, Patti (Loretta Devine, Crash), and fellow counsel Matt Dowd (Sam Jaeger, Catch and Release), an ambitious, competitive shark who exemplifies everything Jordan would like Eli to be. He'll also be challenged by Maggie Dekker (Julie Gonzalo, Veronica Mars), an inexperienced, junior associate who questions his commitment to change.

A charming, genuinely funny and— dare I say— touching love letter to rediscovering lost idealism, "Eli" just might be my favorite newcomer this season. Far from the "Ally McBeal" rip-off it will undoubtedly be painted as, within the many existential layers of "Eli"— much like "Pushing Daisies"— beats a heart filled with an unabashed zest for life's possibilities, albeit with a more grounded, less whimsical tone. It's also very much about forgiving family sins, as just like the mountain guide in the pilot's closing moments, you'll want to call your dad after watching. Leading the charge then is the always charming Jonny Lee Miller, who spearheads an extremely likeable cast— from the previously mentioned Loretta Devine and James Saito to Sam Jaeger as Eli's unapologetic rival at the firm. They, along with Ken Olin's direction and Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim's script, help create a world where being idealistic in a cynical world is a beautiful thing, a fact that's perfectly embodied in a scene in which Dr. Chen explains to Eli that whether he realizes it or not— he believes in God. Any show that can do that— and have the lead character routinely pratfall— is worth seeking out.

I'd seen the original pilot screener for Eli Stone and totally loved it [which is often a rarity for me]— just watched last night's premiere on ABC.com and was surprised that they made a couple of noticeable changes. They recast Eli's mother, from Joanna Gleason to someone I didn't recognize, basically making her warmer-seeming but less sophisticated. I wonder if that was partly an availability thing— if they decided the character will come back, Joanna Gleason may be harder to get/pay than someone else. And, more critically, in the original, his fiancée basically dumps him and we're left to believe he's going to start seeing the woman he represents in the episode, who he had once slept with, in college. But in the version that aired, they trimmed the lines with the woman he represents so it's not as clear they'll ever see each other again, and they had the fiancée come back, tell Eli she loves him, and they go off and have lunch. I wonder if it's because Natasha Henstridge tested well (or at least better than the actress playing the plaintiff, Laura Benanti (from The Wedding Singer on Broadway), so they wanted to switch it around so he keeps her... I don't know. Anyway, I didn't think either change necessarily made the pilot "better" but I have to admit I really like this show, and it was definitely my favorite pilot script that I read coming into this TV season, so I'm hoping the rest of the episodes are also as fascinating and quirky. UB

Bridget Petrella is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of UPBEAT Entertainment News Online. At this point in her life, she's seriously contemplating a complete and unbridled abandonment of typical network television... opting instead for Silver Surfer comic books, novels with wordy titles, Retro TV Land, HBO and Showtime's Original Programming schedule and of course... Nick at Night.
 

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