Call it a prophecy written in ‘Stone.’ Former ‘Justice’ narrator and ‘Alias’ vet Victor Garber is set to co-star along with British-born Johnny Lee Miller in ABC’s new pilot ‘Eli Stone.’
Produced by Touchstone Television and studio-based Berlanti Television, ‘Eli’ is billed as a high-concept legal drama about a smarty pants attorney living in San Francisco who discovers he might be a prophet. Wait a minute, he’s a lawyer, probably rich, brainy, and a prophet? Why do TV networks insist on perpetuating the idea that lawyers are better than everyone else? Whatever. Miller plays the potential seer while Garber will portray the firm’s senior partner, as well as the father of Miller’s fiancé.
According to Hollywood Reporter, ABC had been laboring for months trying to cast the show, but went head over heels when Garber became available following Fox’s cancellation of ‘Justice.’
Speaking of which, ABC’s ‘Eli’ seems intent on using ‘Justice’s’ short-lived gimmick, except in reverse. In ‘Justice,’ the lawyers spin and preen for their clients, only for the audience to find out in the end who was actually guilty or innocent, whereas ‘Eli’ has a prophet lawyer who will (presumably) know the outcome of his legalistic swashbuckling before it happens. No wonder ABC wanted Garber so bad; now they have someone already well-versed in the intricate ways of plot-thickening trickery.
So far no word on when ABC’s new potentially too-confusing-to-watch show will air. But now that the core cast appears set, the Alphabet should start shooting relatively soon.
