Friday, January 25, 2008

But you gotta have faith!

Premiering on ABC after the season opener of "Lost" on the 31st (holy crap, how much am I looking forward to that?!?) is a show called "Eli Stone." Haven't heard of it? I hadn't until reading about in TV Guide last night.

I got a freebie subscription to TV Guide with some Delta frequent flyer miles I'll never use. Must have been left over from my time in Moscow, when Delta was the U.S. carrier out of Mutha Russia. I don't actually use the schedule in the guide, I just read the letters from angry readers ("I don't understand why you haven't recognized the amazing talents of Ryan Seacrest - he is a young god! His teeth are so white!") and the behind-the-scenes articles. I guess it's a little like having a subscription to Playboy and not looking at the porn. Go figure.

So, there I was last night outside the World Bank, sitting in the Crapmobile Mark II, waiting for a friend and flipping through the pages of the venerable TV Guide. I stopped flipping when I saw an unexpected face. This face:


Okay, actually not *that* face, but this one:


Yep. George "You Gotta Have Faith/Father Figure/Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go/I get high and fall asleep behind the wheel of my car" Michael. Get this -- the premise of "Eli Stone" is that the main character is an ethically-challenged San Francisco lawyer who is diagnosed with an inoperable brain aneurysm. As a result of his brain invader, he starts having visions that spur him to do extraordinary things to help people that might actually return him to the good side of The Force. One of his recurring visions/hallucinations? George Michael. The REAL George Michael. Apparently, each episode is named for a George Michael song, and, god bless him, George appears as himself in episodes throughout the season, singin' and shakin' it.

For me, this is a must-see, the-producers-had-to-be-smoking-crack moment. Roll your eyes, but I love George Michael's music. His drug problems make me very sad for him, but I tell you, the George's solo recordings are damn good. I'm not joking. I think it's good. Snazzy. Swanky. Cool. And the thought of him appearing as someone's brain aneurysm-induced hallucination week after week on primetime TV is just too good - and, frankly, bizarre - to pass up.

Godspeed, Mr. Panayiotou! Here's hoping "Eli Stone" is good -- I like the premise, but then again I'm a sucker for setting things right. ABC must have some faith of their own, since they're giving it the coveted post-"Lost" spot this next week.

Can't wait.

4 comments:

Heather Meadows said...

My dad used to get TV Guide. I would pour over every single article, and Dad and I would collaborate on the crossword. Rarely did I ever use it to see what was coming on TV.

Anonymous said...

You've moved me to listen to Listen without Prejudice right now. I am a music snob, and no shitting you, I think this is one of the best CDs of the 90's.

Merujo said...

Heather, I used to race home from school on the day it was due in the mail just to beat my mom to the puzzle (which really got her PO'ed) and back then, we had to actually use it. Now, I'm so accustomed to on-screen schedules, it never crosses my mind to use it!

Spencer, I'm with you 100% - killer album. I've got all his solo CDs, and I honestly really enjoy them.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious about this show. And, as there is very little out there now but 'reality' tv, I may check this out...