New Job for Nathan Fillion, Perhaps?

Tim Minear has a new show in development as a follow-up to the woefully underrated Drive. Minear, who also co-produced Angel and Firefly with Joss Whedon, seems to have a habit of giving Nathan Fillion work. I can easily see Fillion in the role of "disgraced former televangelist, a man of no faith, who finds that God is using him to perform real miracles and change lives, starting with his own."

He did play the preacher in Buffy, Season 7 (though that particular preacher was doing anything BUT God's work.) Fillion has an easy going style that makes him a likable lead.

Unfortunately, TV Shows dealing with religious themes tend to tank, either under the weight of controversy or simple viewer apathy. Highly formulaic efforts such as Touched by an Angel and Highway to Heaven have more success than shows that raise questions or take a more creative approach to the material. Joan of Arcadia developed a cult following, but it wasn't enough to give it legs. The Book of Daniel, also about a troubled religious leader (a Catholic priest, in this case) was yanked off the air in a storm of controversy, while Dead Like Me, a religious/fantasy effort, simply couldn't maintain enough ratings to survive.

After his experience with Drive, Minear is taking another big risk in Miracle Man. Some good news though...at least it's not airing on the idiot-run FOX network. Good luck, Tim.

SCI FI Wire | The News Service of the SCI FI Channel | SCIFI.COM: "Former Angel producer Tim Minear and Emmy winner Todd Holland have teamed for Miracle Man, a supernatural drama project that sparked a bidding war between ABC and Fox and landed at ABC with a put pilot commitment, according to The Hollywood Reporter."

(Via SCI FI Wire.)