Preview for Tonight's Series Premiere Episode of "Eli Stone"

Preview for Tonight's Series Premiere Episode of "Eli Stone" 1/31/08

JANUARY 31

LAW SHARK ELI STONE BEGINS TO HAVE VISIONS WHICH PROMPT HIM TO RECONSIDER HIS ROLE IN LIFE, ON THE PREMIERE OF ABC'S "ELI STONE"

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 in life, caught between the man he has become and the man he wants to be... even if that means being a prophet. ABC's new drama "Eli Stone" premieres with "Pilot," THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET), immediately following the highly anticipated season premiere of "Lost."

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 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 Letscher, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"), only to be told there's 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, his relationships and how he's perceived by others. But it's not until Eli puts his own life in peril that Nathan recognizes similar episodes their father shared and reconsiders his brother's case. Upon another review of the symptoms and an MRI, he discovers Eli is suffering from an inoperable brain aneurysm that's causing his illusions.

If Nathan represents science, Dr. Chen represents 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, his visions have helped him 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 these words in mind, Eli redefines his outlook on life and his mission 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 his fiancée, Taylor (Natasha Henstridge, "Commander in Chief"), Eli chooses to stay the course.

His 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.

"Eli Stone" stars Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby, Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby, Loretta Devine as Patti, Sam Jaeger as Matt Dowd, James Saito as Dr. Chen, Matt Letscher as Nathan Stone and Julie Gonzalo as Maggie.

Guest starring in "Pilot" are Tom Cavanaugh as Mr. Stone and Laura Benanti as Beth Keller.

"Pilot" was written by Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and directed by Ken Olin.

Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim are co-creators and executive producers of "Eli Stone." Chris Misiano ("The West Wing") also serves as executive producer and director. The series is produced by ABC Studios.

"Eli Stone" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.

This episode of "Eli Stone" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.

Source: ABC Press Release