Editor's Review

A Gifted Man

(July 20th, 2011. - www.tvview.tv)               Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Ehle, Julie Benz, Liam Aiken, Margo Martindale and Afton Williamson star in the offbeat medical drama A Gifted Man, airing Fridays on CBS starting September 23rd.

               This drama follows a brilliant, charismatic surgeon whose life changes forever when his deceased ex-wife begins teaching him the meaning of life from the "hereafter."  Michael Holt (Wilson) is an exceptional doctor who lives a materialistic life of luxury thanks to his work-obsessed career and powerful and wealthy patients; however, Michael's ordered world is rocked when his ex-wife, Anna (Ehle), an idealistic free-clinic doctor and the love of his life, mysteriously appears to him.  Michael's off-beat sister, Christina (Benz), a single mom to her teenaged son, Milo (Aiken), is thrilled that Anna's back in her brother's life, even as an "illusion," because Michael was always a better person with her.  Curious about Michael's sudden change in behavior is his efficient assistant, Rita (Martindale).  When Anna asks Michael to go to her clinic to help keep it running, he meets Autumn (Williamson), a volunteer carrying on Anna's work with the underprivileged.  Touched by those in need and accepting of Anna's compassionate "presence," Michael's attitude toward serving the rich and poor is turned upside down, and he begins to see that there's room in his life for everyone.

               The idea of a dead spouse somehow returning to communicate with living loved one is certainly not new. Anyone who has a memory dating back more than the last few season can name several times when this idea has been tried. As with all the others, this dram will succeed or fail because we like, or don't like, the characters, just as much as if we don't like the premise. We will accept a way out idea if it is sold to us by interesting people. Likewise we are not that interested in a great plot if the actors just can't deliver the chemistry to go with it. There is an outside chance that this drama will catch on because of the chemistry of the cast, but I'm not planning to be the farm on it.

               What is far more likely, is that this drama will be among the first to disappear from the schedule to make way for the next hopeful. The whole idea of this series is better suited to a made for television movie, as two hours is about how long you can keep the premise going before it starts to get old. I can't imagine what this series will look like by the end of an entire season, let alone 100 episodes from now.

          CBS certainly does need to expand their schedule to include something other than police dramas, but this is not likely to be a successful direction. I think a good character drama based in a hospital or medical office would have been a good choice. The dead spouse part is the reason this one won't be around long.

 

Editor