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TV Media Weekly | October 20 - 26, 2018 By Kyla Brewer TV Media I n many areas, church atten- dance has been on the de- cline as people continue to question the existence and nature of God. A new television series has the potential to spark thoughtful conversations about spirituality and religion, for be- lievers and non-believers alike. Brandon Micheal Hall ("The Mayor") stars as Miles Finer, an atheist whose life is turned up- side down when he accepts a social media friend request from someone claiming to be God in "God Friended Me," airing Sun- day, Oct. 21, on CBS. Through a series of friend suggestions, "God" has led Miles to Cara Bloom (Violett Beane, "The Flash"), a struggling young jour- nalist who becomes an unlikely sidekick as he inadvertently helps those in need. While the premise may re- quire a leap of faith, TV industry pundits seem to have an open mind about the series, which has been featured in such high- profile publications as Vanity Fair and Variety. In a September vanityfair.com article, creator Bryan Wynbrandt ("Gotham") explained the purpose of the show. "The hope of the show is to focus on the positive when there is so much negative," Wyn- brandt said. Before accepting the friend request, Miles had been pro- moting his atheist views on his podcast, which put him at odds with his father, Rev. Arthur Finer (Joe Morton, "Scandal"). A prominent preacher at Harlem's Trinity Church, Arthur is, not sur- prisingly, hurt by his son's lack of faith. Miles' sister, Ali (Javicia Leslie, "Killer Coach," 2016), works as a bartender by day and studies psychology at night, of- ten offering up advice to her brother and Cara as they try to solve the mystery behind the God account. They also enlist the help of Miles' best friend, Rakesh (Suraj Sharma, "Life of Pi," 2012), a hacker who tries to find information about the ac- count. In an effort to promote the show and get people talking about it, CBS served up an early release of the pilot episode, which the network made avail- able on a variety of platforms — including CBS.com, CBS All Ac- cess, the CBS app, Facebook Pre- mieres and Twitter — as of Fri- day, Aug. 31. CBS executive George Schweitzer had high praise for the unique series when the early release was announced. "This is a show that deserves advance exposure," Schweitzer said. "Once people see 'God Friended Me,' they respond to its positive and life-affirming values." In the vein of such iconic tele- vision series as "Touched by an Angel" and "Highway to Heav- en," the show aspires to inspire viewers as Miles helps those in need, whom he finds via "God's" friend suggestions. Whether he's saving a doctor from stepping in front of a train or helping Cara reconnect with her long-lost mother (Rachel Bay Jones, "Dear Evan Hans- en"), Miles can't help but won- der if the God account is really a hoax or something more. As it turns out, Miles discovers he has an unexpected connection to Cara: her mother was a nurse to his mother, who died of breast cancer when he was still a child. His experiences with the God account soon prompt him to question his long-held stance on spirituality and religion. The role is an interesting choice for Hall, whose mother is a preacher. He's claimed on more than one occasion that he practically grew up in a church, but he hasn't shied away from tackling the role of atheist Miles. The actor studied drama at New York's prestigious Jul- liard School and landed parts in television series such as "Search Party" and "The Mayor" before signing on for "God Friended Me." His new co-stars include an Emmy winner, a Tony winner and some talented up-and-com- ers. TV viewers may remember Beane for her role as Jesse Chamber Wells/Jesse Quick in the popular CW superhero se- ries "The Flash." Horror film fans may recognize her from the blockbuster slasher "Truth or Dare" (2018), in which she played Markie Cameron. Her other credits include the TV shows "The Resident" and "The Leftovers." Indian actor Sharma shot to fame in the film adaptation of "Life of Pi" (2012), based on the popular novel. He also appeared in the fourth season of Showtime's politi- cal thriller, "Homeland." Morton won an Emmy in 2014 for his guest-starring turn as Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington, "Django Un- chained," 2012) father, Eli, in ABC's "Scandal." He's also well known for his portrayal of Henry Deacon in the Syfy series "Eureka." "God Friended Me" is the first major series role for Leslie, but she's also appeared in "MacGyver" and "Chef Julian." Though she may not be instantly recognizable to TV fans, recur- ring cast member Jones is a re- vered stage actress, having ap- peared in many Broadway pro- ductions, from "Pippin" to "Dear Evan Hansen." Each episode of "God Friend- ed Me" brings the characters closer as they search for the ulti- mate truth. The drama may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it joins a recent smattering of TV dramas that explore spiritual or religious themes, including NBC's "The Good Place" and CBS's "Living Biblically." It seems Miles Finer isn't the only one with a thirst for answers. Join Miles and his friends on his quest in "God Friended Me," air- ing Sunday, Oct. 21, on CBS. Violett Beane stars in "God Friended Me" Internet highway to heaven: Atheist finds divine online in 'God Friended Me' 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Encompass Credit Union 5 x 2"

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