Last month, we had to ask was NBC’s new high-concept sci-fi drama ‘Awake’ too complicated for the general public? Well… it seems like we’re about to find out.
NBC announced today that ‘Awake’ will premiere on Thursday, March 1st at 10pm EST. It will be airing after NBC’s current Thursday night comedy lineup, knocking ‘The Firm’ (currently airing at 10 pm Thursdays) to a Saturday timeslot.
‘Awake’ was created by Kyle Killen (‘Lone Star’) and stars Jason Isaacs, best known for his role as Lucius Malfoy in the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise. Isaac plays a man who, after a car accident begins living his life in two different realities; in one his wife died in the accident while his son lived and in the other, it’s the other way around with his son dying.
Many genre fans have been looking forward to ‘Awake’ for some time now, so NBC’s announcement is a welcome note. Check out the trailer for ‘Awake’ below:
The official press release from NBC:
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – February 3, 2012 – NBC will premiere its intriguing new drama “Awake” on Thursday, March 1 (10-11 p.m. ET), starring Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter,” “Brotherhood”) as a detective who finds he is leading a complex double life that defies reality. The series will continue on Thursdays (10-11 p.m. ET).
“The Firm” will move from Thursdays (10-11 p.m. ET) to Saturdays (9-10 p.m. ET) beginning February 11, where the drama will resume with original episodes. Encore episodes of “Grimm” will air Thursdays (10-11 p.m. ET) beginning on February 9.
The announcements were made today by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment.
From executive producers Kyle Killen (“Lone Star”) and Howard Gordon (“Homeland,” “24”), “Awake” is an intriguing drama about Detective Michael Britten (Isaacs) who finds he’s living two parallel lives. He’s involved in a car accident that seems to have killed both his son (Dylan Minnette, “Saving Grace”) and wife (Laura Allen, “Terriers”), yet his mind creates an ingenious coping mechanism in which he now lives two separate lives – one where his wife survived and the other where his son did.
Trying to regain some normalcy, Michael returns to solving crimes in both worlds with the help of two different partners, Detective Isaiah “Bird” Freeman (Steve Harris, “The Practice”) and Detective Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valderrama, “That ’70s Show”). Michael is assigned a different case in each reality and quickly discovers that his dual existence is actually a powerful tool. He begins to solve impossible cases by using his two realities to gain unique perspectives and link clues that cross over from world to world.
Helping Michael to navigate his two realities are his bureau-assigned therapists Dr. Evans (Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones, “24”) and Dr. Lee (BD Wong, NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”). While both therapists work to untangle his two worlds, Michael has no interest in proving either one is false. But when memories of the accident begin to haunt him, he is forced to confront the truth about what really happened the night of the crash.
“Awake” is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television.
What do you think? Will a high-concept show like ‘Awake’ be able to gain an audience in a world where shows like ‘Jersey Shore’ and ‘The Bachelor’ still have an audience? Are you looking forward to seeing what NBC and Isaacs can do? Comment below and let us know.
