"Joan of Arcadia" a TV series about a 16-year-old girl who discovers that she can see and talk to God, will premiere on Friday, September 26th on CBS

I'll be watching, because I'm a big fan of Joe Mantegna, ever since he starred on "First Monday", a series about the US Supreme Court, and insisted that his character be an Italian American.

Also, since the the Surname of the family in Joan of Arcadia is "Girardi", certainly of Italian origin, I will be curious to see how the family's heritage is handled. Either "negative", "positive" or "assimilated"??
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GOD HELP HER

The creator of 'Joan of Arcadia' wanted to do something that scared her. The result, an unusual family drama with visits from the Supreme Being, has done the trick.

Los Angeles Times
By Greg Braxton
Times Staff Writer
September 14 2003

..While other new shows have big stars such as Whoopi Goldberg and Charlie Sheen attached, Hall has a co-star without a trailer or entourage but is arguably the most well-known — and certainly the mightiest — name in the universe: God.

The all-knowing, all-seeing character is a key focus of "Joan of Arcadia," CBS' risky, often riveting new family drama from Hall about a 16-year-old girl who discovers that she can see and talk to God. The deity appears to Joan in various forms — as a cute teenage boy, a brash cafeteria worker, a little girl. The plan is for God to appear a few times per episode, played each time by an unknown actor (at least that's the plan for now). The series stars "The Ring" and "General Hospital" alum Amber Tamblyn as Joan; Joe Mantegna as her father, police chief Will Girardi; Mary Steenburgen as her mother, Helen Girardi; and Jason Ritter and Michael Welch as her brothers Kevin and Luke.

In describing the process of introducing a new series, particularly one with this subject matter, it's hard not to evoke biblical imagery. If it is nowhere near as profound as Genesis, the launch of this unusual show — from the early casting sessions up through shooting of the first few episodes — involved its own acts of creation. For several weeks, actors, producers and production crews worked to build the entire "Joan of Arcadia" universe that once existed solely in Hall's mind.

Producers and directors gathered regularly in small offices to discuss "tone," tearing down almost line by line of dialogue in each scene to establish the emotion...

While the fickle and unpredictable taste of audiences make the launch of any new show difficult, especially on network television, the concept of "Joan of Arcadia" presents extra challenges that other new shows such as "Arrested Development" and "Threat Matrix" are not facing.

The show is premiering at a time when the sensitivity over religion, as evidenced by the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the judicial building in Montgomery, Ala., has once again become a hot national topic.

The subject of God in popular entertainment has its own baggage. The recent "Bruce Almighty," in which Jim Carrey played an ordinary man given God's power, was a major hit, and the "Oh God!" films featuring George Burns as the Supreme Being scored with audiences...

In commercials and previews, Hall and CBS are attempting to inform audiences that they should not expect another "Touched by an Angel" with "Joan of Arcadia." For one thing, the character of Joan is not religious, but God talks to her nonetheless. The show's tone is grittier and unlike "Touched by an Angel," the series is grounded in exploring God more from a metaphysical perspective than a religious standpoint.

Besides, it's one thing to be merely touched by an angel and quite another to interact directly with the Supreme Deity.

Even so, CBS executives maintain that they don't expect the series to be controversial. "I don't think the character of God is a concern for us in terms of controversy," said Nina Tassler, executive vice president of dramatic development for the network. "We do feel it will contribute to some interesting debate and that God is a dramatic and stimulating dramatic device.

Even if God weren't a central character, the network would still be watching "Joan's" progress closely. The series marks perhaps the most determined effort by the network, which is known for its older adult-skewing shows, to appeal to younger viewers with a scripted drama.

"This show is a big step for us," Tassler said. "Our protagonist is a 16-year-old girl, which is a pretty progressive step for CBS. Yes, we hope this will help bring us a younger audience...

She added that she is aware that the concept of "Joan of Arcadia" may not be the easiest sell to viewers....

"Judging Amy," which Hall co-created, has become one of CBS' most reliable series. In addition to producing stints on "Chicago Hope" and "Northern Exposure," Hall has also written several novels, including "A Summons to New Orleans," a fictionalized account of her own rape in New Orleans' French Quarter in 1997.

"The No. 1 reason we're doing this is Barbara Hall," Tassler said.

The public awaits

And as the network and studios wait for the most important feedback of all, Hall is listening to her inner muse — just as her young character listens to God — as she moves forward on her stories...

And there are a lot of questions — there's a big need for clarification about where the show is going." She has composed her own list of 10 commandments of what God can or cannot do (see related story)...

"There's no bigger lightning rod than God," she says. "I have to show how to make God palatable in this world, how to keep it interesting and smart. I have a lot of responsibility."

Setting the bar high

"Joan of Arcadia" began taking shape in Hall's mind when she was a consulting producer on "Chicago Hope" in the mid-1990s and evolved while she served as co-creator and executive producer of "Judging Amy." The concept meshed her fascination with Joan of Arc (the 15th century Maid of Orleans who helped drive the British from France), her longtime interest in physics and metaphysics, and her desire to use drama and comedy to explore the existence of God in a "scary, not benign universe."

"It's a risky undertaking — leaving that series to do this," says Hall, 42. "I really wanted to do something that scared me. It's important for me...

The series is a veritable squeezebox of genres. "Joan of Arcadia" is a family drama, a coming-of-age saga of a teenager, a high school drama and a gritty police show, all tossed together with a mix of fantasy and religion...

Like all other creators and producers in television, Hall has to deal with "notes," the questions and suggestions from executives giving their input on scripts, dailies and the finished project. Sometimes the notes are written directly on scripts, other times they are communicated orally.

Hall says she welcomes notes...but the discussions are not only about characters, relationships or story points. They are mostly about God.

"The note sessions get into these theological discussions about what God can and cannot do," she explains. "There is real interest in that, and I'm constantly explaining the character of God..."

"The real test now is putting the show out there, and that's what I'm dealing with," she says. "I'm very eager to get feedback. The perception of the audience will define or redefine the show. And that's what really matters now."

In God she trusts.

(INFOBOX)

Life with heavenly father

James HAYMAN is a television executive who has been searching for God. And he's been successful. Assisted by the show's casting director, Vicki Rosenberg, Hayman has found God in a 6-year-old girl and a hunky 18-year-old male. He has also located God in a 70-year-old woman.

Hayman, an executive producer on "Joan of Arcadia," is on a constant search for unknown performers who can play God, who appears several times each episode to talk to teenager Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn).

"Usually in the beginning of the episode, we have a God who is more ditzy, absent-minded," Hayman said. "The God we have at the end of each episode tends to be more serious, has to be more gentle and warm. That God is usually providing important information or teaching a lesson."

Barbara Hall, the show's creator, is certainly specific about who can't play God: celebrities. "You're not going to see Tony Danza as God, at least not this season."

She has also written up her own 10 commandments as a guidepost of what God can and cannot do. It's drawn both from her studies into various religions, as well as the needs of casting a weekly television series.

"It's something that comes in very useful when I'm trying to explain how God works in the show," she said. And those commandments are?

--God cannot directly intervene.
--Good and evil exist.
--God can never identify one religion as being right.
--The job of every human being is to fulfill his or her true nature.
--Everyone is allowed to say no to God, including Joan.
--God is not bound by time — this is a human concept.
--God is not a person and does not possess a human personality.
--God talks to everyone all the time in different ways.
--God's plan is what is good for us, not what is good for Him.
--God's purpose for talking to Joan, and everyone, is to get her and us to recognize the interconnectedness of all things: All of your actions have consequences;
--God can be found in the smallest actions. However, the exact nature of God is a mystery that can never be solved.

— Greg Braxton

*Joan of Arcadia'

Network: CBS
When: Friday, 8-9 p.m.
Premieres: Sept. 26
*
calendarlive.com: God help her
http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-ca-braxton-14sep14,2,691831.story