NBC is scheduling the premiere of unique drama Awake for Thursday, March 1st in the 10-11 pm timeslot. It’s a huge gamble, thrusting a rookie series into such a volatile evening – and against some heavyweight opposition.
The series stars Jason Isaacs [Harry Potter, Brotherhood] as a police detective who finds himself living two different lives – or the same life in two different versions of the world following a family tragedy.
Ever since I saw a rough cut of the pilot/premiere at the beginning of last summer, I’ve been eagerly awaiting its appearance on NBC’s schedule. It’s one of the best pilots of the last five years. Details from the official NBC press release – and a cool clip – follow the jump.
NBC UNVEILS INTRIGUING NEW DRAMA ‘AWAKE’ TO PREMIERE ON THURSDAY, MARCH 1 (10-11 P.M. ET)
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.
Photo and clip courtesy of NBC