NBC PICKS UP 'THE BOOK OF DANIEL,' NEW DRAMA SERIES STARRING AIDAN QUINN, FOR MID-SEASON 2005-06

NBC PICKS UP 'THE BOOK OF DANIEL,' NEW DRAMA SERIES STARRING AIDAN QUINN, FOR MID-SEASON 2005-06

BURBANK - July 15, 2005 - NBC has picked up the new drama series "The Book of Daniel," starring Aidan Quinn ("Legends of the Fall") as a conflicted reverend and family man, for mid-season 2005-06, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"This challenging new series is our first announced drama for mid-season as we continue to seek different, out-of-the-box projects," said Reilly. "'The Book of Daniel' is bold and surprising storytelling told by a great cast led by Aidan Quinn."

Life is strange in "The Book of Daniel," but it's especially skewed for Reverend Daniel Webster (Quinn, "An Early Frost," "Legends of the Fall") - a man of faith in this off-center world where nothing is sacred. He has a loving, but challenged relationship with his family, a stressful relationship with the church hierarchy, led by Bishop Beatrice Congreve (Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, "Alive Doesn't Live Here Anymore"), as well as a nagging relationship with prescription pills. But he has a friend to help him with his multitude of issues -- a contemporary Jesus (Garret Dillahunt, "Deadwood") who only appears to the reverend.

The series also stars Susanna Thompson ("Now and Again") as the reverend's wife, Judith, and Christian Campbell ("Trick"), Alison Pill ("Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen") and Ivan Shaw ("All My Children") as the couple's troublesome three children. Creator Jack Kenny ("Titus") and Flody Suarez ("8 Simple Rules") are the executive producers of "The Book of Daniel," from Sony Pictures Television and the NBC Universal Television Studio.