NEW AMSTERDAM ,premieres September 25, 2007 on Fox, Tuesday night 8PM ET/PT. The saga tells the story of a New York homicide detective unlike any other. He is brilliant, mysterious, reckless, magnetic, unknowable. And he has a profound secret – he is immortal.
In 1642, John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam – later to become New York City – stepped in front of a sword to save the life of a Native American girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe.
The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality.
But Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he’s experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; friends, lovers and children grow old and eventually die while he remains young. His sole confidant and current lifelong friend is the sage jazz club owner Omar (Stephen Henderson), the keeper of Amsterdam’s secret, as well as a few of his own. The exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and loneliness. For Amsterdam, over the centuries the blessing has become a curse.
Having witnessed its entire history from colonial outpost to mega-metropolis, John Amsterdam is the living embodiment of New York City. He and the island of Manhattan are joined – part and parcel. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD’s best homicide detectives, sparring with his vibrant, strong-willed partner Eva Marquez (Zuleikha Robinson) as they solve difficult murder cases. But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers from what appears to be a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, and Dr. Sara Dillane (Alexie Gilmore) pronounces him dead in the ER, he realizes that the prophesy may have come true – he felt the pain in his heart foretold so long ago. His soul mate must have been nearby. As he works to bring closure to the lives of others, Amsterdam also seeks closure of his own.
From executive producers David Manson (“Saved,†“Thief,†“Nothing Sacredâ€), Allan Loeb (“Things Lost in the Fire,†“21â€), Lasse Hallström (“Chocolat,†“The Cider House Rules,†“The Hoaxâ€), Leslie Holleran (“Chocolat,†“The Cider House Rules,†“The Hoaxâ€) and Steven Pearl (“Untraceableâ€), this intriguing series invites viewers to explore the enduring mysteries of life, death and true love.
He-e-e-e-e-e-re we are: born to be kings,
We’re the pr—oh, never mind.
tllgrrl true, but it does sound decent.
Being on FOX I give it 6 episodes, let the dead pool begin.
4 eps. Let’s see if it can get even less than Drive.
I’m betting 8 (Call me an optimist…)
It might not even make it to 1!
http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2007/08/06/new-amsterdam-gets-foxd-what-the-fox/
Aug. 27, 2007
Hey! You’re takin a bite out the ratings before the first episode has even seen the light of day! “New Amsterdam” Tuesdays on Fox and “Moonlight” Fridays on CBS this Fall season are the first vamp-esque-themed TV I’ve seen in YEARS. Yes, I’m a fan of “Forever Knight”, “Kindred the Embraced”, “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and “Beauty and the Beast”. The trailers for both “New Amsterdam” and “Moonlight” have hooked their fang into me. Can’t wait for the new season to begin!
It is based on a killer book – Forever by Pete Hamill. In it an Irishman trailers his fathers killer to NY and avenges him. Ends up getting “blessed/cursed” by a Shaman (African) and is stuck on Manhattan. Great book, this show has definite possibilities. I give it a least a season.
READ THE BOOK “FOREVER”… THEY STOLE THE ENTIRE STORY… (HOWEVER, IT IS A PHENOMENAL BOOK!)
I can’t belive all the BS about this show not making it to one season. This show sounds awsome and I can’t wait until Sept 25th. I think its going to be a hit.
I don’t think it’s coming out, even on Sep. 25. I just checked the guide and is not there. Maaan, this blows, I was looking forward to watching that show.
Fox is pissing me off!
The premiere of this show has been moved to Fox’s mid-season after the first of the year.
Cehck out our updated article at:
http://www.sliceofscifi.com/?s=new+amsterdam
My favorite parts of highlander involved the explorations of what immortality really would be like to live through, so this sounds right up my alley! Who needs cheesy fight scenes and bad special effects?
Right, I went back this week and watched Highlander (the first one) and there is a passing resemblance between the two – but only if you ignore the cheesy fight scenes and over the top 80’s trappings. …and of course, Highlander went off the rails after the first movie. Hopefully, New Amsterdam won’t suffer a similar fate.
Just watched the pre air, thought it was great & can not believe they would not do a full season.
New York isn’t THAT big. I liked the show (watched it last night) BUT how can a NY detective end up in the morgue as a John Doe? Did someone roll him between cuts? What happened to his badge and ID? Attention to details saves lives and scifi series from crib death