Minear’s Miracle

Written by: Michael Hickerson (SoSF Staff Journalist)

Tim Minear (“Firefly,” “Drive”) is back and this time his new series won’t be on FOX, giving us all hope it might run in order and more than two episodes.

Minear, along with Emmy winner Todd Holland, have created a project called “Miracle Man.” The project sparked a bidding war for the potential series between ABC and FOX with ABC coming out the eventual winner. (Thank goodness! er – at least we hope)

“Miracle Man” centers on a disgraced former televangelist, a man of no faith, who finds that God is using him to perform real miracles and change lives, starting with his own.

“It’s about losing everything and starting over and finding that there is a higher purpose in life,” Minear told Variety. “It’s about a man who says, ‘I don’t know how to be good, but I’ll try to be better.’ ”

“Miracle” was developed by Minear and Holland, who worked together on Fox’s critically praised drama “Wonderfalls.” Minear is writing the script, with Holland set to direct. Both are executive producing.

Televangelism is a familiar territory for Minear, who had an evangelical upbringing in Whittier, Calif., and went to evangelical schools. His father is a radio engineer for religious programming. While he was growing up, Minear often listened to preachers as they taped their programs in his dad’s home studio.

But “Miracle” “is not in any way an indictment to religion,” Minear said. “It’s a love letter to the religious.”

What attracted him to the idea of doing a show about a disgraced televangelist was that “I love the genre, and I love stories about redemption and stories about characters that are slightly cynical and nudged by higher force,” Minear said.

The project brings Minear back to the network where his career began. Minear was an excutive producer on “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” during the series third and fourth seasons.