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The Hollywood Reporter has announced that 'Drive' creator Tim Minear and Emmy winner Todd Holland have teamed for 'Miracle Man,' a television show about 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.
Reporter Nellie Andreeva writes that the drama project sparked a bidding war between ABC and Fox, but landed at ABC with a pilot commitment.
"It's about losing everything and starting over and finding that there is a higher purpose in life," Minear said. "It's about a man who says, 'I don't know how to be good, but I'll try to be better.' "
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 'Miracle Man' 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.
Andreeva writes that televangelism is a familiar territory for Minear, who had an evangelical upbringing in Whittier, California, 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.
The Hollywood Reporter is saying that "Miracle" also was influenced by the series of sex and accounting fraud scandals that rocked the televangelist industry in the 1980s.
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.
Minear's first full-time series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' also premiered on ABC.
"I've come a full circle," Minear said. "It feels a fresh clean beginning of something."
Minear, who most recently created and executive produced Fox's drama 'Drive,' also has worked on such series as Fox's 'The Inside' and 'Firefly' and WB Network's 'Angel.'
Holland has won three directing Emmys -- two for Fox's 'Malcolm in the Middle' and one for HBO's 'The Larry Sanders Show.' On the big screen, he most recently directed 'Firehouse Dog.'
Haggard Overseers Halt Fundraising E-mail
The Denver Post is reporting that the ministry overseers guiding Ted Haggard's restoration issued a statement this week opposing his recent e-mail request for money as "inappropriate" and "unacceptable."
Last week, Haggard sent an e-mail to KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs saying he planned to pursue a master's degree in counseling and also work as a counselor at the Phoenix Dream Center halfway house. He said he and his family would move in to the Dream Center, which is overseen by Rev. Tommy Barnett, pastor of the 15,000-member Phoenix First Assembly of God that Haggard now attends.
"Mr. Haggard's solicitation for personal support was inappropriate," the overseers said in their statement. "It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry. Mr. Haggard will not be moving in or working with the Dream Center. He will not be doing any ministry. He will be seeking secular employment to support himself and his family," the statement said.
The four-pastor team of overseers was assigned to help Haggard after he was removed from New Life Church in Colorado Springs in November of 2006.
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