Miracles (ABC 2003)

Airing Monday Nights at 10:00 p.m. Created By Michael Petroni and Richard Hatem, directed By Matt Reeves, with Skeet Ulrich, Angus Macfadyen, Marisa Ramirez, and Hector Elizondo

Reviewed by Lynda Dale MacLean

Miracle (as defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1969): “An event that appears unexplainable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.”

On Monday, January 27, 2003, ABC aired the new series called Miracles. This hopeful premiere had a lot of finesse, and with it came strong dramatic roles, intelligence, intense vivid images of suspense and horror, and of course a serious question as a focal point: do miracles exist and, if so, are they sent by God or something (or someone) else?

(At ABC.com there was a poll asking if you believe in miracles. I took the poll myself and the results at the time [January 28, 2003] stated 91.04% of people said "yes.")

Paul Callan (Skeet Ulrich) is a burnt out church investigator whose job it is to authenticate miracles. Paul’s faith in miracles is lost after his most recent excursion turned stale, and sadness gripped over the fallen hearts of those wanting to believe. Paul takes leave for three months, and works in the desert helping to build homes for people in need. Everything changes when Paul receives a call from Father “Poppi” Calero (Hector Elizondo) saying that the monsignor personally requested his assistance on a case that could quite possibly be a real miracle.

The case in question is about a 10-year-old boy named Tommy Ferguson whose been able to heal the sick and injured.

Paul’s faith is restored by witnessing Tommy’s gift, but belief of a miracle solidly being documented as a legitimate factuality is questioned and doubted by the monsignor. Paul resigns. He bumps into Father “Poppi” on his way out, only to find out that the priest claims to have not spoken to Paul in many months.

Alva Keel (Angus Macfadyen), a former Harvard professor whose been tracking Paul’s research and now devotes his time as an investigator of the paranormal, invites Paul to join him in this quest to search out the events leading up to what may be the world’s greatest miracle….or biggest threat.

Evelyn Santos (Marisa Ramirez), is the third member of the group, though we don't meet her until the ending seconds of the premiere. (Later on the viewer finds out that Evelyn is a former police officer and now works for Alva. She becomes a very significant part of this party.)

One of the things that I found very effective and quite creative was in the direction of the show. It plays out like a theatrical production, astonishing the eye with beautifully detailed images and colors, as it touches the fibers of existence with queasiness and a settling chill of comfort.

Music plays such a key role in the way it gears your senses to assume something is building up to a potentially climatic scene. Music also can be incorporated by shedding light on the emotional state a person or persons might be experiencing, or just to add an element of indifference towards the scene. The haunting softness of Spanish melodies breathes touches of calm, mystery, and moodiness to Miracles.

Miracles is vibrant, dark in thought, intoxicating, dreamy, and extraordinarily interesting. I was completely taken in with the series premiere, and hope it continues to draw me into the realm of … miracles. And I hope you can come along for the journey...check out Miracles, it's well worth your time.

For more about Miracles, be sure to check out the ABC official website at: http://abc.go.com/primetime/miracles/