Fans feeling the gap from the loss of the TV show “The Exorcist” will want to check out the new show “Evil” coming to CBS. The creators of “The Good Wife” are looking at a high-concept show that deviates from a typical law procedural to explore whether crimes were performed by regular people or people who are possessed. The pilot was screened at SDCC, and while many horror fans may be wondering how creators known for “The Good Wife” are going to tackle a show like this, rest assured that the show is unexpectedly unnerving. Executive Producer Robert King notes that this show will not be a “possession of the week” and that this is definitely not the movie “The Exorcist.” He noted that “when there is a movie like “The Exocist,” it’s hard to do better than that” and they wanted to do something else and “explore the question” of what could really be happening and that it is “just as scary to deal with the scientific reality” of any terrible situation.
The show will explore spirituality from two different sides , a believer and a non-believer. Anyone who watched “X-Files” will understand the premise. The show will allow each side to tell its story with Mike Colter (Luke Cage) as Darcy, a priest in training and Katja Herbers as a psychologist. Colter noted that looking at both sides of spirituality will open a discussion with everyone and that “having a strong opinion doesn’t mean you can’t listen.” This is what he thinks the character is trying to find. Colter then noted that “you may find something you were looking for” when you tune in to the show.
The cast is rounded out by Michael Emerson and Aasif Mandvi. Emerson plays Dr. Townsend who, according to Emerson, is a “deep down scary guy….and we have to dig down and find the fun.” Mandvi’s character is working with Darcy and will be the character looking for practical answers to the mysteries.
There is also a very creepy nightmare monster in the pilot designed by Joel Harlow. The creature is named George and he may or may not be real but he certainly has an extra-large attitude. Despite the casual naming, the character provides some pretty brutal moments for prime-time television.
“Evil” premieres on September 26.
SDCC Synopsis: Evil is a psychological mystery that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion. The series focuses on a skeptical female psychologist who joins a priest-in-training and a carpenter as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and hauntings. Their job is to assess if there’s a logical explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work. Please join series stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, and Michael Emerson, along with co-creators and executive producers Robert King and Michelle King for an exclusive sneak peek of the first episode followed by a panel discussion. Moderated by Lynette Rice from Entertainment Weekly. Evil will air Thursdays this fall on CBS.
