In a recent post, I asked why NBC’s hit “This Is Us” hadn’t yet been cloned, which is to say, why isn’t there another heart-tugging family drama premiering this fall? Well, it hasn’t exactly been cloned — and this show comes in from a separate development direction — but “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” might be your second Tuesday-night hug.
I got the word on it right from the creators’ mouths, but first, some background.
The one-hour comedy/drama premieres Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, which describes it thusly:
Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter) is not a good person. He’s not terrible, but he’s selfish, and clueless, and values material wealth and status over all else. And he’s beginning to realize that those things aren’t making him happy—in fact, he’s fairly miserable. Just when things seem to be at their worst, he finds himself tasked with an unbelievable mission… saving the world. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, is a unique one-hour drama, filled with hope, heart and a good dose of irreverent humor.
On a dangerous path of despair, Kevin returns to his childhood home in Texas to crash with his widowed twin sister, Amy (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), and teenaged niece, Reese (Chloe East). It is a strained homecoming—he and his family have grown apart over the years—and Kevin has no real hope that anything will get better. But a series of fantastic events, including a meteorite landing near the house, lead Kevin to meet an unlikely celestial guide, Yvette (Kimberly Hébert Gregory). Yvette delivers incredible news to Kevin: in every generation, there are 36 righteous souls on Earth whose mere existence protects the word. Kevin, she tells him, is the last of the 36 righteous. Humanity has been thrown into crisis. Without the 36, the world will begin to lose the one thing that allows us to persevere through the ups and downs of life: hope.
Now Kevin has a mission, whether he wants it or not: “power up” his soul through acts of kindness and selflessness, so that he can eventually find and anoint a new generation of righteous. Yvette will serve as his protector and teacher, a drill sergeant with divine authority, even if she’s the least angel-like person he’s ever met.
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World stars Jason Ritter (Parenthood) as Kevin Finn, JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Once Upon a Time, The Astronaut Wives Club) as Amy Cabrera, Kimberly Hébert Gregory (HBO’s Vice Principals) as Yvette, Chloe East as Reese Cabrera, J. August Richards as Deputy Nate Purcell, Dustin Ybarra as Tyler Medinaand India de Beaufort as Kristin Allen.
Previously, “Kevin” creators Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas — Fazekas is a Catholic — were behind The CW’s “Reaper,” which starred Bret Harrison as Sam, a twentysomething slacker who is forced to work for the devil, retrieving evil souls that have escaped from Hell. They also wrote a couple episodes for ABC’s “Resurrection,” about the residents of Arcadia, Missouri, whose loved ones return from the dead, unchanged since they passed away. Both shows ran for two seasons.
So, it seems that Butters and Fazekas like to dabble in spiritual themes, with a twist. “Reaper” had a lot of the humor present in “Kevin,” and while it took a quirky look at faith, it didn’t denigrate it in any way.
I’ve read the pilot for “Kevin,” and while it’s ecumenical in tone and a little fuzzy on the theological details, it mentioned God more times than any show in recent memory — and in a nice way. I found it charming and smart, and Ritter seems perfectly cast as the hapless Kevin.
At the biannual TV Critics Association Press Tour this past summer, I sat down with Butters and Fazekas.
On the idea that sparked the show, Fazekas states concern over the increasing nastiness in the world, especially on social media, and adds:
FAZEKAS: There is a theological term called “metanoia,” that literally is a Greek word that means, “see the world through new eyes.” I don’t think you have to be Catholic or even a person of faith to appreciate the word. That’s actually a big part of our show.
If you are a person of faith, you will find things that put you into our show. If you are an atheist, you will find things that are put in our show. Because, at the end, it’s not about faith or not faith, or God or not God, it’s about hope.
What I love about the the idea of seeing the world through new eyes is that it has a transformative nature, that there is a magical element in seeing the world that way, and that you can actually change your world by just deciding, “I’m going to see it in a new way.” That, I love.
BUTTERS: Going to the idea that you can be entertaining and still be hopeful, that’s what we’re looking for in this show. It should hopefully be just as entertaining as any of the other shows. I don’t want to preach to you. I get bored with earnestness.
On how “Kevin” deals with faith:
BUTTERS: Try not to think about it as being religious; it is a spiritual show. We’re trying to take the archetypes and put them on their heads. You have to be on board for this. If you’re not on board, then maybe this isn’t your show.
FAZEKAS: You know what, though, it celebrates faith. Even our show about the devil celebrated faith. It talked more about God than a lot of other shows.
BUTTERS: Each person decides what their faith is, whether or not they put their faith in God. Do they put their faith in humanity? Do they put their faith in material goods? Whatever — it’s the idea, what do you believe?
Our main character is basically shown with metanoia a new world and then has to chose whether he’s going to make a difference. … What I like about this type of storytelling is we can have this conversation. Part of the problem right now is, people are too afraid of having these conversations and are afraid of upsetting anyone.
Here’s a preview:
Image: Courtesy ABC
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