“Touched by an Angel” with a dark twist? Not exactly. The Anne Rice novel “Angel Time” has been snapped up by CBS as the basis for a new series with Joe Carnahan (“The A-Team,” “The Blacklist” and Sarah Timberman (“Masters of Sex”) signed on as executive producers. Carnahan will direct the pilot if it’s ordered, while Liz Garcia and Joshua Harto (“Memphis Beat”) wrote the script. Given the talent and the book involved, this isn’t likely to be family-friendly viewing, even though Rice wrote the book during her ten-year return to the Catholic belief system of her youth (she renounced her faith again in 2010).
The book, which takes place in California, follows Toby O’Dare, a contract killer who meets a mysterious stranger — a seraph — who gives him a chance to save lives instead of take them. Conveniently enough, O’Dare once dreamt of being a priest, so he takes the offer and ends up in thirteenth-century England. There, he finds himself thrust into a dark and violent world. Think lots of death, and you’ll be headed in the right direction.
Though most fans of Rice’s vampire-themed novels were less than wowed by “Angel Time,” Rice’s dark twist on religious themes might resonate with TV viewers who’ve grown tired of the non-stop flow of vampires, werewolves and zombies. Of course, this is all assuming CBS orders the pilot. Though the show has a built-in audience thanks to Rice’s name recognition, a very dark series that might make more sense on NBC or FOX may not resonate with CBS viewers.
Are you interested?