"My sincere belief is that one of the greatest mysteries left to discover is in our heads," said Peter Ocko, creator and executive producer of the upcoming CBS medical drama 3 Lbs., starring Stanley Tucci as Dr. Doug Hanson and Mark Feuerstein as Dr. Jonathan Seger. The title refers to the weight of the human brain.
A gregarious Ocko was promoting the show during a media conference call, where the creator explained his fascination with the human mind. Ocko, who claims he was more inspired by the stories of Dr. Oliver Sacks than the similarly themed House, said he's less interested in the brain surgery itself as the "complexity and almost ridiculousness of how the brain works. ... When it starts to break, we get this window into this truly magical, strange place."
"We do spend a great deal of time getting into the heads of our patients," he explained.
The pilot, which will air Tuesday, November 14 on CBS, backs up that assertion. One of the patients, a young musician with a brain tumour that affects her ability to speak, is seen in an imaginative sequence literally reaching for words as they drop from the ceiling of a concert hall. We learn nearly as much about her as we do about the doctors who form the regular cast.
The writer for shows such as Dead Like Me, Boston Legal, and Dinosaurs holed up in his garage during a period of unemployment to write the original pilot in 2004. After working in comedy for ten years, Ocko was determined to write a drama about this subject that fascinated him.
Eventually, Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana were brought in to executive produce, the show was recast with Tucci in the lead, and Ocko's original script evolved from a darker, more character-driven show to the blend of procedural and character elements that will debut on Tuesday. "As we earn the right with the audience, 3 Lbs. will be as much about the mysteries of the patients coming through the door as the mysteries of these characters lives," Ocko added.
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Article comments
1 - Joan Hunt
Congratulations! This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States.
2 - Phillip Winn
I still have series doubts about this show lasting out even 13 episodes, but I guess we'll see.
3 - Grace
Copy cats!
4 - Diane Kristine
Phillip, I wouldn't take that bet. Hard to say what shows are going to end up with an audience, but I know I have no curiosity about what comes next. I kinda feel like I've seen it all somewhere before ...