The Book of Daniel

The Book of Daniel was an American drama series that was broadcast on NBC. The network promoted it as a serious drama about Christians and the Christian faith, but it was controversial with some Christians. The show had been proposed for NBC's 2005 fall line-up, but was rescheduled as a 2006 mid-season replacement. The program premiered on January 6, 2006 in the US on Friday nights. NBC called the show "edgy", "challenging", and "courageous" in its promotional material. In February 13, 2006, a spokeswoman for NBC announced the show had been dropped.

Production Companies: Flody Co., Bumpy Night, NBC Universal Television Studio and Sony Pictures Television

Distributors: NBC Universal Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Television Distribution and Sony Pictures Television International

Length: 60 minutes

Aspect Ratios: 480i (4:3 SDTV) and 720p/1080p (16:9 HDTV)

GoAnimate in Real Life Channel: NBC (National Broadcasting Company)

Plot
Set in the fictional town of Newbury in Westchester County, New York, the main character is the Reverend Daniel Webster (Aidan Quinn), an unconventional Episcopal minister who is addicted to narcotic painkillers while his wife Judith (Susanna Thompson) fights her dependence on mid-day martinis.

Struggling to be a good husband, father, and minister, Webster regularly sees and talks with a traditional Western, white-skinned, white-robed and bearded Jesus (Garret Dillahunt) who nonetheless is rather unconventional. Daniel's Jesus appears only to him and openly questions modern interpretations of Church teachings, reminding Daniel of his own strengths and weaknesses.

The Webster family also includes a 23-year-old gay son Peter (Christian Campbell), a 16-year-old daughter Grace (Alison Pill) (arrested for drug possession in the pilot episode), and Adam (Ivan Shaw), a 16-year-old adopted Chinese son who is dating Caroline Paxton (Leven Rambin), the daughter of one of Daniel's parishioners who harbors anti-Asian prejudices. Another son, Peter's twin brother Jimmy, had died of leukemia two years prior to the beginning of the series; Christian Campbell also played the role of Jimmy in flashback scenes in one of the episodes.

When Daniel's brother-in-law Charlie absconds with church funds and abandons his family, his sister-in-law (Cheryl White) enters a lesbian relationship with Charlie's bisexual secretary. Bishop Beatrice Congreve (Ellen Burstyn) is involved with Daniel's married father (James Rebhorn), a retired bishop who, despite his gruff exterior, is troubled by dealing with his wife's Alzheimer's disease.

Cast
Aidan Quinn......Rev. Daniel Webster

Susanna Thompson......Judith Webster

Ivan Shaw......Adam Webster

Garret Dillahunt......Jesus

Alison Pill......Grace Webster

Christian Campbell......Peter Webster

Ellen Burstyn......Beatrice Congreve

Dylan Baker......Roger Northrup

Episodes

 * 1) Temptation - January 6, 2006
 * 2) Forgiveness - January 6, 2006
 * 3) Revelations, Part 1 - January 13, 2006
 * 4) Revelations, Part 2 - January 13, 2006
 * 5) Acceptance - January 20, 2006
 * 6) Withdrawal - January 27, 2006
 * 7) God's Will - February 3, 2006
 * 8) Betrayal - February 10, 2006