Richard Schieff as Dr. Malachi Samuels, Kelli Giddish as Dr. Kate McGinn, Australian actor Price Whately as Nicholas Bishop and Ravi Patel as Dr. Anoop Karna

Fox have a new series on the way titled Past Life and after viewing the pilot I can tell you this is one to look out for.

Based upon M.J. Rose’s book ‘The Reincarnationist’, Past Life follows Regression Therapist Dr. Kate McGinn (Kelli Giddish) and her ex NYPD homicide detective partner Price Whatley (Nicholas Bishop) as they investigate what is happening to individuals alive today who are experiencing regressive memories of their past life.

The pilot, written by David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights / Everwood) and directed by Deran Sarafian (Terminal Velocity / House M.D.), chronicles the first investigation of the pair and their team as they race to unravel the past life of a teenage boy who is slowly being driven crazy by recurring memories of the horrifying end to his former self.

Additional cast include Richard Schieff as Dr. Malachi Samuels and Ravi Patel as Dr. Anoop Karna.  You might remember Patel’s brief appearance as a telephone operator in Transformers. Schieff has appeared in numerous films and television series, though is probably most well known for his role as Toby Ziegler in The West Wing.

The pilot is quite possibly one of the most emotionally charged television pilots I’ve ever experienced.  It is literally a heart wrenching, tear jerking premiere full of incredible and to my mind award winning performances.

Kelli Giddish (All My Children) and Australian actor Nicholas Bishop (Home and Away) are brilliantly cast and deliver an instant on-screen chemistry, almost as if they’ve been in their respective roles for years.  However, it is the performance of Cayden Boyd that stole the show.  X-Men fans will remember Cayden Boyd as the Young Angel in X-Men: The Last Stand. Again, to say anymore would be to ruin your experience of the story, but suffice it to say Boyd’s performance is so powerful that it is hard not to end up in tears as you watch it – and for the record there wasn’t a dry eye in the room during my viewing.

I honestly don’t know how far the series can stretch based upon the single premise of past life regression investigation, but the pilot was so good it would be virtually impossible not to tune in to find out.

Here’s the official synopsis from Fox:

Have you ever experienced déjà vu or met someone you thought seemed familiar? Do you believe in karma, fate or love at first sight?

From writer David Hudgins (“Friday Night Lights”), and inspired by the book “The Reincarnationist” by M.J. Rose, comes PAST LIFE, a new drama series about an unlikely pair of past-life detectives who investigate whether what is happening to you today is the result of who you were before.

DR. KATE MCGINN (Kelli Giddish, “All My Children”) is not your typical psychologist. Confident, outspoken and highly educated, she works at The Talmadge Center for Behavioral Health in New York City, a world-renowned institute dedicated to the study of the science of the soul. After experiencing a past-life regression in her 20s, Kate became a believer in reincarnation. Using regression therapy and her natural gift for reading people, Kate helps solve the mysteries of her troubled clients who suffer from present-day problems caused by past-life traumas. She believes there are levels of consciousness and explanations for human behavior that science can’t begin to explain. Accustomed to skeptics, but not bothered by them, Kate is an unapologetic believer and a force of nature who marches to the beat of her own drummer.

Her partner, PRICE WHATLEY (Nicholas Bishop, “Home and Away”), is a different story. A former NYPD homicide detective, pragmatic and cynical, Price is a damaged soul who constantly battles grief and guilt over the accidental death of his wife. Price feels that Kate, though not certifiable, certainly operates on the fringes of science. It’s a volatile relationship, but with Price’s solid detective skills, and Kate’s penchant for out-of-the-box thinking, together they make a formidable, if somewhat dysfunctional, team.

A fast-paced emotional thrill ride, each episode finds Price and Kate working with their colleagues to unravel a new mystery involving the past-lives of their clients. DR. MALACHI TALMADGE (Richard Schiff, “The West Wing”) is Kate’s mentor and the center’s namesake, an avuncular but gruff elder statesman who is a legend in the field of cognitive research. DR. RISHI KARNA (Ravi Patel, “Scrubs”) is the rookie of the group, a baby-faced therapist from Calcutta who loves bad American TV, Cuban jazz and driving everyone crazy.

Produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, PAST LIFE is executive-produced by David Hudgins and Lou Pitt. Hudgins also serves as writer. Deran Sarafian (HOUSE, “Lost”) directed the pilot.

Watch the promo trailer:

Check out some images from the pilot courtesy of SpoilerTV:

The first season will consist of 13 episodes with the first to air in January 2010 on Tuesday’s at 9pm. I believe the pilot will air this Fall (to be confirmed).

Those attending the San Diego Comic-Con will be treated to a screening of the full pilot on Friday, July 24 from 2:15-3:15pm.

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