Minear Tackles "Miracle Man" for ABC

Just a day after one Televisionary reader proposed that Tim Minear (Drive) take on a relaunch of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise with a new Faith series starring Eliza Dushku, the man himself has turned up in the trades with a new series.

Following a fierce bidding war, ABC has won the rights to Minear's latest series, Miracle Man, co-created with Todd Holland (whom Minear worked with on FOX's shortlived Wonderfalls). The project, from 20th Century Fox Television, has been given a put pilot commitment.

Drama revolves around "a disgraced former televangelist, a man of no faith, who finds that God is using him to perform real miracles and change lives, starting with his own."

Hmmm, intriguing. The Hollywood Reporter was quick to point out that televangelism is no stranger to Minear, whose father is a radio engineer for religious programs. Minear himself also attended several evangelical schools as a child.

Lest you think that the series will portray its religious characters in the same light as, say, Juniper Creek compound members, think again. Miracle Man "is not in any way an indictment to religion," said Minear. "It's a love letter to the religious."

A love letter to the religious right? Minear may just have found his first longer-lived series in a quite some time.