‘Forever’ and a day New fantasy drama toys with the immortal

By Lydia Peever TV Media

How would you explain to your friends and coworkers that you may live forever? Imagine bumping into your college professor decades after graduation looking much the same as the first day you met. How would you explain that away? The fledgling series “Forever” tackles this idea when a new episode of the fantasy drama airs Tuesday, Oct. 28, on ABC.

Enter Dr. Henry Morgan. Aside from being touted as the top medical examiner in New York City, he makes a hobby of playing with dead things. Rest assured, this is all in the name of research as Morgan is immortal. He dies time and time again — four times in the premiere, if you can swallow that — and keeps coming back. The problem is that even though he has studied death, he has no idea why it eludes him.

The dark doctor is played by Ioan Gruffudd (“Ringer”), who has his fair share of dark and brooding in roles on his resumé. You may recall him as Mr. Fantastic from the Marvel Comics-based “Fantastic Four” franchise, where he may have been just as conflicted dealing with a preternatural power few could understand. He also has starred in films such as the biographical drama “W.” (2008), “King Arthur” (2004) and “Amazing Grace” (2006).

“I’m a character that has lived for 200 years,” Gruffudd said in conversation with ABC News. “Yes, I’m immortal, but [Dr. Morgan] sees this as a curse rather than a blessing. If you can imagine living for 200 years and everyone else isn’t immortal, people come and go in your life, and people pass on, and it’s a bit of a tragedy. It’s an interesting dichotomy. The character lives and breathes and works in a medical examiner’s office, surrounded by death, but he can’t die himself.”

The rest of the cast comes from so many styles there is bound to be a personality that will speak to any viewer. Alana De La Garza is the tough-as-nails Det. Jo Martinez. She isn’t sure what to make of the distracted medical examiner, but ultimately finds him intriguing, though she doesn’t know his secret. De La Garza has been dabbling with law in television for a decade, starting with the naval and militaristic “Jag,” as well as popping in “Law & Order,”

“CSI: Miami,” “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”Lucas Wahl, the doctor’s devoted assistant, is a bit of an oddball. Although he is more death-obsessed than his liege, he offers a spark of youth to the proceedings. Portrayed by Joel David Moore (“Bones,” “Avatar,” 2009), he has had less serious roles in films such as “Dodgeball: A

True Underdog Story” (2004) and “Grandma’s Boy” (2006). One face that may seem familiar to viewers is Judd Hirsch, who’s had a long, successful career in film and television. His career took off in the mid-’70s when he played moralistic taxi driver Alex Reiger in the hit series “Taxi.” Since then, he’s starred in hit shows such as “Dear John” and well as films like “Independence Day” (1996) and “A

Beautiful Mind” (2001). He has two Emmys and a Golden Globe to his name, as well as countless other nominations, including an Oscar nod for his supporting role in “Ordinary People” (1980).

Hirsch’s character, Abe, is the owner of an antique shop in “Forever” and one of the few people who knows of Henry’s odd affliction. Not only is Abe a friend and confidant, he also happens to be the adopted son of the immortal doctor, which adds a special twist to the alreadyquirky situation. So while many kids seek advice from their parents, there’s often a swap in this relationship since Abe encourages his father to live a little. It’s an odd sentiment, perhaps, when it’s directed at a man who’ll live a lot longer than even his own son.

Narrated by Gruffudd’s Dr. Morgan, the show’s story is also told in flashback and happens to be eerily similar to a now-defunct 2008 program. Astute viewers may recall “New Amsterdam,” an ill-fated Fox series that only saw eight episodes before its demise. The similarities begin with the immortal John Amsterdam, played by Nikolaj CosterWaldau (“Game of Thrones”), who was a mid-thirties New York homicide detective. He was a soldier seeking his true love, and his 65-year-old son is in the picture as well as himself.

According to producer Matthew Miller, “Forever” is not a retelling or spinoff. In fact, it was only in developing the show that Miller heard of the previous series. His idea was actually spawned by far more touching means, as he explained at Television Critics Association press tour in July.

“It was pilot season, and I was putting my five-year-old son to bed,” Miller said. “He asked me, ’Daddy, are you ever going to die?’” It’s a question likely posed by most toddlers at some point, and initially Miller said no. He eventually added, “I will die, but it won’t be for a very long time. ... [My son] burst out crying, and my wife came in and continued raising my child, and I went off to write television.”

The old saying “time flies” certainly rings true for many of us. For Dr. Morgan, however, that idiom couldn’t be further from the truth. See how the immortal doctor handles living forever when a new episode of “Forever” airs Tuesday, Oct. 28, on ABC.

Every day we have is a gift. We aren’t guaranteed to be healthy or cancer-free, but we do have the ability to take care of ourselves and those we love by being proactive about our healthcare. That means taking the time for annual checkups and screenings, like mammograms, to help us live a healthier life.

Call 218-898-PINK (7465) to schedule your mammogram today.

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