When you’re about to launch a new television show, you can’t do much better than launching one that was co-created by the guy who just won Best Director at the Oscars. Add in that he also co-wrote and directed the pilot, and things should be pretty good for you.
“Believe,” the new NBC drama premiering Monday night, was co-created by Alfonso Cuarón — the man behind the space epic “Gravity.”
“Initially he directly brought his creative vision because he was centrally involved in the pilot,” said Delroy Lindo, who stars in “Believe” as Winter, a tough fatherly figure who protects a young girl with special powers. “I am hoping that the notoriety that Alfonso has gotten as a result of the monumental success of ‘Gravity’ ? translates into interest in the show and that people are attracted because of the fact that his name [is] attached to this.”
Lindo was recruited for the show by Cuarón, and signed on based on what he read in the pilot — an “element of mystery” that caught his attention.
“There was an element with this gentleman of not ? quite knowing who this gentleman is and what he’s up to that really intrigued me creatively,” said Lindo. “And so all of those elements are what caused me to want to do this.”
The mystery revolves around a young girl, Bo (Johnny Sequoyah), who is on the run from the evil Skouras (Kyle MacLachlan). Keeping her safe are Lindo’s Winter, his partner Channing (Jamie Chung) and Tate (Jake McLaughlin). Complicating things is that Bo has super powers, as if she’s a member of “X-Men.”
So what powers would Lindo want? He’s got your children’s well-being in mind.
“If I could have a superpower immediately, I would double and triple all the really good teachers in the educational system in this country,” Lindo says. How would he do that? By doubling and tripling teachers’ salaries “to attract ? the brightest and the best of people who want to enter the educational system. If I could twiddle my fingers and wiggle my nose and make that a reality, that’s what I would do.”
“Believe” premieres Monday night at 10 on NBC/4.
