View source for Eli Stone

{{short description|American television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Eli stone title S1.jpg
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Musical film|Musical]]
* [[Legal drama]]
* [[Comedy drama]]
}}
| creator              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Greg Berlanti]]
* [[Marc Guggenheim]]
}}
| starring             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jonny Lee Miller]]
* [[Victor Garber]]
* [[Natasha Henstridge]]
* [[Loretta Devine]]
* [[Sam Jaeger]]
* [[Laura Benanti]]
* [[James Saito]]
* [[Matt Letscher]]
* [[Julie Gonzalo]]
* [[Jason Winston George]]
}}
| composer             = [[Blake Neely]]
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 2
| num_episodes         = 26
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist|
* Greg Berlanti
* Marc Guggenheim
* [[Ken Olin]]
}}
| producer             = {{Plainlist|
* Carl Ogawa
* Jeniffer Lence
* [[Leila Gerstein]]
* Chris Cheramie
* [[Andrew Kreisberg]]
* [[Andy Ackerman]]
}}
| editor               = {{Plainlist|
* Ted Desrosiers
* Elena Maganini
}}
| location             = San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, United States
| cinematography       = Michael O'Shea
| camera               = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| runtime              = 45–48 minutes
| company              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Berlanti Television]]
* [[ABC Studios]]
}}
| network              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|2008|1|31}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|2009|7|11}}
}}

'''''Eli Stone''''' is <!-- not "was", see WP:TVLEAD --> an American [[Legal drama|legal]] [[Musical film|musical]] [[comedy drama]] television series that was created by [[Greg Berlanti]] and [[Marc Guggenheim]], who also served as executive producers alongside [[Ken Olin]] who directed the pilot, with Melissa Berman producing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/devwatch.aspx?id=eli_stone |publisher=The Futon Critic |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=Devwatch: ''Eli Stone''}}</ref> The series originally aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from January 31, 2008, to July 11, 2009, for two seasons.

The series follows Stone ([[Jonny Lee Miller]]), a [[San Francisco]] [[attorney at law|lawyer]] who begins to have hallucinations (such as a [[George Michael]] soundtrack that only he can hear and getting dive-bombed by a [[World War I]] [[biplane]] on a busy San Francisco street) which leads him to two possible conclusions: side effects from his potentially fatal [[brain aneurysm]], or the chance that something greater is at work. His visions lead him to accept cases with little monetary gain but a lot of moral goodness, while also{{snd}}occasionally{{snd}}accurately predicting things like earthquakes or plane crashes. Other such events occur throughout the course of the series, but the series was cancelled before reaching a coherent conclusion.

The series has been met with generally favorable reviews from critics, and both seasons have been released on DVD.

==Premise==
[[Greg Berlanti]], who co-wrote the show with [[Marc Guggenheim]], described ''Eli Stone'' in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' as "a ''[[Field of Dreams]]''–type drama set in a law firm where a thirty-something attorney, whose name is the title of the show, begins having larger-than-life visions that compel him to do out-of-the-ordinary things".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2006/scene/markets-festivals/berlanti-sets-series-at-abc-1200342521/ |work=Variety |title=Berlanti sets series at ABC |date=August 3, 2006 |access-date=June 21, 2009 | first=Denise | last=Martin}}</ref> Eli suffers from an inoperable [[brain aneurysm]] that causes him to have realistic hallucinations often relating to the plot of the episode to the extent that he may be considered a modern-day prophet.

Pop singer [[George Michael]] was featured prominently throughout the first season of the series, and each episode was named after one of his songs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news?id=31579 |title=George Michael Signs Up for New US Sit-com |publisher=Entertainmentwise |access-date=June 21, 2009}}</ref> Berlanti is a fan of Michael and made an effort to have him appear on the show. As luck would have it, Michael claimed he was a "TV junkie". This led to the singer agreeing to do several episodes, including one in which Stone represents him in the case of a teen girl who plays the song "[[I Want Your Sex]]" in protest of an abstinence-only sex education program in her school.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Brian Ford |date=January 31, 2008 |title=On the Futon with... 'Eli Stone' co-creator Marc Guggenheim |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20080131 |access-date=June 21, 2009 |work=The Futon Critic}}</ref>

The show's legal setting, mixture of comedy and drama, and use of fantasy sequences has drawn comparisons to the series ''[[Ally McBeal]]'' from some critics.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=January 30, 2008 |title=''Eli Stone'' goes for quirky, ''Ally McBeal'' style, but after a while, kooky can start to get irritating |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/01/30/DD4DUNT54.DTL |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=June 21, 2009}}</ref>

==Production==
Produced by [[Berlanti Television]], After Portsmouth, and [[ABC Studios]], the series was officially greenlit and given a thirteen-episode order on May 11, 2007,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7381 |publisher=The Futon Critic |access-date=January 31, 2008 |date=May 11, 2007 |title=ABC adds 20 newcomers, renews ''Notes'', ''Road''}}</ref> and it aired as a [[mid-season replacement]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070515abc01 |publisher=The Futon Critic |access-date=January 31, 2008 |date=May 15, 2007 |title=ABC unveils 2007–08 primetime schedule}}</ref>
''Eli Stone'' premiered on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 10:00 Eastern/9:00 Central, following the return of ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071214abc01 |publisher=The Futon Critic |date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=ABC unveils midseason primetime schedule}}</ref> its first-season finale aired April 17, 2008.

On May 13, 2008, ABC officially announced that the show had been renewed for the [[2008–09 United States network television schedule|2008–09 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.nj.com/alltv/2008/05/abc_upfront_take_one.html |publisher=The Star Ledger |date=May 13, 2008 |access-date=May 13, 2008 |title=ABC upfront, take one}}</ref>  Moreover, in Canada, [[CTVglobemedia]] announced that they would send down the series to CTV's relaunched "[[A (TV system)|A]]" television system for the 2008–2009 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080602/ctv_fall_launch/20080602/ |publisher=CTV |date=June 3, 2008 |access-date=June 5, 2008 |title=Fall 2008 Schedules Announced for CTV and A |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605031438/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20080602/ctv_fall_launch/20080602/ |archive-date=June 5, 2008 |df=mdy }}</ref> Season 2 premiered on Tuesday, October 14 at 10:00 Eastern/9:00 Central.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abc.go.com/primetime/elistone/index?pn=index |work=ABC |access-date=September 8, 2008 |title=Eli Stone – Home |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080530130241/http://abc.go.com/primetime/elistone/index?pn=index <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = May 30, 2008}}</ref>

On November 20, 2008, however, ABC told the show's producers that it had opted not to order any new episodes, signaling that the series would be cancelled once all the episodes were aired.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-11-21-tv-lineup_N.htm |date=November 21, 2008 |access-date=November 22, 2008 |title=''Life on Mars'' saved, but ''Daisies'' and ''Eli Stone'' shelved |last=Levin |first=Gary |work=USA Today}}</ref>

The last scheduled episode of ''Eli Stone'' aired on December 30, 2008. The final four episodes of the series aired on Saturdays at 10:00 Eastern/9:00 Central on ABC starting Saturday, June 20, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090408abc01 |title=ABC Announces Its Summer Schedule |date=April 8, 2009 |access-date=June 21, 2009 |work=The Futon Critic}}</ref> The final episode, "Flight Path", aired on July 11, 2009.

The unaired episodes, starting with "Sonoma", were broadcast in Ireland by RTÉ starting on March 13, 2009. The British Sci-Fi channel aired the final four episodes starting on March 16, 2009. The episode aired in Israel's [[Yes Stars Drama]]/[[Yes Stars HD|HD]] channel and German TV channel Pro7 starting on March 31, 2009. Finally, in Australia, the [[Seven Network]] aired the final four episodes in the month of April, on Tuesdays at 22:30.

==Cast and characters==

===Main===
* [[Jonny Lee Miller]] as Eli Stone, a successful attorney at Wethersby, Posner & Klein in San Francisco, who is diagnosed with an inoperable brain aneurysm which is causing hallucinations. The hallucinations cause Eli to become alienated from his peers and soon his life takes a detour. Despite the fact that he is not religious, he interprets his hallucinations as signs, helping people in accepting lawsuits in hopes of bettering their lives.
* [[Natasha Henstridge]] as Taylor Wethersby, Eli's ex-fiancee who is also an attorney. She formerly worked in another company, and later joins Eli's firm after they broke up. Although taken aback by Eli's episodes of hallucinations, she is determined to help him by any means. She is the daughter of Jordan Wethersby, managing partner of Wethersby, Posner & Klein.
* [[Loretta Devine]] as Patti Dellacroix, Eli's helpful and bossy assistant. She considers Eli as a dear friend of hers and she is always blatantly honest to Eli.
* [[Matt Letscher]] as Dr. Nathan Stone, Eli's caring, elder brother who is a doctor. He is the one who first discovered Eli's conditions and is skeptical about his visions. Nathan dated Beth, a girl who Eli lost his virginity to in college, after Eli introduced both of them to each other at his engagement party.
* [[Sam Jaeger]] as Matt Dowd, Eli's co-worker and rival in the law firm. He is described as sarcastic, arrogant and having a frat-boy personality. He is dating Taylor Wethersby and they are going to have a baby.
* [[James Saito]] as Dr. Chen, an acupuncturist who explains Eli's conditions as a prophetic message. He helps Eli to analyze the visions Eli has and advises Eli to pursue them. He studied acupuncture in Beijing as well as holistic medicine. It is revealed that he is not a Chinese immigrant, and the "Dr. Chen" is merely an act so he will be taken seriously, because "No one trusts an acupuncturist from New Jersey". He once worked for Eli's father, who told him once that he would repay a favor by helping his son (Eli) someday.
* [[Julie Gonzalo]] as Maggie Dekker, a junior attorney who is ambitious and enthusiastic to her work. Much to Eli's dismay, she often assists him in his cases in hopes of moving up the career ladder. She is in love with Eli, which is somewhat mutual on his part. She is considered a religious person and is the first person to believe in Eli's visions without hesitations. She was engaged to Scott, until she learns that he feels he is second to Eli and had chosen to start an affair with a married woman. Months later, she and Eli consummate their relationship a single time, but awkwardly step back.
* [[Jason Winston George]] as Keith Bennett, a criminal law attorney who sued a potential employer for racism. After Keith lost the lawsuit, Jordan hired him as he saw Keith's potential.
* [[Victor Garber]] as Jordan Wethersby, the co-owner of the firm and Taylor's father. He is often skeptical of Eli's imaginings. However, he is a mentor and father figure to Eli, and represented Eli when Eli was brought before the bar for allegedly being unable to represent clients' interests while suffering visions.

===Recurring===
* [[Laura Benanti]] as Beth "Lizzie" Keller, the girl to whom Eli lost his virginity back in college who now has an autistic son. She dated Nathan.
* [[Tom Amandes]] as Martin Posner, one of the co-owners of the firm. He had a relationship with Patti in the past.
* [[Katey Sagal]] as Marci Klein, one of the co-owners of the firm. She is unfriendly, being primarily interested in the financial benefits that accrue to the firm. She dislikes Eli's intention to help more individuals than major corporations.
* [[Pamela Reed]] as Mrs. Stone. (Season 1)
* [[Tom Cavanagh]] as Jeremy Stone (flashbacks; finale episode as God), the late father of Nathan and Eli. He also had a brain aneurysm which causes hallucinations. He suffered from depression and was an alcoholic, which causes Nathan and Eli to resent him. He died from a heart attack 10 years ago.
* [[George Michael]] as himself (and one episode as God). (Season 1)
* [[Bridget Moynahan]] as Ashley Cardiff, Eli's ex-girlfriend.
* [[Taraji P. Henson]] as Angela Scott, Patti's daughter. (Season 2)
* [[Kerr Smith]] as Paul Rollins, a partner at Posner/Klein.

===Special guest stars===
* [[Sigourney Weaver]] as therapist and God.
* [[Katie Holmes]] as Grace, a woman whom Eli's father arranged for him to meet (via notes left to Nathan).

On November 6, 2008, ''[[TV Guide]]'' reported that [[Jamey Sheridan]] would guest-star as an evening news anchor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Eli-Stone-Casting-35386.aspx |title=''Criminal Intent'' Alum Needs ''Eli Stone''{{'}}s Help |publisher=[[TV Guide]] |date=November 6, 2008 |access-date=November 7, 2008}}</ref> On December 1, 2008, ''[[TV Guide]]'' reported that [[Gregory Smith (actor)|Gregory Smith]] would make a guest appearance in the show's finale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Eli-Stone-casting-1000394.aspx |title=''Everwood'' Alum Gregory Smith Returns to TV Which ABC show grabbed him? |publisher=TV Guide |date=December 1, 2008 |access-date=December 3, 2008}}</ref>

==Episodes==
===Season 1 (2008)===
{{Episode table
|background=#009CF1
|overall=
|season=
|title=
|director=25
|writer=25
|airdate=
|prodcode=
|episodes=

{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=1
 |EpisodeNumber2=1
 |WrittenBy=[[Greg Berlanti]] & [[Marc Guggenheim]]
 |DirectedBy=[[Ken Olin]]
 |ProdCode=101
 |Title=Faith
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|1|31}}
 |ShortSummary= Eli Stone is a rising, successful attorney. Not only is he working for Jordan Wethersby's renowned law firm, but he is engaged to Jordan's daughter Taylor, also an attorney. However, Eli begins having hallucinations (many of which involve singer George Michael) that may either be linked to a medical condition, or the bizarre chance that he is a modern-day prophet. The hallucinations lead him to reluctantly take a case involving his college friend/first lover, Beth Keller. Beth's son developed [[autism]], which Beth blames on a childhood vaccine produced by a major pharmaceutical company. At the same time, Eli's behavior about his visions makes him recall his estranged relationship with his now-deceased father, whom Eli believes was an alcoholic.
'''Musical number:''' "[[Faith (George Michael song)|Faith]]" (sung by [[George Michael]])
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=2
 |EpisodeNumber2=2
 |WrittenBy=Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim
 |DirectedBy=[[Michael Schultz]]
 |ProdCode=102
 |Title=Freedom
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|2|7}}
 |ShortSummary= After two weeks without the visions, Eli hesitates to take the case of a Mexican couple suing a produce conglomerate for their use of pesticides, believing he has no chance of winning. However, he begins to doubt the odds after his visions prove more truthful than before.
'''Musical number:''' "[[Freedom! '90|Freedom]]" ([[Victor Garber]] and a male choir)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=3
 |EpisodeNumber2=3
 |WrittenBy=Alex Taub & Brett Mahoney
 |DirectedBy=[[Christopher Misiano]]
 |ProdCode=103
 |Title=Father Figure
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|2|14}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli has visions of [[World War II]] before taking on a National Guard soldier's custody battle with her husband, who is represented by Eli's fiancee Taylor. Meanwhile, Eli asks his brother Nathan (a physician) for help with his medical records in order to conceal his medical condition from the law firm's senior partners, thus allowing Eli to continue practicing law.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=4
 |EpisodeNumber2=4
 |WrittenBy=Courtney Kemp Agboh & Wendy Mercile
 |DirectedBy=[[David Petrarca]]
 |ProdCode=104
 |Title=Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|2|21}}
 |ShortSummary=As Eli struggles to come to terms with the end of his engagement to Taylor, his visions convince him to help a former coma patient who wants to get his life back. Meanwhile, Jordan defends an old friend in a discrimination lawsuit against another of the same ethnicity.
'''Musical number:''' "[[Good Lovin' (The Young Rascals song)|Good Lovin']]" (a group of [[Chris Diamantopoulos]]es)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=5
 |EpisodeNumber2=5
 |WrittenBy=Leila Gerstein & Steve Lichtman
 |DirectedBy=Ron Underwood
 |ProdCode=105
 |Title=One More Try
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|2|28}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli gets an opportunity to make things right when he revisits an old case that he unscrupulously won for an automaker, but his efforts could be undone by a series of courtroom hallucinations. Meanwhile, Jordan welcomes two new lawyers to the firm, one of whom he had fought against in the previous episode.
'''Musical number:''' "[[One More Try (George Michael song)|One More Try]]" ([[Loretta Devine]] and a gospel choir)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=6
 |EpisodeNumber2=6
 |WrittenBy=Andrew Kreisberg & Marc Guggenheim
 |DirectedBy=Michael Schultz
 |ProdCode=106
 |Title=Something to Save
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|3|6}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli needs Jordan's help when he is in danger of being disbarred, after an embarrassing courtroom episode puts his ability to practice under scrutiny. However, Eli's fate may ultimately rest with Nathan's testimony about his brother's condition---and Eli's own conscience.
'''Musical number:''' "[[Who'll Stop the Rain (song)|Who'll Stop the Rain]]" ([[Victor Garber]] and the lawyers)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=7
 |EpisodeNumber2=7
 |WrittenBy=Alex Taub & Moira Walley
 |DirectedBy=Sandy Smolan
 |ProdCode=107
 |Title=Heal the Pain
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|3|13}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli's bar hearing admission may saved his law license but compelled Jordan to reduce him in stature at the firm. It places him in the unfamiliar position of playing second fiddle to the inexperienced Maggie. The two are involved in a malpractice suit against an anesthesiologist who used to work at Nathan's hospital but was fired after a botched anesthesia that led to the death of the teenage plaintiff's mother during heart surgery.
'''Musical number:''' "[[Older / I Can't Make You Love Me|Older]]" by George Michael
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=8
 |EpisodeNumber2=8
 |WrittenBy=Courtney Kemp Agboh & Brett Mahoney
 |DirectedBy=David Petrarca
 |ProdCode=108
 |Title=Praying For Time
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|3|20}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli's defense of a real estate mogul takes an interesting turn when his client's desire to evict residents from their homes (in an area where he wants to build a shopping mall) may be the only way to save them from an earthquake Eli has foreseen.
'''Musical number''': "[[I Feel the Earth Move (Carole King song)|I Feel the Earth Move]]" ([[Natasha Henstridge]] and [[Julie Gonzalo]])
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=9
 |EpisodeNumber2=9
 |WrittenBy=Leila Gerstein & Wendy Mercile
 |DirectedBy=Christopher Misiano
 |ProdCode=109
 |Title=I Want Your Sex
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|3|27}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli's occasional visionary muse, George Michael, seeks his counsel in person on behalf of a teenage girl who was expelled from school for playing a suggestively titled song of Michael's during an abstinence education assembly. Jordan, who is heading the case, begins to display an unusual upbeat side, leading Eli to believe his senior partner is a fan of George Michael's music. Meanwhile, Nathan has found a neurosurgeon to help his brother, but is unwilling to make the choice that could decide Eli's fate.
'''Musical numbers''': "[[Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me]]" (Victor Garber), "[[I Got You Babe]]" (Natasha Henstridge and [[Sam Jaeger]]), "[[Amazing (George Michael song)|Amazing]]" (George Michael), "I Can Taste Love" Claess & Willumsen
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=10
 |EpisodeNumber2=10
 |WrittenBy=Andrew Kreisberg & Steve Lichtman
 |DirectedBy=[[Vincent Misiano]]
 |ProdCode=110
 |Title=Heartbeat
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|4|3}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli's visions take him into Nathan's memories of the day their father died. Nathan asks Eli to represent him in a case dealing with the heart transplant of a patient. Eli's vision makes him aware of the fact his brother is keeping a secret that could be of great help for his case.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=11
 |EpisodeNumber2=11
 |WrittenBy=Brett Mahoney & Alex Taub
 |DirectedBy=Perry Lang
 |ProdCode=111
 |Title=Patience
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|4|10}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli has visions, set in the future, of David Moseley speaking to a massive crowd in [[Times Square]]. Learning that Moseley is a prisoner currently being held at Tipton Bay, Eli secures help from Keith and Maggie in representing Moseley and other Tipton Bay prisoners in a case for prisoners' rights. Taylor and Matt work together on a struggle for chimpanzee rights, and a long-lost partner returns to the firm. A final vision refines the earlier one, showing Moseley is simply opening for Eli's speech to the crowd and showing Maggie, with her and Eli's baby, in attendance.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=12
 |EpisodeNumber2=12
 |WrittenBy=Oscar Balderrama & Anna Beth Chao
 |DirectedBy=David Petrarca
 |ProdCode=112
 |Title=Waiting For That Day
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|4|13}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli's visions bring him back to the supposed earthquake. This time, he sues San Francisco to close the Golden Gate Bridge. Supported by a so-called quack scientist, Eli opposes Ms. Klein and Maggie in a court case that could decide the lives of hundreds. At the same time, Ms. Klein uses Jordan's apparent lack of control over Eli as ammunition to remove Jordan as managing partner. At the end of the episode, the earthquake does hit and destroys the [[Golden Gate Bridge]]. Fortunately, because the bridge was closed (they managed to persuade San Francisco to close it), no one was killed on it when it collapsed. Ms. Klein reconciles and keeps Jordan as managing partner.
'''Musical number''': "The One You Knew" by [[Joshua Radin]]
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=009CF1
 |EpisodeNumber=13
 |EpisodeNumber2=13
 |WrittenBy=Andrew Kreisberg & Courtney Kemp Agboh
 |DirectedBy=Michael Lange
 |ProdCode=113
 |Title=Soul Free
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|4|17}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli takes a case involving a man's right to die; the case is intertwined with the aftermath of Eli's surgery to remove his brain aneurysm, which forces Nathan to decide whether to remove Eli from life support. Eli apparently comes face to face with God . . . who bears an uncanny resemblance to George Michael.
'''Musical number''': "[[Feeling Good]]" (George Michael and cast)
}}
}}

===Season 2 (2008&ndash;09)===
{{Episode table
|background=#AE1C17
|overall=
|season=
|title=
|director=25
|writer=25
|airdate=
|prodcode=
|episodes=

{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=14
 |EpisodeNumber2=1
 |WrittenBy=Marc Guggenheim & Andrew Kreisberg
 |DirectedBy=Perry Lang
 |ProdCode=201
 |Title=The Path
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|10|14}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli is free from his visions for the past six months after having an operation to remove his brain aneurysm—or so he thinks. Nate experiences visions of his own suffering a similar fate as Eli that go along with the gift. Taylor faces a dilemma when her father is trapped in a collapsed building.

'''Musical number''': "[[Dancing in the Street]]" ([[Loretta Devine]] and cast)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=15
 |EpisodeNumber2=2
 |WrittenBy=Leila Gerstein & Alex Taub
 |DirectedBy=David Petrarca
 |ProdCode=202
 |Title=Grace
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|10|21}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli has his vision back with a beautiful brunette singing to him. The lady is Grace ([[Katie Holmes]]) who turns out to be very much real and not just a vision after meeting her. Eli and Grace fall for each other. The same week Eli represents a father attempting to stop his son from receiving a military burial.
'''Musical number''': "Hit Me With a Hot Note" (Katie Holmes)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=16
 |EpisodeNumber2=3
 |WrittenBy=Andrew Kreisberg & Leila Gerstein
 |DirectedBy=Vincent Misiano
 |ProdCode=203
 |Title=Unwritten
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|10|28}}
 |ShortSummary=Jordan has a tough task of defending against charges of insanity. Eli is on a mission against lead paint manufacturers that may bring him before the Supreme Court.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=17
 |EpisodeNumber2=4
 |WrittenBy=Steve Lichtman & Brett Mahoney
 |DirectedBy=Jamie Babbit
 |ProdCode=204
 |Title=Should I Stay or Should I Go?
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|11|11}}
 |ShortSummary=In the aftermath of their law firm's split, Eli and Jordan struggle to retain associates and they must face the financial repercussions of Jordan's coup; the firm's largest clients opt to go with rival firm Posner/Klein.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=18
 |EpisodeNumber2=5
 |WrittenBy=Wendy Mericle & Dahvi Waller
 |DirectedBy=David Petrarca
 |ProdCode=205
 |Title=The Humanitarian
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|11|18}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli and Jordan have problems with regular clientele and keeping up with costs with their new firm. Eli convinces Jim Cooper ([[Steven Culp]]), a billionaire philanthropist, to lead the case on trial drug testing. Eli is put in a difficult situation when he learns Cooper's son ([[Marshall Allman]]) wants no part in the trial. Meanwhile, Keith represents Patti's daughter, Angela, while Matt and Maggie work to find the traitor amongst their midst.
'''Musical Number''': "[[You Don't Mess Around with Jim]]" ([[Victor Garber]])
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=19
 |EpisodeNumber2=6
 |WrittenBy=Alex Taub & Brett Mahoney
 |DirectedBy=Perry Lang
 |ProdCode=206
 |Title=Happy Birthday Nate
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|12|2}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli envisions himself within his father's body. Taylor has news to tell Matt about her pregnancy. Keith presumes the worst of Angela daughter.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=20
 |EpisodeNumber2=7
 |WrittenBy=Andrew Kreisberg & Steve Lichtman
 |DirectedBy=Michael Grossman
 |ProdCode=207
 |Title=Help!
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|12|9}}
 |ShortSummary=Patti's daughter is arrested for [[drug abuse]]. Eli is convinced that Angela's innocent after his most recent vision. While attending a nightclub performance by [[Seal (musician)|Seal]], Matt finally professes his love to Taylor{{snd}}causing a riff when Taylor does not reciprocate.

'''Musical number''': "[[A Change Is Gonna Come (song)|A Change is Gonna Come]]", and "[[Crazy (Seal song)|Crazy]]" by Seal.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=21
 |EpisodeNumber2=8
 |WrittenBy=Leila Gerstein
 |DirectedBy=Ron Underwood
 |ProdCode=208
 |Title=Owner of a Lonely Heart
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|12|16}}
 |ShortSummary=After a few dates with Ashley, Eli is ready to tell her about his gift, but is surprised to see her reaction. Keith and Eli defend a 22-year-old girl ([[Danielle Panabaker]]) who could discover the secret of [[cold fusion]].
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=22
 |EpisodeNumber2=9
 |WrittenBy=Dahvi Waller & Wendy Mericle
 |DirectedBy=David Petrarca
 |ProdCode=209
 |Title=Two Ministers
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2008|12|30}}
 |ShortSummary=Eli finds out more about Nate and Beth's engagement being called off. Keith and Eli help a [[Methodist Episcopal Church|Methodist minister]] ([[Dallas Malloy]]) with a lawsuit against his own church, and Taylor and Matt find out about their baby's health.
'''Musical number''': "[[This Night (Billy Joel song)|This Night]]" by [[Laura Benanti]].
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=23
 |EpisodeNumber2=10
 |WrittenBy=Brett Mahoney & Alex Taub
 |DirectedBy=Vincent Misiano
 |ProdCode=210
 |Title=Sonoma
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|6|20}} (US)<ref>http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090408abc01 US SCHED</ref> <br /> 13 March 2009 (Ireland)<br />16 March 2009 (UK)<br />7 April 2009 (Australia)
 |ShortSummary=When a news anchor from one of the biggest media corporations loses his job, Eli, Taylor, Matt and Maggie share an awkward car ride to Sonoma to question a witness ([[Suzie Plakson]]){{snd}}and suffer a more awkward presence before a judge ([[Michaela Watkins]]) whom Matt dated in law school but broke up with by e-mail after graduation. When Maggie helps Eli realize that they she fell for him when he gave a speech at her law school, they consummate their relationship. In the morning, Maggie hurriedly decides that he wants to dismiss it as due to his now-two brain aneurysms, which he and Chen believe are the consequence of his repeated 'Dark Truth' treatments.

'''Musical Number''': "[[Red Red Wine]]" (Choir in Eli's dream)
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=24
 |EpisodeNumber2=11
 |WrittenBy=Marc Guggenheim & Leila Gerstein
 |DirectedBy=Michael Schultz
 |ProdCode=211
 |Title=Mortal Combat
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|6|27}} (US) <br /> 20 March 2009 (Ireland)<br /> 23 March 2009 (UK)<br /> 14 April 2009 (Australia)
 |ShortSummary=Eli takes the case of the former news anchor ([[Jamey Sheridan]]) suing for being squeezed out of his job over exposing of his station's top advertiser. After sleeping with Maggie in Sonoma, Eli faces off against her in their latest trial and realizes she's emerged as a formidable attorney. Meanwhile, Matt tries to assist his former firm - which ultimately leads to a profound decision on his part.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=25
 |EpisodeNumber2=12
 |WrittenBy=Andrew Kreisberg & Steve Lichtman
 |DirectedBy=Bethany Rooney
 |ProdCode=212
 |Title=Tailspin
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|7|4}} (US)<br />27 March 2009 (Ireland)<br />30 March 2009 (UK)<br />21 April 2009 (Australia)
 |ShortSummary=Eli starts to get envious of Maggie going out with Paul, especially since Paul works with her at Posner & Klein. Matt starts his tenure at  Jordan and Eli take on corporate greed when hundreds of employees are left penniless when they are laid off and the ex-CEO ([[Michael Reilly Burke]]) walks with $43 million.
}}
{{Episode list
 |LineColor=AE1C17
 |EpisodeNumber=26
 |EpisodeNumber2=13
 |WrittenBy=Oscar Balderrama & Lindsey Allen
 |DirectedBy=David Petrarca
 |ProdCode=213
 |Title=Flight Path
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2009|7|11}} (US) <br /> 3 April 2009 (Ireland)<br /> 30 March 2009 (UK)<br /> 28 April 2009 (Australia)
 |ShortSummary=Eli's visions lead him to believe that someone close to him will die in a plane crash. As Eli tries to unravel the mystery, he and Keith take on the case of Diane ([[Jaime Murray]]), who is in need of a heart transplant, but whose donor's parents have reversed their consent over Diane's atheism. Eli prevails and Diane is being prepped for surgery when an embolism causes brain death. Eli's visions show him that he dies of a heart attack at an airport boarding gate for a specific flight; he later learns that Maggie and Paul will be on the flight, but one of his aneurysms bursts as he rushes to the gate. Unconnected, Maggie suddenly disembarks, realizing that she truly loves Eli, inadvertently saving his life by informing the paramedics that it is likely his aneurysm, not a heart attack. With the delay, the pilot has to rerun all safety checks, discovering the problem that would have downed the plane. Eli's final vision (of the series) is God, embodied as his and Nate's father, explaining that the heart meant for Diane saves Grace's life{{snd}}and points out that, during this brief conversation, Eli has acknowledged that he loves Maggie. 
}}
}}

==Reception==
===Ratings===
{| style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable" style="background: #FFFFFF;"
|-
! Season
! Timeslot (EDT)
! Season premiere
! Season finale
! TV season
! Rank
! Viewers<br />(in millions)
! 18-49
! Network
|-
! 1
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Thursday 10:00pm<br/>Sunday 10:00pm (April 13, 2008)</small>
| {{center|January 31, 2008}}
| {{center|April 17, 2008}}
| {{center|2008}}
| {{center|'''#80'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=061708_07|title=Disney - ABC Press}}</ref>}}
| {{center|'''8.09'''}}
| {{center|'''2.8'''}}
| rowspan="2"|{{center|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]}}
|-
! {{center|2}}
|style="text-align:left"| <small>Tuesday 10:00pm (October 14-December 30, 2008)<br/>Saturday 10:00pm (June 20-July 11, 2009)</small>
| {{center|October 14, 2008}}
| {{center|July 11, 2009}}
| {{center|2008–2009}}
| {{center|'''#77'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052709_07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106161517/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052709_07|title=ABC Medianet|archive-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref>}}
| {{center|'''5.28'''}}
| {{center|'''2.4'''}}
|-
|}

===Critical reception===
Season one was met with generally favorable reviews, and currently holds a [[Metacritic]] score of 62 out of 100, based on 24 collected reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/eli-stone|title=Eli Stone - Season 1 Reviews|publisher=CBS Interactive Inc.|access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref> Season two was met with a more enthusiastic response, and holds a [[Metacritic]] score of 72 out 100, based on 9 collected reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/eli-stone/season-2|title=Eli Stone - Season 2 Reviews|publisher=CBS Interactive Inc.|access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref>

===Controversy===
The debut episode attracted controversy due to its plot line, which depicts the hypothesis that [[autism]] is caused by a [[Mercury (element)|mercury]]-based preservative formerly used in [[Vaccination schedule|common childhood vaccines]]<ref>{{cite news|work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/arts/television/23ston.html |date=January 23, 2008 |access-date=January 29, 2008 |last=Wyatt |first=Edward |title=ABC drama takes on science and parents}}</ref> and treats the hypothesis as being credible and legally compelling.<ref>{{cite news|work=Boston Globe |url=https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/01/31/perpetrating_the_autism_myth/ |date=January 31, 2008 |access-date=January 31, 2008 |last=Allen |first=Carole |author2=Benjamin Kruskal |title=Perpetrating the autism myth}}</ref> [[Thiomersal controversy|This hypothesis]] is not supported by scientific evidence, but has contributed to decreased vaccination rates.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=New England Journal of Medicine |year=2007 |volume=357 |issue=13 |pages=1278–9 |title=Thimerosal and vaccines—a cautionary tale |author-link=Paul Offit |last=Offit |first=Paul |doi=10.1056/NEJMp078187 |pmid=17898096 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=  Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences |year=2006 |volume=33 |issue=4 |pages=341–6 |title=Immunizations and autism: a review of the literature |last=Doja |first=Asif |author2=Wendy Roberts |pmid=17168158 |doi=10.1017/s031716710000528x|doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] asked ABC to either cancel the episode or include a disclaimer emphasizing that mercury is not used in routine childhood vaccines, and that no scientific link exists between vaccines and autism.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jenkins |first=Renee |title=Letter to Anne Sweeney, President, Disney-ABC Television Group |url=http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/LettertoABC.pdf |date=January 25, 2008 |access-date=January 29, 2008 |publisher=American Academy of Pediatrics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123044932/http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/LettertoABC.pdf |archive-date=November 23, 2008 |df=mdy }}</ref>  ABC instead decided to present a written notice and voice-over after the episode saying "The preceding story is fictional and does not portray any actual persons, companies, products or events",<ref name="Wyatt">{{cite news|work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/business/media/29abc.html |date=January 29, 2008 |access-date=January 29, 2008 |last=Wyatt |first=Edward |title=ABC show will go on, over protest by doctors}}</ref> with a second card directing viewers to the autism web site of the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]].<ref name="Wyatt"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Autism information center |url=https://www.cdc.gov/autism |year=2008 |access-date=January 29, 2008 |publisher=National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{{Anchor|Awards}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Awards and nominations for ''Eli Stone''
! Year !! Award !! Category !! Result
|-
| rowspan="4"|2008
| [[ALMA Awards]]
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Television Series - [[Julie Gonzalo]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[NAACP Image Awards]]
| Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series - [[Loretta Devine]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Awards 2008|Satellite Awards]]
| Best Actor - Musical or Comedy Series - [[Jonny Lee Miller]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Writers Guild of America Awards 2008|WGA Awards]]
| Episodic Drama - "Pilot" 
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2009
| [[Prism Awards]]
| Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline - "The Humanitarian," "Happy Birthday, Nate," "Help" 
| {{nom}}
|}

==International airings==
Eli Stone premiered on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] on January 31, 2008. It premiered on [[Fox Life Greece|Fox Life]] in Greece, and AXN in Japan in 2010. In the UK, the show was first shown on the [[Syfy (UK and Ireland)|Sci-Fi Channel]] in 2008<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/sep/30/television.georgemichael | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=George Michael stars in Eli Stone trailer | date=September 30, 2008 | first=Mark | last=Sweney}}</ref> and was then broadcast on [[5*|Fiver]] in June 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.five.tv/programmes/drama/eli-stone |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731033451/http://www.five.tv/programmes/drama/eli-stone |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-31 |title=Drama - Channel 5 |work=Channel 5 }}</ref> In Malaysia, the show premiered on [[TV2 (Malaysia)|TV2]] in June 2009, airing all the complete 26 episodes until December 23, 2009. The series was later re-run in 2010.

==Home media==
On September 2, 2008, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] (under the [[ABC Studios]] brand name) released the complete first season of ''Eli Stone'' on DVD in Region 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001ASIHZG/ref=pd_luc_mri?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance |title=Amazon.com: Eli Stone: The Complete First Season... |website=Amazon |access-date=July 21, 2008}}</ref> Season 1 was also released in Region 4 on March 18, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/804443 |title=Eli Stone R4 release |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226210854/http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/804443 |archive-date=February 26, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref>  The second and final season was released in Region 1 on August 18, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eli-Stone-Season-2-Announced/11935 |title=Eli Stone R1 release S02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524063607/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Eli-Stone-Season-2-Announced/11935 |archive-date=May 24, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>  By February 2013 the First Season had also been released as Region 2 in a combined Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland set.  This set includes the original English dialogue with no captions as the default.

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"|DVD name
! rowspan="2"|Ep #
! colspan="3"|Release dates
|-
! Region 1
! Region 2
! Region 4
|-
| {{center|The Complete First Season}}
| align="center"|13
| {{center|September 2, 2008}}
| {{center|By February 2013}}
| {{center|March 18, 2009}}
|-
| {{center|The Complete Second Season}}
| align="center"|13
| {{center|August 18, 2009}}
| {{center|Unknown.}}
| {{center|Unknown.}}
|}

==Future==
The series lasted two seasons with 26 episodes. Series creator Marc Guggenheim revealed that, if the show had been renewed for a third season, ''Eli'' would have had a complete wrap-up, including Taylor giving birth to a baby girl and Matt being a surprisingly good father with a better attitude to others, Jordan meeting his ex-wife for the first time since the divorce, and Eli briefly meeting Grace again. The planned series finale would have shown that Eli eventually gained a high profile as a prophet sharing his visions and message of hope and compassion with the world, hinted at in the first season episode "[[Eli Stone#ep11|Patience]]", though predictably placing his life in danger.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eli Stone: The Future Revealed |first=Natalie |last=Abrams |date=August 16, 2009 |website=[[E!#E! Online|E! Online]] |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/139287/eli_stone_future_revealed |access-date=2024-06-20}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title}}

{{Greg Berlanti}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2008 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2009 American television series endings]]
[[Category:2000s American comedy-drama television series]]
[[Category:2000s American legal drama television series]]
[[Category:2000s American musical comedy television series]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company comedy-dramas]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Serial drama television series]]
[[Category:Television series by ABC Studios]]
[[Category:Television series created by Greg Berlanti]]
[[Category:Television shows set in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Television series created by Marc Guggenheim]]