'God Friended Me' makes request for continued viewing

God has historically been good to CBS, in the form of faith-oriented series like "Touched by an Angel" and "Joan of Arcadia." The network returns to those roots with "God Friended Me," an appealing show that weaves religion into its premise, while owing at least as much to the since-departed "Person of Interest" as those aforementioned dramas.

Posted 1:40 p.m. Sep 28, 2018 — Updated 1:40 p.m. Sep 28, 2018

Brian Lowry

, CNN

(CNN) — God has historically been good to CBS, in the form of faith-oriented series like "Touched by an Angel" and "Joan of Arcadia." The network returns to those roots with "God Friended Me," an appealing show that weaves religion into its premise, while owing at least as much to the since-departed "Person of Interest" as those aforementioned dramas.

Wedding social-media jargon with the soft focus of Hallmark movies, the series stars Brandon Micheal Hall (last seen in ABC's "The Mayor") as Miles, a podcast host who to his understandable surprise receives a "friend request" from God. Miles is skeptical, having lost his faith since his mother's death, to the chagrin of his preacher father, played by "Scandal's" Joe Morton.

For the purposes of the pilot, the Lord works in mysterious ways, using roundabout means to point Miles toward people in need of his help. In that regard, there's a more-than-passing resemblance to "Person of Interest," in which an unseen force (in that case, an artificial intelligence known as "The Machine") cryptically directed operatives in their do-gooding endeavors.

Granted, this is a considerably softer (and less violent) formula, and happily, Hall is good company. Moreover, his character isn't alone in this task, with collaborators that include Cara (Violett Beane), who professes to be "spiritual," prompting Miles to respond, "You either believe or you don't."

Like most programs that brave tackling religion, "God Friended Me" handles those questions in a light but respectful manner, clearly aware of the material's thorny nature. The series remains enigmatic about whether Miles was chosen and why, as he continues to wonder if this is really communication from on high or some sort of elaborate prank.

Still, for those who complain about the central role that faith plays in the life of a majority of Americans -- and the dearth of TV shows that address the topic head-on -- the series is clearly intended to tap into that audience.

Despite criticism that the major networks receive for being gun-shy about religion, history offers no assurance of matching "Touched's" nine-year run. Indeed, perhaps in part due to reservations among the faithful, religious-themed series have a spotty track record, as ABC discovered just last season with the quirky concept "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World."

Based on that, "God Friended Me" -- created by Bryan Wynbrandt and Steven Lilien ("Alcatraz"), working with mega-producer Greg Berlanti -- might not be the answer to anyone's prayers. And to the extent a series pilot is basically a request to check out future episodes, given the promising start, click "yes."

"God Friended Me" premieres Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

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