Proof

This is one of the few shows on television at the moment I literally can't wait to tune in for each week and watch the clock not wanting it to end. The premise/plot of the show is captivating and established in a realistic setting in world similar enough to our own to allow any fictional elements to be believable. The characters are like-able even though the lead comes off as hard and somewhat non personable. Her overly skeptic nature and beliefs only add to the suspense in situations in which even her full attention is focused and events that she ultimately questions. This is really well done in my opinion so far and completely different than anything else on TV. It's not a procedural and instead is serialized with episodes that have a clear beginning, middle and end that build up the story line. Hope this one makes it for season 2, although the concepts are a bit more complex/controversial for most Americans to contemplate while enjoying a television show so I wont hold my breathe.

I don't know what happens when we die. I am intrigued by it, given my own experiences and after having seen the series Beyond and Back..., where real people told their stories, which were breathtaking. It really wasn't about NDEs because all the people in it had been pronounced dead and flatlined. It was an amazing show.

Proof takes a slightly different stance. A wealthy man, Ivan Turing (Matthew Modine), who has terminal cancer, wants to know what happens when we die, and asks a brilliant doctor, Carolyn Tyler (Jennifer Beals), to investigate the phenomenon. Tyler herself had an NDE when her son died, but has pushed it away and doesn't talk about it. Tyler asks a young doctor, Zed (Edi Gathegi) to join her, and she works with him and with members of Turing's staff.

Carolyn remains skeptical and attempts to handle things in a scientific manner, which is good, and because of that, the show doesn't go into la-la land. I wouldn't mind it, but I'm sure some would.

I have always liked the beautiful, intelligent Jennifer Beals, but she was misguided initially. Her character was unlikeable and annoying. An actress playing this kind of role can choose parts of a script where she can show some vulnerability or warmth -- and it was up to the director to guide her in that, which he obviously didn't do.

It sort of reminded me of Vivien Leigh begging that a line remain in the Gone with the Wind script where Scarlet says she wanted to be kind like her mother etc. -- because she felt without that line, Scarlet was an impossibly awful character. The character of Dr Tyler was in the same boat but with no paddle.

I noticed a change in her personality around the fourth episode and realized the director was different. The change was enough to make her a nicer character.

The story veers out of the hospital covering Carolyn's home life - she has a teenage daughter and is separated from her husband. Also, Zed has his own problems -- he's expected back in his home country, and a marriage has been arranged for him. It isn't what he wants.

The subject of NDEs is a fascinating one but in order for it to play to the masses, it has to be presented in a clinical way, and the episodes have been solid. I hope it continues with Beals' adjustment in character.

As I began watching the first episode all I kept saying was wow this is slow but I stuck with it. I've watched it week after week and I'm beginning to really like the show. I read most of the reviews and the reviews giving a low rating all seem to surround 2 main characters the brilliant surgeon Dr. Tyler (Beals) a skeptic, a bitch & she's rude to the people around her & then the millionaire Ivan who is dying & is willing to give a certain amount of money to the hospital (NOT to Dr. Tyler) but he will only make this donation if Dr. Tyler is willing to do a little side project which is finding PROOF if there is life after death.. of course Dr. Tyler says no, her being very skeptical even though she has had her own experience (which she hasn't told anyone) & the fact that her son died in a car crash, her marriage has failed & she has a 15yr old daughter who acts like a typical 15yr old girl (any women & young women know exactly what I mean) but something happens in the 1st episode that changes her mind, she asks her intern from Africa Dr. Zed to assist her on this project as well as Janel who is some kind of asst. to Ivan (I think). All of them having there own opinion on if there is life after death, thankfully she has these 2 beside her since she is VERY SKEPTICAL and the 2 of them give her a open mind. She won't admit it but I believe that Zed, Janel & these people's stories are opening her eye's & she is beginning to not be so skeptical but won't show it so she keeps up the bitchy bossy skeptical self for appearance. I am hoping that this series gets picked up for a 2nd season. This series has a lot of people questioning will they find any type of proof that there is life after death?? I'm not sure if I like it & watch it every week because I believe that there is some type of life after death. I've never had an experience I'm just open minded to the fact that there could be some type of after life.

O.k. I tried to wrote this review in Spanish but the system does not let me. So I will try to write it in English, so forget me if I make grammar mistakes. Although the pilot was projected on t.v just yesterday in my country, on TNT Series, I want to say... I am dying to wathc the next episode, even if the plot is not to different, and the psychology of the characters are to similar at the common people whose had to loose someone they loved experience. I am curious about the view from the creators and the guionist, they want to make us believe, or they have more evidence or proof to show us. I want to watch more episodes because the theme about life after life is just interesting and wonderful. After that, the plot, actors and escenography were convincing for me. Thanks everyone!

Can't believe JB is still so beautiful and has become such a fine actress ... she is superb in this part. I'm agnostic, so I'm open-minded to this "afterlife" stuff. I find the story quite interesting, maybe because I've experienced the "looking down at yourself" and the "light at the end of the tunnel" personally when very young. But I didn't appreciate the "ghost" business in one episode and hope they avoid such nonsense henceforth.

I find all the characters well-played and quite realistic, which seems to evince a lot of grimaces from other reviewers. And several reviewers seem offended by JB's character's strong personality, but she seems to me very believable as a seriously intelligent and experienced surgeon who has lost a young son AND her marriage and who has a daughter in her "terrible teens." I think perhaps these reviewers might be more pleased watching "Married with Children." Beals is spot on as a no-nonsense woman who was all but forced to succumb to the odd offer from the billionaire because the enormous gift would be put to such good use and to turn down such an offer would simply defy logic, and this woman is logical to the core.

I look forward to the next episode ... just no more ghosts, please!