New NBC Series: The Listener - Summer 2009

NBC released information about a number of new series that will be airing some time between fall of 2008 through summer 2009. Among them is The Listener, which stars Toby Logan and Ennis Esmer. Set to premiere some time during the summer of 2009, The Listener centers on a paramedic who can read minds. Below is the information that NBC shared about the series:

THE LISTENER -- In this one-hour drama, Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik, “The Runaway”) is a 24-year-old paramedic living with a secret: he can read people’s minds. This telepathic procedural takes viewers into the heart of a tortured hero who struggles to solve crimes with his unique gift. Week-to-week, “The Listener” balances high-stakes drama with irreverent humor and sends Toby on an intellectual and emotional adventure. Ennis Esmer (“The Path to 9/11”) also stars. “The Listener” is a production of Program Partners and Shaftesbury Films. The executive producers are Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Michael Amo, Russ Cochrane, Glen Davis and Bill Laurin.

I suppose, between the success of Heroes and the country’s tireless obsession with superhero movies, NBC is hoping to continue to cash in on the genre. As the main character is described as a “tortured hero,” I’m guessing Toby Logan spends a lot of his time fighting off the temptation to snoop into people’s minds, vowing only to use his power for good. It’ll be over a year before this series hits the air though, so there’s no sense getting excited about it now but it does have an interesting premise.

For NBC's Fall '08, Winter '09 and Summer '09 lineups, CLICK HERE.