Information AboutEarly Edition |
''Early Edition'' is a Television Series on CBS that ran from September 28 , 1996 to May 27 , 2000 . It followed the adventures of a man who attempts to prevent terrible events each day, which he learns about by receiving each day's Newspaper a day early. SYNOPSIS The show dealt with the life of Gary Hobson ( Kyle Chandler ), a Chicago man (initially a Stock Broker , later the owner of McGinty's Bar ) who mysteriously received newspapers (specifically, the '' Chicago Sun-Times '') a day ahead of time, effectively giving him knowledge of the potential future. His newspaper apparently gets delivered by an orange tabby Cat , no matter where he goes every morning, except on some special occasions. He would then try to prevent tragedies described in "tomorrow's" ''Sun-Times'' from occurring, whereby story text and headlines in the newspaper change to reflect the outcome of his actions. Within the course of the series, Gary discovers that a few people share his gift of receiving the newspaper "early". The only people, besides Gary, who know about his gift are his parents; his friends Chuck Fishman (a former fellow stock broker) and Marissa Clark (the blind former receptionist at the brokerage); and, Erica and Henry Paget, a single mother and her son (Gary gives Erica a job at McGinty's) though he certainly tried to tell a few people such as his attorney and various police officers (Episode 407/408 - Fatal Edition). On some occasions, he is given the ability to wake up in another time (such as in the early 1900s) to change the past. People who encounter Gary often strongly suspect (or know) that he has a secret, but do not know what specifically it is. During the course of the series, it is never clearly stated where the paper comes from. In one episode, Gary meets the group of people apparently responsible for giving him (as well as others) the Paper. Nothing much is revealed about them except that they have some sort of supernatural abilities, such as being able to mysteriously appear at any location. In season four, episode 420 - "Time" (series finale that aired a few episodes early) it is briefly explained why Gary started receiving the paper. Apparently, he was given the responsibility by Lucius Snow (the man who received the Chicago Sun Times before Gary), after Snow saved Gary's life when Gary was a child. The responsibility is represented by an object imprinted with the name of the person receiving the paper. The name mysteriously changes every time the current person decides on a new person to receive the responsibility. At the end of the same episode, Gary passes on the object to a young girl named Lindsey Romick who had just lost her grandfather; though it's not shown if she ever begins receiving the paper. THEMES The show began with Gary being divorced by his wife, and stuck in a rut in his job. Once he begins to receive the "early edition" of the '' Chicago Sun-Times '', he slowly gains a sense of purpose as a sort of Superhero by seeking to prevent as many disasters as possible each day. The drawback to his situation was that, in his nearly-obsessional devotion to saving people, he rarely had time for his own personal life. Gary's fortuitous assumption of ownership of McGinty's Bar/Grill in downtown Chicago gave him a stable platform from which to carry out his newfound purpose. The other issue he would occasionally grapple with was whether to use the information contained in the paper (such as lottery numbers, or sports scores) to profit from the paper. The show rarely dealt with a common theme of time-travel dramas--the theory that changing the past (or the present in this case) produced potentially adverse consequences in the future. More often, the show would subtly display the '' Butterfly Effect ''. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS The show's two key co-stars were Fisher Stevens as Chuck Fishman and Shanesia Davis-Williams as Marissa Clark. Chuck was an 'anti-type' to Gary, being a somewhat cynical, wisecracking realist in contrast to Gary's growing idealism. In early episodes, Chuck seeks to parlay the advance knowledge provided by the newspaper into windfall profits (e.g., sports betting and stock-market 'insider trading'). Over time, however, he begins to take a role in helping and backing up Gary as a problem-solver. Davis-Williams may have performed an overlooked artistic service, in portraying a blind person able to cause one to totally overlook her blindness. Marissa often was the voice of reasonable conscience, balancing Gary's earnest idealism against Chuck's skeptical realism. Stevens' departure from the show after two seasons, however, fundamentally changed the dynamic of the show. The device of his voice-over narration was done away with, the theme music was changed, and there began a revolving door of foils for Gary, including Billie Worley and Kristy Swanson . The latter had a romantic subplot with Gary. Fisher Stevens made several guest appearances on the show after leaving, and several of the characters stayed (such as a hard-boiled detective named Crumb, and Gary's bartender). CANCELLATION AND LEGACY After May 27, 2000 (the end of its fourth season), CBS decided to end the series' run. The series has been syndicated, most recently to . As of January 2007, Early Edition has not been aired on Independent Television. In Estonia, Early Edition is being aired on TV 3, with the new title transliterated to "Tomorrow's News". Fans of the show have stayed devoted to it in true "cult TV" fashion, sometimes referring to themselves as "EELs" (Early Edition Lovers). "EELFests" have been held for fans to gather in and around the Chicago locations of the show. TRIVIA
CAST Main
Recurring
EPISODE LIST Season One
Season Two
Season Three
Season Four
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