3 LBS - the Magic of Science Comes to CBS

Not your average medical drama, "3 Lbs," a term that refers to the weight of an adult human brain, represents a show where hard sciences collides with the intricacies of personality, logic, emotion and faith as modern day heroes - on the cutting edge of their profession - explore the last mysterious frontier of medicine, the human brain. As series Creator and Executive Producer Peter Ocko notes, "One of the greatest mysteries left to discover is in our heads. If this show brings up one question to think about it's that one of the most magical things we can experience is part of us and that's our brain."

He believes the three main characters embody the mind, heart and soul of this demanding discipline. Dr. Doug Hansen (Stanley Tucci) views the brain as wires in a box that can be explained, while Dr. Jonathan Seger (Mark Fuerstein) remains more open to the idea that there may be something unexplainable about how it works and how we think and the sort of mysterious wonder of it. Meanwhile, Dr. Adrianne Holland (Indira Varma) adds the neurology point of view, with a much more approaching the magic as a science.

While the show debuted on Tuesday, November 14 (10:00pm-11pm, EST/PT) on CBS, the world premiere was held at Columbia University Medical Center before a packed auditorium consisting mostly of medical students, some press and of course, some of the cast and crew of this medical magical mystery tour inside the workings of the mind. The mostly medical crowd seemed to appreciate the melding of magic and medicine, as well as the fighting for turf, the witty jokes and other realistic touches.

Dr. James M. Schumacher, an internationally known expert in the neurosurgical treatment of Parkinson's disease and movement disorders and Chief Medical Consultant for "3 Lbs," got on board as he welcomed the opportunity to work on a medical show that can keep it real by educating and reflecting what is that neurosurgeons actually do. The stories depicted on the show are taken from real cases and they have taken pains to present the procedures realistically. Cast member Mark Fuerstein chimed in, "I love Gray's Anatomy but we're doing something else."

While this show strives to depict doctors without the ethical lapses, sordid affairs and unrealistic story lines that populate other medical shows, viewers still learn about the inner lives of the main characters. According to Ocko, "3 Lbs." serves as a bridge between procedural and character and is as much about the mysteries of the characters coming in the door as the mysteries of these characters' lives.
While I was entranced by the magic, I must confess that I have a fondness for fare like Being John Malkovich that causes me to really ponder the realities of my universe. But what remains a mystery is if in today's MTV 24/7 world where one wants ready made action with little time or no time for contemplation, how receptive others will be to these mysterious explorations.