New Show Watch: ABC’s Mid-Season Resurrection

The dead come back to life in the mid-season drama coming next season.

In Resurrection (formerly titled The Returned), deceased loved ones start to turn up alive — without having aged a day — and come back to their families in the small town of Arcadia, Missouri. Omar Epps (House) plays Martin Bellamy, an immigration agent who helps reunite a young boy discovered in China with his parents. But when they arrive in Arcadia, Agent Bellamy discovers that the boy’s parents lost their son more than 30 years ago.

Resurrection isn’t on the fall schedule announced this week by ABC, and looks to be a mid-season replacement. Watch for it in early 2014.

Here is the 3-minute preview of the show:

And the network’s full description:

The people of Arcadia, Missouri are forever changed when their deceased loved ones suddenly start to return. An 8-year-old American boy (Landon Gimenez) wakes up alone in a rice paddy in a rural Chinese province with no idea how he got there. Details start to emerge when the boy, who calls himself Jacob, recalls that his hometown is Arcadia, and an Immigration agent, Martin Bellamy (Omar Epps), takes him there. The home he claims as his own is occupied by an elderly couple, Harold (Kurtwood Smith) and Lucille Garland (Frances Fisher), who lost their son Jacob more than 30 years ago. While they look different, young Jacob recognizes them as his parents.

Those closest to the family try to unravel this impossible mystery, including Sheriff Fred Garland (Matt Craven), whose wife Barbara drowned 30 years ago while trying to save Jacob. But this boy who claims to be the deceased Jacob knows secrets about his own death that no one else knows — secrets that Fred’s daughter, Gail (Devin Kelly), will begin to investigate and discover to be true.

“Resurrection” stars Omar Epps (“House”) as Martin Bellamy, Matt Craven (“Crimson Tide,” “A Few Good Men”) as Fred, Devin Kelley (“Chernobyl Diaries,” “The Chicago Code”) as Gail, Frances Fisher (“Titanic”) as Lucille, Kurtwood Smith (“That ‘70s Show”) as Harold, Sam Hazeldine (“The Raven”) as Abel, Samaire Armstrong (“Entourage,” “The O.C.”) as Elaine, Nicholas Gonzalez (“Off the Map”) as Connor, Mark Hildreth (“Dragon Ball Z”) as Tom and Landon Gimenez as Jacob. Written by Aaron Zelman (“Damages,” “The Killing”), “Resurrection” is executive-produced by Aaron Zelman, JoAnn Alfano, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Jon Liebman, Brillstein Entertainment and Plan B. The pilot was directed by Charles McDougall. “Resurrection” is produced by ABC Studios.

Despite the sci-fi-ish premise it remains to be seen just how close Resurrection will stick to the genre in its weekly installments. We’ll keep an eye on it as the show draws closer to its premiere.