THE PROMISED LAND

Created by Michael Grais

THE PROMISED LAND TV SERIES, now showing on strike.tv!

CLICK HERE FOR STRIKE,TV

THE PROMISED LAND series is set in TAOS, New Mexico. The drama surrounds two families: One Anglo, one Hispanic, like Romeo and Juliet two young people from different backgrounds fall in love. Two families vie for control of the town. The drama will include the issues currently facing young people today: love, hate, drugs, cliques, and sex. The adults face issues of marriage, infidelity, money, power, addiction, crime, and family.

 
Michael Grais Wrote, Directed and Executive Produced THE PROMISED LAND with a lot of help from Executive Producer Gary Cook, a great cast, crew and production team. Grais has written screenplays for seven academy award winning producers and the films he wrote/produced ("Poltergeist" 1 and 2 and many others) have garnered half a billion dollars in gross reciepts. "I see this show as a cross between televison hits Friday Night Lights and The Sopranos," Grais said.

THE PROMISED LAND cast members were chosen for their spontaneity and ability to think on their feet, as Grais used scripted improvisation, which enables more freedom and involvement in the creative process with the actors, most of whom had never acted in front of a camera.

According to Executive Producer Gary Cook, head of UNM's arts program, "We have a great Taos cast ranging from ages 15-60. Additionally, the cast features professional Taos actors as well as neophites." Christopher Maher, Taos resident, has been seen in a large number of features including the recent "Men Who Stare at Goats" and "Executive Decision". His television work includes "Crash" "Law and Order" and "West Wing"; Mark Sivertsen, also of Taos, is a veteran of 14 films and 30 television shows, such as "Breaking Bad," "Scoundrels" and "ER"; Stacey Thunder who had a recurring role in "Crash" and is the host and co-producer of the popular PBS weekly news-magazine, "Native Report" that recently completed it's fifth season; and Manuel Chavez, from Santa Fe, who appeared in "No Country for Old Men."

THE PROMISED LAND is a non-profit TV series, sponsored by The Sage Institute for Environment, Creativity and Consciousness and affiliated with the Education Program at the University of New Mexico-Taos. Partial funding was provided by a grant from the Healy Foundation and donations from Taos residents. Trispin Technologies creator John Valdez donated this website to the production. The major sets were donated by the beautiful 180 acre Blackstone Ranch, situated in the heart of Taos, with views of Taos Mountain and Sangre de Cristos Mountains.

Local cast members include Eric Saenz, Melia Paulson, Travis Webb, Maia Masci-Montoya, Christina Gonzales, Katheryn Jones,  Lauran Drown, John Adams, Kaitlyn Mellini, Oliver Knight, Stacy Thunder, Shawn McDonough, Dutch Shultis and Ella Romancito. "Many of the actors are high school students and they, as well as University of New Mexico-Taos students involved in the production will get school credit," said Gary Cook.

THE PROMISED LAND will premier on Strike.TV a website that was begun in response to a union writers strike in 2008. Many of its original programs were created by some of the biggest names in Hollywood and feature dozens of well-known writers, actors, and producers.

THE PROMISED LAND theme song was written and sung by Jennifer Grais.