Since the classic r&b song is a staple of his Blues Brothers act, it's no coincidence that Dan Aykroyd is now playing a "Soul Man."
The alumnus of "Saturday Night Live's" founding cast returns to weekly comedy with his new ABC series, premiering Tuesday. Developed by the mentors of "Home Improvement," who enlisted Tim Allen to make an appearance in the debut episode, it stars Aykroyd as an offbeat minister who constantly faces personal and professional challenges, since he's a widower with four children as well as a clergyman trying to win the trust of his congregation. Such factors as his motorcycle-riding keep many of his traditional-minded parishioners a bit wary of him.
Dakin Matthews plays the bishop he answers to, and Melinda McGraw (the former "Commish" regular know to X-Files fans as Scully's sister) is featured as a less-than-devout reporter in whom Aykroyd's character has a big interest.
"I wasn't actively pursuing this type of venture," Aykroyd admits, "although I had probed the half-hour sitcom area before. Five or six years ago, I produced a pilot for CBS called "Mars Base One", which which was a typical family comedy with the overlay of living on another planet. CBS then changed its strategy, though, when all the networks started looking toward hourlong dramas.
"The next thing I tried was a show for Fox called 'CCPD,' a takeoff on 'Cops in which I played the chief of police, but it was deemed too expensive for what they felt they could get out of it. Then I talked to NBC about doing a filmed comedy with ('SCTV veteran) Eugene Levy about living in a trailer park in Canada, but they wanted to make it a four-camera taped show, and I backed out of it."
Actually, Ottawa native Aykroyd has been something of a TV presence lately anyway, serving as host of the syndicated series "The Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal." "I didn't expect I'd be looking for anything like ("Soul Man"), but when it came across my desk, it was just too good an opportunity to turn down," he said. "ABC is a very strong network in terms of supporting its product. Disney (whose Touchstone Television subsidiary is making the show) also is strong, and this was spun off from 'Home Improvement', and I figured if I was going to get into this game, I might as well do it with the best people around."
What really clinched the deal, Aykroyd claims, was the decision to make "Soul Man's" central character a minister: "I've always felt that comedy is best delivered from a structured platform, and that's why on Saturday Night Live,' I often played characters like a cop or a soldier. I'd set up a figure of authority just to knock him down, so in being a minister in this, I'm setting myself up with clay feet right away, with all the vulnerabilities of humankind. I try to appear like a superhuman man of the cloth," he continues, "but I'm really more human than anyone in this. I just loved the premise and decided very quickly to do it."
The co-founder of the House of Blues chain of restaurant night spots, Aykroyd recognized that any film or TV series dealing with the world of religion is potentially sensitive territory, especially when it's done in a humorous vein. However, he maintains, "We treat the religion aspect with respect, and of course we use all the lessons that are there. Ultimately, this is a gentle show and a family show, and I know going into this that that's the kind of show I've taken on. I think it will appeal to a broad range of people."
Preparing to film a "Blues Brothers 2000" movie later this year with James Belushi (the brother of Aykroyd's fellow "Blues" brother John) and John Goodman, and also putting the finishing touches on a "Ghostbusters III" script, Aykroyd continues to respect television for the immediacy of having ideas produced right away. "I always have ideas for 'Saturday Night Live,' and I sometimes wish I was still writing for the show, because I have a sketch a day in my head. At least with 'Soul Man,' I'll be able to satisfy my comic whims on a daily basis."
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