• Hand of God, about Ron Perlman as a judge who believes God is guiding him after an attack on his family, is among the latest batch of potential series that will be streamed online by Amazon beginning Thursday. The Internet retail giant took a cue from Netflix last year and started producing its own shows. Which shows become full series will depend on audience response. Perlman said he was interested in moving right into another TV project after coming off six seasons as the patriarch of a ruthless biker gang on FX's Sons of Anarchy. To him, Hand of God was "too good to be true" because it was the first script he read post-Anarchy, and the character of Judge Harris Pernell was so different from his previous roles. "I was completely intimidated," said Perlman over a lunch on the set. "The character is this compendium of very, very bold qualities -- one of which is that he's in the middle of a breakdown when we meet him. Whoever he is in life, he's deeply compromised during the pilot and going through self-discovery as God comes into his life." Despite the show's subject matter and title, a reference to a fringe religious group led by Julian Morris' smarmy soap star-turned-preacher, the creators of Hand of God are quick to note that Amazon isn't moving into faith-based programming. The show's conceit is more about characters grasping for power in the fictional town of San Vicente than it is about religion. "The religion in the show is like the science in Breaking Bad," writer-producer Ben Watkins said. "It's an important part, but it's just a thread -- a great one because there's so many compelling themes to explore."
• British pop star Cliff Richard said police have questioned him about a sexual assault allegation. A statement issued Sunday on behalf of Richard states the allegation that he assaulted a boy at a religious rally in Sheffield, northern England, in the 1980s is "completely false." Police, who do not name suspects unless they are charged, said a 73-year-old man was interviewed under caution at a police station Saturday. He was not arrested. "Under caution" means the interview was recorded and could be used in future prosecutions. Earlier this month police searched a house belonging to Richard near London after receiving what they called "an allegation of a sexual nature." Richard was one of Britain's first rock stars in the 1950s and has recorded hit singles over the past six decades.
A Section on 08/25/2014