My TV-lover heart breaks a little more each time I hear another piece of casting news involving an actor from a prematurely canceled show I happen to love.

This time the damage is due to learning that Jason George — who most recently played Keith Bennett, effective attorney and possibly Patti’s future son-in-law, on Eli Stone — has been added to the pilot for another ABC project, the potential drama Inside the Box.

That high-profile series comes from the mind of Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. Considering her clout as a result of Grey’s and its spinoff Private Practice’s success, there’s a better than usual chance Inside the Box will be picked up as a full-fledged series eventually. If so, hopefully it will enjoy a longer than usual life, as well, or at least much longer than Stone’s too-short two-year run.

Washington-set Inside the Box follows a news producer and her coworkers at a television news bureau, one of whom is George’s on-air network correspondent.

Tonight’s “Help” is a very special episode of Eli Stone for Seal fans. The musician also known as the husband of supermodel and Project Runway host Heidi Klum guest stars as himself in a storyline featuring Taylor and Matt, the last of whom scores tickets to his concert.

Elsewhere, Eli, played by real-life recent first-time dad Jonny Lee Miller, gets a hookup, courtesy of Chen, who fixes the attorney up with a patient on a blind date to help him combat what the acunpcturist perceives as loneliness.

Fairly famous actress Bridget Moynahan is a guest star, as well, so I’m guessing she’s involved with this particular segment, especially since she and her character Ashley makes a return appearance on next week’s episode “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” Eli could definitely do worse.

However, the best plot of all, in my opinion, is the one that’s been evolving for the last couple of episodes, namely Patti’s aspiring doctor daughter Angela (Taraji P. Henson), whom we were first led to believe has an alcohol and then cocaine problem — and she very well still might — but then later learned has actually been dismissed from her hospital job. More details emerge about that ugly situation, and I can’t wait to find out what happened there as Eli and Keith represent her on drug charges.

Take a look at the trailer for “Help” after the jump. And, yes — that’s a big old hearty slap Patti delivers to what looks like her daughter’s face. Ouch!

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Original Air Date: October 14, 2008

On the season opener of Eli Stone, Eli is back, alive, and in a pretty foul funk. It’s been six months since the Season One-ending brain surgery on his aneurysm, and although the operation appears to have worked, removing all traces of the medical problem and the accompanying divine visions, Eli has clearly lost his “faith and prophecy” mojo as a result.

The episode begins with a stark change for Eli. As he walks down the street, he hears music for the first time since before his surgery. It’s Patti belting out Martha and the Vandellas’ classic party tune “Dancing in the Streets,” while every pedestrian in the vicinity provides backup dancing and harmonizing. Uh-oh — that’s not supposed to be happening.

Eli has been seeing seeing a therapist (Sigourney Weaver) weekly for the last three months. However, their relationship is far from smooth, as Eli repeatedly asks her to sign his “permission slip” — the recertification form for his law license — and she repeatedly ignores that request in favor of asking more deep questions and making more biting observations.

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When we last saw the title character of Eli Stone (Jonny Lee Miller) back in April, the lawyer-prophet was fresh out of brain surgery with an uncertain future ahead.

When he returns to the tube tomorrow night for a deserved second season that kicks off with “The Path,” not only will Eli have Oscar winner Sigourney Weaver along for the ride — she plays a therapist — but he’ll be alive and vision-free for a miraculous six months. Great news!

Unfortunately, more disaster is still in the cards. An accident is going to occur that will leave Jordan Wethersby (Victor Garber) trapped inside a building and Eli’s doctor brother Nate (Matt Letscher) with a vision and a brain aneurysm of his very own.

The legal part will come into play when Eli and and his ex-fiancée Taylor (Natasha Henstridge) disagree about her father’s precise location in the building. I’m guessing after all he went through during the first season, Eli will be firmly on his brother’s side.

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