Stanley Tucci stars in '3LBS' as a brilliant neurosurgeon

By DAVE MASON
Sunday, November 12, 2006
A great mystery sits in your head.

So says Peter Ocko, executive producer of "3 LBS." The title of the dramatic series refers to the weight of the human brain.

Many shows focus on aliens and other science-fiction phenomena, but the brain is one of the greatest real-life mysteries that we experience right now, Ocko said during a conference call with reporters. "3 LBS," which stars Stanley Tucci as a brilliant but aloof neurosurgeon, premieres at 10 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14) on CBS.

Tucci's character, Dr. Doug Hanson, clearly is more interested in the diseases than his patients, and viewers likely will compare him with another TV doctor, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) of Fox's "House." While both physicians have their quirks, Hanson talks less and doesn't share House's love for frequent, witty one-liners.

"I don't think anyone invented the 'Dr. Grumpy is God' concept. We are very different from 'House,' " Ocko said.

Dr. Hanson oversees a neurosurgeon with a medical fellowship, Dr. Jonathan Seger (Mark Feuerstein). The two doctors differ greatly, and Seger has much better social skills. Seger believes in getting to know the patients.

The differences go beyond their personalities.

"Tucci's character sees the brain as wires in a box, something that can be explained. Dr. Jonathan Seger is open to the idea that maybe some things can't be explained," Ocko said. "Hanson sees everything as very black and white."

A third perspective comes from Dr. Adrianne Holland (Indira Varma), a brilliant neurologist who says what's on her mind.

Ocko said he is basing his stories on real-life diseases and explained the challenge will be to convince viewers that this isn't science fiction. The first episode features a young woman who's a talented violinist. She suddenly loses her ability to play and collapses. In a cinematic manner that's similar to "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "3 LBS" shows how the signals from her brain to her nerves are interrupted.

During the conference call, Tucci praised Ocko's writing and explained why he liked playing Hanson. "It's a joy to play a character who's a bit of a mystery. He's quite a complex character and always a challenge to play."

Tucci said he always wants to find the inner truth about his characters, but how to reveal that truth varies according to the roles and scripts. "I approach every role differently."

In preparing to play Hanson, Tucci said he hasn't actually watched a real-life neurosurgeon during an operation, at least not yet.

"Part of me doesn't want that because I'm more squeamish than I think," he said.

Dave Mason of the Ventura County Star in California can be reached at damson(at)VenturaCountyStar.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com