Early Edition
A man receives tomorrow's newspaper today and tries to prevent tragedies.
Early Edition is a fantasy comedy-drama series that originally ran on CBS from September 1996 to May 2000. The show is set in Chicago and centers on a man who inexplicably receives a copy of the Chicago Sun-Times one day before its publication, which he then uses to avert disasters. The series was created by Ian Abrams, Patrick Q. Page, and Vik Rubenfeld, with Kyle Chandler starring as the lead character, Gary Hobson. Throughout its run, the show prominently featured real Chicago landmarks.
The series was canceled in May 2000 after producing 90 episodes, and it entered syndication on Fox Family Channel that same month. Fan conventions for the show continued for several years. CBS Home Entertainment released the first two seasons on DVD in the United States in 2008 and 2009, and a complete series DVD set followed in 2018.
The plot follows Gary Hobson, a Chicago resident who starts receiving the Chicago Sun-Times a day early, giving him knowledge of events that have not yet happened. The newspaper arrives each day at 6:30 a.m., no matter where he is, accompanied by a ginger tabby cat. Using this advance information, Gary tries to prevent the tragedies described in the paper, which causes the text and headlines to change to reflect his actions. He often struggles with the burden of this responsibility and faces moral dilemmas about whom to help.
In the first season, Gary returns from his job as a stockbroker to find his wife Marcia has thrown him out and later divorces him. He moves into the Blackstone Hotel, where he begins receiving the paper and the cat. He eventually confides in his friends Chuck Fishman, a fellow former stockbroker, and Marissa Clark, a blind former receptionist. After deciding to use the paper only for good, Gary quits his job. Chuck repeatedly tries to exploit the paper for financial gain, while Gary develops a tense relationship with police detective Marion Zeke Crumb. By the season’s end, Gary learns that a man named Lucius Snow received the paper before him.
Season two continues Gary’s efforts with the paper and his friends. Detective Crumb sometimes joins them after retiring from the police force, though he never learns the source of Gary’s “hunches.” Gary works part-time as a bartender at McGinty’s. At the end of the season, Chuck leaves as a regular character.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Adventure / Fantasy / Comedy drama
- Creator
- Ian Abrams / Patrick Q. Page / Vik Rubenfeld
- Developer
- Bob Brush
- Starring
- Kyle Chandler / Shanésia Davis-Williams / Fisher Stevens / Kristy Swanson / Billie Worley
- Narrator
- Kyle Chandler / Fisher Stevens
- Theme Music Composer
- W. G. Snuffy Walden
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 4
- Num Episodes
- 90
- List Episodes
- List of Early Edition episodes
- Runtime
- 45–48 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The show chronicles the life of Gary Hobson, a resident of Chicago, Illinois, who mysteriously receives the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper a day in advance, effectively giving him knowledge of the potential future. His newspaper is delivered by a mysteriously unknown entity at least once each day, and is accompanied by a ginger tabby cat, with the first copy arriving every morning at 6:30 a.m., no matter what his physical location is. Armed with knowledge of the future, he then tries to prevent tragedies described in 'tomorrow's' Sun-Times from occurring, thus changing the story text and headlines in the newspaper to reflect the outcome of his actions. Often, Gary does not wish to be saddled with the responsibility of performing these deeds. The paper presents him with many moral dilemmas. In the pilot, Gary's wife Marcia throws him out because she is fed up with his lack of ambition and his failure as a stockbroker. Gary later confides in his friends Chuck Fishman, a fellow former stockbroker, and Marissa Clark, a blind former receptionist.
Reader's Guide
Early Edition is significant as a fantasy drama that explored moral dilemmas through a unique premise: receiving a newspaper a day early. The show ran for 90 episodes on CBS from 1996 to 2000, and its legacy includes a dedicated fan base that held conventions for multiple years. The series featured many real Chicago locations and guest stars from television and film, including Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr. and film critic Roger Ebert. It also had a crossover with the CBS series Chicago Hope. After cancellation, the show entered syndication on Fox Family Channel in May 2000. CBS Home Entertainment released the first two seasons on DVD in the United States in 2008 and 2009, and the complete series was released on DVD in 2018. The show's central mystery—the origin of the newspaper—was never fully resolved, though the series finale provided a partial explanation involving a pocketknife passed from one recipient to another. The series remains notable for its blend of comedy, drama, and fantasy, and for launching Kyle Chandler's career before his later success in dramas like Friday Night Lights.
Did You Know?
- The show aired on CBS from September 28, 1996, to May 27, 2000, and 90 episodes were made.
- The newspaper was delivered by a mysterious entity accompanied by a ginger tabby cat, always at 6:30 a.m.
- In season four, episode 20, it was revealed that Gary received the paper from Lucius Snow, who saved Gary's life as a child.
- The series featured a crossover with Chicago Hope and a promotional episode for CBS's Martial Law.
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