(Left) David Boreanaz in ‘Bones’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television. (Right) James Garner in ‘The Rockford Files’. Photo: Universal Television.
Preview:
David Boreanaz will star in a pilot for a new ‘Rockford Files’ series.
James Garner originated the role of private eye Jim Rockford.
NBC has high hopes for the new pilot.
As the saying goes, everything old is new again. And in this case, it goes double.
While TV networks had largely abandoned the pilot process, NBC is among those bringing it back on a more limited basis, with one of the biggest around being a new take on private eye drama ‘The Rockford Files’, which starred James Garner in the 1970s.
James Garner in ‘The Rockford Files’. Photo: Universal Television.
The original series saw Garner as a witty, world-weary private eye, and from the sounds of it, writer Mike Daniels is keeping largely to the format.
In the modern show, newly paroled after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit, James Rockford (Boreanaz) returns to his life as a private investigator using his charm and wit to solve cases around Los Angeles, with his charmingly gruff exterior masking a strong moral core.
It doesn’t take long for his quest for legitimacy to land him squarely in the crosshairs of both local police and organized crime.
Does Boreanaz have the Garner family seal of approval?
(L to R) David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
Indeed he does! James Garner’s daughter Gigi gave the actor a glowing social media endorsement after Boreanaz called her to ask if her late father would approve him taking on the role…
So, I recently got a call from David Boreanaz.
He was kind enough to share that he was offered the series & thinking about it. He wanted to know how I felt about the reboot, etc…
If anybody can do it, HE CAN!
I’m 💯 on board! It is going to be great! #PureClass#Jimbohttps://t.co/yGvgsGPuTB
Stephen Amell as Ted Black ‘Suits LA’. Photo: David Astorga/NBC.
‘Suits LA’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Premiering on NBC on Sunday, February 23rd (with new episodes releasing weekly), ‘Suits LA’ looks to dip us back into the fraught legal waters first charted by the original series that began in 2011, albeit in a new city and with fresh characters.
While ‘Suits’ fans will likely welcome the chance to see the bend of drama and comedy back on their screens, the biggest question for the new show to answer will be whether it can live up to the swagger of Harvey Specter and co.
(L to R) Stephen Amell as Ted Black and Josh McDermitt as Stuart Lane in ‘Suits LA’. Photo: David Astorga/NBC.
Even when spin-off shows come from the same creative team, that’s not always a guarantee that they’ll work. ‘Suits,’ for example, saw creator Aaron Korsh spinning off Gina Torres’ Jessica Pearson character into her own show, ‘Pearson,’ but that didn’t make it past one season.
Korsh is back on creator and show-runner for ‘Suits LA,’ which partially owes its existence to the mammoth success of the original show on Netflix, which purchased it in 2023 and saw giant viewing figures. But the new series, at least in the initial run of three episodes provided to the press, doesn’t always quite justify its own existence, even if it has more of a chance of success since it more closely follows the template established by the parent series.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Bryan Greenberg as Rick Dodson and Lex Scott Davis as Erica Rollins in ‘Suits LA’. Photo: David Astorga/NBC.
Korsh certainly knows what he’s doing when it comes to creating compelling characters –– Gabriel Macht’s Harvey Specter is a memorable, outrageously cocky legal eagle who meets and teams up with Patrick J. Adams’ Mike Ross, a genius with a photographic memory who, oh yes… hasn’t actually ever been to law school (though he passed the bar).
For ‘Suits LA,’ Korsh has opted not to try to replicate that dynamic, instead focusing on a former New York prosecutor (Stephen Amell’s Ted Black) who has switched to L.A. entertainment law, and now finds himself dealing with big egos and bigger issues (such as a murder case early on). There is more reliance on backstory, especially between Ted and best pal/fellow lawyer Stuart Lane (Josh McDermitt) and the critical events that are happening in the present day for the pair (which we won’t spoil here). It’s a compelling enough storyline, but the show as a whole just feels a little… off.
It’s not that you want a carbon copy of ‘Suits,’ and we’re sure Korsh wouldn’t be interested in directly repeating himself, but he is trying to channel some of the spirit of the original, albeit with a new locale and different legal problems. But that essential, hooky dynamic from ‘Suits’ is sorely missed here, as is the original’s more surefooted blend of comedy and drama.
‘Suits LA,’ for all its glossier framing, is a darker show and that can sometimes be an issue. It doesn’t always manage that tone effectively. The comedy side, meanwhile, is mostly channeled through young associate Leah (Alice Lee), who is a fountain of pop culture knowledge, but still finding her way in the legal world.
You’ll notice some familiar patterns (it’s hard to get away from them in a legal show), but the whole isn’t always the sum of its parts.
Victoria Mahony directs the first episode and does so with some style and panache. Though the different color tones to indicate the past and present storylines don’t always work completely, the series itself is glossy enough. And it helps that for the second episode onwards, it actually films in LA, a step up from the original series’ use of Toronto to sub for the Big Apple.
‘Suits’ has always set the majority of its action within offices, and in keeping with that, the production design is suitably classy.
Cast and Performances
(L to R) Stephen Amell as Ted Black and Bryan Greenberg as Rick Dodson in ‘Suits LA’. Photo: David Astorga/NBC.
Amell is the core of the show, the ‘Arrow’ star bringing a similar energy to Ted Black here that he did to Oliver Queen (though without the need for lots of stunt training).
He’s fine in the role, but there is something that feels a little like a lesser take on the Harvey Specter type, confident but less entertaining.
There is also no one who works to the same level as the original cast. Lee brings some comedy, but the others are a little blander. It doesn’t help that certain characters feel like attempts to duplicate notable ‘Suits’ roles, such as Azita Ghanizada’s Roslyn, Ted’s loyal secretary, who is his version of Donna from the 2011 show.
Josh McDermitt as Stuart Lane in ‘Suits LA’. Photo: Jordin Althaus/NBC.
‘Suits LA’ should fill the ‘Suits’ hole well enough for diehard fans, though it might take some time to properly find its own feet and the balance of tone.
With luck, it’ll find more of an audience than the last attempt to spin the show off and get that chance.
P0bEUCV88Qa2XJeHJCsFc7
What’s the plot of ‘Suits LA’?
The new series follows Ted Black (Stephen Amell), a former federal prosecutor from New York, who has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point and in order to survive, he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career.
Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives.
All of this is going on while we slowly unravel the events that years ago led Ted to leave behind everything and everyone he loved.
(Left) Jimmy Kimmel. Photo: ABC/Jeff Lipsky. (Center) ‘Tonight Show’ host Jimmy Fallon. Photo: Todd Owyoung/NBC. (Right) Stephen Colbert from ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.’ Photo: CBS.com.
When the writers’ strike began in May, it meant that all the Late Night talk shows had to shut down, since they employ Writers Guild of America staff to write monologues, questions for guests and skits for the hosts to appear in.
Plus, the hosts themselves are WGA members and would not cross picket lines to work.
Yet with the Writers and the AMPTP, which represents the studios sealing a successful deal, the WGA officially ended the strike at midnight today (Wednesday 27th September). And that means that the hosts of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ and ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ will all be back on Monday.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is returning Sunday, and the hosts are wrapping up their podcast Strike Force Five. It takes a few days for their shows to ramp back up to production, book guests and other necessary work.
What was Strike Force 5?
‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ host Seth Meyers. Photo: Lloyd Bishop/NBC.
During the strike, Oliver, Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert and Meyers created a podcast called ‘Strike Force 5’ that they hosted, with proceeds from paid subscriptions going to the crews who needed support while the different shows were shut down.
“Their mission complete, the founding members of Strike Force 5 will return to their network television shows this Monday 10/2 and one of them to premium cable on 10/1,” said the hosts in a statement.
They followed up with a typically humorous summation of the whole situation:
“Of course, in a greater sense, the Strike Force 5 will never end because Strike Force 5 is not a place, Strike Force 5 is not a people, Strike Force 5 is barely a podcast, nay Strike Force 5 is an idea. An idea five men could talk on top of each other for 12 episodes and maybe somebody would listen. As we say goodbye, we would like to thank all those somebodies, truly, you were the heroes. We were mostly the heroes, but you were in there, too. We want to thank the entire Strike Force 5 team, our wives, our special guests and apologize to Conan O’Brien, who agreed to do the pod, but Stephen forgot to send him any possible dates and the strike ended.”
(L to R) Bill Maher and Andrew Yang on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher.’ Photograph by Janet Van Ham/HBO.
Some of their fellow talk show hosts, the daytime likes of Drew Barrymore and ‘The Talk’ team had planned to come back before the strike ended but curtailed that idea after public backlash and comments from Guild members.
Bill Maher, host of HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ is usually something of an opinionated instigator and not known for going with the flow.
He announced via social media on September 13th that he was planning to bring his show back on September 22nd.
Here’s Maher’s original statement:
“‘Real Time’ is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns.”
There was predictable backlash from those who knew he would be crossing strike lines to work on the show himself, and Maher later announced that he would be pressing pause on the plan to return.
He will now be back on Friday this week.
This was Maher’s announcement:
“My writers and Real Time are back! See you Friday Night!”
(L to R) Steve Bannon and Bill Maher on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher.’ Photograph by Janet Van Ham/HBO.
Following stints on beloved dramas “Gilmore Girls” and “Parenthood,” Lauren Graham will finally be returning to series regular TV.
TVLine has the scoop that Graham has joined the cast of NBC midseason dramedy “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” The site reports that the actress will be playing a character named Joan, who is the boss of Zoey (Jane Levy), a computer coder. Graham will be replacing Carmen Cusack, who played the part in the show’s original pilot.
Here’s the scoop on the unique, music-based series, per TVLine:
‘Playlist’ follows San Francisco-based Zoey who, after an unusual event, begins hearing the innermost wants and desires of the people around her through songs. She initially questions her own sanity, but soon realizes this unwanted curse may just be an incredibly wonderful gift. The cast also includes Skylar Astin (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Ground Floor), Alex Newell (Glee), Mary Steenburgen (The Last Man on Earth), Peter Gallagher (The O.C., Covert Affairs), John Clarence Stewart (Luke Cage) and Andrew Leeds (Bones, Barry).
Graham has been keeping busy in recent years with roles on series including “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” as well as reprising her most iconic character, Lorelai Gilmore, on Netflix’s “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” But she’s been absent from series regular television since “Parenthood” wrapped in 2015, and we can’t wait to watch her on a weekly basis again soon.
There’s no premiere date for “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” yet, but it’s set to debut on NBC sometime during the 2020 midseason.
The project comes from Miramax Television, whose film sibling produced the film. Jonny Umansky (“The Keys”) will write and executive produce.
The movie centered on a man and woman who meet by chance buying gloves at Bloomingdales in New York City. They fall in love over the course of one evening, but chance separates them. Years later, they find each other again.
“I’ve been madly in love with this movie for more than half my life,” said Umansky. “Never has the world needed a show like ‘Serendipity’ more, and the love stories we have in store are big, bold and filled to the brim with whimsy and wonder.”
The second time might be the charm when it comes to remaking “St. Elmo’s Fire.”
A 2009 TV series based on the Brat Pack classic failed to materialize, but there’s another modern remake in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter. NBC is developing the project, and Josh Berman has been tasked with writing the script. Like the movie, it will center on a group of friends dealing with the struggles of young adulthood in the wake of their college graduation.
The new TV project comes from Sony Pictures Television. Berman is set to executive produce through Osprey Productions, alongside Chris King. Here’s hoping this remake attempt gets further along than the last and ultimately assembles a cast just as stellar as the original’s.
The adventures of Jack Donaghy almost continued, but it will be another man’s story instead.
“30 Rock” creator Tina Fey and her co-executive producer Robert Carlock were ready to make a “30 Rock” spinoff with Alec Baldwin back as Jack, but according to a new THR report, they had to change their plans. The publication’s sources say that Baldwin was in talks for a spinoff, but ended up deciding against it almost a year after negotiations began. Left without a leading man, Fey and Carlock found a new one in Ted Danson and reworked the script for him. (NBC and Universal Television opted not to comment, per THR.)
The original idea was reportedly to follow Jack as he took over as mayor of New York. The new version, however, is set in Los Angeles, as was previously revealed when NBC announced the upcoming comedy series in July. There will no longer be any ties to “30 Rock”; instead, we’ll see Danson adjust to his new office after having run for “all the wrong reasons.” He’ll also work on his relationships with his staff and his teenage daughter.
Danson currently stars in “The Good Place,” which is going into its final season. So far, neither the title nor the premiere date of his new NBC comedy has been announced. Meanwhile, Baldwin has multiple films on the way, including “Before You Know It” and “Motherless Brooklyn.”
We’re going to have to bid Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen adieu once again.
NBC’s “Will & Grace” reboot is set to end after three seasons. The network announced the news on Thursday, sharing that it was a mutual decision made by the show’s executive producers and cast, as Variety reports. They’ll wrap up the series again with the upcoming season, which is officially the eleventh.
“Will & Grace” returned in 2017 with original stars Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally. The reboot came more than 10 years after the first series finale, which aired in 2006. It had been envisioned by former NBCUniversal Chairman Bob Greenblatt as a 10-episode revival, but it grew to 52 episodes, across three seasons, from there.
Now, executive producers Max Mutchnick, David Kohan and James Burrows and the show’s stars have agreed it’s time to move on. As the EPs joked in a statement, the reboot’s episodes are like Karen’s martinis in that “51 is not enough, 53 is too many.”
McCormack and Hayes each commented on the announcement as well, sharing shared positive sentiments on Twitter.
“Well, we’re taking this one out like we brought it in: with love, laughs, gratitude… and on our own terms,” McCormack wrote. “Season 3 of #WillandGrace (well, season 11!) will be our grand finale… and it’s gonna be FANTASTIC.”
Meanwhile, Hayes added his thanks and love for all the show’s fans.
For all “Will & Grace” fans, I am sharing the news that this is going to be our last and final season (which premieres this winter). To everyone who watched the first run and to everyone that encouraged this reboot, we did it all for you. ❤️
Danson is a prolific TV actor with two Emmys and three Golden Globe awards to him name. His credits include shows such as “Cheers,” “Three Men and a Baby,” and “Fargo.” Additionally, he currently stars in NBC’s “The Good Place.”
Fey and Carlock described Danson as “one of the network’s greatest stars of all time,” and it turns out they penned the series for him specifically. He’ll star in the show as a wealthy businessman who becomes the mayor of Los Angeles despite running for “all the wrong reasons.” His character will have to navigate the mayorship while figuring out what he stands for, trying to connect with his staff and his teenage daughter, and controlling the local coyote population.
The upcoming series marks a return to NBC for Fey and Carlock. They previously worked on “30 Rock” together, which won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards during its seven seasons. They then teamed up again for Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” which is set to conclude in 2020 with the streamer’s first-ever interactive comedy event. It, too, has received critical acclaim.
Universal Television, Little Stranger, Bevel Gears, and 3 Arts Entertainment will produce the new comedy series. Fey, Carlock, Jeff Richmond, and David Minor will serve as executive producers, while Eric Gurian oversees for Little Stranger. So far, the comedy’s release date has not been announced.
Class is back in session! NBC’s recently canceled comedy “A.P. Bio” is being revived for a third season on NBCUniversal’s untitled forthcoming streaming service.
Last month, NBC axed the Lorne Michaels-produced show, which starred Glenn Howerton as a disgraced Harvard philosophy professor-who returns to his hometown to teach high school. Patton Oswalt also starred as the school’s principal.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s back from the dead to become the new streamer’s first scripted series. It will join library content including “The Office.”
While “A.P. Bio” was a middling performer in the ratings, it is wholly owned and produced within the company (a key factor for renewing TV shows these days). Universal TV will have to sign the stars to new deals after their options expired in June.
“I’m so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the fans,” said series creator Mike O’Brien. “The cast and I are thrilled that we get to make more and I’m excited to work with the NBCU streaming platform.”
NBCU’s streaming service is set to launch in 2020.
