Archie Panjabi is planning ahead: The Good Wife alum has signed on to headline a NBC legal drama pilot in one of the first deals of the 2019-2020 TV season.
According to our sister site Variety, Panjabi will star as a successful Los Angeles attorney who moves back to her home state of Wisconsin to practice law. There, “she’s forced to confront preconceived stereotypes and realize there’s more that unites us than divides us.” The project has earned a put-pilot commitment from NBC, meaning the network will incur a major financial penalty if the show doesn’t eventually land a series order.
Alex Berger (Blindspot) will write the pilot — tentatively titled Adversaries, per Deadline — and serve as an executive producer, along with Blindspot creator Martin Gero. Panjabi has appeared in the past two seasons of Blindspot as government operative Nas Kamal.
Panjabi is best known for playing in-house investigator Kalinda Sharma on CBS’ The Good Wife, winning an Emmy for the role in 2010. Her other recent TV credits include Bull, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Fall.
“The project has earned a put-pilot commitment from NBC, meaning the network will incur a major financial penalty if the show doesn’t eventually land a series order.”
Why would they do agree to this? Basically, they have to have it now. Seems idiotic to me on NBCs behalf.
It’s common to lock in sought after talent. Why would she sign up for a pilot if it just had a regular chance of getting picked up when she probably could have a 10 episode straight to series Netlfix Show. Also the fee is big but cheaper than having to do an actual straight to series show.
According to the Deadline article, NBC got this in a “competitive situation”, a put pilot commitment might have been the cost of doing business.
Because she’s a talented, award winning actress who’s in demand.
Man, I simply adore her. And yes, I’m a straight guy who uses that phrase. What of it?
Past TV series ‘Family Law’ & ‘Judging Amy’.
And there I was holding out teensy tiny hope that she might also return to Shetland. Loved her character on that show!
Yes!! She and Shetland, both awesome!!
Is anyone else bored with another legal drama? Really?! There are other careers out there besides lawyers & doctors. Hollywood, how about you try writing about them?
Totally agree with you!
Nope. Love ’em. And happy to see her again on a show that I don’t have to shell out even more bucks over and above the highway robbery that is cable TV.
Can they write an episode where two female colleagues refuse to work with each other ever again and it’s really just a thinly veiled “ripped from the headlines” type thing where Panjabi shades Julianna Margulies for how the Good Wife went down?
I love Archie, but I’m not too thrilled about the Blindspot producers. As much as I have enjoyed the Law & Order franchise (and knock-offs), it would be nice to see something different – maybe a more personal, small town type of thing. I don’t really trust these producers to pull that off; this seems like it would be better on Netflix or hulu. That said, I’ll give it a try anyway
Soooo….Hart of Dixie for lawyers set in a northern state? The script better be stellar.
I like the title and the premise/setting and the lead so I guess i’m definitely in.