‘Bosch’ Prequel Starring ‘Shameless’ Star in the Works

More Bosch is on the way. The hit franchise based on Michael Connelly’s detective Harry Bosch will expand with a new prequel series at MGM+ titled Bosch: Start of Watch.

The offshoot will star Shameless‘ Cameron Monaghan and Power‘s Omari Hardwick as it takes viewers back to 1991 Los Angeles, where 26-year-old Harry Bosch is in his earliest days as a rookie cop.

The series will explore a “city on the edge, teeming with racial tension, gang violence, and a fractured LAPD,” as per MGM+. “Amid routine calls and growing unrest, Bosch finds himself drawn into a high-profile heist and a web of criminal corruption that will test his loyalty to the badge and shape his future as the detective who lives by the code, ‘Everybody counts or nobody counts.’”

Monaghan will take on the role of Harry Bosch, played by Titus Welliver in the original Bosch series and its sequel, Bosch: Legacy, while Hardwick will portray police veteran Eli Bridges, who acts as a training officer for the newbie.

Monaghan’s young Bosch is described as “a stoic, unyielding young man,” who is “intensely observant.” As Bosch cuts his teeth as a probationary patrol officer with the LAPD, “young Harry possesses all the qualities that will come to mark his legendary career: he’s smart, relentless, determined, fiercely protective of the victims of crime.”

Hardwick’s Bridges, meanwhile, is a “seasoned, salty, rough-around-the-edges” Vietnam vet who mentors Bosch through the mean streets of LA and the complicated world of the LAPD.

“We are thrilled to expand the Bosch universe with this compelling origin story that showcases how one of television’s most beloved detectives became the man we know today,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+ in a statement. “With Cameron Monaghan and Omari Hardwick bringing these complex characters to life, and the creative vision of Michael Connelly and our talented executive producers, Bosch: Start of Watch promises to deliver the gritty, authentic storytelling that honors the franchise’s legacy while opening an exciting new chapter.”

Bosch: Start of Watch is the fourth series in the Bosch franchise, with the original airing for seven seasons on Prime Video. The sequel series, Bosch: Legacy, which ran for three seasons, debuted on Amazon Freevee before moving to Prime Video. Ballard, a spinoff starring Maggie Q as LAPD Detective Renée Ballard, was recently renewed for a second season on Prime Video.