‘L.A. Law’ Sequel in Development With Blair Underwood Returning in Original Role

ABC is developing a new L.A. Law series as a follow-up to the original, iconic legal drama, complete with Blair Underwood set to reprise his role. Underwood joined the show in its second season as attorney Jonathan Rollins, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award in 1995. The new series will be written and executive produced by Marc Guggenheim and Ubah Mohamed, two veterans of The CW’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow shows, reports Deadline.

The new series will show how the McKenzie Brackman law firm has reinvented itself as a litigation firm that only takes on headline-grabbing cases that push the boundaries of the legal system. Underwood’s Rollins is now more conservative and clashes with millennial attorney J.J. Freeman on the new direction of the law firm. Although the show will focus on new lawyers, other members of the original cast are expected to appear if the show makes it to series, according to Deadline.

TV producer-director Jesse Bochco, the son of L.A. Law co-creator Steven Bochco, helped put the new project together. He will executive produce with Steven’s widow, Danya Bocho via Steven Bochco Productions. Anthony Hemingway is an executive producer and director on the project. 20th Television, which produced the original series, is producing the new project.

L.A. Law was created by Steven Bocho and Terry Louise Fisher and aired from 1986 to 1994 on NBC. The show was famous for touching hot-button issues, including the HIV/AIDS crisis, racism, abortion, sexual harassment, homophobia, and domestic violence. The show won 15 Emmys during its run, including Outstanding Drama Series for four seasons. L.A. Law was followed by a TV movie in 2002. The series is available to stream for free on IMDb TV with commercials, although some episodes of the show are not available. Bochco, who also created Hill Street Blues, died in April 2018.

Underwood was nominated for a Tony this year for A Soldier’s Play. He recently starred in Netflix’s Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, Dear White People, and When They See Us. Underwood also starred on the small screen in ABC‘s Quantico and Agents of SHIELD. He won a Daytime Emmy in 2017 for producing the nonfiction series Give.