TV Shows

‘Shameless’ Legend to Star Opposite Christopher Meloni in New NFL Drama

The Hulu series is reportedly set to shoot in the fall.

(Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

William H. Macy will star opposite Christopher Meloni in Hulu’s upcoming NFL drama, TVLine reports.

The Shameless actor, 75, has officially joined the new football drama from creator Dan Fogelman just weeks ago after initial reports that he was circling the project.

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The series does not officially have a title at this time, but has been reportedly dubbed 17 Sundays tentatively. The series’ plot is being kept a secret for now, but sources told TVLine that it will be a sprawling drama set inside the world of the NFL with a generational family component.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: William H. Macy attends the World Premiere Of 20th Century Studios” “Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes” at TCL Chinese Theatre on May 02, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Macy is reportedly set to play team owner Hank Durkin, while Meloni has been cast as the Danny Roarke, head coach of an NFL team.

Macy, who was nominated twice for an Emmy in his role as Shameless patriarch Frank Gallagher, can be seen next in Edgar Wrightโ€™s The Running Man remake (out Nov. 7), as well as Netflix’s Train Dreams (streaming Nov. 21) opposite Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, and Clifton Collins Jr.

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Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler on ‘law & order: Organized Crime’ (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)

While Meloni’s casting initially worried Law & Order: Organized Crime fans, as the NBC procedural has yet to be renewed for a sixth season, TVLine‘s source maintained that the actor would be able to shoot both series, as 17 Sundays is set to shoot in the fall, leaving Law & Order: Organized Crime‘s traditional spring filming schedule open.

Fogelman’s new Hulu series was first announced in October. The director/screenwriter has been a hit at Hulu as of late, and is currently working on Season 2 of Paradise and Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building, on which he is an executive producer, at the streamer.

The NFL series, from 20th Television and Skydance Sports, is also executive produced by Jess Rosenthal with David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, and Jason T. Reed for Skydance Sports.