TNT fans have three huge reasons to get happy these days. Earlier this week, the network announced its welcome decision to greenlight three new original series: the tentatively titled crime shows Rizzoli & Isles and Delta Blues, as well as an unnamed alien invasion project starring ER veteran Noah Wyle.
This development means that TNT now has a total of ten original series under its belt, an impressive stable of in-house entertainment for any basic-cable network. So, continue reading to learn a few details about the newcomers, all of which have scored ten-episode initial orders.
The first forthcoming series on the roster is Rizzoli & Isles, which is based on the popular Rizzoli mystery book series by New England-based physician Tess Gerritsen. It stars Law & Order alumna Angie Harmon (pictured above at left) and NCIS alumna Sasha Alexander (pictured above at right) as Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, respectively
The two professionals team up to solve crimes. Rizzoli & Isles supporting cast members include Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos) as Jane’s mother, Jordan Bridges (Dawson’s Creek) as Jane’s patrol officer brother Frankie, Billy Burke (The Twilight Saga) as FBI agent Gabriel Dean, Bruce McGill (Law Abiding Citizen) as Jane’s veteran former partner Vince Korsak, and Lee Thompson Young (FlashForward) as Jane’s current partner Barry Frost.
Next is the George Clooney-executive-produced dramedy Delta Blues, starring My Name Is Earl alum Jason Lee (pictured above) as Memphis police officer Dwight Hendricks, who stands apart from his colleagues thanks to his deep understanding of his hometown and its residents.
Joining Lee for the series are Desperate Housewives alumna Alfre Woodard as Dwight’s demanding boss Lieutenant Tanya Rice, Abraham Benrubi (ER) as a detective who likes to incorporate Chickasaw tribal wisdom in his work, Sam Hennings (JAG) as Dwight’s partner Charlie “Whitehead” White, Leonard Earl Howze (Barbershop) as fellow detective Reginald Greenback, Robyn Lively (Saving Grace) as Dwight’s ex-wife Charlene, DJ Qualls (Hustle & Flow) as Dwight’s protégé Sutton, and Celia Weston (Junebug) as Dwight’s mother.
Finally, we have the presently unnamed Wyle alien invasion series brought to us by esteemed co-executive producer Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Television. Slated to premiere in 2011 (unlike the other two shows, which will debut this year), the project follows the circumstances of Tom Mason (Wyle, pictured above), a college history professor who reluctantly becomes the leader of a resistance group following an alien force’s invasion of Earth and the subsequent nearly total destruction of mankind.
Additional cast members include Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) as children’s therapist Anne Glass, Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as orphaned teenager Lourdes, Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) and Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights) as Tom’s two sons Matt and Hal, and Jessy Schram (Crash) as motorcycle scout Karen.
Congratulations to all of the news shows and TNT for picking up such fabulous-sounding series. I’m looking forward to each and every one of them.