I didn't know how much I missed seeing Alan Cumming on my television each week until my only fix happened during the occasional intro for a PBS Masterpiece series. Luckily, it looks as if I may not have to wait too long to see the former Good Wife actor back on TV in a regular capacity. CBS has started sending out its first rounds of pilot orders for the 2017-2018 TV season, and one of them is a crime drama that would be star Alan Cumming.
The potential crime drama would be called Killer Instinct and would follow a gifted professor and former CIA employee who teams up with the NYPD to solve cases in a time of need. Apparently, a serial killer will be on the loose and it will be up to the professor to stop him. No word yet on whether this will be a case-of-the-week or serialized drama or if the serial killer will be sort-of like The Mentalist's Red John. However, it's safe to say that CBS has had good luck with this sort of case-solving drama in the past and will probably do so again, whether or not Killer Instinct becomes the next pick-up.
Currently, CBS has only ordered a pilot for Killer Instinct, which doesn't guarantee it will move forward to series but does guarantee the network is giving the potential show a good chance to shine. Alan Cumming will be executive producing as well as starring in the drama, which is actually based on a James Patterson book (a favorite author for CBS). Per Deadline, Michael Rauch is writing the TV project and Rauch, Cumming, Patterson, Alex Kurtzman, Bill Robinson and Heather Kadin are all executive producing the pilot.
As far as Alan Cumming goes, the Scottish actor spent the last seven seasons playing Eli Gold on The Good Wife. The character landed him critical acclaim and even some awards nominations, but so far it doesn't look as if Eli Gold will be a part of CBS' big Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight. Other series originals, including Cush Jumbo, Sarah Steele, Gary Cole, Zach Grenier, Jerry Adler and Carrie Preston will be back for the CBS All Access series. If all goes well, though, it looks like Cumming will not need The Good Fight. Cumming has new movies Battle of the Sexes and Show Dogs lined up, as well as Killer Instinct.
It should be some time before we learn whether or not the CIA man will team up with the NYPD in a new series. Pilot season is really just picking up steam, and usually the major networks make the final decision in May in terms of what will be moving forward. Hopefully, by the time CBS makes a decision the network will move on from the title Killer Instinct, although we daresay it's a bit more palatable than the original header, Dr. Death. We'll let you know as soon as we know, though.
For now, check out what CBS and other network and streaming stations have coming up with our midseason TV premiere schedule.
