Mark-Paul Gosselaar is returning to primetime this fall as star of NBC's chilling new drama Found. The show stands out already as one that was able to complete episodes before the WGA writers strike brought many series to a standstill, and he won't exactly be channeling his Saved by the Bell character for it. Now, with the days counting down until Found arrives in the 2023 TV schedule, I find myself flashing back to an interview with ABC's Will Trent co-showrunner, who shared lots of love for Gosselaar for his ability to play characters who aren't always the most lovable.
What Will Trent's Co-Showrunner Said About Mark-Paul Gosselaar
I spoke with Will Trent co-showrunner Dan Thomsen prior to the WGA writers strike earlier this year at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta about the ABC show that was still in its first season at the time. After he shared how the Will Trent stars had a head start on their bond, the conversation shifted to Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who would appear in four episodes. When asked how casting the actor happened, Thomsen explained:
Well, it was a combination of two things, actually. Liz [Heldens] and I, who is my co-showrunner, we worked with Mark-Paul on a show called The Passage a few years ago, so we knew him pretty well. We knew... he can deliver and people love to watch him and so do we. But it was also the studio.
While The Passage ran on Fox for just one season (although it earned a spot on our list of most disappointing TV cancellations of 2019) before coming to a premature end, it was enough that star Mark-Paul Gosselaar inspired the Will Trent showrunners to cast him for their newest project.
The Fox series concerned a post-apocalyptic vampiric future, so the similarities to Will Trent (and Found, for that matter) only go so far, but Gosselaar fit right into the new ABC show. He had a key role in the case of the Will Trent pilot as Paul Campano, and it might not have worked with any different actor, as Dan Thomsen went on to explain:
It's a good, meaty case, but so much of it hangs on whether or not you like this couple. And there's a lot about Paul Campano that is very unlikable. [laughs] The details of this character are not things that you respond to, like, 'Oh, I'm really rooting for that guy.' So we wanted an actor who had a likability to him so that you can also understand how he got to be who he is.
Dan Thomsen went on to point out that "Paul was a bully, Will was the bullied," which meant that he needed an actor who could make the character who bullies the title character into a more likable character. I would say that it worked, because I certainly enjoyed what Paul brought to the show by the end. The co-showrunner elaborated:
I think that kind of the beauty of the Will and Paul relationship is that they're these two brothers, essentially, who had a really fractured relationship... They remind each other that neither of them has had an easy life and that they can help each other. They can find common ground.
It remains to be seen if Will Trent can bring Paul Campano back now that Mark-Paul Gosselaar is on the verge of debuting as part of a different show on a different network. The ABC series was renewed ahead of the finale delivering a great cliffhanger, so it will be back with or without Paul... whenever the strikes allow production to start. As for where you'll be able to find MPG, get ready to change the channel to NBC!
How Mark-Paul Gosselaar Is Returning To TV
The Will Trent alum may need all of his talents for turning unlikable characters into compelling characters, because he's definitely not playing one of the good guys for NBC's Found! The show centers on Gabi Mosely, a public relations specialist played by star/producer Shanola Hampton who leads a crisis management team. The team specializes in finding people who have gone missing and have been forgotten. Gabi was once one of those missing and forgotten due to being kidnapped as a child... and that's where Mark-Paul Gosselaar's Sir comes in.
Sir kidnapped Gabi when she was young, which motivated her to pursue the career that she has... and also to keep him locked in her basement. While everybody will have to wait until the show premieres on Tuesday, October 3 in NBC's fall premiere schedule, a first look gives a preview of both characters and what appears to be a twisted and chilling dynamic. Check it out:
The show looks like it will touch on some sadly true-to-life stories when it comes to the more than 600,000 people reported missing every year in the U.S., more than half of which are people of color. In addition to Shanola Hampton and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Found features Kelli Williams, Brett Dalton, Gabrielle Walsh, Arlen Escarpeta and Karan Oberoi.
Found will premiere on NBC on Tuesday, October 3 at 10 p.m. ET, which places it directly behind a new episode of The Voice. With the singing competition in its 24th season, the two series aren't exactly within the same genre. Still, any new show would be lucky to hold on to viewers who never miss an episode of The Voice, and airing on Tuesdays could be good for Mark-Paul Gosselaar's newest TV endeavor.
