The late 90s series Roswell is getting a reboot that could go to series on The CW, and the pilot just found its lead actress. The series has tapped Grey's Anatomy star Jeanine Mason for the lead character in the pilot, Liz Ortecho. The character has a different last name than the original Liz, but there are some similarities between the two that will comfort any fans wary of the new reboot.
Jeanine Mason's Liz Ortecho is still very much interested in science like the Liz Parker of the classical Roswell, as the character will play a biomedical engineer who returns to her hometown of Roswell. While there are similarities, this Liz, beyond being the daughter of undocumented immigrants, is also an adult. So fans shouldn't expect this new retelling to be a coming of age type tale. While high school is not the focal point of the potential series this time around, it does come into play as Liz runs into her high school crush and learns he's actually an alien with superpowers. A lot of the original series hinged on the dynamic of Liz and Max, so that probably won't change. It is worth mentioning though that Max was not directly named to be the alien in the character description provided by Deadline, although at this time we have no reason to speculate it'd be anyone different.
Jeanine Mason's role on Roswell is an exciting one for fans of the actress, although if the show gets a series order, it could pose a problem for one of her other shows. Mason currently appears as Sam Bello on Grey's Anatomy and has been carrying on a fiery romance with Andrew DeLuca since her arrival on the series. Her casting in the Roswell pilot may mean her character's future in the series is uncertain, and the show might have to write her off should Roswell go to series. Of course, Mason's willingness to be cast in the Roswell project might indicate that her time on Grey's Anatomy was never meant to be permanent, so either way, Sam Bello might be on her way out of the series.
Sam Bello is currently a surgical intern on Season 14 of Grey's Anatomy, so if the show needed to write her off, it wouldn't be hard. It also helps that Jeanine Mason's character is in a romance with Andrew DeLuca that is far from magical, so one implosion could give her character an easy send-off. If the series does write off Mason and the Roswell pilot doesn't end up being picked up by The CW, that would certainly be a bummer. But given the show's former roots on The WB, chances look positive that this reboot will be given a shot.
The Roswell reboot is currently in development at The CW and does not have a release date or series order at this time. For more information regarding programming that is coming in 2018, visit our midseason premiere guide.
