Blair Underwood to star in ABC sequel series to "L.A. Law"

'L.A.' late: The must-see legal drama that everyone talked about in the late '80s and early '90s, "L.A. Law," ended its run more than a quarter-century ago (ouch!), but in a case of "better late than never," the NBC series now seems poised to mount a comeback on ABC.

The Alphabet Network recently greenlit a pilot that is touted as a sequel to the Emmy-winning drama. What's more, the project is headlined by "L.A. Law" alumnus Blair Underwood, who, it should be noted, was one of the main cast members missing from the 2002 reunion movie, "L.A. Law: The Movie."

Underwood will reprise his on-screen role as attorney Jonathan Rollins. Off-screen, he'll serve as one of the executive producers.

Given how much time has passed (27 years and counting) since "L.A. Law" went off the air, it's not surprising to hear Underwood's once-idealistic character will now be leaning more conservative. Rollins is set to clash with "millennial" (per ABC) J.J. Freeman as they carve a new path for McKenzie Brackman law firm, which now focuses on only the most high-profile and incendiary cases.

The pilot will focus primarily on Rollins and a new generation of lawyers at the firm, but if it lands a series order, don't rule out appearances from other original cast members.

It's worth noting that Jesse Bochco ("Murder in the First"), son of original series co-creator Steve Bochco, has been playing a key role in this project all along. He and the late producer's widow, Dayna Bochco ("Raising the Bar"), will serve as executive producers.

'A' is for A&E: A E Studios recently acquired the TV rights to author Sue Grafton's alphabet series of mystery novels, from "A Is For Alibi" to "Y Is For Yesterday." (The author died in 2017 after a two-year battle with cancer and before she could write an entry for the letter "Z").

That's exciting news for fans of the bestselling author and her heroine/literary alter ego, private detective Kinsey Millhone. It's a bit of a surprising move, too, given what the author said in a 1997 interview with January Magazine.

While recalling her experiences as a TV writer, Grafton stated, "I will never sell [Kinsey] to Hollywood. And I have made my children promise not to sell her. We've taken a blood oath, and if they do so, I will come back from the grave: which they know I can do. They're going to have to pass the word on to my grandchildren: we do not sell out our grandma."

The novelist's daughter reaffirmed this vow at the time of her mother's death in 2017. So what changed? The medium.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Steve Humphrey, the author's husband (and executive producer of the series), explained, "Television has greatly evolved since Sue was writing in Hollywood in the 1980s. From her experience then, she was concerned that her stories and characters would be diminished when they were adapted. But as the power of television has transformed over time, so, too, has the quality from writing and acting to the production values and viewing experience."

He continued: "I selected A E Studios as my partner because they understand the importance of maintaining the tone and tenor of Sue's work and the character and are dedicated to working with us to bring her stories to life in a way that will please both current and new fans, and will also honor her legacy. Together her children and I believe Sue would bless this decision and would be delighted to see her cherished Alphabet murder series live on and reach millions of new and existing fans around the world."

Freshmen upped: Newcomers "NCIS: Hawai'i" and "FBI: International" have been posting some solid ratings since their premieres in September. As a reward, CBS has ordered both of them to stick around for a full season.

"These two terrific new dramas are off to a tremendous start," Kelly Kahl, CBS Entertainment president, said in a statement. "They have significantly strengthened and improved our lineup on their respective nights and are generating huge increases on our streaming platforms as well. We applaud the talented producers, writers and casts on their compelling storytelling and performances, which are clearly resonating with viewers."

Both of these new shows have proven to be a seamless fit with CBS's prime-time schedule, though "NCIS: Hawai'i" does have a bit of an edge: with a weekly average of 9.3 million viewers, it currently holds the title of this season's most-watched first-year show. ("FBI: International" comes in at No. 2 with an impressive seven-day average of 8.79 million viewers.)

In terms of programming trends, this provides further proof that procedural dramas are one of the safest bets in network TV — they keep making them, and, clearly, we keep watching them. Since the start of the new fall 2021 season, the NCIS, Chicago, FBI, 9-1-1 and Law & Order franchises have all continued to perform well.

"NCIS: Hawai'i" and "FBI: International" also benefited from being scheduled right after their respective parent series, and that likely won't change despite the full-season pickups.