Suits Spin-Off Series Details Revealed By Producer
Trying to predict the next big TV hit is a fool's errand. Trendcasting becomes especially difficult when you factor in every network's back catalog of shows, which streaming platforms tend to comb through like a Rolodex. That's exactly why when "Suits" took off in 2023, no one saw it coming.
The legal drama first ran on USA Network from 2011 to 2019. It experienced a surge in popularity when it hit Netflix and Peacock in June, breaking streaming records in the process. Between the two platforms, "Suits" has exceeded 45 billion viewing minutes and was a Nielsen Streaming Top 10 mainstay for three months.
In news that should surprise no one, the "Suits" team is capitalizing on the show's resurgence with a spin-off written by series creator Aaron Korsh. At the Content London conference, Universal International Studios President Beatrice Springborn teased that the spin-off will take place "in the same timeframe" as "Suits" (via Variety). Unlike the original series, however, the new show will take place in Los Angeles, with Springborn referring to it as "Suits L.A."
"A lot of streamers are looking for ongoing series, things that feel easy to watch," she continued. It's a sentiment that was similarly articulated by culture writer Eliana Dockterman for Time. "It's the perfect background show," she wrote of the legal drama. "Not only does it run for nearly 84 hours, but it strikes the perfect balance between drama and predictability." The "Suits" spin-off, Springborn suggests, will aim to be as bingeable and breezy as its forebear.
The Suits spin-off will capture the energy of the original
At Content London, Beatrice Springborn continued to tell audiences what they could expect from the upcoming "Suits" spin-off. It will, she said, "have the same energy and good looking people that the original did." Still, Aaron Korsh and company know it's crucial to balance substance and style. "It is amazing looking people in great clothes but at the core of it you can't have a show that's successful with just that," Springborn added. "It has to have great storytelling and great character work."
The forthcoming series isn't the first attempt at a "Suits" spin-off. The short-lived "Pearson," which centered around Gina Torres' Jessica Pearson, debuted in 2019 following a backdoor pilot on Season 7 of "Suits." It was canceled after one season. Following the uptick in "Suits" viewership, however, "Pearson" began streaming on Peacock in August.
It's unclear if "Suits L.A.," to use the unofficial title, will include any characters from the original series. By the end of "Suits," Harvey (Gabriel Macht), Donna (Sarah Rafferty), Mike (Patrick J. Adams), and Rachel (Meghan Markle) have all moved from New York to Seattle. Sarah Rafferty did confirm that she would happily reprise her role if asked. "Donna lives in my heart always," the actress told The Wrap. "I'm always open to let her out to play."