It looks like USA is trying to make it 2007, by science or magic. Deadline reports that the cable network is plotting a return to its “blue sky” era of the early aughts by beefing up its original scripted programming with “light, frothy character-based procedurals” in the vein of past USA hits like Monk, Psych, White Collar, Royal Pains, and, of course, Suits.
According to Deadline, execs at USA’s parent company, NBCUniversal, sought to program more breezy procedurals after the end of the WGA strike and have already “identified a handful of ideas they are considering for development.” While there are reportedly no deals in place yet, NBCUniversal is rumored to be capping the costs for these series at a slim $2 million to $3 million per episode, with a possible reliance on streaming arm Peacock for the bulk of viewership. The goal is to begin rolling out the new slate of original programming in 2025.
The move to create more breezy procedural programming is, in part, inspired by the smashing and unexpected success of Suits, which landed on Netflix this June after nearly four years off the air. Suits, which starred Patrick J. Adams, Gabriel Macht, and a pre-royal-family Meghan Markle, dominated the cultural conversation during Hollywood’s hot strike summer, breaking records with nearly 4 billion minutes viewed in a single week between Netflix and Peacock.
USA’s “blue sky” era was ushered in by NBCUniversal vice chair Bonnie Hammer as a foil to the cable channel’s more gritty fare—series including The 4400 and Touching Evil. The “blue sky” series focused mainly on quirky, lovable characters and were mostly shot outdoors (hence the nickname). The era began unofficially with the premiere of the San Francisco–set Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular and notoriously OCD detective. Monk was a huge hit for the network, running for eight seasons and earning Shalhoub three Primetime Emmy Awards for best actor in a comedy series. A feature film reuniting the core Monk cast, Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, premiered on Peacock on December 8.
This era helped USA rank as the number one cable entertainment network for a record 14 years. The channel took a turn toward more darker fare with the success of 2015’s Mr. Robot, starring future Oscar winner Rami Malek, and the premieres of series like The Sinner, Shooter, and Queen of the South. In recent years, USA’s original-series program has dwindled significantly; the only original scripted series currently on the network is Syfy’s Chucky. But who knows? Zane, a Suits spin-off starring Meghan’s paralegal turned lawyer, could be joining that lineup sooner than we think.
