Back in its heyday, USA Network was truly king when it came to its original scripted programming. The series that aired in its “Blue Sky Era” — that is, the turn of the millennium to the mid-teens — were quirkier than anything you’d see on broadcast and not quite as edgy as those you’d see on pay cable. For years, the network hit a vocal stride of cheerier stories that made TV-watching a rather stress-free experience, and it was rated number one among cable channels for over a dozen years.
Now, the network is looking to make a return to form, and it looks like that process may finally be getting into gear. On Wednesday, the network announced a series order for The Rainmaker, a new drama series based on the John Grisham novel of the same name (which was previously adapted to screen in the 1997 film and a series adaptation of which was announced as part of a “Grisham Universe” of series that never happened at Hulu back in 2018).
The series will be created by Lionsgate Television and Blumhouse Television, with Michael Seitzman serving as co-writer and executive producer alongside co-writer Jason Richman, Grisham, David Gernert, and Jason Blum.
The official logline for the series is: “Fresh out of law school, Rudy Baylor goes head-to-head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond as well as his law school girlfriend. Rudy, along with his boss and her disheveled paralegal, uncover two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of their client’s son.”
In 2023, following the WGA strike, NBC Universal reportedly fielded the possibility of rekindling the “Blue Sky Era” of programming, and this may just be the first instance of that.
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For the uninitiated, that segment of programming usually featured procedurals with a wholesome bend, a stark contrast to the steamier dramas that informed its place in ’90s channel hopping like Silk Stalkings and Le Femme Nikita.
Among those hit shows that were a part of the brand’s new, bubblier legacy then were Pacific Blue (1006), Monk (2002-2009), Psych (2006-2014), Burn Notice (2007-2013), Royal Pains (2009-2016), White Collar (2009-2014), Covert Affairs (2010-2014), and Suits (2011-2019). Even some of the lesser-known entries of the era fit the bill, including In Plain Sight (2008-2012), Fairly Legal (2011-2012), Necessary Roughness (2011-2013), and Graceland (2013-2015).
In recent years, though, the network has dipped into darker drama territory — sometimes with great success, as with Mr. Robot (2015-2019) and The Sinner (2017-2011) — and sometimes with less impact. Nowadays, just one scripted series airs on the network: Chucky. So there’s plenty of room for a turnaround now.
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