Spinoff ‘Pearson’ Is “Raw” & “Grittier” While Sharing ‘Suits’ DNA – TCA
USA Network at TCA unveiled a trailer for its upcoming series Pearson, a spinoff from the popular legal drama Suits, which stars Gina Torres and centers on her character, powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson, as she enters the dirty world of Chicago politics. (you can watch it above.)
During a panel discussion for the show, the project’s creators, Suits creator and executive producer Aaron Korsh and executive producer Daniel Arkin, talked about how the offshoot will stand on its own in comparison to the mothership series.
Related stories
'FBI' Stars Weigh In On Government Shutdown, Second Season & Spin-Off - TCA
Mike Darnell Warns 'America's Got Talent' He's Coming For Them With 'The World's Best' - TCA
“Jessica is the link between Suits and Pearson,” Arkin said. “It has Suits DNA but we wanted the show’s concept to be grittier, raw, more real, showing more facets of her personality and life.”
While Jessica was always calling the shots on Suits, “we are seeing her behind the ball, not knowing everything (on Pearson,)” Korsh said. “People reject her for a change.”
While Jessica’s position in the food chain changes, her status as a fashion icon does not.
“I think it will be tragedy if they didn’t see that part of the DNA carry over,” Torres said of her character keeping her sense of style and penchant for designer outfits though the producers noted that, since Pearson will chronicle both Jessica’s professional and personal life, she will be seen wearing more casual clothes than in Suits.
Torres, who came up with the initial idea for Pearson, said that she first thought about revisiting her Jessica Pearson character in a political setting following her exit from Suits after she “became obsessed with the 2016 elections.”
“I realized that that’s what she did in the world of Suits, not just walking the line but blurring the line and rewriting it,” Torres said, adding that she started asking herself “what would she do in that world (of Chicago politics).
Korsh and Torres talked about their “magical experience” attending the Royal wedding though Korsh laughed off questions about former Suits star Meghan Markle possibly visiting the spinoff or the mothership series’ final season. As I reported last week, there are no Suits characters crossing over on the first season of Pearson.
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter