ELSBETH – Eccentric Crime Fighter Takes New York City by Storm
Elsbeth the new spinoff from the creators of The Good Wife and The Good Fight will debut this week on Global.
Elsbeth stars Emmy Award winner Carrie Preston (True Blood) as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. After leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York City, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with the toast of the NYPD, Captain C.W. Wagner (Wendell Pierce), a charismatic and revered leader.
Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), a stoic and ethical officer who quickly develops an appreciation for Elsbeth’s insightful and offbeat ways. Elsbeth is based on the character featured in The Good Wife and The Good Fight. Elsbeth premieres Thursday 29 February 2024.
We got the chance to speak with the cast and creators of the New York based procedural ahead of the show’s premiere on 29 February 2024. Robert King, Michelle King, Liz Glotzer and Jonathan Tolins serve as executive producers with Tolins as showrunner. Robert King directed the pilot from a script he wrote with Michelle King. CBS Studios produce the series while Paramount Global Content Distribution distributes.
Initial Impressions
We were able to watch the first episode which deals with a murder within the community of a high profile theatre college. Immediately there are some artistic choices that set Elsbeth apart from other current crime shows. Older viewers might notice similarities with classic mystery series Columbo starring Peter Falk. It came up in the discussion during the panel that the classic show served as inspiration.
Personally I loved Columbo and Elsbeth continues that feel with a very adversarial feel almost from the beginning of the episode. Elsbeth quickly identifies a suspect that others dismiss and the perpetrator remains confident of his perfect crime. The clashing between the two is fun to watch especially with the special guest star in this debut episode. I’ll leave you to watch to find out who it is.
Elsbeth Panel
Star Carrie Preston also revealed that someone had the idea for the show arguably before the creators did:
”Where there was this reporter, Elizabeth Vincentelli, and what she was watching during Covid was reruns of Colombo, and then the last line of the article was, we don’t need a reboot of Colombo. Just give Elspeth Tascioni her own show. So everybody it was in Zeitgeist and so I am the lucky recipient of, said Zeitgeist.”
Fans of The Good Wife/The Good Wife shouldn’t get their hopes up about any crossovers with characters from those in the near future.
Robert and Michelle King had this to say:
“We think about our friends in Chicago, but it’s not our expectation that they’re traveling to New York anytime soon. Elsbeth is on her own in New York, which is kind of part of the fun that she’s really. She’s enjoying it and enjoying it on her own.”
Still without any visits from the Windy City there is more than enough here for fans. Elsbeth interaction with the NYPD in the forms of Officer Kaya Blanke and Captain Wagner is fun. There is a quick connection between Blanke and Elsbeth with both seeing something about the other. It is clear that Officer Blanke is going to be on Minder duties though if she can actually rain Elsbeth in remains to be seen.
Final Thoughts
Elsbeth is a quirky procedural with a few key differences from most of the other current shows of that type. TV is a tough place to be but I am hopeful that this show can make an impression that sees it hanging around for at least a few seasons. The show works fine without any background in the character, I’ve not seen either of the previous shows and Elsbeth instantly appeals as a character excited at life and its experiences even in the darkness of her job both the known aspect and her hidden motives.
