Last year, Rainn Wilson was signed to reprise his role as Dwight Schrute in “The Farm,” a proposed spinoff from “The Office” that did not go forward at NBC. However, Wilson will soon back on television, just not on the network that anyone expected.
Fox has announced that it has given a 13 episode first season order to “Backstrom,” a new drama series based on Leif G.W. Persson’s Backstrom novels. Wilson will play the title character, Detective Everett Backstrom, a self-destructive man who fails to improve himself while leading Portland’s Serious Crimes Unit.
“Backstrom’s” odyssey to TV was unusual. It was originally given a “put pilot’ commitment by Fox in 2011, before the network ultimately released the project without shooting it. “Backstrom” resurfaced at CBS during the last development season, when Wilson joined the project after spending nine seasons on “The Office.” CBS made the pilot episode, but it didn’t order “Backstrom” to series. CBS did extend the options on the cast, which expired in December. Afterwards, “Backstrom” was taken back to Fox, which has now greenlit the series.
Hart Hanson will serve as the showrunner on “Backstrom,” with 20th Century Fox TV producing the series. Kristoffer Polaha, Dennis Haysbert, Page Kennedy and Beatrice Rosen will remain in the “Backstrom” cast alongside Wilson.
With a series order in hand, “Backstrom” will likely debut on Fox during the 2014 to 2015 TV schedule.
