Tuesday 8 June 1999
By eBroadcast Staff and agencies.

Former LA Law actor Blair Underwood will ad his star power to Bochco's new upcoming medical drama City of Angels

'I rock, and you don't.'

We know what you're thinking. Television needs another medical drama like it needs a 24 hour Mr. Rogers channel. True enough. But, given the source of the show (Bochco's credits include: Murder One, NYPD Blue, Doogie Howser MD., LA Law, and Hill Street Blues), one would certainly be wise to give it a look-see before drawing any judgments. Add to that the proven talent of Underwood, and you've got our attention.

Best known for his role on LA Law, Underwood will play Ben Turner, a surgeon at an inner-city Los Angeles hospital. The actor fits in nicely with Bochco's vision of a primarily black cast for City of Angels. Folks in Hollywood are watching this project closely, mainly because very few dramas with mainly black casts have succeeded. "We hope to make up for that," Bochco said. "I wasn't confident in the past that (this show) could generate enough of an audience. I believe it can now."

Bochco feels the difference is that a smaller audience is needed today for a show to be successful -- eliminating the burden of having to attract sizable crossover viewership to stay on the air. "Hour dramas that were black-themed in the past were so heavily themed toward the black experience that the white audience was not particularly interested," Bochco said.

Aside from City of Angels, Underwood is starring in the Showtime telefilm The Wishing Tree and William Friedkin's feature Rules of Engagement.

Underwood's credits include the films Deep Impact, Set it Off, and Gattaca. His TV credits include The Cosby Show, One Life to Live and LA Law.

Shooting begins in September for a planned January 2000 launch.