Michael Chiklis To Star In ‘Murder’ CBS Drama Pilot

Emmy winner Michael Chiklis has been tapped as the male lead in CBS drama pilot Murder, from Lin Pictures and Warner Bros. TV.

Written by Amanda Green based on the British miniseries and directed by Anthony Hemingway, this new take on the investigative drama explores crime through the unique and often-conflicting perspectives of cops and killers, witnesses and victims, friends and family. Shot like a true-crime documentary, the series, which centers on Detectives Mason Garrity (Chiklis) and Ayana Lake (Teyonah Parris), invites the audience inside the emotional journey of an investigation, allowing them to discern the truth and judge the suspects’ guilt or innocence for themselves.

Chiklis’ Detective Mason “Mace” Garrity is a veteran NYPD detective whose deep empathy and sharp instincts have been the foundation of an exemplary career. But now, his usual style is disrupted by his new partner, outspoken rookie Detective Ayana Lake (Parris), who will challenge all his assumptions.

Lin Pictures’ Dan Lin executive produces Murder with Green; Lindsey Liberatore co-exec produces.

This marks a return to the detective beat for Chiklis, who won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his signature role as corrupt LAPD detective Vic Mackey on FX’s The Shield. He is coming off a two-season stint on Fox’s Gotham, playing Captain Nathaniel Barnes. Chiklis, who will next be seen in AIDS drama feature 1985, is repped by WME, Management 360 and Meyer & Downs.