Newly minted “elsbeth” Star carrie preston We welcome comparisons to “Columbo,” which inspired series creators Robert and Michelle King to transplant Elsbeth Tascioni from Chicago to New York City.
“Robert and Michelle King told me they started watching ‘Columbo’ reruns during the pandemic and loved it and found it comforting,” Preston, 56, told the Post in a rumpled He talked about the 70’s series starring Peter Falk in a trench coat. – Wearing Lieutenant Columbo, his sprinkling appearance belied his superior deduction skills.
“They thought, ‘This could be a new Elsbeth Tascioni show,'” Preston said. “Put her in the role of Columbo’s girlfriend and make this a police show instead of a law show.”
Preston and her on-screen alter ego will be familiar to fans of The Good Wife and its spinoff The Good Fight, both produced by the Kings and Elsbeth’s offbeat Chicago-based This is a work in which he appears as a typical character (a lawyer).
In “Elsbeth,” which premieres Feb. 29 at 10 p.m., the protagonist lands in New York City as part of a “consent decree” stemming from a lawsuit against the NYPD. She is temporarily hired to tail the New York City Police Department and its police force. Police officers need to make sure that everything is done according to the textbook.
In this capacity, she is no longer a lawyer but an observer, using her wits, instincts, humor, and razor-sharp intuition to help the NYPD solve difficult cases.Series co-star carla patterson As Officer Kaya Blanke, wendell pierce Captain CW Wagner of the New York City Police Department.
In a throwback to “Detective Columbo,” each episode’s villain is revealed early on. And the fun that ensues is watching Elsbeth put the pieces of the puzzle into place as she embarrasses, frightens, and impresses her new NYPD colleagues one by one.
In the series’ opening, an acting teacher (Stephen Moyer of “True Blood”) murders one of his students and stages his suicide, but as they play cat and mouse, Elsbeth realizes that he was the murderer all along. Sense it. .
“I think she’s tenacious, unconventional and very present,” Preston said of Elsbeth. “She takes everything around her with the same attention, so you never know what detail will be the one to solve the mystery…She somehow has the ability to focus on many things at once and has a brain that can hold it all.
“She is a fish out of water and is underrated in many ways, as are certainly many women. [underestimated] “In those situations,” she said. “People will find it interesting and want to know more about her and see how her mind works. And they’ll want to see how she unravels the howdunnit and not her culprit.” I guess.”
Preston said the idea of moving Elsbeth from Chicago to a new universe has been percolating for a while.
“When I first appeared on The Good Wife 14 years ago, I struck a nerve with fans and critics. People were very interested in the character and loved her. “It seems like he gave it,” she said. She said, “By about halfway through The Good Wife, we started hearing from fans that Elsbeth’s character would be perfect for a spin-off.
“Of course, I ended up appearing in ‘The Good Fight,’ which is centered around Christine.” [Baranski] So they kept me in the world that sometimes comes when you don’t know how to solve a case or win a case. ”
Preston said viewers will learn a little more about Elsbeth’s charm as the season progresses.
“In the same way that “The Good Wife” or “The Good Fight” focused on the court case of the week, this will definitely be a show built around the events of the week. “Sho,” she said.
“Elsbeth will be as dedicated to her work as she is to litigation…and we hope to see more of her outside of work, including her friendships and past relationships, and perhaps learn a little more about her.” “Private life.”
“When you watch ‘Columbo,’ he always talks about his wife, but we’ve never met her, so there’s something to be said about the mystery of Elsbeth as well,” Preston said. “You never know what the writers have in store for you. Every Christmas, you get her script and you get to know more about her in each episode.”
“Elsebeth” premieres Thursday, February 29th at 10pm on CBS.
