WELL, THIS IS BOW-WOW BAKETIQUE IN GROSSE POINTE.
CHECK THEM OUT.
>> Jason: HE IS AN EMMY AND
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD-WINNING ACTOR
SET TO RETURN TO TELEVISION
RIGHT HERE ON LOCAL 4.
JIMMY SMITS IS BACK AS ELIJAH
STRAIT, A LAWYER AND FATHER WHO
IS TRYING TO HEAL A RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIS DAUGHTER AFTER A FAMILY
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY. >> THEY REALLY DO LOOK DOWN ON
US.
US. I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST A FIGURE
OF SPEECH.
OF SPEECH. >> CARLA?
>> CARLA? WHAT PART OF MY FATHER ISN’T
WELCOME HERE THAT YOU DIDN’T
UNDERSTAND?
UNDERSTAND? >> THE PART WHERE YOUR MOTHER
DIES.
DIES. ♪
♪ >> WOULD YOU LIKE SOME WATER?
>> Jason: POWERFUL STUFF.
JOINING US FROM LOS ANGELES IS
JIMMY SMITS, THANK YOU FOR BEING
WITH US THIS MORNING.
BACK IN THE ROLE OF A LAWYER.
>> GOOD MORNING, JASON.
>> Jason: TELL US ABOUT BLUFF
CITY LAW, AND THE FAMILY DYNAMIC
AT THE CENTER OF THE SHOW.
>> IT’S THE SPRINGBOARD FOR THE
PILOT AND DEALING WITH FAMILY
AND NOT ONLY THE IMMEDIATE
FAMILY BETWEEN THE FATHER AND
DAUGHTER BUT THE CONCENTRIC
CIRCLE OF THE LAW FIRM BEING A
FAMILY AS WELL.
>> Jason: SO GOING FROM BEING A
LAWYER ON L.A. LAW NAMED VICTOR
TO COP ROCK, AND WHEN I SAW
THAT, EVERYONE REMEMBERS COP
ROCK.
ROCK. BUT YOU PLAY THE SAME CHARACTER
AS L.A. LAW.
>> IT WAS A STEVEN BOTCHCO SHOW,
AND THAT WAS JUST AN APPEARANCE,
NOT A CURRENT CHARACTER BUT THE
CHARACTER IN THIS SHOW, BOTH ARE
LAWYERS, AND THE CHARACTER
RHYTHM IS MUCH, MUCH DIFFERET.
AND VICTOR ON L.A. LAW WAS A
BOUNCY IDEALISTIC LAWYER, AND
THIS IS MUCH DIFFERENT.
THIS GUY IS STEADY, A ROCK,
PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY, YEAH.
THE VIBE IS DIFFERENT.
>> Jason: TALK ABOUT
GROUNDBREAKING TELEVISION, IT
SEEMS LIKE A LONG, LONG TIME AGO
WHEN YOU WERE ON NYPD BLUE AND
THERE WAS BRIEF NUDITY, AND NOW
WE’RE IN THIS SECOND GOLDEN AGE
OF SCRIPTED TELEVISION, WITH
NETFLIX AND HULU, HOW IS IT NOW
AND WHEN YOU PLAYED BOBBY
SIMONE?
SIMONE? >> JUST WHAT YOU SAID, IT HAS TO
DO WITH THE FACT WE’RE IN A
DIFFERENT AGE OF HOW THE
ELECTRONIC MEDIA COMES TO YOUR
HOME EVERY DAY.
AND WITH STREAMING SERVICES AND
PAY CABLE, IT’S JUST A LOT
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. AND CONTENT CAN BECOME MUCH MORE
NICHED.
NICHED. AND WITH REGARD TO NETWORK
TELEVISION, THERE ARE
PARAMETERS.
PARAMETERS. I THINK A SHOW LIKE NYPD BLUE
WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO GET
THROUGH THE DIFFERENT EXECUTIVE
HALLS IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT
WERE TO BE PITCHED TODAY,
BECAUSE WE HAVE STANDARDS AND
PRACTICES WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
STEVEN BOTCHCO WAS AN INNOVATOR
IN THAT WAY.
>> Jason: AND SPEAKING OF YOUR
FILMOGRAPHY, YOU WERE IN TWO
"STAR WARS" SEQUELS AND YOU WERE
IN "SONS OF ANARCHY," AND DO YOU
AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, DO
YOU DERIVE A LOT OF SATISFACTION
KNOWING THAT A PRODUCE WILL SAY,
YOU KNOW WHAT?
GET ME JIMMY SMITS!
I NEED THE GRAVITAS.
>> I WISH I COULD JUST LIKE
CONFIRM WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT
IT DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT,
JASON.
JASON. I MEAN, I STILL HAVE TO GO IN
THERE AND KNOCK ON DOORS AND
HAVE INTERVIEWS AND TRY TO
CONVINCE, AND THAT’S AN ONGOING
THING.
THING. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP TRYING TO
MIX IT UP AND TRY TO SHOW
DIFFERENT SIDES, THEN BE A
LITTLE VERSATILE, YOU HAVE TO
PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE WITH
REGARDS TO THAT.
>> Jason: I WISH WE HAD MORE
TIME TO SPEAK.
THE WINDOWS ARE ONLY 5 MINUTES
BUT I COULD TALK TO YOU ALL DAY.
>> GREAT SEEING, YOU TAKE CARE.