Erin Brockovich-Inspired Drama ‘Rebel’ Starring Katey Sagal Ordered to Series at ABC
ABC has given out a straight-to-series order to the drama series “Rebel.”
Katey Sagal stars in the show, which is inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich. It is slated to debut in 2021. Sagal stars as Annie “Rebel” Bello, a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree. She’s described as a funny, messy, brilliant and fearless woman who cares desperately about the causes she fights for and the people she loves. When Rebel applies herself to a fight she believes in, she will win at almost any cost.
In addition to Sagal, the series stars John Corbett as Grady Bello, James Lesure as Benji, Lex Scott Davis as Cassidy, Tamala Jones as Lona, Ariela Barer as Ziggie, Kevin Zegers as Nate, Sam Palladio as Luke, and Andy Garcia as Cruz.
“Grey’s Anatomy” and “Station 19” showrunner Krista Vernoff wrote the pilot and executive produces along with Alexandre Schmitt of Trip the Light. Brockovich also executive produces along with John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment and Andrew Stearn. The series is produced by ABC Signature in association with Sony Pictures Television. Tara Nicole Weyr directed the pilot.
“Erin Brockovich has never stopped the extraordinary work she does fighting for her clients like they’re family, and Krista Vernoff’s take on her life today in ‘Rebel’ is undeniable,” said Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment. “Katey Sagal is a powerhouse as ‘Rebel’ and with Andy Garcia, John Corbett and the rest of the phenomenal cast, viewers are going to fall in love with these characters and the world Krista has created for them.”
“Rebel” was originally put into development at ABC last October, with Sagal officially boarding the project in January. It was viewed as a strong contender for a series pickup when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed pilot season and forced production to shut down.
Along with “Rebel,” ABC also decided to continue work on a select few projects from their pilot slate this year, namely: “Harlem’s Kitchen,” an ensemble drama featuring Delroy Lindo and inspired by chef Marcus Samuelsson; comedy “Bossy” (formely “Kids Matter Now”) from Shana Goldberg-Meehan; comedy “Home Economics” starring Topher Grace; and comedy “Work Wife,” based on the relationship between Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.
The broadcaster has now made three formal series pickups for the 2020-2021 season. The David E. Kelley drama “Big Sky” and the Kyra Sedgwick-led multi-cam comedy “Call Your Mother” were previously ordered at ABC.
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