Former Suits Showrunner Sean Jablonski Has New Drama Pilot At USA

USA offers a pretty heavily drama-oriented lineup, and even though the network has been busy hoping to push more comedies, drama is still a priority for the cable channel. On Tuesday, the network announced it had picked up a new project to pilot led by former Suits Season 1 showrunner Sean Jablonski, which tells me nothing except that the new program’s characters will likely indulge in modern, sexy clothing.

Currently, the drama pilot is untitled, but we do know that it will be about family. A couple, Neil and Grace Truman, have had trouble getting along for quite some time. While they are working on their marriage, Neil finds out that Grace has actually been seeing a male escort, which will no doubt put more strain on the couple’s relationship. According to THR, once Neil finds out about Grace’s escort habits, he will come across the male escort's phone and use it to gain “a unique perspective on his life and what motivates women.”

Neil won’t be the only person thinking about a unique perspective. While Mr. Truman is trying to get his act together, Grace will also be taking a good hard look at herself and her motivations, even asking herself whether or not her marriage is worth saving. A marriage in jeopardy is a fine enough premise for a pilot, and a steamy story about romance and the potential for scandal could be perfect for USA’s schedule. However, the real test of whether or not Jablonski’s project moves forward to series is whether or not that premise is enough to ensure long-term potential. The pilot doesn’t even have a title, yet, but USA will certainly have to figure out whether a male escort subplot and an introspective look at a marriage is enough to last for more than one season.

Jablonski has earned producing credits on shows like Suits and Nip/Tuck, but he also has writing credits and he plans to use his skills with a pen to put together the new pilot about infidelity. He’ll also executive produce the endeavor alongside Russ Krassnoff, a producer known for his work on Community.

The untitled drama doesn’t have a lot of competition over at USA right this second, but that should be changing in the coming months. USA is finishing up its freshman run of Graceland, which has done decently in the ratings and will probably return, leaving one less slot in the schedule for new programming next season. Additionally, USA has the Horizon pilot in the pipeline, which will follow the world at the height of WWII, when women have entered the workforce and an FBI secretary begins studying secret files with the codename ‘horizon.’ That may not seem like a ton of competition, but USA also has several other projects in development, including The Arrangement, The Edge, Complications, Bank, Blanco County, Don’t Turn Around, Hungry, and Shadow Counsel. Those projects may be in various stages of development at USA, but they do have one thing going for them that Jablonski’s drama does not--they all have names.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.