Memphis Beat's Jason Lee To Star In CBS Drama Second Sight

Jason Lee may be making a return to network television, this time for a drama at CBS. The actor, who transitioned from comedy to drama when he made the jump to cable for TNT's Memphis Beat, has been tapped to star in CBS' pilot Second Sight, which is an adaptation of Paula Milne's British crime drama, starring Clive Owen.

Second Sight follows Tanner, the lead detective of the New Orleans Police Department, who's trying to conceal an ocular disorder, which causes him to have "horrifying, visually stimulating anxiety dreams and hallucinations." He's been assured that this condition won't eventually lead to blindness. In the meantime, the hallucinations side effect may help him in the work he does as a law enforcer.

TVLine says Jason Lee has signed on to play the lead role of Tanner. The pilot is executive-produced by CSI's Carol Mendelsohn, along with Michael Cuesta, who not only co-wrote the script, but is also directing. Original series creator Paula Milne is also credited as an executive producer.

Not only does this project sound like a good fit for CBS, where crime procedurals tend to thrive, but it also sounds like an interesting role for Jason Lee. The actor has done dramatic work before, and we saw some of his serious side in Memphis Beat, but he's better known for his comedic work, which includes a starring role in My Name is Earl, not to mention plenty of funny movies, including Mallrats, The Incredibles and the under appreciated Big Trouble. We'll have to wait and see if this one makes it to series.

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.