Even though it’s still only May, my brain is already launched forward to a future point in the 2026 TV schedule where High Potential’s third season is imminent, and we’re all just gushing over how great it looks. Because here in the present day, ABC’s hit drama has brought in a pair of A+ replacements for exiting showrunner Todd Harthan going into Season 3, and it’s truly a perfect pairing for this mystery-centric series.
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With Harthan going off to even more fantastical waters with Disney+’s Eragon live-action series, High Potential is bringing in former Poker Face showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman to spearhead the twisty narratives surrounding Kaitlin Olson’s Morgan Gillory. That former gig alone is almost all the evidence needed to know that the Zuckermans are as top-notch a pick for this show as can be.
Thematically and structurally speaking, High Potential and Poker Face have a lot in common. A female lead character with a brain wired for investigations? Check. Case-of-the-week procedural storytelling mixed with overarching serialization? Got it. Fun guest stars popping in as victims, murderers and more? All signs point to yeppers. So even though Morgan’s LAPD story and family drama are nothing like the nomadic existence that Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie led, the sibling showrunners still have a lot of the same equipment to cook with. And cook, they will.
Article continues belowPoker Face is only one part of the equation, too. In March, the Zuckermans were tapped to pen the script for Scream 8, which obviously also speaks to their skills with Whodunnit and Whassadoozit material. (Okay, that second one isn’t real.) I think if they reteam with Rian Johnson for a fourth Knives Out movie while also writing the screenplay for a Clue reboot, it’ll create The Red Herring Singularity.
The duo shared their enthusiasm for joining Morgan, Karadec, Soto and the rest with the following statement, per Variety:
We are so grateful to be working with Craig, Karey, Simran and our partners at 20th and ABC on this exciting new chapter of High Potential. The fact we get to collaborate with Drew, Sarah and Andrea at Goddard Textiles and the incomparable Kaitlin Olson is a dream come true. We’re looking forward to climbing into the brilliant, bustling mind of Morgan Gillory and crafting intricate mysteries worthy of her genius.
Outside of the aforementioned projects, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman were also tapped as executive producers, writers and showrunners for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival that was axed at Hulu following an allegedly troublesome development. Before that, they were writers/co-EPs for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s later seasons, and held similar roles for Prodigal Son, Suits, Haven, Fringe and more. So they're well-equipped for all manner of both short-term and long-term storytelling.
Here's hoping they stick the landing if and when Roman gets an official introduction. And that they can bring more of Taran Killam's Ludo into the show now that his other show Stumble was canceled on NBC. I'll save the rest of my wishlist for the future.
The first two seasons of High Potential can currently be streamed in full via Hulu subscription and/or Disney+ subscription. Bring on the Jennifer Jason Leigh cut!
