The CW has added an internationally produced thriller starring Patrick Dempsey to its coronavirus-proof fall schedule.
The network has snagged Devils, a drama produced in Italy featuring the former Grey's Anatomy star, who shares top billing with Alessandro Borghi (Netflix's Suburra). The network is holding all of its scripted originals — save for the final episodes of Supernatural — for early 2021 as the industry has yet to resume full production on series following the March shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The pickup represents a reunion of sorts for Dempsey and CW head Mark Pedowitz, who was president of ABC Studios for the first several seasons of Grey's Anatomy.
The show joins the likes of DC Universe castoff Swamp Thing, CBS All Access' canceled Tell Me a Story and unscripted mainstays Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Whose Line Is It Anyway on The CW's fall slate. The addition of Devils will move another acquired series, Dead Pixels, to summer and allow the network to air a full week of originals in the fall.
Devils will be paired with Canadian drama Coroner on Wednesday nights in the fall, while Dead Pixels and Two Sentence Horror Stories will vacate the night. The latter will move to Sundays, which in turn allows Masters of Illusion to remain in its familiar Friday slot and bump a Penn & Teller rerun off the Friday lineup.
Devils centers on Massimo Ruggero (Borghi), the charismatic and ruthless head of trading at an investment bank, and his mentor, CEO Dominic Morgan (Dempsey). After Dominic appoints another colleague over Massimo following a bitter promotion battle, Massimo finds himself named prime suspect in a murder investigation. Fighting to clear his name, Massimo becomes involved in an intercontinental financial war and is forced to choose between supporting Dominic or going up against him.
The series comes from Sky Italia and Lux Vide, in association with Sky Studios, Orange Studio and OCS. NBCUniversal Global Distribution handles international sales on behalf of Sky Studios.
