What do you get when you cross Erin Brockovich with
Grey’s Anatomy? How about
Rebel, the hot new drama that ABC just ordered and that is inspired by the life of the famous legal advocate?ABC made the announcement in a press release on September 16, revealing it has picked up the series for an entire season to air sometime next year. “Inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich today, Annie ‘Rebel’ Bello is a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree,” reads the show’s official description. “She’s 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.”That sounds like a monster of a role to pull off (especially considering
Julia Roberts first played Brockovich to critical acclaim), but ABC has that covered. Hollywood Walk of Fame recipient Katey Sagal, who is pretty familiar to viewers thanks to roles on shows like
Married… With Children,
Sons of Anarchy and
8 Simple Rules, has agreed to the gig. Meanwhile John Corbett, James Lesure, Lex Scott Davis, Tamala Jones, Ariela Barer, Kevin Zegers, Sam Palladio and Andy Garcia round out the rest of the cast.If you need even more reason to tune into the series when it debuts, Brockovich herself is also involved as an executive producer. “
Rebel is not just my story, it is all of our stories. There is a hero that exists in all of us,” she said in the release. “The name ‘Rebel’ oozes self-empowerment, courage and rising above, even in the worst of circumstances. I cannot think of anyone better to play this role than the indomitable Katey Sagal, who is such a force, as well as the rest of this extraordinary cast.”One more great reason to tune in, especially for
Grey’s Anatomy fans, is the fact that current
Grey’s and
Station 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff also produces—and she wrote the first episode. From the sounds of things she’s boarding this project as a showrunner too, which is sure to keep her plate pretty full with all the shows over the next little bit.“The work that Erin Brockovich does in this world is so powerful and so important that it almost defies description. Erin works tirelessly for social, legal and environmental justice despite the lack of a formal degree. She inspires everyone she meets to become their own heroes, and somehow, she also keeps us laughing. It has been a tremendous honour to get to know Erin and to create a show inspired by her,” Vernoff added in the release.This isn’t the first time ABC has looked to a real-life legal female powerhouse for inspiration on a TV series. Last year the network also debuted an hour-long drama called
The Fix starring Robin Tunney, which was inspired by the life of Marcia Clark (of the O.J. Simpson trial fame). Clark was also involved behind-the-scenes and had co-created the show, but unfortunately for fans it was cancelled after one short season.Here’s hoping
Rebel has a longer shelf life when it debuts next year.[video_embed id='2030335']BEFORE YOU GO: Cat attempts daily hilarious attack on mail carrier [/video_embed]
