ABC is developing a legal drama which is set to star an Asian male lead, according to a Deadline exclusive.
The drama, set to be titled “Exhibit A,” will be produced by Daniel Dae Kim. The show is being developed for ABC alongside his 3AD production company, including Rina Brannen, a former UTA agent who is now head of development at 3AD.
The show is based on Korean drama “My Lawyer, Mr. Jo,” an award-winning series on KBS2 starring Park Shin-yang. The plot, similar to its Korean predecessor, features a former prosecutor named Andrew Cho who rebuilds and refocuses his career after being sabotaged by power brokers.
Daniel Dae Kim is a Korean-American actor who has starred in popular productions such as ABC’s “Lost,” CBS’ reboot of “Hawaii Five-0” and WB’s “Angel.” In 2013, he founded 3AD, a production company whose initial work has followed a theme of adapting work by and about Asian people.
Their first venture was a smash hit; they developed CBS’ “The Good Doctor,” an American adaptation of the Korean series, which has received high ratings. Aside from “Exhibit A,” Kim and 3AD are also developing a drama based on the book “The First Rule of Ten,” which is about an ex-Buddhist monk.
“Exhibit A” is written by Warren Hsu Leonard, a biracial man of Taiwanese descent. If the show reaches air, it will be the first non-action drama series that features an Asian lead.
