‘Accused’: Michael Chiklis to Star in the Premiere of Fox’s Crime Anthology

Michael Chiklis
©2022 Christian Witkin

Michael Chiklis will be part of the first case of Fox‘s upcoming crime anthology drama.

The Emmy award winner will star in the series premiere of Accused, from executive producers Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, and David Shore, Fox has announced. Emmy Award winner Michael Cuesta will direct the episode and reunite with Homeland‘s Gordon and Gansa.

Chiklis will play Dr. Scott Corbett, a successful brain surgeon with a seemingly perfect family. He faces the limits of unconditional love when he discovers his teenage son may be planning a violent attack at school.

“Michael Chiklis and Michael Cuesta, teamed with Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and David Shore, make a powerful combination for Accused,” Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, FOX Entertainment, said in a statement. “They each are synonymous with high-stakes television, engaging drama and compelling performances, striking the perfect tone required for a series of this caliber.”

Added Dawn Steinberg, EVP Worldwide Talent & Casting, Sony Pictures Television, “We are thrilled to have Michael leading our first episode. He was the first actor we thought of when casting Accused. He’s been a valued member of our Sony family since The Shield and we couldn’t be happier to be working with him again.”

Accused is based on the BBC’s BAFTA-winning crime anthology. It opens in a courtroom on the accused, but viewers know nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial. The series is told through flashbacks and the defendant’s point of view, holding a mirror up to the current times with evocative and emotional stories. Viewers discover how an ordinary person gets caught up in an extraordinary situation, ultimately revealing how one wrong turn leads to another, until it’s too late to turn back.

In addition to The Shield, Chiklis’ TV credits include Coyote, Gotham, and American Horror Story. He will next be seen on HBO‘s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Accused is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment. Joining Gordon, Gansa, and Shore as executive producers are Glenn Geller, Erin Gunn, All3Media America’s Jacob Cohen-Holmes, and Jimmy McGovern, Sita Williams, Roxy Spencer and Louise Pedersen for All3Media International. Frank Siracusa and John Weber also serve as executive producers.