Patricia Heaton is executive producing and starring in “Public Interest,” a legal drama pilot from producer-director David Barrett and MPI Original Films.
Alongside Heaton, best known for playing Debra Barone in “Everybody Loves Raymond,” the cast includes Richard Schiff (“The West Wing”), James Wolk (“Mad Men”), Liana Liberato (“Scream VI”), Tiana Okoye (“Twisted Metal”), Carter Redwood (“FBI: International”) and Josh McKenzie (“La Brea”).
Barrett, who has directed more than 160 episodes of television and produced more than 225, including “Tracker,” “Law & Order,” “Fear the Walking Dead” and “Blue Bloods,” directs and executive produces “Public Interest.” MPI Original Films produces in partnership with Kemodo Entertainment. The pilot was written by David H. Steinberg & Keetgi Kogan with revisions from Marc Guggenheim. Production is set to begin this month in Toronto. A network or streamer is yet to be attached.
Per the official description, “Public Interest” is set at a nonprofit public interest law firm in Washington, D.C., and follows Heaton as Ingrid Erickson, “an attorney unexpectedly thrust into the firm’s top leadership role after its longtime president suffers a sudden heart attack, and her unconventional team as they fight for everyday people facing impossible odds. As the attorneys navigate high-stakes legal battles, they must also contend with office tensions, personal relationships and the emotional toll of trying to do the right thing in an increasingly complicated world.”
“What immediately connected me to Ingrid was her sense of conviction and responsibility,” Heaton said in a statement. “She’s someone who believes deeply in helping people, even when the path forward is messy or uncertain. ‘Public Interest’ explores the tension between idealism and reality in a way that feels incredibly timely, but it also has warmth, humor and heart at its center.”
“’Public Interest’ reflects the kind of storytelling central to MPI Original Films’ mission — compelling, character-driven stories that explore the dignity of the human person, the meaning of justice and the importance of human freedom,” said Rob Pfaltzgraff, president of MPI Original Films. “With Patricia Heaton leading an outstanding cast and David Barrett bringing tremendous creative vision, this timely legal drama embodies our commitment to stories that entertain while engaging the deeper questions shaping our culture.”
“’Public Interest’ isn’t about advancing a single ideology or telling people what to think. It’s about defending the civil liberties that allow honest disagreement to exist in the first place and ensuring that no one in power gets to decide which voices deserve to be heard,” said Barrett. “That’s why I love working with MPI. They give me the freedom to engage with difficult and sometimes tense subject matter honestly and thoughtfully, without pressure to conform to an ideological agenda. We’ve had these conversations with the actors and crew throughout prep, which has created an inspiring energy. With this show, we hope to give America a roadmap for how to have those conversations.”