No, you’re not imagining things. Archie Panjabi is returning to US television in a new ABC drama simply titled The Jury. Lest you think this announcement is some sort of optical illusion, Panjabi is definitely coming back to the small screen and will have the leading role in the show about a legal case that unfolds from the perspective of the jury. No word yet on who will be starring alongside Panjabi in the project, but suffice to say this time they will hopefully be starring alongside her, no green screens necessary! Notoriously part of a mystery-cloaked feud with Julianna Margulies, she left the hit show on which she broke through with US audiences in 2015.
Panjabi has been spending time across the pond on UK favorite series The Fall, with Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan. No word yet on whether her familiar “leather jacket and motorbike” characterization that she had on both The Good Wife and The Fall will be her MO on this show as well, but the official description describes the gist of her character as such:
The character radiates quiet strength and is described as a force of nature cloaked in a professional demeanor who isn’t interested in making friends but instead in finding the truth. She’s a crusader — someone who’s always had/is always looking for a cause. She’s been accused of jumping from cause to cause in the past, and maybe that’s true, but nobody can accuse her of not doing a good job while she was there.
Definitely an opportunity for Archie to dip into her well of bad ass performances once again. It sounds like a show that could transition Archi from a reliable and entertaining supporting actress to a true leading lady of television. Only time will tell whether it is a success or not, but the quality both behind the camera (created by a CSI veteran) and in front of it is surely a strong start to what could be the standout of next year’s new slate of shows.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
