In The Calling, Jeff Wilbusch plays Avraham Avraham, a detective with a deep and abiding spirituality that plays into his ability to do his job. It also comes into conflict with it, tested by a shocking case that starts out as a routine investigation. It looks like NYPD Blue and True Detective had a love child, so it’s a bit of shock to see that it’ll stream on Peacock.
With TV drama royalty David E. Kelley as showrunner and Barry Levinson in the director’s chair, The Calling has heavy hitters bringing prestige to the standard cop show concept. The series also stars Juliana Canfield (Y: The Last Man) as Avraham’s partner Janine Harris, and Karen Robinson as Captain Kathleen Davies in a very different role from what she delivered on Schitt’s Creek. She looks particularly powerful here, and it’s great to see a production let her spread her wings.
The trailer has a haunting vibe to it, promising something a little off-kilter from the usual procedural fare. It’s based on the novels by Dror Mishani, the first of which has already been loosely adapted into a French movie called Black Tide which starred Vincent Cassel as a boozy detective instead of a religious one. Mishani currently has three Avraham novels, so if the show is a hit, they’ve got a lot to draw from.
All eight episodes of The Calling hit Peacock on November 10th, ready to be binged.
