CBS Orders ‘Cal Fire’ Drama Pilot From Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater & Jerry Bruckheimer TV

EXCLUSIVE: CBS has given a pilot green light to Cal Fire, a drama from SEAL Team star Max Thieriot, Grey’s Anatomy alums Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Studios where the company is based. This is CBS’ second in-cycle drama pilot this season, joining a mother-and-son legal drama from Scott Prendergast and Dr. Phil McGraw.

Courtesy of UTA

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Cal Fire is inspired by Thieriot’s experiences growing up in Northern California fire country and stems from an original idea by the actor. Phelan and Rater wrote the teleplay from a story they co-wrote with Thieriot.

In Cal Fire, seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence, young convict Bode Donovan joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region.

Thieriot, Phelan and Rater executive produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed for Jerry Bruckheimer Television. CBS Studios is the studio.

Born and raised in Occidental, CA where he currently lives with his family, Theriot stars as Clay Spenser on Paramount+ drama SEAL Team, which aired for four seasons on CBS. It just wrapped its fifth season on Paramount+ and was renewed for a sixth.

Launching a drama procedural about first responders has been a priority for CBS; this cycle, the network also is developing Rescue: MIA, also executive produced by a star of one of its procedurals, NCIS: Los Angeles‘ Eric Christian Olsen.

Husband-and-wife writers-showrunners Rater and Phelan created, executive produced and showran CBS drama series Doubt and NBC’s Council of Dads, which was produced by JBTV.

Jerry Bruckheimer TV has been behind some of CBS’ biggest procedural drama series of the past two decades, led by the CSI franchise, which is back on CBS with CSI: Vegas.

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