Rob Kazinsky has certainly come a long way since his days on the much parodied, long-running UK soap opera, EastEnders. After several years spent playing supporting characters in notable projects, such as True Blood, Pacific Rim and Hot Pursuit, he has finally landed his first leading role – in a brand new sci-fi/drama series for Fox, titled Second Chance.
The premise of the show is something of a mixture of classic sci-fi themes, police procedurals, and family drama. The elderly Jimmy Pritchard is a retired, disgraced LA county sheriff, renowned for corruption. Despised by his family, he is murdered during a break-in at the home of his son – but two “tech billionaires” resurrect him as one of their science projects. They find that, in returning, he is much younger and has strength and stamina five times greater than that of the average adult male. This realization leads to the idea of a second chance – for Pritchard, for his family, and for the billionaires that resurrected him.
Joining Kazinsky in the cast is Dilshad Vadsaria (Revenge, Bones), Adhir Kalyan (Rules Of Engagement), Tim DeKay (White Collar) and Phillip Baker Hall (Magnolia). The show is executive produced by Howard Gordon – whose impressive resume includes The X Files, 24 and Homeland – and is created by Rand Ravich (Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, Life). It was previously known as The Frankenstein Code, and also Lookinglass, during the development process.
This latest preview footage indicates a tone that is balanced between sci-fi, horror, drama, and humour – with high production value and a confident, assured performance at its centre. While the urge to deploy an epic eye-roll becomes almost overwhelming at the point where a woman appears to spontaneously disrobe before the newly bulked-up hero (or indeed, when the hero strides purposefully from a building with a child in his arms) the overall impression is that this series may well be worth a try. The central premise of a resurrection should – done right – allow for exploration of many complex dynamics between the characters, as well as plenty of action.
We will find out for certain when Second Chance debuts on Fox on January 13th, 2016.
Published: Nov 26, 2015 07:21 am