Call it random chance. Call it coinky-dink. We call it super awesome cool telepathic powers, is what we call it. No sooner had we, in the latest issue of this very magazine, pushed Michael Connelly’s sour, wry detective Harry Bosch as a new source of material for producers, than word comes that the writer himself is looking to getting it set up as a TV show.
Deadline reports that Eric Overmyer, who has worked on shows such as Treme and The Wire, is on board to run any eventual series and act as head writer. We say “eventual” because there’s no actual deal in place yet, though Connelly is working with Fuse Entertainment to pitch the idea to cable channels across the pond.
If it works, it’ll be especially satisfying for the novelist, who has seen his veteran homicide detective, Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, locked up in development jail for years courtesy of Paramount. The studio held the option on two of the Bosch books, Black Ice and The Black Echo, which gave them sway over the character’s use in movies for 15 years. But when nothing emerged, Connelly finally sued to get the rights back and settled the case in 2010.
With Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer character Mick Haller hitting the big screen last year in the guise of Matthew McConaughey, the time seems right for Harry to get his moment at last.
Incidentally, if you want to read about another iconic book character on screen, Jack Reacher, check out the new Empire, on sale now. It’s also available on the iPad in the UK and US.