David E. Kelley Bringing Michael Connelly’s NIGHTSHADE To HBO Max As New Crime Drama Welcome To Catalina
As Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer heads into production on its fifth and final season, David E. Kelley is already lining up his next collaboration with author Michael Connelly. This time, the prolific TV creator is heading to Catalina Island for a new HBO Max crime drama titled Welcome To Catalina.
The series is based on Connelly’s 2024 bestselling novel Nightshade and is currently in development under HBO Max’s newer procedural strategy, the same model being used for the hit medical drama The Pitt.
The idea is to produce returning dramas with larger annual episode counts while keeping budgets under control. The Pitt set the template with its 15-episode seasons, and now HBO Max is looking to apply that formula to more genres.
Kelley is writing the adaptation, which centers on Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell. After being “exiled” from Los Angeles, Stilwell lands on Catalina Island handling what seems like a much quieter assignment.
Instead of major city crime, he’s dealing with drunk-and-disorderly calls and small-time thefts in the island community. Of course, things don’t stay relaxed for long when a body is discovered weighted down at the bottom of the harbor.
That setup already feels like a great fit for Kelley’s style. He’s spent decades crafting addictive character-driven procedurals, and Catalina Island gives this one a cool atmosphere that separates it from the usual city-set cop drama.
A detective trapped in what’s supposed to be a sleepy assignment while uncovering something darker underneath has all the ingredients for a really fun series.
Kelley will executive produce the project alongside Matt Tinker, president of David E. Kelley Productions, as well as several familiar collaborators from The Lincoln Lawyer.
This isn’t Kelley’s first attempt at a Catalina-set Connelly adaptation. He previously developed Avalon at ABC, based on Connelly’s short story of the same name. That project followed a female L.A. Sheriff’s detective named Nicole “Nic” Searcy, with Neve Campbell attached to star. Despite the strong setup, the series ultimately never moved forward.
Still, Kelley’s history with both broadcast television and crime procedurals makes him an ideal fit for HBO Max’s evolving strategy. Long before prestige streaming dramas took over, Kelley built a career delivering massive network hits including the Emmy-winning The Practice and Ally McBeal.
More recently, he’s worked on projects like ABC’s Big Sky, while continuing his partnership with Fineman and A+E Studios across multiple series.
His production company also has an impressive lineup already in motion. Apple TV+ recently renewed both Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Presumed Innocent for second seasons, HBO’s Emmy-winning Big Little Lies is inching closer to a third season, and Netflix recently announced a new Myron Bolitar adaptation.
Between Kelley’s track record and Connelly’s knack for creating compelling detectives, Welcome To Catalina sounds like it could become HBO Max’s next addictive procedural series.
Source: Deadline