Presumed Innocent (TV series)

Presumed Innocent is an American legal thriller television series created by David E. Kelley, based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Scott Turow. The series is the first television adaptation of the book, following the 1990 film adaptation starring Harrison Ford and Brian Dennehy. It premiered on Apple TV+ on June 12, 2024. In July 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.

Premise
A prosecutor becomes the prime suspect in the murder of one of his colleagues.

Main

 * Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich
 * Ruth Negga as Barbara Sabich
 * Bill Camp as Raymond Horgan
 * O-T Fagbenle as Nico Della Guardia
 * Chase Infiniti as Jaden Sabich
 * Nana Mensah as Det. Alana Rodriguez
 * Renate Reinsve as Carolyn Polhemus
 * Peter Sarsgaard as Tommy Molto
 * Kingston Rumi Southwick as Kyle Sabich
 * Elizabeth Marvel as Lorraine Horgan

Recurring

 * Lily Rabe as Dr. Liz Rush
 * James Hiroyuki Liao as Herbert Kumagai
 * Virginia Kull as Eugenia
 * Matthew Alan as Dalton Caldwell
 * Tate Birchmore as Michael Caldwell
 * Noma Dumezweni as Judge Lyttle
 * Gabby Beans as Mya

Guest

 * Mark Harelik as Liam Reynolds
 * Rosanna Arquette as Kate
 * Sarunas J. Jackson as Clifton
 * Marco Rodríguez as Brian Ratzer

Production
It was announced in February 2022 that Apple TV+ had ordered an eight-episode miniseries adaptation of Scott Turow's novel Presumed Innocent created by David E. Kelley who also executive produced alongside Dustin Thomason, J. J. Abrams, Ben Stephenson, and Matthew Tinker. Kelley also served as showrunner. In December, Jake Gyllenhaal entered negotiations to star and executive produce. He would be confirmed by January 2023, with Ruth Negga, Bill Camp and Elizabeth Marvel joining the cast. Greg Yaitanes and Anne Sewitsky were hired to direct. In February, additional actors cast included Renate Reinsve, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, Lily Rabe and Nana Mensah. Noma Dumezweni, Gabby Beans and Sarunas J. Jackson joined the cast in March.

Filming began in February 2023 in Pasadena, California.

On July 12, 2024, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season.

Release
Presumed Innocent had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 9, 2024, and was released on Apple TV+ on June 12, 2024.

Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 76% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10, based on 68 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Enlivened by an outstanding ensemble, Presumed Innocent isn't guilty of upstaging the original movie but acquits itself well as an entertaining courtroom drama." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 64 out of 100 based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

In a review for Variety, Aramide Tinubu called Presumed Innocent "one of the best legal thrillers to arrive on television in years". She praised the development of the characters, especially Gyllenhaal's Sabich. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian was less effusive, awarding the show 3 out of 5 stars. Mangan described it as "an efficient tale, with good performances. But it’s soullessly slick, fails to properly develop female characters and all feels meaningless". A negative review from Mike Hale of The New York Times criticized the show's "claustrophobic atmosphere, the emphasis on psychology and trite family drama". Hale's review also disliked the performances, writing "Gyllenhaal is sweaty, jumpy and over the top".