Kelsey Grammer is returning to broadcast.
The Emmy winner (Cheers, Frasier) has been tapped to star in Fox's new legal drama Proven Innocent, replacing Brian D’Arcy James, who played the role in the pilot.
To premiere midseason, the legal drama is set at a wrongful conviction firm. Rachelle Lefevre stars as a lawyer leading a team that reopens investigations in a bid to exonerate the innocent that were "proven" guilty.
Grammer takes over the role of Cole Bellows, a tough-on-crime state's attorney who goes up against the underdog legal team led by Lefevre's character, Madeline Scott.
Written by David Elliot (Four Brothers) and exec produced by Empire's Danny Strong, Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men), Russell Hornsby (Grimm) and Riley Smith star in the 20th Century Fox Television drama. Sources say producers loved James and have plans to bring him back in the series, though in a different and likely reduced role.
