Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE UPDATED: A new duo will be joining TNT‘s primetime. I’ve learned that the network has given a series order to the pilot King And Maxwell starring Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney. The series, which is now untitled, hails from from CBS TV Studios and NCIS: LA boss Shane Brennan. Adapted from characters created by bestselling author David Baldacci, it has received a 10-episode order for a summer 2013 launch. In the vein of Moonlighting, the series follows Sean King (Tenney) and Michelle Maxwell (Romijn), who aren’t the typical pair of private investigators. Both are former Secret Service agents, and their unique skill sets (not to mention their razor-sharp chemistry) often gives them a leg up on suspects and conventional law enforcement. With her striking beauty, athletic prowess and Beltway connections, Maxwell is a formidable investigator, determined to prove herself after being forced to resign from the Secret Service. Brennan wrote the script and executive produces with Grant Anderson. Karen Spiegel is producing and Baldacci serves as a consultant. The project was originally developed for CBS last season.

Co-starring in the pilot, directed by Michael Katleman, are Michael O’Keefe (Michael Clayton) as Rigby and Chris Butler (The Good Wife) as Carter, two FBI agents who occasionally cross paths with King and Maxwell. In addition, Ryan Hurst co-stars as Edgar Roy, a savant who helps King and Maxwell solve cases. Brennan and Baldacci are with Paradigm.

The series marks the return to TNT of The Closer co-star Tenney and joins another two-lead TNT crime drama, flagship drama Rizzoli & Isles. King And Maxwell is one of four pilots in contention at TNT along with the Michael Bay-produced The Last Ship, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Trooper and the Howard Gordon-produced Legends. As it picked up King And Maxwell today, the network passed on Trooper.

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