It’s quite apparent that the TV industry is wildly unpredictable and rocky even in its best days.
I’m still unsure if its even if its best days right now, as the uncertainty of it all impacts everyone from crew just trying to keep jobs and earn money and cast members attempting to keep their heads above water and stay booked to viewers, only facing the final products (when we get them) and increasingly underwhelmed and frustrated.
So learning that someone as esteemed as Scott Speedman will be headlining his own series and still guest-starring on Grey’s Anatomy has me hyped.
Scott Speedman May Save ABC Primetime with New Role (Thank God!)
For one, if Shawn Hatosy hasn’t taught us anything this year, it pays, quite literally, to be booked and busy all season long.
The man’s name has been on the tips of tongues whether it was dissecting how terrible of a father he was on the late Rescue: HI-Surf, having us thirsting over how compentent he is as one of the most badass doctors on The Pitt, or hating his guts as one of Chicago PD‘s best villains in years.
However, the key to having a great actor juggle multiple roles at once is that they’re all great characters on these various series.
Speedman is set to play the titular role of RJ Decker for the ABC series of the same name, and we cannot be more excited about this.
He has the leading man quality, and it’ll be fantastic to have this perpetual heartthrob on broadcast television for the viewing pleasure of the masses.
Peacock’s Teacup had him taking a bite at genre programming, and naturally, when it’s on a streamer, it doesn’t always reach a broader audience.
And while Nick Marsh was perfectly dreamy enough to steal Meredith’s heart on Grey’s Anatomy, most of the time, the only way we get to see him is contingent on whether it fits into Mer’s current plot.
A guest-starring or recurring role on this hit medical series is not enough Speedman for our liking.
Double the Speedman, Double the Fun
RJ Decker aims to rectify that as well — it’s the only new scripted content ABC greenlit thus far for its upcoming television season.
For that alone, we’re eager to see what comes from it, as the Fall season for the network feels like a wasteland, as ABC devoted much of the slate to reality television.
The drama pilot from Elementary creator Rob Doherty is based on the 1987 novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen.
Speedman will star as RJ Decker, a disgraced newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida.
RJ Decker Feels like a New Hit for ABC
Decker tackles his fair share of eclectic cases ranging from unusual to outright bizarre with the help of his ex, a journalist, her police detective wife (because that’s not awkward at all!), and a shadowy new benefactor — a woman from his past who could be his greatest ally or his one-way ticket back to prison.
It sounds glorious. Speedman helming a series with a bunch of strong female characters who will keep his character in line? Sign me up.
And it’s also something that will be an excellent fit for the network, presumably aligning itself midseason with ABC’s other heavy-hitters, Will Trent, The Rookie, and High Potential, as that megahit eases into the final stretch of its sophomore run around that time.
For fans of Speedman’s Nick Marsh on Grey’s Anatomy, there are no plans to let the character go. Speedman may pull double duty, reprising that role while also filming RJ Decker, or at the very least, slipping right into those scrubs the moment filming wraps on the new series.
The Grey’s Anatomy showrunner, Meg Marinis, didn’t bat an eye over the idea of losing Nick. “Obviously, deals haven’t been made yet, but we love Scott, and his character Nick and Meredith are still together. He was also at the star ceremony supporting Ellen, so it was great to see. Oh, and the fans were so excited to see him there with her.”
If Grey’s Anatomy Wants to Keep Nick Marsh, They Have to DO Something With Him
And I’m not one to begrudge a talented person their paycheck. But I also wonder if this isn’t the perfect time to drop Marsh’s character altogether.
I love the guy. Post Derek’s death, Nick is the best of all her suitors, and that’s why he lasted this long.
She seems genuinely happy, and she has found someone who has learned how to adapt to her life and serve her well.
On the flip side, because I genuinely liked Nick Marsh in the early days, it’s hard to ignore just how much he disappeared into Meredith as their relationship progressed.
Now, he too often feels like an extension of Mer — this talented transplant doctor who hardly shows up unless it relates directly to Mer’s storyline.
A Double Dose of Speedman Is Only Good If They Make It Worth His (and Our) While. Looking at You, Grey’s!
Grey’s Anatomy has way too many characters, and sadly, Nick is one of them that the series neglects and never knows what to do with when he is there.
Little touching moments — such as his connection with Lucas over being neurodivergent doctors who don’t learn in the same way as their peers — lost momentum among arcs that the series has spent more time focusing on.
And whenever Nick is offscreen, any storyline or presence that he built up disappears with him, and it’s too often like he has to start from scratch.
Is he still the head of the interns? Does he still travel religiously as a transplant doctor? Or has he mostly become Mr. Mom to Meredith and her children?
If ABC is giving us a double dose of Scott Speedman come midseason, I’ll be over the moon.
But I also want it to be worth our while.
Will Speedman’s new role helming a series inspire those at Grey’s Anatomy to give the character more presence and the hearty arc he deserves?
I talk to myself enough as it is, please don’t make me do it here, too. People are starting to talk, okay? — If you’re out there, holler back.
Comments, shares, and good vibes all keep this little ship afloat. If you’re a Scott Speedman fan, you’re excited about RJ Decker, or you have some thoughts about Nirk Marsh, let us know. Thanks for reading.
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