Suits L.A.: The Shocking Real-Life Story Behind the Main Character That Almost Stopped the Show

The success of Suits last summer resulted in a new audience, ultimately leading to the approval of Suits L.A. However, things could have taken a different turn.

The Suits spinoff series was commissioned shortly after the original series experienced a resurgence on Netflix, achieving high ratings on Nielsen and setting numerous streaming records.

In addition to traveling from the east to west coast, Suits L.A. will also be featuring an entirely new group of characters.

Ted Black (Stephen Amell) is a former federal prosecutor from New York who has transformed himself by taking on the most influential clients in Los Angeles.

According to a recent article from Deadline, it has been discovered that Ted Black’s character is actually inspired by Ted Chervin, a talent agent at CAA and former managing director at ICM Partners. His life story is quite remarkable.

Prior to entering the television industry, Chervin gained experience as a federal prosecutor in New York following her graduation from Harvard Law.

He had been engaged in various high-profile cases, including ones concerning organized crime and drug trafficking – he even brought charges against the leader of the Cali drug cartel in Colombia.

Despite being only 29 years old, Chervin left his old life behind and relocated to LA, utilizing his abilities to build a remarkably prosperous career as a talent agent.

Ted Chervin in his TED Talk — YouTube/TEDx Talks

Ted Chervin made the ultimate career pivot

Ever since hearing about Chervin’s story, Suits creator Aaron Korsh has been captivated by it. This fascination led him to pitch Suits L.A. (formerly known as Ted) after the flagship series ended in 2019.

According to Deadline, the USA Network executives initially believed the spinoff focused too much on show business and were close to passing on it, almost causing it to not happen.

Hindsight, previously titled and circulated as a script, underwent a name change. According to reports, it was encouraged to shift its focus from the “dark, highly serialized nature and showbiz angle”to the “lighter, procedural style”of Suits.

Interestingly, upon its acquisition by NBCUniversal, executive Alex Sepiol, who had previously been in charge of the development of the original show for USA, remarked that it seemed too alike.

Despite continuous revisions, the concept was once again rejected. Nevertheless, following the resounding triumph of Suits on Netflix during the summer of 2023, NBCUniversal acquired Hindsight and requested that it integrate Suits into the title.

According to sources, the creator was not interested in reviving the same characters, but was open to developing a Suits universe similar to that of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone.

As the saying goes, the rest is history. NBCUniversal has approved Suits L.A., which means that Chervin’s story will be brought to life through dramatization.

Last year, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated that the creator of Suits had been attempting to sell a spinoff show in various places around town for several years.

“All of us, including [NBCUniversal], successfully passed and are now involved in the production.”

To learn more about the legal drama series, here’s everything we know about the status of Suits Season 10, including why it was canceled and suggestions for similar shows to watch. Additionally, be sure to check out the new series coming to streaming services this month.