Premature Infatuation: CBS’ Bull 

Michael Weatherly leaving NCIS was a bit crushing for me considering how much I love his character, Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Thankfully, the actor will be back on TV this fall in a new series that’s set to air Tuesdays on CBS right after his old show.

CBS Synopsis for Bull: Bull stars Michael Weatherly as Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time. Brilliant, brash and charming, Dr. Bull is the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition and high tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses and the accused tick. Bull employs an enviable team of experts at Trial Analysis Corporation to shape successful narratives down to the very last detail. They include his quick-witted brother-in-law, Benny Colón (Freddy Rodriguez), who plays a defense attorney in mock trials; Marissa Morgan (Geneva Carr), a cutting-edge neurolinguistics expert from the Department of Homeland Security; former NYPD detective Danny James (Jaime Lee Kirchner), the firm’s tough but relatable investigator; haughty millennial hacker Cable McCrory (Annabelle Attanasio), who is responsible for gathering cyber intelligence; and Chunk Palmer (Chris Jackson), a fashion-conscious stylist and former All-American lineman who fine tunes clients’ appearances for trial. In high-stakes trials, Bull’s combination of remarkable insight into human nature, three Ph.D.’s and a top-notch staff creates winning strategies that tip the scales of justice in his clients’ favor. Paul Attanasio, Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Jay McGraw, Mark Goffman and Rodrigo Garcia are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Garcia directed the pilot.

I must admit, when I first heard about Bull, I wasn’t sure about 1. It’s premise. 2. The fact Dr. Phil’s pre-TV career life inspired it. 3. Whether I wanted to invest in another legal-type series. In fact, the only pro for me was Weatherly.

After watching the almost five-minute-long trailer, I realized my concerns were for naught. It’s slick, sarcastic, funny and it made me want to see more.  It made me want to learn more about Dr. Bull and the people who work for him. In other words, the trailer did its job. I may have watched it a few million times by now. Don’t think I’m even exaggerating. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little. But only a little.

When Tony DiNozzo entered the elevator and said adios to his teammates at NCIS in the Season 13 finale, I was slightly disappointed. Ultimately, I liked that he would give up the life he had built to take care of the daughter he never knew existed. It was honorable and I think it’s great Tony has someone who will love him unconditionally. Having said that, I always wanted him get his own team. I wanted him to exit stage right for a well-deserved promotion.

If you watch the Bull trailer, we get to see Weatherly be the leader. And. It’s. About. Time. What’s cool is I’m not seeing Tony DiNozzo at all. In addition to the longer hair and the glasses (LOVE the glasses), Weatherly seems to be playing his new character a bit more internally. He’s got the sarcasm that DiNozzo’s known for but it feels different somehow. He’s not quite as outwardly obnoxious as Tony can be.

While the trailer set up the show’s nitty gritty really well, it didn’t have the chance to convey who these characters are, what their issues are, what they’ve been through in life. So I’m looking forward to seeing the entire pilot in order to get to know more about the good doctor as well as the rest of the characters.

The cast looks solid. I mean, Freddy Rodriguez. Six Feet Under, anyone? Chris Jackson‘s currently starring as George Washington in Hamilton, a Broadway show I NEED to see. Geneva Carr was nominated for a Tony last year. Annabelle Attanasio has a recurring role on Cinemax’s The Knick. And Jaime Lee Kirchner has appeared on The Mob Doctor and Necessary Roughness. Apparently, she also played Mimi in a Broadway production of Rent. So now I envision a musical episode for Weatherly, Jackson, Kirchner and whoever else in the cast that can sing and/or rap. But, I’m probably getting a little too head of myself.

In conclusion, I haven’t decided whether I will continue watching Weatherly’s old series, but I will be tuning into his new one. Bull debuts this fall on CBS.