George Clooney Heads To Showtime For New Political Thriller Series The Department
As an actor, you can count on George Clooney to deliver the goods — whether that means flashing that legendary, mischievous smile of his, or buttoning down the charm to play a more conflicted and possibly amoral character. As a director, however, you can never be too sure which Clooney you're going to get. There's the one who gave us the fascinating "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and the riveting "Good Night, and Good Luck." Then there's the one behind the political thriller "The Ides of March" and the apocalyptic survival drama "The Midnight Sky," both of which have their merits but are hurt by weak stories. Finally, we have the Clooney who helmed stuff like "The Monuments Men" and "Suburbicon," which are baffling misfires given the wealth of talent involved in making them.
Whether you feel Clooney is a capable journeyman who's convinced himself he's an auteur (as /Film's Chris Evangelista argued in his review of Clooney's 2021 movie "The Tender Bar") or a creative who doesn't always get his due credit when he's behind the camera (see also: /Film's Ryan Scott's defense of "The Tender Bar"), it's hard not to be at least a little curious whenever he announces a new project. He's still George Clooney, and there's always the hope he will prove to have another "Confessions" or "Good Night" up his sleeve. His venture into streaming with Hulu's "Catch-22" miniseries was fairly well-received too, which bodes well for his return to the small screen with the newly-ordered Showtime series, "The Department." Here's everything we know about the show so far.
When and where to watch The Department
According to Variety, "The Department" has received a straight-to-series order from Showtime, with production slated to begin at some point in 2023. The show has yet to receive a release date, but it seems reasonable to assume this one won't be arriving any sooner than 2024 based on the lack of a cast at the time of writing.
Showtime, as you may have heard, has been making moves of late. Besides canceling several shows and developing new ones based on its most popular series ("Dexter" will never die), the network is being merged with Paramount+ to form a service with the definitely-not-at-all-ungraceful name, "Paramount+ with Showtime." Along with those cancelations, the merger will most likely — and most unfortunately — lead to layoffs down the road as Paramount does its best to avoid falling too far behind in the continuing streaming wars. Giving a big name like George Clooney the green light for their next project is clearly part of that effort; whether it will pan out for them, only time will tell.
What is The Department about?
"The Department" is a U.S. re-imagining of "Le Bureau des Legendes," aka "The Bureau," a French series that aired for five seasons from 2015-2020. The latter show centers on "the daily life and missions of agents within France's principal external security service," as its official logline puts it.
If the idea of Showtime making a series inspired by a non-U.S. political thriller TV show is giving you a sensation of déjà vu, it's not just you. Chris McCarthy, the president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media, even name-drops "Homeland" in his statement about "The Department," making it clear the companies would love for the George Clooney show to replicate the success of that long-running and prestigious (in its early seasons, anyway; I won't lie, I bailed out about half-way through its run) Claire Danes series, which was itself based on the Israeli drama show, "Prisoners of War." As McCarthy put it:
"Just as 'Homeland' elevated global espionage to new heights, 'The Department' will take viewers even deeper into a world of intrigue and subterfuge with complicated characters who struggle with their own demons as they fight existential threats to the nation and the world."
Who's working on The Department?
George Clooney will executive produce "The Department" with his trusted collaborator, fellow Oscar-winner, and, let it never be forgotten, "Congo" and "The Scorpion King" actor Grant Heslov, on top of directing. Other executive producers on the series include Keith Cox and Nina L. Diaz of MTV Entertainment Studios, along with David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari of 101 Studios. Alex Berger, who produced "The Bureau" for The Originals Productions, commented on the news about Clooney's adaptation, stating the company is "delighted to extend 'The Bureau's' DNA through 'The Department'" and take the franchise "to the next level, making a new high-stake international espionage show set today in a very complex geopolitical environment."
Press release hype aside, I am curious to see what becomes of "The Department." Showtime was never able to match its big cable competitor, HBO, when it came to viewership and acclaim in the pre-streaming era, yet as the home of shows as varied as "Masters of Sex," "Twin Peaks: The Return," and "Yellowjackets," it's also succeeded in fashioning a fascinating identity all its own. Fingers crossed, it will hold onto some of that weirdness amidst all the restructuring and changes happening behind closed doors right now.