Shiny New ‘Suits’? A No-Brainer Only Delayed by the Writers Strike

Tony Maglio
·4 min read

As Ron Burgundy once taught us, there’s only one thing a man can do when he’s suffering from a spiritual and existential funk — and no, Champ, it’s not go to the zoo and flip off the monkeys — it’s buy new “Suits.”

That’s what Universal, funk or no funk, is doing.

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A new “Suits” series, described to IndieWire as an “expansion” of the “Suits” world, is in development at UCP. “Suits” creator Aaron Korsh is the lead writer on the project, and several original EPs are likely to return. There is no pilot yet, we’re told, though this version will focus on new characters and likely take place in Los Angeles. (Think of “Suits” as “CSI” and New “Suits” as “CSI: Miami.”) Like the OG series, it’ll be a legal-based workplace drama/procedural.

It’s “possible” old “Suits” characters will return to interact with the new principals, a person with knowledge of the plans told IndieWire. Feel free to speculate wildly about Meghan Markle — but definitely don’t hold your breath.

Deadline first reported the news of the new “Suits” project.

Should the project be picked up to series (it definitely won’t air — or stream — this season), it will be exclusive to an NBCUniversal platform, we’re told. Which one is unknown, but NBC, USA Network, and Peacock would all be in the running.

In other words, Netflix will have to wait (at best — there are certainly no future windows set yet). That’s a bit of a bummer considering “Suits” has fit Netflix like, well, a finely tailored suit.

After a record 12 (straight) weeks atop Nielsen’s overall streaming chart, “Suits” slipped to number 2 in the week of September 11-17, 2023. It was the return of a Netflix original series, “Virgin River,” that finally fell “Suits” to second place: 2.1 billion minutes viewed to 1.9 billion. (“Suits” has been streaming’s top acquired program for each of its 13 weeks on Netflix.)

The mid-September week, reported on October 12 (the usual Nielsen timing), was the first time since launching on Netflix on June 17 that “Suits” slipped below 2 billion minutes viewed. Hell, it was the first time it slipped below 2.3 billion minutes.

Cashing in on the success is a no-brainer (especially since UCP and Korsh aren’t getting a ton of cash from the current Netflix licensing deal). In a way, this should probably have happened months ago — what took so long?

Mostly it was just the writers strike; Korsh and all other WGA writers were pencils down from early May until late September. A new “Suits” has probably been in development in Korsh’s brain since it first popped on Netflix. Discussions between Korsh and UCP began after the end of the strike, which is why the project is in such a preliminary state today, our source told us.

The actors are still on strike, with no immediate end in sight.

Through a rep, Korsh declined comment on this story.

SUITS, from left: Dule Hill, Tamberla Perry, 'Cairo', (Season 9, ep. 904, aired Aug. 7, 2019). photo: Ian Watson / ©USA Network / courtesy Everett Collection
Dule Hill and Tamberla Perry in “Suits”

“Suits” Seasons 1-8 are available on Netflix; Seasons 1-9 are on Peacock. Nielsen does not break out viewership by platform, but suffice it to say the vast majority — other than Season 9 — comes from Netflix. As of June 30, Netflix had 238.4 million global paid subscribers; Peacock had 24 million.

The first season of “Suits” has appeared on Netflix’s Global Top 10 series (English) four times. Though no other “Suits” season has made the global chart, the show’s first four seasons combined for a total of 28 appearances on the U.S. Top 10. Peacock does not share viewership data.

Whether you remember it or not, there already is a “Suits” spinoff. “Pearson,” which focused on Gina Torres’ “Suits” character Jessica Pearson, lasted for all of 10 episodes on USA Network in 2019. “Suits” aired from 2011-2019 on USA. The Netflix-fueled “Suits” phenomenon has increased viewership for “Pearson” on Peacock, a person with knowledge of the platform’s viewership metrics told indieWire.

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