NBC is getting ready to introduce a new drama this fall that does something different with the way TV stories are usually told. The series, called Line of Fire, follows a family of law enforcement officers who work across different government agencies. But the real talking point among TV watchers is how the show plans to handle its storytelling. Showrunner Josh Safran recently explained that the series will mix two formats that network television does not often combine in one show.
The series stars Peter Krause, who many know from 9-1-1, Six Feet Under, and Parenthood, alongside Hope Davis, Kat Cunning, Tommy O’Brien, Taylor Bloom, and Charlie Barnett. Line of Fire premieres on September 21, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
What the Showrunner Said About Mixing Two Formats
Josh Safran, who created the series and also worked on Gossip Girl and Quantico, sat down with the cast and crew this week for an interview. During that conversation, he talked about how Line of Fire would work. He said the show would be a mix of episodic and serialized storytelling.
For viewers who do not follow TV industry terms, episodic means each episode tells a complete story that starts and ends within that hour. Very little from past episodes carries over into the next one. Serialized means the plot continues across many episodes, with events from one episode affecting what happens later. Shows like Game of Thrones are purely serialized, while many police procedurals are mostly episodic.
Safran described his approach this way:
“As I said earlier, I’m kind of drawn to sort of the throwback. All the shows that I binge are the type that I hope this is. You can watch an episode and feel like you saw a story, a beginning, middle, and end, but there still is stuff that will drive you to the next episode. So I’d say 80/20, sometimes 90/10, sometimes more.”
He pointed to The West Wing and The Good Wife as examples of what he means.
“Think The West Wing, The Good Wife. On The Good Wife, they’d solve a case, the case would be over, but the emotions would still be with the characters. I’d say we carry that over. And then of course there is a conspiracy element that continues.”
Safran also made it clear that the show would mostly give viewers a new case to follow each week.
“There will be some episodes that are dialed up, but most of the time you’re gonna follow a case every week. You’re gonna see one or more of these family members solve a case every week. That’s very important to all of us, including me. I’ve been very excited to do a procedural forever.”
What the Show Is About
Line of Fire centers on the Hollingsworth family. They are a family of law enforcement agents who work for the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, the Secret Service, and the Department of Justice. The official synopsis says the show starts when a seemingly simple case turns into a deadly conspiracy. The family has to use everything they have learned from years of protecting others to protect each other and bring the killer to justice, even if that means breaking the rules they swore to follow.
Peter Krause plays Mike Hollingsworth, the family patriarch and a Secret Service agent. Hope Davis plays his wife Jane. The couple is separated at the start of the series. Their children include Clare (played by Kat Cunning), Russ (played by Taylor Bloom), and Mike “Micah” Hollingsworth Jr. (played by Tommy O’Brien). Charlie Barnett also appears in a main role.
Krause has described the show as “a fantastic family-centered show” and “an action thriller”. He also mentioned that his character has a strained relationship with his middle son, Micah, who also works in the Secret Service.
Why This Mix of Formats Matters for Viewers
Network television has mostly moved toward either fully procedural shows or fully serialized dramas in recent years. Procedurals like the Law & Order and Chicago franchises solve a new case every episode. Serialized shows ask viewers to watch every episode in order to follow the story.
Line of Fire is trying to give viewers both experiences at the same time. The show wants to offer a complete story in each episode while also building a larger mystery across the whole season. This approach is not completely new. Some of the DC shows on The CW used a similar mix of episodic and serialized storytelling. But it remains rare for a network drama to attempt this balance, especially one that airs in a competitive timeslot.
Safran explained that the episodic cases will show how the Hollingsworth family members deal with their personal differences while working in different agencies. Each family member comes from a different professional background, which creates natural conflict. The cases they solve each week will give viewers a look into how they handle those differences.
The serialized part of the show will focus on the larger conspiracy that the family becomes involved in after the death of a U.S. Marshal. That mystery will continue across episodes and give viewers a reason to come back each week.
Production Team and Behind-the-Scenes Details
Josh Safran serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Jenna Bush Hager, the Today show host, is also an executive producer along with Ben Spector. Rebecca Thomas directed the pilot and also serves as an executive producer.
Bush Hager has said that the show’s premise partly comes from her own childhood experiences growing up under Secret Service protection while her father, George W. Bush, was president. She described the series as a mix of family drama and mystery.
The series is produced by Universal Television and Westbrook Studios. NBC officially picked up Line of Fire in May 2026 as part of its fall schedule announcement. The network also ordered three other new shows for the 2026-27 season: a Rockford Files reboot, the comedy Newlyweds, and the comedy Sunset P.I.
Related:
When and Where to Watch
Line of Fire debuts on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. The show airs after The Voice, which gives it a strong lead-in audience. New episodes will stream the next day on Peacock. The show will stay in the 10 p.m. timeslot throughout the fall.
For more updates on new TV shows, casting news, and premiere dates, keep checking back for the latest stories on upcoming series and what to watch this season.
Leave a Reply