ABC has ordered a second season of midseason legal drama series For Life. The show, from creator Hank Steinberg, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Sony Pictures TV and ABC Studios, was one of two freshman series left on the bubble by ABC after it made the bulk of its renewals and cancellations last month. The other, The Baker and the Beauty, has been canceled.
Following a modest ratings start, For Life, Inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr. who was wrongfully convicted as drug kingpin but got his conviction overturned while in prison and became a licensed attorney, quickly developed a following. Its prospects were boosted by solid digital viewership despite soft linear numbers. Additionally, the network brass have been big fans of series’ star Nicholas Pinnock and believed in the show’s potential, though some adjustments to the concept are expected for Season 2.
Already considered a solid contender for renewal, For Life became one of the timeliest series on television following the death of George Floyd, which triggered massive protests and reopened the national conversation about racial equality and social justice.
For Life is a fictional serialized legal and family drama about an imprisoned man, Aaron Wallace (Pinnock), who becomes a lawyer litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. His quest for freedom is driven by his desperate desire to get back to the family he loves – his estranged wife and daughter – and reclaim the life that was stolen from him. For Life also examines the flaws and challenges in our penal and legal systems.
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“For Life just got renewed for season two by ABC!,” Jackson said. “It’s more than just a show, it’s a fight for justice and we’re keeping the fight going. Isaac Wright Jr stood up to the system and won his freedom and now more than ever, we need to keep telling the story inspired by his life. Creator Hank Steinberg and his team of writers are ready to continue exploring and exposing the flaws in the system which is so important now more than ever. I told you it would happen.”
Pinnock, Indira Varma, Joy Bryant, Dorian Missick and Tyla Harris star along with Mary Stuart Masterson, Boris McGiver and Timothy Busfield.
Steinberg, Tillman, Jackson and his G-Unit Film & Television production company and Wright Jr. executive produce alongside Robinson and Greenspan via Doug Robinson Productions.
“It has been a profound honor working with Isaac Wright, Jr. and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson to create a show that, through the prism of Isaac’s experience in our broken criminal justice system, has been able to highlight the racial inequality that plagues this country,” Steinberg said. “The show’s renewal will allow us to continue to do that and I am extremely grateful to Sony Pictures Television and ABC for all of their support.”
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