Rebecca Romijn (
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Partners in crime (fighting): King (Tenney)and Maxwell (Rebecca Romijn). (
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TNT’s new summer drama, “King & Maxwell,” is basically a buddy-cop drama, except that one of the buddies is a super-hot former super model.
That formula isn’t entirely original. Another of TNT’s summer dramas features also plays like a buddy-cop show, but with a girlie twist: both partners on “Rizzoli & Isles” — Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) — are pretty easy on the eyes.
But if TV’s taught us anything over the years — whether it was Farrah, Jaclyn and Kate in “Charlie’s Angels,” Lynda Carter in “Wonder Woman” or Sarah Michelle Gellar in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” — looking good doesn’t mean you can’t kick butt. And that’s exactly what Rebecca Romijn, playing ex-Secret Service agent Michelle Maxwell with a lot of athletic intent, does here.
Romijn is joined by Jon Tenney, fresh off of TNT’s long-running legal hit, “The Closer.” Tenney plays Sean King, another ex-Secret Service agent who has since added a law degree to his bag of tricks.
After both suffered career-ending events, they’re in business for themselves as private investigators. Although King might want to be a little more than just business partners with Maxwell — a tomboyish-type who seems entirely unaware of her sex appeal — for now, he’s playing it safe. Instead of getting it on, the two scratch their flirtatious itch by chasing down criminals and getting into verbal sparring matches.
In the show’s pilot episode, the pair suddenly find themselves solving a murder after one of King’s friends, another lawyer, is killed. Like most crime procedurals, the answer to episode’s central mystery isn’t as simple as it first appears to be.
Romijn last appeared on television in “Burning Love” and “Chuck,” while Tenney — a TV veteran — had roles in “Major Crimes,” “The Closer” (also on TNT) and “The Newsroom.”
Like “Rizzoli & Isles,” “King & Maxwell” is based on a best-selling series of books. Five novels comprise David Baldacci’s King & Maxwell series: 2003’s “Split Second,” 2004’s “Hour Game,” 2007’s “Simple Genius,” 2009’s “First Family” and 2011’s “The Sixth Man.”
Baldacci, whose name can often be found atop best-seller lists, is serving as a series consultant on the show.
“King & Maxwell” was created and executive produced by Shane Brennan, who also executive produces CBS’ hit dramas, “NCIS” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” both of which are among the most-watched shows on television.
“King & Maxwell” premieres on Monday, June 10, at 10 p.m., right after the second-season premiere of Tenney’s former show, “Major Crimes,” which was spun-off last summer from the long-running drama, “The Closer,” which starred Kyra Sedgwick.
King & Maxwell
Monday, 10 p.m., TNT