The US Network has been without an original drama series for five years since the one-and-done “Briarpatch.” The long-awaited “The Rainmaker,” a John Grisham adaptation, aims to revive the channel’s blue sky brand. However, based on its first five episodes, it’s unlikely to succeed.
USA’s blue sky era was characterized by breezy procedurals like “Monk” and “Psych,” which propelled the network to become the No. 1 network on basic cable. The channel then shifted to prestige TV with “Mr. Robot” in 2015, but ultimately scaled back its original programming due to contraction.
The announcement of “The Rainmaker” marked a reported pivot back to the blue sky strategy after “Suits” became successful on Netflix. However, USA’s parent company, Comcast, recently announced plans to spin off USA and other linear channels into a separate company called Versant. This has raised concerns about the channel’s ability to invest in new programming.
“The Rainmaker” follows young law school graduate Rudy Baylor as he navigates his way through a prestigious law firm. Despite a lack of energy and dimension, the show attempts to humanize Rudy, but ultimately falls short. The older generation of lawyers, particularly John Slattery’s character Leo, outshine their mentees with more depth and charisma.
With modest budgets and cheap-looking sets, “The Rainmaker” maintains Blumhouse’s reputation for unglamorous productions. However, it seems unlikely to recapture the success of previous glossy legal dramas like “Suits.” The show will premiere on USA and Peacock on August 15th, but its chances of reviving the blue sky brand are slim.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/the-rainmaker-review-usa-1236487000