“The whole feeling of the show heightened”

Murder on a small scale City ended its first season on Tuesday (November 26) with a dramatic two-parter that was a game-changer for the Fox drama. Of course, the show’s success with audiences (particularly among Hulu streamers, which brought the channel great success) is due to the unique chemistry between the two leads, Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk. But it certainly didn’t hurt from the start, as legendary star of the small screen James Cromwell was there as a featured guest. According to executive producer Jeff Wachtel, it was actually Cromwell’s casting that gave the series a crucial “enhancement.”

In the pilot, Cromwell played George Wilcox, a beloved local man and friend of Cassandra, who reported finding his brother-in-law Carlyle dead in his home. Karl Alberg’s investigative skills eventually helped him discover that it was Wilcox who beat the man to death in a moment of excitement after badmouthing his late sister. They decided to show the man mercy and allowed him to escape, even though they knew he had committed the bloody crime and even destroyed evidence right in front of their eyes.

The role was originally intended for the late, great Donald Sutherland, who almost starred in a film based on the same concept and wanted to take over the role in the series before he fell ill. But when he was no longer available, producers decided to dream big.

“When you make a wish list you know you’re not going to get it, but James Cromwell would be my choice,” Wachtel recalls. Thanks to a connection with his agent, he was able to present the script to him, but he didn’t hold his breath. “I said, ‘I know it’s a Fox trial.’ He is excluded from the Emmy nominations Consequence.’ And she said, “Well, he responds to material, so send it.” And we did that, and it was a really good script, and the part is really good. And he said, ‘Okay.'”

The assignment was so exciting that the network was willing to pony up a little more money to sign such a high-profile artist. “I went to Fox, who were a very good partner, and said, ‘We can take you to Cromwell for the pilot,’ and they said, ‘How much? We are in. We share. We share it with you.’”

“I was so honored that James said, ‘Yes, this is something I want to do,'” Wachtel added. “I mean, this is a legendary 85-year-old actor who traveled from New York to an island off Vancouver and, by the way, is a total professional. He’s towing this rowboat shot. He was incredible.”

Wachtel admitted that hiring Cromwell involved a very special type of driver: “His only request was that he needed an extra-large mattress because he’s about 6 feet tall,” Wachtel explained. “He was incredible. And it was so nice to have it at the beginning of the season because just watching him and Rossif together added to the overall feel of the show.”

Murder in a small townStreaming, Hulu