The new CBS series “So Help Me Todd” premieres Thursday (Sept. 29), and Portland viewers may notice some very familiar references. That’s because the comedy-drama was created by Scott Prendergast, who grew up in Portland, and the show takes place in the Rose City.
(“So Help Me Todd” premieres at 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 on CBS. You can live stream the show on fubo TV, which offers a free trial; the show also streams on Paramount Plus.)
Unfortunately, “So Help Me Todd” was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, not in Portland. “I tried to get the show shot in Portland, but I couldn’t pull it off,” as Prendergast told The Oregonian/OregonLive in a recent interview. “The Canadian dollar was too attractive.”
Skylar Astin (”Pitch Perfect”) stars as Todd Wright, a private investigator who has lost his license because of some bad decisions. Todd is good at his profession, but he has a habit of using less-than-ethical methods at times.
Marcia Gay Harden costars as Margaret Wright, a rule-following attorney in Portland, who is exasperated at her son’s inability to make a living, and get himself together. Despite their personality clashes, when Margaret’s husband suddenly disappears, Todd determines to find the missing man.
That plotline is inspired by Prendergast’s life, and his own experience in helping find his mother’s missing husband. In the TV version, Margaret comes to see that, despite his habit of cutting corners, Todd is an effective investigator, and she hires him to work at her law firm.
Want to see more? “So Help Me Todd” premieres at 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 on CBS.
— Kristi Turnquist
503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist
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