Training Day
Justin Cornwell and Bill Paxton star in CBS’ newest series, “Training Day.” CBS

Announced in 2015, CBS’s “Training Day” will make its highly-anticipated debut tonight. Based on the gritty 2001 film which won Denzel Washington an Academy Award for best actor, the TV series stars Bill Paxton as Detective Frank Roark and Justin Cornwell as officer Kyle Craig. Both fans of the movie and new audiences will want to know a few things before tuning in.

1. Antoine Fuqua is involved. If you’re a fan of the film and are worried the show will be handled by new people, fear no more. Director Antoine Fuqua, who directed the original film, teamed up with Jerry Bruckheimer to develop and executive produce the series.

2. The series is “its own thing.” While the new show will take place in the same universe as the 2001 film, executive producer Will Beall said it won’t be the same as the film. “We considered that sacred ground,” said Beall at the 2017 Television Critics Association Winter Tour. “We are distinct in that our tone is really fun.”

3. Its set 15 years after the film. With original film having premiered in 2001, the series will take place 15 years after the events of the movie. Rookie officer Kyle Craig teams up with the rogue detective Frank Roarke, the head of the LAPD’s Special Investigation Unit.

4. Actors Katrina Law and Drew Van Acker round out the team. Law will play Detective Rebecca Lee, an SIS officer who was saved by Roarke at the age of 14, while Van Acker plays Detective Tommy Campbell, another SIS officer.

5. The series is taking over “Pure Genius.” The new TV series will take over the Thursday slot which was held by the medical drama, “Pure Genius.”

6. The first four episodes are planned for February. The first episode of “Training Day” will premiere at 10 p.m. EST with the episode, “Apocalypse Now.” The next three episodes are all scheduled for Thursdays during the month of February.

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