On April 5, 2010, USA announced that it was developing seven new pilots for its 2010–2011 television season, including A Legal Mind, which would later become Suits.[1][2] The premiere was written by Aaron Korsh, and David Bartis and Gene Klein served as executive producers.[2][3] It was later announced on May 17, 2010 that USA ordered a ninety-minute cast-contingent pilot for the series.[4] The network later picked up A Legal Mind on January 19, 2011 and ordered eleven one-hour episodes in addition to the 90-minute pilot.[5][6]
Creator Aaron Korsh, whose Notes from the Underbellysitcom was canceled during the 2007–2008 Writers' Strike, wrote a spec script intended to be a "half-hour Entourage-type based on my experiences working on Wall Street." He later realized that the project should have hour-long episodes. Korsh and his agent took the script to several production companies and wanted to give the script to Universal Media Studios. However, Korsh found it odd that the studio did not want to sell the script to NBC, the network the studio typically worked with. Korsh's agent convinced USA Network executive Alex Sepiol that although the series was neither a procedural nor what the network typically did, he would like the characters. Sepiol approved of the script, and by then, Hypnotic Films & Television signed on to the project. The team pitched the script to USA, which bought the script after the pitch. Korsh did not pitch it to anyone else. When rewriting the script, Korsh made only small changes to the first half-hour, up to when Mike is hired. Originally, Mike did not take LSATs for others and only pretends to have attended Harvard, as opposed to pretending he attended Harvard and has a law degree. Korsh noted that there is no degree or test needed to work on Wall Street and be a mathematical genius, unlike the bar examination in law. He decided to "embrace" this difference and change the premise.[7]
The pilot episode was filmed in New York City, where the series is set.[8] The rest of the series is filmed in Toronto, where the sets are built to be identical to the New York law offices seen in the pilot.[9]
To promote the series debut, USA had an advance screening of the pilot on June 2, 2011 at the Hudson River Park and distributed free Häagen-Dazs Sundaes cones at the viewing.[10][11] The network also had branded ice cream carts, bikes, and scooters give away the Sundaes and USA/Entertainment Weekly 2011 promotion summer guides on June 22 and June 23 in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston to promote the pilot.[10][12]
Six actors received star billing in the show's first season. Each character works at the fictional Pearson Hardman law firm in Manhattan. Gabriel Macht plays corporate lawyerHarvey Specter, who is promoted to senior partner and is forced to hire an associate attorney.[13][14]Patrick J. Adams plays college dropout Mike Ross, who wins the associate position with his eidetic memory and genuine desire to be a good lawyer.[15][16]Rick Hoffman plays Louis Litt, Harvey's jealous rival and the direct supervisor of the firm's first-year associates.[17][18]Meghan Markle plays Rachel Zane, a paralegal who aspires to be an attorney but her test anxiety prevents her from attending Harvard Law School.[19]Sarah Rafferty plays Donna Paulsen, Harvey's long-time legal secretary, confidant, and initially the only one at the firm who knows Mike never attended law school.[20] Rafferty was recommended for the role by Macht, who had been friends with Rafferty for twenty years at the time of production. When she auditioned for the role, Korsh felt she was best actress for the part.[21]Gina Torres plays Jessica Pearson, the co-founder and managing partner of the firm.[19]
The season also featured several recurringguest stars. Tom Lipinski appeared in four episodes as Mike's drug-dealing best friend Trevor Evans, whose friendship with Mike deteriorates throughout the season. Vanessa Ray plays Trevor's girlfriend Jenny Griffith in seven episodes. Rebecca Schull plays Edith Ross, Mike's grandmother and caretaker after his parents' deaths, in two episodes. Ben Hollingsworth appears in two episodes as Kyle Durant, Mike's rival and fellow associate, and Max Topplin appears in four episodes as Harold Gunderson, another associate.
Securing a senior partnership at Pearson Hardman, New York City's premier closer, Harvey Specter, is tasked with recruiting a new associate from Harvard Law. Unexpectedly, his search introduces him to Mike Ross, a college dropout who was evading a marijuana sting operation, and stumbled into Harvey's interview accidentally. Impressed by Mike's photographic memory and kindred personality, Harvey overlooks Mike's lack of a law degree and hires him, advising him to disassociate from his criminal past. Later, Harvey's promotion is threatened when he fails to close a case due to covert interference from another partner, Louis Litt. Managing partner Jessica Pearson considers reversing Harvey's promotion but offers him a chance at redemption: personally handling a pro bono case involving sexual harassment allegations by a woman (portrayed by Dagmara Dominczyk). Yet, despite this directive, Harvey delegates this task to Mike.
A judge (Currie Graham) insists that Harvey had an affair with his wife (Nazanin Boniadi) and refuses to fairly judge Harvey's case. Meanwhile, Louis Litt, another partner at Pearson Hardman, reveals that Mike failed his drug test and blackmails him into smoking marijuana to win over a prestigious client.
When the new CEO of a motor company wants to move production overseas, Harvey and Mike try to find a loophole to oust him and persuade one of the company's most loyal employees (Titus Welliver) to take the job of CEO. Meanwhile, Mike prepares for the Rookie Dinner and tries to convince his friend Trevor (Tom Lipinski) to stop dealing marijuana.
Harvey defends Jessica's ex-husband (Russell Hornsby) from allegations that his ALS medication is causing serious side effects. Meanwhile, Mike is assigned his first solo case, and his secret is almost discovered.
Harvey must choose between closing a lucrative deal and helping his trusted driver (Anand Rajaram) defend against a lawsuit. Meanwhile, Trevor has given up dealing drugs and needs Mike to help him restart his life and escape his past.
Mike and Harvey work together to defend a woman (Jenny Mollen), who they believe has been falsely accused of insider trading. Mike helps Rachel study for the LSAT, but he struggles to hide the fact that he used to take the LSAT for others.
Mike is pitted against one of Louis' protégés (Ben Hollingsworth) in a mock trial. Harvey takes on an old rival and romantic interest (Abigail Spencer). Rachel is a witness in the mock trial, and Mike accepts defeat in order to not hurt her.
The daughter (Amanda Crew) of a businessman (James Morrison) threatens to reveal Mike's secret unless he and the firm drop the case they have against her while Harvey tries to fix problems Louis has made for the firm. She turns out to be a skilled hacker, who creates an entry for Mike in Harvard's computer system tracking graduates, along with attaining a replacement copy of the degree.
Harvey must decide if he can break his ethical code in order to defeat shady lawyer Travis Tanner (Eric Close). Meanwhile, Rachel is accused of leaking Pearson Hardman information to a competitor and is defended by Mike. Cleared, she returns to Pearson Hardman and obtains a raise from Louis.
Mike and Harvey have to fire a man (John Billingsley) who has been working for nine years with a fake diploma. Mike identifies with this man and defends him, revealing a conspiracy. Mike and Rachel struggle with their feelings for each other while Louis creates a rift in Mike's relationship with Jenny Griffith (Vanessa Ray).
The district attorney and Harvey's former mentor (Gary Cole) turns to his protégé when his office is being investigated for burying evidence. Meanwhile, Mike and Louis try to divide a mogul's estate between his two daughters, and Jenny worries that Mike is hiding something.
Harvey tries to correct a past mistake by freeing an innocent man. However, the new district attorney (Chi McBride) seems more focused on preserving the system than seeking justice. Elsewhere, Trevor returns and seeks help from Mike.
Ratings
The pilot episode gained a 1.6 ratings share among adults aged 18–49 and garnered an estimated 4.6 million viewers, making the episode the ninth most watched basic cable show for the week.[22][34] The episode was watched by 2 million people aged 18–49 and by 2.1 million people aged 24–54, a double-digit increase over the January premiere of the network's other legal drama Fairly Legal.[35] The second episode, which aired June 30, experienced a four-tenths ratings drop, which was attributed to the holiday weekend.[23] However, the episode's ratings were bolstered by a high DVR viewings.[36] The ratings rose the next week garnering 4.5 million views with a 1.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.[24] The premiere of Jersey Shore, which shares the Thursday 10pm timeslot with Suits, caused a decrease in ratings, a trend that continued for the rest of the season.[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Together, Burn Notice and Suits were the top scripted shows in primetime television, and no other network aired a scripted series that garnered over four million total viewers, one million viewers aged 25–54, or one million viewers aged 18–49. Suits was ranked third in males aged 18–49 and males aged 25–54.[37] The series made USA Network the most watched network in the Thursday 10pm timeslot and gained more total viewers and households than any other scripted series in the timeslot.[37] The series had the network's third best performing premiere season in viewers aged 18–49, in viewers aged 18–34, and in total viewers.[38]
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