“Quiet on the set!” is heard as actors take their places in front of historic Memphis landmarks like the National Civil Rights Museum, the Peabody, the Zoo or even the riverfront. “Bluff City Law” is a crime show about a father and daughter legal duo that is new to premiere on NBC. The pilot only aired on Sept. 23, and so far Memphians everywhere have taken to the show.

“I am looking forward to watching it,” Lily Zeng (11) said. “I think ‘Bluff City Law’ will be even more special because it focuses on the city I live in.”

“Bluff City Law” is set to feature plenty of headliners including Jimmy Smits (“L.A. Law”), Jayne Atkinson (“House of Cards”), Barry Sloane (“Revenge”), and Caitlin McGee (“Grey’s Anatomy”). 

In addition to showcasing many Hollywood stars, the show will also highlight several of Memphis’s landmarks, potentially bringing in plenty of tourists and high paying jobs for the city of Memphis.

“[The show itself] offers the viewer a new scene. There’s not a lot of Memphis being seen on TV,” Thomas Woodly, the driver for head actor Jimmy Smits, said. 

Citizens and policymakers alike are very welcoming to the notion of a big show staying in Memphis for many reasons.

“They were so positive and open about us [the crew & cast of ‘Bluff City Law’] being there and showing it in a great light,” Jimmy Smits, the male lead, told WMC Action News 5 in an interview. 

Woodley said audiences can expect “a very authentic, current-day, thought-provoking” show that tells a real “David and Goliath” story, representative of Memphis’s scenery and history of battling civil rights.

“Memphis truly is a wonderful city, and I think that media attention could be beneficial to the future of Memphis,” Zeng said.