TNT Picks Up Frank Darabont's 'L.A. Noir' to Series

After his very infamous ousting as showrunner and executive producer of AMC's The Walking Dead, Frank Darabont went to another cable network, TNT, where he began developing another series -- this one the period drama L.A. Noir. He took with him Walking Dead stars Jon Bernthal and Jeffrey Demunn, who left the series in the second season to work with Darabont again. 

It's no longer titled L.A. Noir -- there's probably a bit of a dispute with the video game of the same name -- but Darabont's pilot has been picked up to series. The still untitled series follows the battle between L.A. police chief William Parker and mob boss Mickey Cohen. 

Justified's Neal McDonough will play William Parker, while there is no confirmed actor for the character of Mickey Cohen. Bernthal will play LAPD cop Joe Teague, while Milo Ventimiglia will play Teague's friend Ned Stax, who works for the mob. Demunn will portray Hal Morrison, a detective put in charge of the mob squad. British actor Simon Pegg has already been nabbed to be a guest star. 

The show has been picked up for a six-episode first season, with an as-yet undecided premiere date in 2013. 

The series seems a little similar in concept and setting to CBS's new series Vegas, as well as the upcoming film Gangster Squad. Will viewers be tired of gangsters by the time the series premieres? It's possible, but with the pedigree of names involved, it's hard not to be at the very last intrigued. 

The as-yet untitled series will premiere sometime in 2013.