House star Hugh Laurie will be playing another TV doctor on the new Hulu series Chance.
According to Deadline, Hulu has picked up the show for two full seasons of 10 episodes each. Based on the novel by Kem Nunn, Chance will see Laurie playing Dr. Eldon Chance, a forensic neuropsychiatrist who becomes involved in a dangerous world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness. The book was published in 2014, and it has been in talks for a TV deal ever since.
The series comes from Fox 21 TV, and Hulu actually outbid traditional television networks for the rights to the show. This could be the streaming service's first piece of original content to really compete with programs like House of Cards and Transparent on Netflix and Amazon, respectively.
Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives) will serve as showrunner, while Room director Lenny Abrahamson will executive produce and direct a few episodes.
Laurie had apparently been the studio's top choice for the titular character, and he was approached for the role 18 months ago. The House actor has not lead a TV series since that medical drama ended in 2012, so Chance will be something of a return for him. He did, however, appear in a guest spot on Veep last season.
"Hugh has very strong feelings, and he will be involved in every aspect of production,” said Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke.
Production is expected to begin in the spring.