Is Suits the same as Suits LA? Explained
Suits LA is a new legal drama on NBC that stars Stephen Amell as the main protagonist, Ted Black. Ted is a former prosecutor in New York who chose to become an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. It also stars Josh McDermitt as Stuart Lane, Ted's former friend and partner who became his rival, Lex Scott Davis as Erica, and Bryan Greenberg as Rick.
Suits LA is a spinoff series and is not the same as the original Suits, although both shows are set in the same legal universe. Besides the different settings, with the original show set in New York and the spinoff in Los Angeles, the two shows are comprised of different main cast members as well.
Suits LA wasn't originally part of the Suits universe, per the series creator
The origin of Suits LA is separate from the original Suits series. When Suits creator Aaron Korsh wrote the script, he was writing it based on the real-life experience of someone he knows. A man named Ted Chervin, who formerly worked as a New York prosecutor before becoming an agent in Hollywood, was the inspiration behind the story.
While Suits LA is not based on a real-life story, it was inspired by Chervin's career trajectory. In fact, as Korsh said, per Deadline's August 2024 feature on Ted Black, the script was originally called Ted, but several studios have passed on it. At one point, the title was changed to Hindsight until it was renamed to what it is called now when the script found its way to NBCUniversal.
In the original storyline, it was implied that Ted was working in a talent agency. However, per the outlet, NBCU exec Alex Sepiol reportedly asked Korsh if he would consider replacing the talent agency and make it into a law firm. Another exec, Lisa Katz, reportedly read the Hindsight script and asked Korsh if they could use "Suits" in the title.
And while Korsh allegedly wasn't keen on revisiting the OG series for a new show, according to Deadline, he was open to expanding the Suits universe by making new stories with new characters. The product of reworking his original script became Suits LA.
Suits LA similarities and differences from the original Suits series
Both the original Suits series and the spinoff exist in the same legal universe, although their locations are different. The OG show is set in New York, while the spinoff takes place in Los Angeles. That said, the spinoff's Ted Black is originally from New York, and he existed there in the same timeline as Suits' main star, Harvey Specter, played by Gabriel Macht, at some point.
Both shows are also created by Aaron Korsh, and they feature the same theme song, Greenback Boogie, by the American rock band Ima Robot. Both shows also deal with legal drama, focusing on the hectic and sometimes dangerous lives and cases of lawyers. That said, they feature different cast members and premise.
The original show has Macht alongside Patrick J. Adams as Mike Ross, Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen, and Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt, among others. It is a dual-lead show with Harvey and Mike. Meanwhile, the spinoff is a single-lead show that stars Amell as Ted Black with an ensemble cast that includes Josh McDermitt, Lex Scott Davis, Maggie Grace, Bryan Greenberg, and more.
Another main difference between the two shows is that the original aired on USA Network, while the spinoff premiered on NBC. But because both shows exist in the same universe, there have been guest appearances from the OG cast members in the spinoff, like Macht's Harvey Specter in Suits LA season 1 episode 4.
Catch released episodes of Suits LA on Peacock, with new episodes scheduled for weekly releases on Sunday nights on NBC and on Peacock the very next day.
