Is Peter Krause’s ‘Line of Fire’ inspired by real-life incidents? George Bush’s daughter and creator clear air
NBC is all set to come out with another procedural titled 'Line of Fire.' The show stars Peter Krause as Secret Service agent Mike Hollingsworth and Hope Davis as U.S. Marshal Jane Hollingsworth, alongside Kat Cunning, Taylor Bloom, Tommy O'Brien, and Charlie Barnett. The show has no heavy hitters on screen but also has the same caliber behind the scenes. Jenna Bush Hager, who is currently a host on TODAY, is involved in the show as an executive producer alongside creator Joshua Safran and Ben Spector. For those unaware, Jenna is the daughter of 43rd President George W. Bush. The highly anticipated series is apparently inspired by her experience growing up with Secret Service protection.
The show follows the Hollingsworth family, whose members work across several U.S. protective agencies including the FBI, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, and Department of Justice. Jenna highlights the personal sacrifices these agents make while balancing family and professional responsibilities. "I had Secret Servicemen who would leave their family to protect mine," Jenna said at NBCUniversal's Backlot Pass event. "And so the dynamics of that are very much part of the DNA of what [creator] Josh [Safran] has written, which I think is brilliant and smart."
The network has released the procedural's official logline. "A family of law enforcement agents bridges personal differences and crosses professional boundaries as they tackle cases for the FBI, US Marshals, Secret Service and Department of Justice. After a seemingly cut-and-dry case turns into a deadly conspiracy, they must use the expertise from a lifetime of protecting civilians and politicians to protect one another and bring the killer to justice … even if it means betraying their sworn code," the description reads.
Nothing else has been revealed, but Safran hinted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly about a storyline about the first daughter. "It's been really fun, because it's not very often where you are writing about a first daughter in the White House and one text away is your producer, who is a first daughter who lived in the White House," Safran said of Jenna. The show also involved Secret Service agents who worked with Jenna, Obama, and Clinton regimes to develop an authentic story. "And we have a U.S. Marshall consultant, and an FBI consultant. But we also have Jenna, who is like the ultimate consultant," Safran added.
The first daughter will apparently romance the Secret Service agent assigned to her. Jenna emphasizes that the storyline is fictional with no basis in reality. She stated so during her March appearance on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' to promote the show. "I love that, initially, when we first talked about this, she was sort of like, 'Well, I don't want this to reflect on what my lived experience was,' because we don't want anyone to think that this is a show about what Jenna lived through," Safran explained while talking about how much the show leaned on Jenna's experiences.
Ultimately, the show tries to showcase the bravery of the Secret Service Agents, but in fictional settings. It is an inspiration, not a recreation. "It's actually based on protective units, but some of my experience with Secret Service, who now that I'm a full-grown adult realize they sacrificed a lot to hang out with my family and me. And it's, I think, a tribute to them, but it's a mystery, and it's fun," Jenna explained to Kelly Clarkson. 'Line of Fire' premieres Monday, September 21, 10/9c, only on NBC.
