TNT’s ‘Lost Angels’ Talks Season 2 Possibility, ‘L.A. Noir’ Name Change

It's been a good long while since 'The Walking Dead' showrunner Frank Darabont left the AMC drama and went on to plot period piece 'Lost Angels' at TNT, and longer still since we'd known when the drama would premiere. With the first six episodes largely in the can, the cast and crew recently met to discuss the future possibilities of the former 'L.A. Noir' series, and future name changes in store.

Though only six episodes will comprise the first season, TNT president Michael Wright previewed that the December release “set up a beautiful season 2,” and creates a “fantastic mystery established in the pilot that will invest you in the outcome.” Future seasons may consist of 12 episodes, though Wright added that production would likely keep releases in the colder months, never shooting more than a dozen episodes per season.

Written and directed by Frank Darabont, ‘Lost Angels’ revolves around the police force’s pursuit of mobster Mickey Cohen and takes its basis from John Buntin’s book ‘L.A. Noir: The Struggle For the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City,’ which recounts the story of decades-long conflicts between the LAPD and the city’s criminals. The series features ‘The Walking Dead‘ star Jon Bernthal as Joe Teague, the LAPD cop at the center of the drama, and ‘Heroes’ alum Milo Ventimiglia as a former marine who served with Bernthal’s character during World War II and now works as a budding lawyer for the mob.

Rounding out the high-profile cast is '24' vet Louis Lombardi, Iddo Goldberg, ‘LOST‘ and ‘Mad Men‘ alum Patrick Fischler, ‘Anger Management‘ star Stephen Monroe, Ed Burns as Bugsy Siegel, ‘Ghostbusters‘ star Ernie Hudson, former ‘Justified’ guest star Neal McDonough as LAPD Chief Parker, Darabont collaborator Jeffrey DeMunn as detective Hal Morrison, and Alexa Davalos as Jasmine, a “beauty with a complicated past.” Also, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness‘ and ‘The World’s End‘ star Simon Pegg will appear in the show’s pilot as third-rate comedian and mob hanger-on Hecky Nash.

As for the infamous controversy over the show's name, Darabont offered, “It was not available. It was one of those things lawyers tell you can or cannot do,” before jokingly suggesting a switch to “Joe Gets the Sh-t Beat Out of Him." Gore and violence won't prove a problem either, as Darabont revealed, “what [Michael] really said to me was: 'I want to give my Standards and Practices people sleepless nights.'”

We'll keep you up to date on the latest from TNT's period mob drama, but what say you? Are you on board for 'Lost Angels' yet?