Danger Lurks in Vast Landscapes as David E. Kelley’s Thriller BIG SKY Debuts on CTV

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Kylie Bunbury succinctly summed up BIG SKY in eight words. “Come for the thrill, stay for the characters,” said Bunbury, one of the stars of the new drama-thriller, which debuts Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV. Created and executive produced by the legendary David E. Kelley, BIG SKY follows private detectives Cassie Dewell (played by Bunbury) and Cody Hoyt (Ryan Phillippe), who join forces with Cody’s estranged wife and ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick) to search for two sisters who have disappeared on a remote highway in Montana. When they discover that these are not the only girls who have gone missing in the area over the past couple of years, the race against the clock intensifies. Kelley’s TV resume dates back many decades, to hit network shows L.A. LAW, THE PRACTICE, ALLY MCBEAL, and many more. In recent years he has been known for top-drawer cable fare, such as HBO’s BIG LITTLE LIES and THE UNDOING, the latter of which currently is airing new episodes Sundays on Crave. Needless to say, Kelley’s return to network TV with BIG SKY – which is based on a book series by C.J. Box – has created considerable anticipation and expectation. “First and foremost, it’s a thriller,” Kelley said. “What drew me in first was the plot, the tension. And then, what resonated after that was the layering of the characters. When we set about adapting it, the biggest challenge for me was to be able to deliver what the books did, and that is the tension, the thrill, the drama, the relational equations of the characters, which were rich and profound at times, and then, the sense of escapism. It’s a great ride, a great journey.” So how is BIG SKY unique, considering the vast array of TV series on Kelley’s extensive resume? “Where this one may differ from other shows that I’ve done, where the central questions have been socially or politically topical – and we’ll have some of those, too – but the fundamental question that’s going to be asked in this series, and we want our audience asking it, is what’s going to happen next?” Kelley said. “Be it with the act breaks, or the episode breaks, we definitely want to compel the audience to come back.” Phillippe strongly agreed that viewers won’t have any choice but to be perched on the edges of their seats. “So often in entertainment, you can see what’s coming a mile away,” Phillippe said. “To have moments in a series like this, where it kind of takes your breath away, or you’re absolutely shocked and didn’t see it coming, that’s exciting to be a part of.” All the big-picture attractions of BIG SKY aside, the Hamilton, Ontario-born Bunbury – whose father, Alex Bunbury, was a professional soccer player and Canadian national team member – also relishes the specifics and nuances of her character, Cassie. “I love that I’m playing a character that I actually understand – I’m bi-racial myself, so is Cassie, I grew up in a predominantly white world and had to learn how to navigate that, and Cassie has to do the same,” Bunbury explained. “She is incredibly strong, but she feels like an outsider sometimes. So she’s quite under-estimated, which is really wrong to do. There’s a lot of trauma that she suffered from, which you’ll come to learn in future episodes. So it’s just a beautiful character to explore in this landscape, in this small town. I’m really proud of this one.” Tilt your heads and look up – it’s time for BIG SKY. billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv