Scott Caan To Star In 'Topangaland' Drama In Works At CBS

Scott Caan Ben Cavell — (L-R) Scott Caan and Ben Cavell Courtesy of UCP/CBS Studios

EXCLUSIVE: Former Hawaii-Five-0 co-lead Scott Caan is returning to CBS with a new hourlong starring vehicle, which he also is co-writing and executive producing. The network is in development on Topangaland, a drama co-written by Caan and SEAL Team creator Benjamin Cavell, with Caan intended to star. The project hails from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Studios, where the company is based.

In Topangaland, a laid-back ex-cop (Caan) works for his legendary father’s private detective agency, solving cases that take him from Malibu mansions to Topanga hippie communes to Venice back alleys and everywhere in between — all while navigating a thorny relationship with his dad and the rest of his unconventional family.

The project stems from conversations Caan had with JBTV about developing a show together. The company connected him with Cavell through Cavell’s overall deal at CBS Studios, and the two came up with the characters at the center of the ensemble PI drama. (The father character is not being developed for Caan’s real-life father, James Caan.) The project was taken off the market and bought pre-emptively by CBS as the network — and its sister studio — had been looking to bring Caan back on the air following his Golden Globe-nominated run as Danno in CBS/CBS Studios’ Hawaii-Five-0.

Caan and Cavell — who is intended to serve as showrunner — executive produce with Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed for Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

Cavell is the creator and executive producer of CBS Studios’ SEAL Team, which is moving from CBS to Paramount+ for its upcoming fifth season. He also co-created the CBS Studios-produced Stephen King limited series adaptation The Stand, served as an executive producer on Justified, and co-executive producer on Homeland and Sneaky Pete. He is repped by CAA and The Shuman Company.

Caan, who is coming off a 10-season stint on Hawaii Five-0, is repped by ICM Partners, Stacy O’Neil at Linden Entertainment and attorneys Robert Offer & Shelby Weiser.