From Law & Order to the Oval Office — NBC's new thriller makes an icon president

If you had 'Sam Waterston as a former US president' on your bingo card for 2026 telly drama, well, you were ahead of the curve. Line of Fire is NBC's new attempt to bring back viewers on a Monday night, slotted right after The Voice – so they're clearly hoping for some carryover. The set-up: a family deep in law enforcement, a supposedly routine incident that turns ugly, and Peter Krause making his return to network screens since 9-1-1 dramatically axed Bobby Nash. That alone might get you watching, but it's the latest casting that's genuinely caught my eye.

Sam Waterston returns to NBC with a guest appearance as ex-President Thomas Barnes, marking his first series on the network since saying goodbye to Jack McCoy in Law & Order.

The Presidents' Club

Waterston isn't just showing up for a quick wave – he's playing an ex-president who's got real story weight. Krause stars as Mike Hollingsworth, a Secret Service agent still not over a harrowing moment from his days protecting Barnes. The two characters have history, so don't expect a blink-and-you'll-miss-it stroll-on. If you're wondering about the roles, no, Waterston is not the president currently sitting in the Oval Office. That role is filled by Chris Chalk playing President Kayana – described as tough, decisive, but apparently sweating his approval ratings and looking to turn things around. And complicating this little Washington tapestry, Campbell Scott will pop up as a senator romancing Hope Davis's character, Jane Hollingsworth. So that's one ex-president, one (possibly insecure) sitting president, and a senator making eyes at the main family's matriarch. Absolutely no shortage of drama there.

• Sam Waterston – Former President Thomas Barnes (guest star)
• Peter Krause – Mike Hollingsworth, haunted Secret Service agent
• Chris Chalk – President Kayana
• Campbell Scott – Senator Terry, dating Jane Hollingsworth (Hope Davis)
• Hope Davis – Jane Hollingsworth

Weirdly enough, Chalk and Waterston have already crossed paths, sharing scenes together on The Newsroom in another life. So plenty of backstage familiarity, which either helps or makes it awkward; depends who's asking.

Why Waterston? Why Now?

Now, Waterston's hardly short of presidential gravitas. The bloke's Law & Order stint ran for a frankly exhausting 19 seasons and 405 episodes, starting way back in 1994 – first as the sharp DA Jack McCoy, right up through the show's revival, until he officially departed in the February 2024 episode 'Last Dance', passing the baton to Tony Goldwyn. Presidential stuff isn't even new for him: he played FDR in Tyler Perry's The Six Triple Eight, and if that wasn't enough, he provided the voice of Abraham Lincoln for Ken Burns' The Civil War and played honest Abe yet again in a late-eighties miniseries. So, standing behind a tiny desk in the Oval Office – or at least on a nice NBC set – should come quite naturally.

This one's the brainchild of Josh Safran, who wrote, created, and showruns the series. There's an executive producing touch from Jenna Bush Hager (yes, actual presidential daughter), which, for once, is more than a vanity credit. She properly brings her Secret Service childhood experience to the table. Ben Spector is also on board, as is Rebecca Thomas directing the pilot, all under the Universal Television banner. Fun fact for process nerds: this show was originally called Protection and the family at its heart went by 'Thornhill' during Peter Krause's sign-up back in February.

The premiere date is set for Monday, 21 September 2026, at 10 PM US Eastern. NBC will toss new episodes onto Peacock the next day. Also, if you're keeping tabs, this launches in the same schedule that will see a Rockford Files reboot and the 26th season of Law & Order hit on 8 October (Thursdays, obviously). For the record, Waterston won't be back for that one.

Line of Fire makes its debut on 21 September 2026, with episodes streaming on Peacock right after broadcast.