Mike Colter and the Cupertino cast discuss CBS's new tech-versus-law-firm drama
Ahead of its CBS premiere, Cupertino star Mike Colter and the cast and creators described a legal drama in which a small law firm takes on Silicon Valley companies. Two entertainment outlets ran interviews and premiere coverage.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Cupertino is a new CBS legal drama from Robert and Michelle King, the creators of Evil, The Good Wife and The Good Fight, and it premieres on Thursday on CBS. TVLineN “the executive producers' Silicon Valley legal drama that premieres Thursday (10/9c, CBS)” Read at TVLine ↗ Screen RantN “The new CBS legal thriller comes from Evil creators Robert and Michelle King” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Mike Colter plays lawyer Michael Price and Rachel Keller plays Olivia Siffre. Both are fired from a large tech company on the same day, and they start a small law firm to take on the industry's "Goliaths" on behalf of ordinary people, the "Davids". TVLineN “who are fired from a huge tech company on the same day and wind up creating a ragtag law firm” Read at TVLine ↗ Screen RantN “He joins forces with Olivia Siffre (Rachel Keller), who was also fired from the same company” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant describes Michael's fight as one against the Silicon Valley start-up he co-founded, after his wrongful termination. Screen RantN “Cupertino follows Michael's David vs. Goliath battle against the Silicon Valley tech start-up he co-founded after his wrongful termination.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 2The supporting cast includes Ella Stiller as Christy Palladino, the firm's investigator, and Busy Philipps as Natalia Boutella, the ex-wife of a successful entrepreneur. Renée Elise Goldsberry plays a lawyer with a romantic history with Michael, and Joe Morton plays Michael's father, Bayard. TVLineN “Ella Stiller ("The Comeback") as Christy Palladino, the nascent firm's investigator” Read at TVLine ↗ Screen RantN “his father, Bayard (played by the iconic Joe Morton)” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1In an interview with Screen Rant, Colter said Michael is always strategizing and sees value in Olivia because she is underestimated. He compared taking on tech companies to needing "a wolf in sheep's clothing or a Trojan horse". Screen RantN “you have to have either a wolf in sheep's clothing or a Trojan horse.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Colter said Michael is "building an Avengers team" through hiring Christy and his developing relationship with Natalia. He described Christy as a former secretary who is well-connected, practical and ambitious. Screen RantN “is him building an Avengers team. He's putting together a team of people that all bring certain sets of skills”“She's a useful utilitarian character, but also ambitious and funny.” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Centre · 1Colter said Michael's relationship with his father is adversarial. There is "bad blood" that the season will explain, and Michael both respects and despises him. Colter was less definite about whether a romance with his ex will be revisited, saying "it's hard to say". Screen RantN “We'll get to why at some point down the road in the season”“Well, it would be nice to revisit that romance, but it's hard to say.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Colter said he returned to the Kings because of "great characters and great scripts". He praised their handling of AI themes for not leading "with a heavy hand" and not sacrificing drama to teach a lesson. Screen RantN “Great characters and great scripts keep bringing me back.”“I don't think they lead with a heavy hand.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1At the New York premiere, Robert King told TVLine that real-world AI developments are outpacing the show. He said the use of AGI "has caught up with what the show is doing" and that what the writers thought was science fiction is "very much now science fact". TVLineN “I think the use of AGI" — or artificial general intelligence — "has caught up with what the show is doing."”“We thought we were writing in a science-fiction territory, but it's very much now science fact.” Read at TVLine ↗
Centre · 1Keller said Olivia is surprised to be fired and surprised by Michael's offer, but "doesn't feel like she has anything else to lose". TVLine's video features the cast, minus Goldsberry, who had a conflicting musical tour schedule. They discuss topics including pink power suits and a fictional Chumhum versus Google. TVLineN “she doesn't feel like she has anything else to lose.”“whose musical tour schedule conflicted with the premiere event” Read at TVLine ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets are entertainment promotion ahead of the premiere. Screen Rant runs a long Q&A with Colter on his character and team, and TVLine runs a short premiere-event piece with cast and creators about tech and AI.
- Emphasis
- Character dynamics and the team Michael assembles (Screen Rant); the show's timeliness on AI and the cast's chemistry (TVLine).
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither carries criticism, ratings expectations or independent assessment of the show. TVLine points to a separate review rather than giving one.
- Charged language
- “David vs. Goliath”“avengers”“ragtag law firm”
- For example
-
“breaks down his team of "avengers" in the law drama” — Screen Rant
“developments in artificial intelligence are just about outpacing what the Kings and their writers could dream up” — TVLine
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Cupertino is a new CBS legal drama from Robert and Michelle King.
- Mike Colter plays Michael Price and Rachel Keller plays Olivia Siffre, who are fired from the same tech company and start a law firm.
- The show's themes include AI and the tech industry.
Mike Colter person
Colter presents Michael Price as a strategist building a team of complementary skills to take on tech giants. He says the Kings' scripts and characters keep drawing him back, and that the show informs without preaching.
“Great characters and great scripts keep bringing me back.” — Screen Rant
“He's putting together a team of people that all bring certain sets of skills” — Screen Rant
Cupertino (TV series) other
Creator Robert King says the show's AI storylines have been overtaken by real events. The series is pitched as a David-versus-Goliath legal drama about a small firm taking on tech companies.
“It's insane how much has changed since [we wrote] the first episode,” — TVLine
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
-
Cupertino Star Mike Colter Introduces His Team In The New David Vs. Goliath Legal Drama
Sympathetic A promotional Q&A in which Colter explains his character, his team and his history with the Kings, with enthusiastic questions.
-
TVLineN ·
Cupertino's Cast And Creators Talk A 'David' Law Firm Vs. Tech 'Goliaths' In New CBS Drama
Celebratory A light premiere-night write-up stressing how closely the show tracks real AI developments and promoting the cast video.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Oct 18:55 First Screen RantN Cupertino Star Mike Colter Introduces His Team In The New David Vs. Goliath Legal Drama
- 8 Oct 01:39 +6h 44m TVLineN Cupertino's Cast And Creators Talk A 'David' Law Firm Vs. Tech 'Goliaths' In New CBS Drama
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.