Damon Wayans Jr. to Lead NBC Crime Drama Pilot ‘Puzzled’

Damon Wayans Jr. will lead NBC‘s crime drama pilot, “Puzzled,” as a former college athlete with a knack for solving problems who teams up with local police.

The actor will play Mike Brink, who “makes his living by betting on sports and is uniquely equipped to do this because he developed Acquired Savant Syndrome as a result of a traumatic brain injury. This rare phenomenon gives him exceptional skills in puzzle-solving, higher math functions and pattern recognition.”

Wayans Jr. has been playing a recurring role in Apple TV’s “Shrinking,” and recently co-starred in the Netflix films “Players” with Tom Ellis and Gina Rodriguez, and “Kinda Pregnant” with Amy Schumer. He was a series regular on Fox comedy series “New Girl” and ABC’s cult classic sitcom “Happy Endings.”

The actor’s Two Shakes Entertainment production banner is currently under a producing deal at CBS Studios, which most recently produced “Poppa’s House” and “Raid the Cage” for CBS. Wayans Jr. is repped by UTA, Ziffren Brittenham and Johnson Shapiro Stewett & Kole.

“Puzzled” comes from writer and executive producer Joey Falco, with executive producer Jordan Cerf via Linden Entertainment and producer Danielle Trussoni. It’s produced by Universal Television.

It is one of five drama pilots in consideration for the 2026-27 season. Last week, David Boreanaz was cast in the lead role for the network’s pilot for a “Rockford Files” reboot.

The network also has three comedy pilots in consideration, including a private investigator workplace sitcom from the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” team, a buddy comedy starring Katey Sagal and Jamie Lee Curtis and a romantic comedy sitcom starring Téa Leoni.

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