Is 'Suits LA' Connected To 'Suits'? What The Shows Have In Common

In the lead-up to the “Suits” spin-off series “Suits LA,” fans wondered how much, if at all, the new series would tie in to the original lawyer drama, which ran on USA from 2011 to 2019.

The shows’ connection became clearer on Nov. 20, when actor Gabriel Macht, who played the beloved Harvey Specter in the original “Suits,” posted a video confirming his role in “Suits LA.”

In the video, Macht wears a shirt with the initials “HS” for Harvey Specter on the cuffs. One of his shoes wingtip shoes also bears the name “Harvey.”

“When an old friend is in need … it’s time to take care of things and make those very ‘things’ right,” Macht wrote in the Instagram caption.

The “old friend” Macht is referring to in the Instagram caption is most likely Ted Black, the protagonist of “Suits LA” played by Ted Amell. The characters two appear in a photo together in a trailer for the new show.

Keeping reading to know what else “Suits LA” has in common with “Suits,” beyond the Harvey of it all.

The creator

“Suits LA” is created by the same creator as “Suits,” Aaron Korsh. Korsh also penned the first “Suits” spinoff, “Pearson,” about partner Jessica Pearson, which ran for one season in 2019.

When Korsh first came up with the idea for “Suits LA,” the show centered on a talent agent, not a lawyer, he told told Entertainment Weekly. Then came “Suits’” massive resurgence in popularity — it broke Netflix streaming records when it dropped in July 2023.

NBC was interested in Korsh's new project if he was willing to switch the characters' professions. “They were like, ‘Look, if we bring this script into the 'Suits' universe, we can do it,’” Korsh said. “And I thought it was a great idea."

"Suits" had taken on a similar trajectory: Originally, Korsh set the show at an investment bank, since he had worked at one out of college. Then, when the USA Network asked for a show with more of a procedural format, he changed the characters' jobs from bankers to lawyers.

The theme song

It’s a vibe! It appears the “Suits” theme song, the “Greenback Boogie” by the band Ima Robot, will play a significant role in the new series.

The song has been used in multiple teasers and trailers for “Suits LA," establishing a quick connection between the two shows.

The cast

The biggest connection between the original and new series is a guest star from the original “Suits” cast: actor Gabriel Macht is reprising his role as powerhouse defense attorney Harvey Specter.

Harvey appears in the first “Suits LA” in a photo next to Ted Black, the spinoff’s main character. While not much is revealed about the lawyers’ relationship, it’s clear Harvey’s confident personality has not changed in the new series.

“He’s the only person I knew cockier than you,” an unnamed character tells Ted about Harvey.

“That’s exactly why I liked him,” Ted replies.

Speaking to People, Macht explained that his character knew Ted back when he lived in New York.

“Aaron (Korsh) called me and he just said, ‘Look, this is a different world. This is in LA. It’s not New York, but the character of Ted, who Stephen Amell is playing... He came out of New York. And (Harvey) would’ve known him when you were in New York,” Macht told PEOPLE on Jan. 29.

In the same interview, Macht also teased that he was not the only “Suits” actor reprising his role.

“There’s also some other characters that you’re going to see that were in the original,” Macht said.

So far, no other former “Suits” stars have yet to be confirmed. In an interview with TODAY on Oct. 28, Patrick J. Adams, who plays Harvey’s lawyer partner Michael Ross in the original series, said he would come back if asked.

“We’ve put our hands up,” Adams said on TODAY, referring to him and Sarah Rafferty, who plays Donna Paulsen in the original series. “They’re doing the first season right now ... I think it’s important that they get their legs under them and find their new world.”

“I told that I’m willing to wear the dresses that I stole from set,” Rafferty joked in the same interview.

Speaking to the New York Times, Korsh said "Suits" star Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, is "always welcome back."

The premise

Here’s where the two are definitely different.

While “Suits” focuses on the dynamic between Harvey and Mike working various cases at a corporate law firm in New York, “Suits LA” takes on a whole new side of the law on the West Coast.

Ted Black is a former New York prosecutor who is a partner at the soon-to-be biggest entertainment law firm in Los Angeles.

Further, unlike the original series, “Suits LA” mostly focuses on Amell as the sole lead rather than a duo.

“The original 'Suits' was a dual lead show with Harvey and Mike, and this is a single lead with an ensemble,” Korsh told Entertainment Weekly.

The new series is set to kick off on Sunday, Feb. 23 on NBC at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with streaming next day on Peacock.