How Elsbeth was directly inspired by Columbo: “It’s very fun to play!”

Actress Carrie Preston arrives this evening on TF1 in the guise of Elsbeth Tascioni, leading the investigation in New York in a brand new series. She presents to us her Elsbeth, who cultivates comparison with a certain lieutenant in imper'.

Small event this evening on TF1: the brand new series from Robert and Michelle King, the fantastic creators of The Good Wife, The Good Fight Or Evilarrives unencrypted on French TV, a year after its launch in the United States. A relaxed thriller which undeniably bears the mark of the King and which tells of a new murder every week, on the principle of “Howcatchem”, where the identity of the assassin and the murder are revealed from the first minutes of the episode. A genre that has become cult thanks to Columbothe assumed inspiration of the creators, who relied on one of their old characters to carry the concept. Elsbeth Tascioni was born in 2010, at the end of the season of The Good Wife. Unconventional and astute lawyer, Elsbeth retrains as an investigator for the New York police in this series which is entirely devoted to her. His interpreter, Carrie Preston (also seen in True Blood) tells us everything.

PREMIERE: Robert and Michelle King have been thinking about making an Elsbeth spin-off for years. Did you know that?
CARRIE PRESTON: Yes I knew it, they had already spoken to me about it at the time of The Good Wife… The years have passed and in 2020, during the pandemic, the Kings rewatched lots of episodes of Columbo. That's when they said to themselves that it would be a good idea to adapt the concept to Elsbeth.

The series is indeed very inspired by Columbo. To what extent exactly?
The character of Elsbeth Tascioni is reminiscent, from the start, of that of Inspector Columbo. 14 years ago, when I started playing this character, the Kings told me that she had this little Columbo thing, in the sense that no one sees her coming. And when they remade the series during confinement in 2020, they loved the structure of the episodes: we see the murder, we know who the killer is and then we try to understand how he is going to be arrested. Elsbeth focuses on small details, the assassin wonders if she is on his trail or if she is lost… It's fun to play that, to pretend not to know while knowing (laughs)… until 'to disconcert the suspects who end up making a mistake.

You don't think you're too much like Peter Falk playing this?
No, I don't think about it at all on set. I embody what's in the script as best as possible and I don't worry too much about it.

You must have seen The Good Wife Or The Good Fight to understand Elsbeth ?
No not at all. Besides, most fans of the series Elsbeth in the United States (broadcast on CBS) have never seen The Good Wife Or The Good Fight. They just find this character fun and interesting to follow. Besides, we don't see much Elsbeth as a spin-off, but more like an extension of The Good Wife Or The Good Fight. It’s truly a series apart. There are a few winks, a few old characters are mentioned here and there, but no more.

For those who have never seen The Good Wife Or The Good Fight (she appears in around twenty episodes in total), which is Elsbeth ?
She's a lawyer like no other and an unconventional woman, basically. He's a brilliant person, you could even say he's a genius. But she is often perceived as a little crazy, because she is constantly dispersing. His mind is going all over the place. Beyond that, he is a bright, cheerful, optimistic and very funny personality. There, she is moved to New York, far from her natural element (The Good Wife takes place in Chicago), trying out a new career but with the same sharp mind she had when she was still a lawyer.

You would say that she is HPI or something like that?
No, I don't want to categorize it by a specific diagnosis or condition. She is who she is. His brain is still in turmoil. His mouth can speak, his body move, and his brain think of something else at the same time! She goes a little in all directions, but at the same time, she is hyper-focused on her objectives. Afterwards, the series also allows us to see her in calmer, calmer situations, which was less the case in previous series.

You've been playing Elsbeth for 15 years. Aren't you tired?
Absolutely not. I feel like I'm just getting started! He is a character with a contagious good humor, and who makes me more positive, personally, in everyday life. So I intend to continue.