‘The Hunting Party’ Premiere Pushed Up on NBC

Melissa Roxburgh, famous for her role as Mick Stone on Manifest, is stepping into a new spotlight. Her upcoming NBC crime drama, The Hunting Party, has had its premiere date moved up, catching attention with its fast-approaching debut.

Roxburgh, who also appeared as Lieutenant Ellen Grier in Quantum Leap and Dr. Dory Shaw in Tracker, will lead this series as her first main role since Manifest.

According to TVLine, The Hunting Party will now premiere its first episode on Sunday, January 19, at 7 p.m. ET. This early preview will be followed by the show’s regular slot, with an encore presentation on Monday, February 3, at 10 p.m. ET. After that, new episodes will air weekly on Monday nights. NBC seems to be banking on this strategy to build early momentum for the series.

The series, created by JJ Bailey, who is also working on Getaway, follows Roxburgh’s character Bex Henderson. Bex, a former FBI Special Agent, is on a mission to capture dangerous criminals who escaped from a secret government prison after a massive explosion.

The team she leads includes characters like CIA agent Ryan Hassani (Patrick Sabongui), Army Intelligence officer Jennifer Morales (Sara Garcia), prison guard Shane Florence (Josh McKenzie), and her former partner Oliver Odell (Nick Wechsler).

This early premiere approach mirrors what CBS did with Matlock, which aired its first episode ahead of the regular schedule, helping the series gain traction and an early season 2 renewal. NBC’s decision to showcase The Hunting Party on a Sunday night aims to capture a larger audience who might continue watching during the Monday night slot.

It’s a smart move by NBC to test the waters early and potentially hook viewers into following Bex Henderson’s gripping chase. With its promising cast and exciting plot, The Hunting Party could carve out a strong place in NBC’s lineup, much like Roxburgh did with Manifest.

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