Blair Underwood returns to TV starring in remake of ‘Ironside’

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Blair Underwood is returning to series television in a remake of “Ironside,” which shares few similarities with the original series that starred Raymond Burr.

The character’s name and job as a detective is the same, and he uses a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the waist down.

The original series, set in San Francisco, ran on NBC from 1967-75. The reboot is based in New York City and filmed in Los Angeles. NBC has ordered 13 episodes of the show that debuts Oct. 2.

Underwood said he got used to the wheelchair by using one at home while learning his lines. The role is especially meaningful to him because his mother, Marilyn, is in a wheelchair as the result of multiple sclerosis.