WGN America is moving forward with its Underground Railroad drama, giving out a series order to Underground on Friday.
The slave drama will star Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alum Christopher Meloni, along with Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Jessica De Gouw. Underground is slated to debut in Spring 2016.
The series follows a group of slaves who plan a daring escape from a Georgia plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom, aided along the way by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad. Underground was first mentioned as being in development by the network over the summer. It will be executive produced by creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, along with Akiva Goldsman, Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold.
Underground marks WGN America’s fifth straight-to-series order to date, along with Salem, Manhattan, Outsiders and Ten Commandments. On April 5, the network will return Salem, its first original series, for its second season; Manhattan will return in the fall.
