There’s something incomparably gripping about a good courtroom saga and, if you’ve worked your way through current legal series such as Suits, The Split and The Good Wife, ITV has answered all of our prayers. A new television adaptation of the classic legal thriller, The Rainmaker (think The Split meets The Good Wife) is coming to our screens – and this near-perfect drama has all the components to be your next TV obsession.
The 10-part series follows the rookie lawyer Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan) who enters the legal world full of wide-eyed optimism – only for it to be squashed almost immediately. Rudy’s attitude annoys his unscrupulous and powerful boss, Leo Drummond (John Slattery) and he’s fired. He lands at an underdog firm and a deeply buried conspiracy leads him to come head-to-head with his old firm – and current girlfriend.
Intrigued? With the series coming to ITV this autumn, here’s everything you need to know about The Rainmaker, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Rainmaker about?
Based on the 1995 novel by John Grisham, the 10-part series, which first aired in 2025 in the U.S, follows a hot-headed newly qualified lawyer, Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan). He joins his law-school girlfriend, Sarah (Madison Iseman), at an esteemed South Carolina firm headed by the legal lion Leo Drummond (Mad Men’s John Slattery). However, Rudy gets off to a disastrous start by provoking Leo on his first day, which leads to him being fired. Rudy’s then forced to take a job in a less-refined firm, housed in an old taco joint.
Soon Rudy, his new boss Bruiser (Lana Parrilla) and dishevelled paralegal Deck (P.J. Byrne) start to investigate the mysterious death of their client’s son in a hospital, uncovering two connected conspiracies. But how can Rudy manage coming head-to-head with his former employer and girlfriend in a tense David-vs-Goliath courtroom battle?
The lead Milo Callaghan shared how the original star-studded 1997 film adaptation informed his preparation for the role. ‘I watched it when I got cast. Matt Damon is somebody that every young actor would look up to. I wanted to be aware of the work that he did. I mean, it was a Coppola movie as well, so I was excited to see it,’ he previously told AP. ‘And then I gave it maybe like 20 minutes’ thought and focused on the script – because it’s different and I think we have 10 hours of television to explore this character. We go on a windier road than the movie,’ he added.
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Who’s in the cast of The Rainmaker?
The cast of Rainmaker includes:
- Milo Callaghan (Rivals) as Rudy Baylor
- John Slattery (Mad Men) as Leo Drummond
- Lana Parrilla (Why Women Kill) as Bruiser
- Madison Iseman (Modern Family) as Sarah
- P.J. Byrne (The Boys) as Deck
- Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them) as Melvin Pritcher
- Wade Briggs (Reaching Distance) as Brad Noonan
- Robyn Cara (Bodkin) as Kelly Riker
Is The Rainmaker any good?
Yes – stepping into the legal world is always a fascinating experience, and this series is reminiscent of The Split and The Good Wife, where the characters’ messy personal lives seep into the courtroom – and they’re just as dramatic as the legal proceedings! Milo Callaghan, who’s British, was magnetic as the suave American lawyer, and it’s impossible not to binge the whole 10 episodes to see how he navigates his conflicting personal and professional life.
Is there a trailer for The Rainmaker?
Yes – you can watch the full trailer for The Rainmaker below.
How can I watch The Rainmaker?
The series premieres with a special double bill on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday 4 September, with all 10 episodes arriving on ITVX on the same day.
What other legal thrillers can I watch now?
If you fancy a darker legal thriller, we loved The Escape Artist, a three-part series following Ashley Jensen as Kate, the loyal wife to Will Burton (David Tennant), a hotshot defence lawyer who’s never lost a case. They seemingly have it all – until he exonerates Liam Foyle (Toby Kebbell), the prime suspect in a chilling murder case, and things take a sinister turn… The Escape Artist is available to watch now on ITVX. For another gripping watch, try The Killing Kind, the six-part series tells the story of an impressive lawyer, Ingrid Lewis (Emma Appleton), who’s ex-client turned stalker returns to taunt her when her best friend is killed in a hit-and-run. The Killing Kind is available to watch now on ITVX.
