Conviction is an American legal drama television series on ABC.[1] It premiered on Monday, October 3, 2016.[2] The series, starring Hayley Atwell, was picked up from pilot on May 12, 2016.[3] A full trailer was released on May 17, 2016.[4] On November 8, 2016, ABC announced there would be no back-order for more than the thirteen contracted episodes;[5] however, the remaining episodes of the season aired until its conclusion on January 29, 2017.[6] ABC canceled the series after one season on May 11, 2017.[7]
Former First Daughter Hayes Morrison is blackmailed into heading the Conviction Integrity Unit, a department of the New York County District Attorney's Office comprising lawyers, detectives, and forensic experts who reexamine cases where there is suspicion of wrongful conviction. The team has only five days to prove each case.[8]
In March 2016, the pilot was shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada,[24] as was the rest of the series,[25] primarily at Cinespace Film Studios' Kipling Avenue facility.
When the pilot was being cast, the main character's name was reported as "Carter Morrison".[26] The character was renamed "Hayes Morrison" before the pilot was filmed.
Daniel di Tomasso, who was originally cast as Hayes' brother, was dropped after the pilot was filmed for creative reasons.[27] Daniel Franzese was recast as his replacement starting with the pilot.[10]
Four of the cast members left the series for other projects after production ended. Manny Montana signed to appear as a regular character on the upcoming NBC series Good Girls,[28] Emily Kinney signed to the already ordered ABC series Ten Days in the Valley,[29] Hayley Atwell signed to star in the BBC One/Starz miniseries Howards End[30] and Merrin Dungey signed to co-star in the CBS comedy-pilot Brothered Up.[31]
Conviction has received generally negative reviews from television critics. Rotten Tomatoes shows a 20% "rotten" rating based on 41 reviews with an average score of 4.79/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "While Hayley Atwell proves a strong and likable lead, her charisma alone cannot elevate Conviction from its worn and familiar trappings."[32] The rating on Metacritic is 45 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[33]