NBC Releases ‘Bluff City Law’ Trailer Featuring Familiar Oxford Courthouse Scenes

By Anna Grace Usery
Editor-in-Chief
anna.grace.usery@hottytoddy.com

NBC recently released the trailer for Bluff City Law, a tag-team, justice-seeking legal TV show filmed in both Memphis and Oxford, that portrays familiar scenes of the Lafayette County Courthouse. As of Tuesday morning, the trailer had almost 1.8 million views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHZ9LAzAxe4

The filming took place March 11-13 inside Oxford’s downtown courthouse. In the opening scene of the trailer, viewers can see the protagonist Sydney Strait (Caitlin McGee) coaching herself through the stress of a case in front of the horizontal mirror on the courthouse’s first-floor bathroom.

Young lawyer Sydney Strait (Caitlin McGee) prepares herself in Oxford’s first-floor bathroom to go into the courtroom. Photo via YouTube.

Throughout the duration of the trailer, cameras capture panoramic views of the courtroom. The pew-like benches are packed with extras as Strait, along with her father and legal partner Elijah (Jimmy Smits), argue a case against Ameripharm, a pharmacy software company that supplies prescription drugs to pharmacies across the nation.  

NBC describes the show as “a powerful new legal drama.” It joins the ranks of NBC legal staples “Law and Order,” “Shades of Blue” and “Chicago P.D.”

“Coming from a famous Memphis family known for taking on injustice, brilliant lawyer Sydney Strait [Caitlin McGee] used to work at her father Elijah’s (Jimmy Smits) celebrated law firm until their tumultuous relationship got in the way. After barely speaking to him for years, Sydney is suddenly thrust back into the family fold when her philanthropist mother passes away unexpectedly. In the wake of her loss, hoping to reconnect with the daughter he loves, Elijah asks Sydney to rejoin his firm. She agrees because, despite her lingering resentment and distrust, she knows that working alongside her father is her best hope at changing the world…if they can ever get along,” NBC describes the show. 

Lafayette County charged NBC $1,000 to use the courthouse, and the city charged NBC $1,500 to store vehicles and trailers at the Oxford Conference Center. But the show’s stint in Oxford provided much more economic impact than usage fees.

According to Visit Oxford, the cast and crew spent more than $85,400 in Oxford from March 9-14. They calculated that the hotel room occupancy alone was $65,350. The total in facilities—including rentals and local employment—was $11,322. Off-duty police who served as security totaled $7,987. Unknown totals include catering fees, shopping and the cost of 125-plus cast and crew members eating on the Square.