Originally released in 2001 to considerable acclaim, Training Day has since gone down as one of the greatest crime dramas of the 21st century. Starring Denzel Washington (Fences) and Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) as LAPD narcotics officers tasked with overseeing some of the most gang-ridden neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles, Training Day was one of the earliest directorial efforts by Antoine Fuqua (The Magnificent Seven).

Training Day scored Hawke an Oscar nomination Best Supporting Actor, and Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor following his performance as the nefarious Detective Alonzo Harris. More recently, CBS ordered a pilot episode for an original TV series based on the modern movie classic, and an official premiere date has just been announced.

According to The Wrap, the new Training Day TV series starring Bill Paxton (Edge of Tomorrow) and Justin Cornwell (Empire) has just received a premiere date for next year on CBS of Thursday, February 2 at 10pm. The series will be a network midseason debut alongside the Katherine Heigel comedy Doubt - which will debut on Wednesday, February 15 at 10pm - and the new drama series Ransom - which will debut on Sunday, January 1 at 8pm, and subsequently air during the same time slot on Saturday.

Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke in Training Day

Whether or not fans of the original Training Day will be especially eager to tune in to see the new TV show remains to be seen - especially considering the fact that both Fuqua and Hawke bowed out of prior roles in the production entirely. Like-minded serial dramas like the new Lethal Weapon series on FOX and the forthcoming Enemy of the State project at ABC point to more movie-inspired television endeavors in the future, but it remains to be seen whether or not this rising trend is a good thing.

Training Day is still just as thrilling to watch as was when it first came out at the turn of the twenty-first century. In that light, it's easy to see why CBS might want to capitalize on its lasting cultural relevance and cinematic significance a decade and a half later. Only time will tell if the cast and crew involved will manage to faithfully adapt Fuqua's big screen drama to the small screen, so here's to hoping for the very best when the series sees its premiere on CBS early next year.

Training Day will see its CBS debut on Thursday, February 2 at 10pm.

Source: The Wrap