The year is 2025, and the hottest trend in television is … reboots of old shows from the USA Network? Yes, you read that right. The “Suits” renaissance has had a longer tail than anyone could have predicted when, back in 2023, it became one of the top shows on Netflix years after leaving the airwaves. In the two years since then, streamers have scrambled for the rights to other similar procedural series with massive back catalogs of episodes. This trend hasn’t stopped there, though.
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The next natural step was proper reboots, with “Suits LA” premiering in February 2025 on NBC. Despite the fervor around its predecessor just a couple years ago, that show has struggled with both critics and viewers. (You likely didn’t even realize it’s been airing for the last two months.) Perhaps a better fate will befall the upcoming “White Collar” reboot, which is currently in the early stages of development.
Like “Suits,” “White Collar” was a staple back in the USA “Blue Sky Era” heyday of the early 2010s, earning a substantial fan base alongside shows like “Psych” and “Burn Notice.” The series starred Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey, a con man and all-around white collar criminal who turns over a new leaf (sort of) after negotiating a deal working with FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) instead of accruing more jail time. Together, they chased down other white collar bad guys for six seasons. So what’s the deal with the reboot, who’s in it, and what’s it going to be about?
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Who is starring in the White Collar reboot?
Good news to start for longtime “White Collar” fans: Matt Bomer has confirmed that he will return to play Neal Caffrey once again on the new “White Collar” series. That means that this will really be less of a reboot and more of a proper sequel, picking up some years after the original show left off.
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Bomer announced his involvement to Variety at TV Fest in June 2024, and he wasn’t the only original cast member present. Tim DeKay was also on hand, as was Tiffani Thiessen, who played Peter’s wife Elizabeth on the original series. All three enthusiastically confirmed that they’ll be returning for the “reboot.”
One actor who sadly won’t be returning is Willie Garson, who played Neal’s friend Mozzie on the original show. Garson passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2021. However, at the same TV Fest event where the reboot was announced, DeKay said that the script for the reboot “honors Willie, too, in a profound way.” Thiessen echoed the sentiment, saying that the treatment of Garson’s legacy was handled “with such sensitivity and such heart.”
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Who is working on the White Collar reboot?
Actors aren’t the only big names returning from the original “White Collar” production. The reboot is being headed up by Jeff Eastin, the creator of the original series, who officially announced the project alongside Bomer, DeKay, and Thiessen in June 2024. “We’re gonna reboot,” Eastin announced proudly. “I’m writing the script.”
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Fans should be able to rest at least a little easier knowing that so much of the team that made the original “White Collar” great is coming back for the second run. But of course, that could all be meaningless if the story doesn’t measure up.
What is the White Collar reboot about?
According to Jeff Eastin, the new show will pick up sometime after the events of “White Collar,” but in a way that will satisfy both new and old fans. “If you get to the finale, with Neal walking in Paris, that was always the setup,” Eastin told Variety at TV Fest 2024. “I always left it open, and as the years passed, it seemed more like a distant hope. But say thank you to ‘Suits’ for starting this streaming trend. They were doing great, and got people watching ‘White Collar’ now on Netflix. That’s doing really, really good. Off of that, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s do another one.'”
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DeKay called the pitch Eastin had brought to them “a fantastic script, and it answers all the questions that one would have if you watch the show,” while adding that newcomers would be able to hop on easily as well — “Both edges of the sword are honed.” Given the amount of time that’s passed since “White Collar” ended, it seems totally feasible to bring back old characters without things feeling confusing for those who didn’t watch back on USA. Of course, those seasons aren’t too long, either, so now could be a good time for a first watch for anyone interested in jumping on the train.
“I told Jeff after I finished it, I literally was so excited,” Thiessen told Variety,” but at the same time had tears in my eyes — for good reason. You captured the suspense, the thrill, the characters and the love in that reboot.”
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When is the White Collar reboot coming out?
Right now, the “White Collar” reboot is still in the early stages of development. While the script is ready and the former players are excited about returning to their roles, the show has yet to announce a home.
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In February 2025, Deadline reported that the series would be produced by Disney’s 20th Television, which made Hulu look like a probable venue for the reboot. However, that same report claimed that Hulu had passed on the series and that Eastin was about to start shopping it around to various other streaming platforms, with Netflix another likely destination.
All that means is that we likely won’t see the “White Collar” reboot materialize for some time yet. Still, all of the machinery seems to be moving properly, so fans will just have to cross their fingers and wait.
