High Potential paid tribute to the late French screenwriter Nicolas Jean, one of the original series cocreators, during the closing credits of Tuesday’s (October 28) mid-season finale.
“In Memory of Nicolas Jean,” read a title card at the end of the seventh episode of the ABC crime drama, which is based on the 2021 French and Belgian television series HPI, created by Jean, Stéphane Carrié, and Alice Chegaray-Breugnot.
The French writers’ guild SACD announced Jean’s passing on September 29, noting he died unexpectedly at 63 years old. A cause of death was not provided.
“Nicolas Jean entered the industry thirteen years ago and had a meteoric rise. Self-taught, with an atypical background that enriched his fictional stories, he quickly established himself as a talented and essential screenwriter on television,” wrote SACD administrator Florence Philipponnat on Instagram, per Deadline.
Philipponnat continued, “He had a gift for freely inventing original concepts, freeing himself from imposed constraints. And he knew how to intelligently surround himself with creative writers to develop them with him, because he was passionate about sharing and generosity.”
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
HPI, which stands for Haut Potential Intellectuel (High Intellectual Potential), debuted on April 20, 2021, and continues to produce new episodes. The series, which airs on Belgian and French television, is also available to stream in the U.S. on Hulu, where it’s listed as HIP: High Intellectual Potential.
ABC’s U.S. remake premiered on September 17, 2024, and stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillroy, an intellectually gifted cleaning woman who becomes a police consultant. Olson stars alongside Daniel Sunjata (Adam Karadec), Javicia Leslie (Daphne Forrester), Deniz Akdeniz (Oz), Amirah J (Ava Gillroy), Matthew Lamb (Elliot Radovic), and Judy Reyes (Selena Soto).
According to Nielsen ratings, High Potential became the most-watched new series on ABC in six years, surpassing The Conners‘ record from the 2018-2019 season.
The second season premiered on September 16, 2025, and added Shameless alum Steve Howey to the main cast, playing new LAPD captain Nick Wagner. 8 Mile star Mekhi Phifer also joined Season 2 in a recurring role as Arthur Ellis.
High Potential is now taking a brief break from airing between the holidays and will be back in the new year. The show will return with its mid-season premiere on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
High Potential, Mid-season premiere, Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 10/9c, ABC
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