Hulu Shares First Look At Cleveland Browns Drama The Land

First Look at The Land

Cleveland football fans will have a chance to watch their team on screen this February, even if the real squad misses the playoffs. Hulu released the first trailer on Tuesday for its new scripted drama, The Land. The project is set to premiere on Feb. 15, which is the day after Super Bowl LXI.

Dan Fogelman created the series. His past credits include This Is Us and Paradise. The drama tracks a fictional version of the Cleveland Browns as the organization deals with heavy expectations to win, personal family friction, and internal front office power struggles. The show carries the tagline, "When the game is over, the real drama begins."

A Coach, His Son, and Front Office Drama

Christopher Meloni stars as head coach Danny Roarke. Meloni, known for playing Elliot Stabler on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, portrays a coach trying to save his job and turn around a struggling franchise.

His best opportunity to fix the team rests on his son, Connor Roarke, a rookie quarterback from Ohio State. That storyline already produced a moment at an actual football event earlier this year. Before the second day of the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh, commissioner Roger Goodell walked onto the stage to announce a fictional pick. Goodell said, "With the first pick of the 2026 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select Connor Roarke, quarterback, Ohio State." The moment was filmed specifically for the show rather than an actual draft selection.

League Backing and Cast Details

William H. Macy also stars, playing Browns owner Hal Durkin. Durkin faces competition as he decides which of his two daughters will take control of the franchise. Macy praised the writing, stating, "It's about a football team, nominally the Cleveland Browns. They're brilliant scripts. They're Shakespearean. It's about football, but, oh, my lord, the plots are so profound, and I'm having the time of my life."

Because the NFL is an official partner in producing the show, the project features authentic league branding and access. Macy noted that the league is completely behind the series. The cast also includes Mandy Moore, Chace Crawford, Sam Corlett, Tanner Zagarino, Chloe Bennet, Bridget Moynahan, and Omar Epps.

What it means for the next game

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (NFL, Sun, 18 Oct): Cleveland Browns win 32%, Baltimore Ravens win 68%; projected score Cleveland Browns 19, Baltimore Ravens 23. Our safest pick: Over 34.5 points.