The fans were there for Jimmy Smits and his co-stars — the eight actors who make up the ensemble cast of NBC's upcoming legal drama "Bluff City Law," now in production in its namesake location, Memphis.

"We had to dress up, and I wanted to wear something Elvis would have worn," said Army Ranger turned actor Josh Kelly, arresting — he plays a police detective, after all — in a resplendent paisley tuxedo jacket modeled on the one the King wore for his wedding to Priscilla.

But it was the less glamorous and unrecognized out-of-towners whose presence testified to the significance of Tuesday night's "red carpet" preview of the first episode of "Bluff City Law," screened before an enthusiastic overflow crowd at the Halloran Centre, just under two weeks before the program's Sept. 23 NBC debut.

"This is very unusual, that the network would have all its executives come out to a different city, that's not a major hub" of production, said Smits, 64, an icon of network television ("L.A. Law," "The West Wing"), who plays crusading lawyer Elijah Strait, a defender of human rights and a champion of the underdog, in "Bluff City Law."

About a dozen representatives of NBC and production company Universal Television were at the premiere, from producers to publicity and marketing strategists to George Cheeks, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, a position that makes him "jointly responsible for overseeing all aspects of primetime, late night and scripted daytime programming for the network," according to the NBC website.

"A show like this, we believe in it," said Cheeks, as Smits and the other actors posed for pictures and took part in press interviews along a red carpet that had been laid out against the back wall in the Halloran Centre's Reception Hall, adjacent to the lobby where about 150 members of the general public, who had won or applied for tickets to the premiere, mingled with about 150 dignitaries, media representatives and invited guests.

The dignitary contingent was led by Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, who collectively declared Tuesday "Bluff City Law" day, issuing a proclamation with eight "whereas" clauses, the last of which ditched the compliments (the as yet unseen show presents Memphis "in a positive light") to state plainly that "the direct economic impact on the local economy from production is predicted to be $35 million from the first ten episodes alone."

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Co-hosted by People magazine in an alliance that ensured national coverage of the event, the premiere screening was one of 10 "Bluff City Law" public previews that took place in various cities around the country Tuesday night. Add this special-event publicity push to the plugs for the series that are ubiquitous during NBC football games and other programs; the social media push; and the old-school billboards for "Bluff City Law" that have been erected in Memphis and other cities, and it becomes apparent that the series is NBC's top drama priority for the fall — a status confirmed by the network officials at the preview.

"The network is incredibly enthusiastic about the show, they believe in it as much as we do," said executive producer David Janollari, who said he expects to know in a few weeks whether NBC will give the green light to produce another six episodes of "Bluff City Law," for a 16-episode first season.

"If we have our druthers, we would stay in Memphis 10 years," said Dean Georgaris, chief writer and co-creator of "Bluff City Law."

The show's cast and creators frequently reiterated the notion that Memphis is "a character" in the show, even if not every episode is inspired by some Memphis action or event. (Barbecue, blues, "big agriculture" and lethal bigotry in the form of white supremacism are among the topics tackled by Strait & Associates during the early episodes.)

Georgaris emphasized that the choice of Memphis was vital to their conception of a show about a law firm staffed with "people who believe the world is worth fighting for," as demonstrated in Memphis' history of civil rights activism, even in the face of tragedy (the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.).

"We think of the city as our creative resource, and we are making the most of that resource," he said.

Georgaris added that the city's "authenticity" could not have been adequately replicated by shooting elsewhere and faking the Memphis sets.

"If we were in New Orleans, you couldn't see one of characters walk down Beale Street, then walk into Rum Boogie and watch actual Memphis musicians," he said.

Tuesday's event — which followed a full day of shooting for much of the cast — was something of a communal lovefest, with local officials, NBC representatives, the actors and even the audience members extolling each other's virtues and generally behaving as if their positive vibes could contribute to the conjuring of healthy ratings and a second season.

The preview also represented a way for NBC to show its appreciation for the $4.25 million in financial incentives for the production that the city and county finagled to boost the incentives already available. Obviously, the production company hopes for further assistance if NBC wants a second season of the series.

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Unlike many similar events, there ultimately was no separation between audience and celebrity. Following a question-and-answer session after the screening, the audience was able to drink, nosh and rub elbows in the lobby with all the "Bluff City Law" stars, a crew that include Smits; Kelly; co-lead Caitlin McGee (who plays Smits' lawyer daughter); "House of Cards" veteran Jayne Atkinson ("There's something so warm and sexy about a Southern accent," she said); Iceland's Stony Blyden; Ghana's MaameYaa Boafo; Liverpool's Barry Sloane; and "Hamilton's" Michael Luwoye.

Fans posed for pictures with the actors and seemed especially delighted at the opportunity to meet Smits — almost an honorary family member for many, by virtue of his longtime televised presence in their homes.

"We're here to support our city," said Alicia Vizenor, wife of Scott Vizenor, who were just about the first in line, arriving at 5:15 in complementary Memphis T-shirts, almost two hours before the screening began.

"I'm here because I'm really excited to represent the city," said Shali Atkinson of Latino Memphis, who also arrived early to get a good seat. "Memphis has got so much to showcase, and I'm excited to see something that will bring the city notoriety, in a good way."

"There's such gratitude here, and such awareness that we're in the city," said Smits, who wore a UM — University of Memphis — lapel pin. He said in his ramblings around Memphis he has found this awareness to be "across the board," encompassing all "social and economic strata."

If Memphians are aware of the show, the actors have acquired some awareness of Memphis, as well. During the question-and-answer session that followed the screening of the debut episode (shot in Memphis in March), the stars of "Bluff City Law" cited such favorite spots as the river (for its sunsets); Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken; McEwen's (Luwoye loves its sweet potato-crusted catfish with collard greens and macaroni-and-cheese); the National Civil Rights Museum ("It was beautiful and painful," Boafo said); 901 FC soccer; Central BBQ ("I got to eat a bologna sandwich with the guy from 'L.A. Law,'" enthused Kelly); and the Downtown pub, the Brass Door. Said Sloane: "I've been in the Brass Door quite a bit, as a man of Irish heritage."