The "30 Rock" alum, now recurring on "Law & Order: SVU," will play one of the detectives at the center of the CBS drama from EP David Shore.

Vince Gilligan/David Shore's CBS drama Battle Creek has cast one of the 13-episode series' two male leads.

30 Rock alum Dean Winters will star as Detective Russ Agnew in the drama based on the Breaking Bad creator's 2002 spec, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

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The drama centers on Winters' Russ, a detective, and Milton, an FBI agent -- two men with very different worldviews who are teamed up. Together, they must answer the question: Is cynicism, guile and deception enough to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Mich., in the face of a complete lack of resources? Or is the exact opposite -- it takes naivete, trust and a boatload of resources -- actually true?

Russ is described as a smart, tough, impatient and pragmatic guy who gets results but whom no one wants to partner with because he prefers to cut through any nonsense. His approach has earned him a reputation for being gruff.

Winters is now reprising his role as Detective Brian Cassidy -- a love interest for Mariska Hargitay -- on NBC's Law & Order: SVU. His credits include Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Rescue Me, Life on Mars, Oz and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He's repped by UTA, Anonymous Content, Industry Entertainment and Kraiditor & Haber.

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The actor, also seen in a series of Allstate commercials, joins a cast that includes Janet McTeer as Russ' superior and the commander of the Battle Creek Police Department; Kal Penn as Detective Fontanelle; Edward Fordham Jr. (Key and Peele) as Detective Aaron Funkhauser; and Aubrey Dollar (Women's Murder Club, Point Pleasant) as Holly, the office manager and a love interest for Russ.

Gilligan penned the initial script, with House's Shore set to serve as showrunner. They will executive produce the Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios drama alongside Breaking Bad's Mark Johnson.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com

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