Jane Lynch to play Janet Reno in new series about the Unabomber

Well, this is certainly an upgrade from Will Ferrell.

Comedic actress Jane Lynch is set to play former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno in the new scripted drama “Manifesto,” which “tells the story of how the FBI tracked down notorious Unabomber Ted Kaczynski,” according to Deadline Hollywood.

Lynch, who is 6 feet tall and best known for her role as Sue Sylvester on Fox’s “Glee,” will step into the role of Reno, who made history as the first woman to serve as a U.S. attorney general, when shooting begins at the end of the month. The series is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2017 on the Discovery channel.

Reno, who died in November at age 78, was no stranger to impersonation. Will Ferrell began playing the 6-foot-1 attorney general on “Saturday Night Live” in a silly sketch called “Janet Reno’s Dance Party.” For her part, Reno seemed to embrace Ferrell’s over-the-top mimicry. She even showed up on set at 30 Rock for a quick cameo on her last day on the job.

Lynch’s take, we’re assuming, will have a tad bit more gravitas. While heading the Justice Department, Reno oversaw the capture and convictions of several domestic terrorists including Kaczynski; Oklahoma City bombers Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols; and Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was involved with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.