Following another prolonged development season, the broadcast networks are gearing up for a busy pilot season as they compete with not only one another, but also with basic and premium cable as well as streaming services including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu — all of which are making major scripted pushes.
FOREIGNEDITORIAL
Tracking pilot pickups, castings and eventual series orders.
Following another prolonged development season, the broadcast networks are gearing up for a busy pilot season as they compete with not only one another, but also with basic and premium cable as well as streaming services including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu — all of which are making major scripted pushes.
Like last year, the networks continue to look to reboots, family fare and procedurals to help cut through the increasing clutter. Here’s a look at some of the pilots in contention for the 2017-18 television season in a bid to find the next breakout comedies and dramas.
Untitled Paul William Davies
Tagline: Set in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Federal Court, aka “The Mother Court,” this legal drama follows brand-new lawyers working on opposite sides — for both the defense and the prosecution as they handle the most high-profile and high-stakes cases in the country, all as their personal lives intersect.
The show is written by Paul William Davies (Scandal) and is being produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and Private Practice).
Untitled Marc Cherry
Tagline: Ruby Adair, the sheriff of colorful small town Oxblood, Ky., finds her red state outlook challenged when a young FBI agent of Middle Eastern descent is sent to help her solve a horrific crime. Together they form an uneasy alliance as Ruby takes the agent behind the lace curtains of this southern gothic community to meet an assortment of bizarre characters, each with a secret of their own.
The show is written and co-executive produced by Marc Cherry who created the hit series, Desperate Housewives.
The Get
Tagline: A team of tireless internet journalists pursue and expose stories of injustice using their unconventional investigative techniques in today’s anything-goes world of reporting. Bridget Carpenter, whose TV credits include Westworld, Parenthood and Friday Night Lights, will pen the script and executive produce the project.
Killer Instinct
Tagline: A former CIA operative (The Good Wife’s Alan Cumming) who has since built a “normal” life as a gifted professor and writer is pulled back into his old life when the NYPD needs his help to stop a serial killer on the loose. Based on the soon-to-be-published James Patterson book.
The show is written and executive produced by Michael Rauch who also produced the series, Royal Pains.
Will and Grace
Tagline: A revival of the long-running comedy series. 10-episode straight-to-series order. Joined by original series creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the full cast is returning including Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes.
Orville
Tagline: The hour long dramedy is set 300 years in the future and follows the adventures of the Orville, an exploratory ship in Earth’s interstellar fleet. Facing cosmic challenges from without and within, the motley crew of space explorers will “boldly go where no comedic drama has gone before.”
The show has received 13 episode straight-to-series order while the cast Seth MacFarlane, who has also written the series and is one of the executive producers. In the series, he will be joined by actors such as Adrianne Palicki, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J Lee, Halston Sage and Penny Johnson Jerald. Jon Favreau, who directed the first two Iron Man films, is attached to direct.
Amy’s Brother
Tagline: An unconventional family is formed when a successful type A man and his estranged sister, plus her two children, find themselves not only back in each other’s lives but also living under one roof. The single-camera comedy counts Melissa McCarthy as one of executive producers.
Courtesy: The Hollywood Reporter
