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For the 3rd year in a row, here’s very early info to update you on 2009-2010 primetime pilots. I hear the following pilots have heat heading into these final weeks before the network upfronts. In most cases, this good buzz is based on scripts considered above average and even exceptional, word from the set or editing room by those who’ve seen some of the pilots, and/or the successful showrunners, producers, directors involved. The lucky ones include Bill Lawrence, Marc Guggenheim, Claudia Lonow, Josh Schwartz, Ian Biederman, Peter Berg, David E Kelley, and Mitch Hurwitch (3 times over). I’ll be updating…
UNTITLED NCIS SPIN-OFF (Paramount): “Will go.”
THREE RIVERS (Paramount/Deuce Three): “It’s early but I hear they like what they’re seeing.” Stars Alex O’Loughlin who might bring his rabid Moonlight fanbase.
FISH TANK (Sony TV)
WAITING TO DIE (Sony TV/Tantamount)
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (Paramount/BermanBraun): “Jenna Elfman…” “Hot.”
HAPPINESS ISN’T EVERYTHING (Sony TV/Paramount/Tantamount): “Jason Biggs… Network is happy with the way it came in.” Five scripts already.
BACK (Paramount/Storyline) ”Still shooting…”
THE GOOD WIFE (Paramount/Scott Free): Cast contingent.”
THE BRIDGET SHOW (Sony TV/Tantamount/Hagada Hey) “Lauren Graham…” “Heating up.” “Looks good.”
CANNED (ABC TV STUDIO/BGTV)
COUGAR TOWN (ABC TV StudioDoozer/Coquette) “Courtney Cox…”
UNTITLED RICKY BLITT PROJECT (Warner Bros) “Network liked it.” “Jim Burrows directing.”
HAPPY TOWN (ABC TV Studio)
SOLVING CHARLIE (ABC TV Studio)
FLASH FORWARD (ABC-TV Studio/Created By) “Was shot a while ago.” “It’s a go.” “Ordered.”
MELROSE PLACE (Paramount): “A lock…”
UNTITLED GOSSIP GIRL SPIN-OFF (Warner Bros/Paramount/Alloy): “Looks great…”
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS (BBC Worldwide/Sony TV/Tantamount): “A lock.”
SONS OF TUCSON (Twentieth TV/J2 Pictures): “Going.”
COP HOUSE (Twentieth TV/Adelstein)
MAGGIE HILL (Twentieth TV/Imagine): “May be a go.”
HUMAN TARGET (Warner Bros/DC Comics/Wonderland): “Going.”
GLEE (Twentieth TV) : “Going.” Gets preview after American Idol on May 19.
PARENTHOOD (Universal Media Studios/Imagine): “Almost a lock.” “Great cast.” “Tommy Schlamme directing.”
OFF DUTY (Universal Media Studios/American Work)
COMMUNITY (Sony TV/Krasnoff)
DAY ONE (Universal Media Studios)
TRAUMA (Universal Media Studio/Film 44) “Pete Berg…”
LEGALLY MAD (Warner Bros/David E Kelley): Series penalty.
MERCY (Universal Media Studios/BermanBraun)
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UNTITLED NCIS SPIN-OFF (Paramount): “Will go.”
Now the spin offs are getting spin-offs!
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (Paramount/BermanBraun): “Jenna Elfman…” “Hot.”
Those quotes haven’t been heard in a long long time.
HUMAN TARGET (Warner Bros/DC Comics/Wonderland): “Going.”
Been done, by ABC, with Rick Springfield! They’re not only remaking old ideas, they’re remaking old canceled ideas.
LEGALLY MAD (Warner Bros/David E Kelley): Series penalty.
NBC is interested because that term’s been used to describe how they run the network.
Here we go again! A year ago you were the first one to break the news about Moonlight being cancelled. THIS year I’m praying you will be the first one to tell us that Three Rivers has been picked up. Not only does it have the delicious Alex O’Loughlin but it also boasts a quality cast in Julia Ormond (“CSI”), Joaquin de Almeida (“24″), Katherine Moennig (“The L Word”), a great writer (Carol Barbee “Jericho”), and exec producers Curtis Hanson (“LA Confidential) and Carol Fenelon (“8 mile”). Plus this show has something a lot of pilots don’t have, the huge Alex O’Loughlin fan base, something you can’t buy, borrow, or steal. Not even in Hollywood.
wow is that a small number of shows… from the same people with checkered histories of success.
What about ‘V’. Warner Bros is making for ABC. Do you have an opinion or have you heard anything?
I am hoping to see the delicious Alex O back on tv on 3R this fall and yes I am a rabid fan
Word on the street:
They got an extremely good looking, charismatic, total newcomer as the lead of MERCY and from what I hear the performance by this young woman is exceeding all expectations and NBC feels like they have a new star on their hands (heard it was their least expensive drama pilot BY FAR).
LOST & FOUND at NBC on the other hand is said to really squander its “name” leads and completely misuses Brian Cox in particular. Very long development for that show.
Surprised not to see HOUSE RULES or EMPIRE STATE on here, both shows are being discussed as serious contenders.
TRAUMA and PARANTHOOD are not going to be done by the time the network has to pull the trigger. They will have to decided on those shows based on short presentations at best.
i bet you eastwick will go. everything david nutter does goes!!!!
Nikki– Absolutely adore you, but as someone in one of those rooms where these are discussed, you are simply printing idle, wishful chatter. In some cases (ie, Flash Forward)you are more or less correct, but even more often way off (Solving Charlie). What’s the point of the totally arbitrary guessing game? More hits on the site???
It’s impossible to know what’s going to be picked up at this point, other than the obvious like Melrose Place and Glee. I know that at least two shows on this list are considered disasters by the network and have no serious chance of getting picked up.
And so now we have traveled back to the 1950′s where black people are not represented in primetime.
CBS has the only two black leads on network TV (CSI, The Unit, thanks Les)
Without comedies, no one will put a show on with a black lead.
This is reprehensible. Execs complain privately that it is a terrible situation but they fear speaking out and so they support by their silence.
Does it matter to anyone that TV has become a fantasy land where the biggest idea is to find shows like Mad Men that can legitimately be done without any minority?
We should all be ashamed. The establishment should be condemed for their arrogant abuse of the system and we minorities for our passive acceptance of second-class citizenship.
This is how we die, people, slowly and without complaint.
No wonder Tyler Perry’s garbage has support. There’s nowhere else for black people to see themselves on TV.
THREE RIVERS: I’m really hoping this gets picked up! It looks great and it’s a role I know Alex can get into. He’s a major talent and can easily make this role believable.
If Alex O’Loughlin’s fan base is so huge, shouldn’t his old show still be on the air?
Did it even have 10 million viewers (that’s out of more than 300 million in the entire U.S.)?
I have to agree with Amyvil that Alex O’Loughlin is delicious – and I’m a heterosexual guy!
Are you seriously telling me that the drama pilot LOST & FOUND by DICK WOLF (the most prolific producer at NBC in the last decade) and starring KATEE SACKHOFF (of fan favorite BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) is not on the NBC hot list?
I find that EXTREMELY hard to believe…and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
i’m really intrigued by fish tank, does this mean it’s getting good buzz?
And what percentage of this batch is just the same junk about cops, doctors and lawyers?
All this confirms most of what I’m hearing, but you’re behind on THE GOOD WIFE… it WAS cast contingent before Julianna Margulies took the lead. W/ Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Chris Noth, Matt Czurchy… it wrapped shooting last week. Is there any buzz on how it turned out?
Can’t David Kelley do anything that isn’t about lawyers? Who wants to watch lawyers? Agreed with the comment that said same old about doctors, lawyers, cops. Moreover, it’s all fantasy that has nothing to do with how doctors, lawyers and cops REALLY are in life – scoundrels not heroes. People think these “procedurals” have a basis in reality, and should understand they are pure fantasy.
“Parenthood” has an amazing cast. “Legally Mad” is David E. Kelley, so that’s a no-brainer, but where is “Lost & Found” on the NBC list? You can’t tell me NBC isn’t going to pick up a Dick Wolf show? (Especially one that’s not cut from the same “Law & Order” cloth.)
Alex O’Loughlin AND Katherine Moennig? That’s a total no-brainer, whatever it is! At least some people know how to cast…
Now let’s hope that Moennig’s character is something like SHANE. Please GOD or whoever, I’m so tired of those boring chick-lets on TV, I want to see a real chick that kicks ass for a change. Can’t wait to see the promo.
GOSSIP GIRL Spin-Off’s also a no-brainer. Cast for MELROSE PLACE sounds really interesting, far better than lame 90210.
GLEE? That promo doesn’t look all that promising despite Jane Lynch who seems to play a char similar to the nutty counselor in ROLE MODELS.
Curious re: COUGAR TOWN. Hope it’s as interesting and as much fun as DIRT was.
Troubled exec — What do you think Nikki Finke, the NSA? Unless she does actually have listening devices planted in some conference rooms, all she can do is tell us what people have told here. If you’re in some of the rooms and know what she’s wrong about, and you have your own information about what’s hot, why not go to a pay phone somewhere and tell her what’s really going on?
INterested Observer – from what I’ve heard @ NBC
The studio & network LOVED Katee Sackhoff in LOST & FOUND. (Didn’t hear anything about Brian Cox though.)
The only thing TRAUMA has going for it is a big splashy opening…after that, the characters & the writing come off flaaaaaat.
PARENTHOOD has (allegedly) begun staffing.
Wow. Has anyone actually seen GLEE? It’s atrocious.
So excited for ABFAB tho.
I too am surprised about “Lost and Found” not being there. Also, I’ve heard a ton about Empire State in the past 2 days… and House Rules for the past week or so.
God, will the Moonlight people ever shut up?? You’re worse than the Veronica Mars fans!
And nothing Dick Wolf has attempted that didn’t have the words Law & Order in the title has EVER been successful. So I’m not surprised his show isn’t on the list.