Cash Windfalls For WME Agents, Assistants 
A&E IndieFilms Sets ‘Happy Valley,’ … 
Hot Cannes Property: Natalie Portman, Lynne Ramsay Team On … 
Brad Pitt Hits Cannes With ‘Killing Them … 
CNN Hits 20-Year Weekday Primetime Low 
Longtime TV Exec Rod Perth Named NATPE President & CEO 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘House’ Ends Run On High-Ish … 
Does Cable News Clarify Or Confuse The Public’s … 
Mark Burnett’s Company Launches Scripted Unit, Taps … 
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Icon UK Group Joins ‘The Butler’; Forest … 
Best Buy Shares Up Pre-Market As Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates 
HBO Developing Comedy Series Starring Catherine Keener And … 
Will ‘Paperboy’ Heat Domestic Buying At Cannes? … 
Millennium Films Buys Spec Thriller ‘Playing … 
Will ‘American Idol’s’ Jessica Sanchez … 
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CBS’ ‘Rules Of Engagement’ Renewed For … 
Facebook Shares Fall Below Offering Price Even As Market … 
UTA Signs ‘Intouchables’ Star Omar Sy 
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)
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Dear NoCountryforBlackMen,
Perhaps you didn’t know about Cedric’s pilot at ABC or the new leading man in Tad Quill’s pilot. I’ll forgive you for that. But your attack at the establishment is pathetic, especially at a time when the keyword in the industry is “diversity”. New writer needs a meeting? They get it if they’re not straight, white or male. Spare me you’re whining. TV IS a fantasy land, and the big idea of MAD MEN was written on spec without any network seven years before it was made. You also can’t blame the establishment or claim second-class citizenship when a cable network is entitled “Black Entertainment Television”. Just imagine the backlash for a WET and tell me whose country this is.
Sincerely,
The White Man
“Melrose” and its mothership “90210″ are what people mean when they say “there’s nothing good on t.v. anymore.”
considering that NBC lopped off 5 hours of programming with Leno being moved down, I think it’s the height of stupidity to think they’re going to pick up that money hour long dramas. I mean, where the hell are they going to put all of them?
I hope THREE RIVERS fails to get picked up or is canceled quickly, becuase the histrionics of the MOONLIGHT wackos can be hilarious when not incredibily annoying.
MOONLIGHT FANS: So loud and obnoxious on the Internet. So few and irrelevant elsewhere.
I want a show with a gay lead! Other than Nip/Tuck, of course.
I’m going out on a limb here. Almost all of these will fail and relatively few will be picked up. Especially with the low ratings achievements of Moonlight and Jericho packaged into one certain to-fail stinkbomb. When will networks learn?
Three Rivers is terrible! Do you people actually read the scripts or are you just network hacks posting on a site hoping to generate buzz?
That show will get picked up and cancelled after 4 episodes maybe 5 episodes due to Alex O’Loughlin “fans” and his great “acting talent”.
What’s the status on V? Great cast, really good pilot script, built-in following… have you heard anything?
What about the show with Kelsey Grammar?
SOUTHLAND needs to be executed. The show is ridiculous and I’m sorry, but Ben Shanken errr McKenzie playing a cop? He’s horrible. Too emo and since he is gay in real life, I feel his talents would be better served on Brothers & Sisters. He’s a good actor when he’s not playing the straight alien. Like a deer caught in headlights. He should be playing what’s natural & comfortable to him.
B.E.T. (Black Entertainmnet Television) is not a BLACK ONLY channel. There are many white people on there. The channel broadcasts shows that will be entertaining to the black audience.
More than 95% of the other channels out there are W.E.T. (White Entertainmnet Television). They don’t call it that but they produce show that will be entertaing to the white audience.
I think Cougar Town is super great and probably like the best pilot ever produced.
anything about adam carolla’s cbs pilot ‘ace in the hole?’ he’s a funny dude and i hope they pick that show up eventually.
I get the frustration with Moonlight fans and their incessant assaults on comment sections, but Three Rivers deserves a shot and is generating good buzzzzzzz! Alex O’Loughlin is a very good and versatile actor and he’s a hot property in the biz now, so that makes him hot in every way! ‘Cause he’s just plain hot too!
Two questions from way out of the loop:
(1) I note the CW’s Vampire Diaries isn’t on the hotlist; any buzz in any other direction on that one? (You’d think the Moonlight brigade would be following that show pretty closely….)
(2) If ABC’s interested in that many pilots, what are the current odds on Castle‘s chances for a 2nd-season pickup?
Although Happy Town has a sheriff or two, at least it’s void of the CSI/lawyer/ and Doctors crap. I heard it’s suppose to be Twin Peakish. That would be nice….but I do think intelligent audiences have left TV.
Obnoxious white guy you need to shut the EFF up because YOU don’t know what YOU’RE talking about. There are multiple “white entertainment networks” idiot. They go by the names ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and every other damn network.
BET was created because there was a dearth of opportunities to showcase Black talent. And in 2009 with a Black president and Black artists influencing EVERYTHING in your life like what you say, wear and even DRINK, there STILL is a dearth of opportunities. So, please, take your idiotic, white boy privileged asshole crap some place else. Oh wait I know where… How about you go back to your office at the studio/network/production company that you work at where there are FEW if any faces of color NOT just Blacks and continue to justify why it’s okay when it’s not. Nincompoops like you need to smacked in the face. Meet me on the corner of Crenshaw and Rodeo and I’ll gladly oblige. Privileged ass mofo.
Any word on ABC’s “My American Family” and the Cedric the Entertainer sitcom “The Law”?
Who exactly knows who Alex O’ Loughlin and Katherine Moening are and how will that attract a major audience?
I agree, Upfronts Watch. Alex. or his future projects, shouldn’t be automatically penalized due to a few crazy fans.
Why does anyone think there’s an audience for AB FAB minus the boozing and drugging and slutting? That’s like eliminating the crimes from CSI.
“Wow. Has anyone actually seen GLEE? It’s atrocious.
So excited for ABFAB tho.”
GLEE was superb, at least the cut I saw – which I believe was the first.
I’ve seen cuts of ABFAB and it’s an atrocious mess.
I have heard that This Little Piggy for ABC was one of McPherson’s favorite scripts – pilot shoots tonight. From Marco Pennette and two Mad Tv writers…the point being it is still early for “informed buzz” when pilots are still shooting…
Blacks according to the US Census Bureau are 12.5% of the population. They make up about 66% of actors in commercials. I’m shocked that White actors have not filed a class action suit alleging discrimination by race.
Blacks are also over-represented in supporting roles in dramas and comedies. I am shocked there has not been reverse discrimination suits there as well. Eventually someone will sue. And win.
White audiences are the dominant group by overwhelming margins for English-language media. [Nielsen's site has breakdowns for Hispanic/Black/"All" and check it out, Hispanics don't watch much besides Spanish Language TV. Check it out yourself.] With few exceptions (Cosby, Haysbert, Denzel Washington, Will Smith) White audiences where the money is don’t care about Black actors who fail to connect with them. Black-led casts don’t do very well, unless the actors and the concept is White middle class oriented: kick-ass drill sergeant leads Spec Ops, Middle Class Father, Cary Grant type movie stars.
Pushing PC buttons and Multiculti myths that people know are not true (Black doctors show up all the time on TV, according to the AMA’s site they make up less than 4% of all Doctors) strains credibility and loses viewers to the internet or something else. The easiest thing in the world is to stop watching.
Reality: Blacks are 12.5% of the population, and Whites make up close to 80% of the English Language audience. All dancing around this Demographic fact won’t change the business reality. Whites unsurprisingly with a few noted Middle Class exceptions above want to see stories and actors about “them” and not other groups. Regardless of what diversity mongers or PC/status-driven Yuppies desire.
[The good thing about cable and various low-cost film-making is that folks like Chappelle and Perry and others can serve a niche market and be heard in the marketplace. Mass and niche audiences can exist in the same marketplace.]
John, the broadcast networks are as white only as BET is black only and much less overtly so.
Pissed Off, I’d rather meet you around the corner on MLK Jr Blvd to have a civil discussion without the violence.
I respect the opinions though apparently the respect is not reciprocal. As far as the dearth of opportunities goes, welcome to Hollywood. Guess we’re all equal after all.
Thanks for playing.