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UPDATED: NBC this morning handed out three more series orders to comedy
Outsourced, dramedy Love Bites and drama The Event. All three have been early standouts and join recently ordered J.J. Abrams spy drama Undercovers. What all three newly picked up shows have in common is that they are all produced by NBC’s sister studio. Somewhat 
surprisingly missing from the list, given how much heat it has been generating, is the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced procedural Chase, which comes from Warner Bros. TV. That pilot has already been making “if come” deals with writers. The set-in-India workplace comedy Outsourced had been making firm offers to writers for the past couple of days, and Cindy Chupack’s anthology dramedy Love Bites too had been recruiting writers and has several backup scripts in place. The pickup for The Event also boosts the chances for a final chapter of NBC’s veteran serialized drama Heroes, seen as a suitable companion/launching pad. And NBC is far from done with 
its pickups. For instance, another hot comedy pilot, Perfect Couples, is yet to be screened today, along with the high-profile Rockford Files and other pilots, including Beach Lane. (UPDATE: Both did OK in screenings, as did The Cape) And NBC is still narrowing its choices for a new legal drama series (or two) among David E. Kelley’s Kindreds, Rex Is Not Your Lawyer and Garza all of which had solid screenings/testings. Rockford is said to be look good despite problems with the first cut, with Warner Bros.-produced Paul Reiser comedy Next also much buzzed about.
The series orders complete Cinderella stories for both The Event and Outsourced. Producer Steve Stark approached NBC drama execs with another spec toward the end of this buying season. He was told that the network’s development slate was full with one exception: They still were looking for event-type series. Stark immediately thought of another spec he had in his drawer from a couple of years ago titled The Event, written by Nick Wauters. The series, which looks to pick up where 24 left off, chronicles the unraveling of the greatest government cover-up in U.S. history. NBC first developed Outsourced, based on the 2006 movie, during the 2007-08 cycle but it didn’t go forward. This pilot season, the network approached Ken Kwapis, the driver behind Outsourced in its first incarnation, to direct another pilot for the network. Instead, he urged them to revisit Outsourced, which became a pilot written by Robert Borden.
“Each of these three series reflects a unique point of view and distinct style of quality that fits perfectly with NBC’s dedication to rebuilding the schedule,” NBC’s head of scripted programming Angela Bromstad said. “These series showcase excellent writing and casting, and represent the kind of scripted programming our network and studio are committed to producing.”
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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pairing “The Event” with Heroes? we might as well give up on all hope that show getting a full series order, right now.
So the David E. Kelly show is dead? And what about the Cape, do either of these shows have a chance?
Why can’t they just kill “Heroes” and put it out of it’s misery already. I can’t imagine the show is doing the network any favors.
Outsourced will die a quick death. It shows how truly out of touch NBC really is.
Joe, my boy, you are dead wrong. Outsourced will be a huge hit. One of the best pilot scripts I have ever read.
Joe Diddly–are you new to town?
I’ll expect an I told you so when this flops, but I’ll admit I was wrong if it is a hit. I don’t see it. No one to root for.
Lets spell it out WHY OUTSOURCED will bomb.
1. A comedy about outsourcing in India in a Recession is just plain stupid.
2. People’s main beef with outsourcing beyond jobs is the idiocy of the call centers which tick them off, not the least of which is a total lack of cultural understanding masquerading under PC dogma.
There’s a reason Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Ferguson, and the rest (Conan too when he was on) constantly mocked call centers.
3. A mostly non-White cast will flop like “Homeboys in Outer Space” on UPN. It’s OK to go for a niche audience … if you are UPN or the WB. Hmmm … how did that work out for them again? Newsflash, the White audience mostly likes to see versions of itself on screen. Hispanics watch Telemundo and Univision. Blacks are too small (12.5% of the population) to be game-changers, and BET has them covered.
PC and Multiculturalism make you stupid.
You could have the best script, performances, and so on in this turkey, but the fundamentals make it a goner. Guaranteed.
You’re right. They shouldn’t even try something different. Ever.
I will not – and I encourage others not to – click on this person’s blog. His posts here are nothing but shameless attempts to get hits.
Nope, not new in town, been here a while.
Whisky, buddy, love the long list of WHY Outsourced will fail… I wanted to give you a list of all of the shows that people like you said would fail because of “concept” getting in the way of quality writing, acting, and execution… here’s a few just for fun…
(The Jeffersons, Seinfield, Cosby Show, 30 rock, Will & Grace, Cheers (btw… Cheers was so close to being cancelled after the first season the ratings were so bad….who wants to watch a show about alcoholics… oh wait… a lot of people.) All of those were shows that were stocked with quality comedy but fools like you said it would fail… and guess what, quality comedy won out… it almost always does. (arrested development being an exception)
Bottom line, an incredible script, solid acting, and an emmy winning comedy director will win millions of people over. If it’s funny, people will laugh and tune in.
The reason why the shows you listed succeed is because they were family comedies at heart and that does include Cheers. Granted, I wouldn’t put 30 Rock in the same vein, but include Taxi and The Mary Tyler Moore Show among others. Outsourcing will only lead to trouble for NBC because it is a comedy set in India about outsourcing jobs and people need work here in the United States. This idea should have been rejected at the pitch level and probaly was until Jeff Zucker did some garbage digging.
Whiskey,
Thank you for once again proving how racist and ignorant you are.
1) The Jeffersons
2) The Cosby Show
3) A Different World
4) The George Lopez Show
All shows that were hits and had majority non-white casts over the last 30 years.
We should all be grateful that the majority U.S. white Americans are not as racist and vile as you.
That is your opinion and yours only. Where in the world did you get that “White audiences mostly likes to see versions of itself on screen”?
That certainley isnt true or… maybe it is in your case.
Have an open mind. Theres alot to be said about how funny different cultures can be on TV.
You quote “PC and Multiculturalism make you stupid” what a one sided lack of judgement thing to say. sounds like your the one who has a problem with different cultures. Again just your opinion.
People want diversity and change. The same ole same ole gets tiring.
As far as the new show outsourced, why don’t we just make a comedy of the oil crisis in the gulf, or about dying cancer patients, or how about our troops being killed in Afganastan. Seems to me the death of peoples jobs here in the states should be just as funny, right. Makes me wonder how funny this show will be to those family’s of the thousands of Americans that have lost their jobs, homes, and self worth due to outsourcing. I’m sure to the corperate CEO’s and CFO’s it will be helarious, me I just find it sad that we are selling out America.
The bad news: I didn’t book a pilot this year. The good news: I didn’t book a pilot this year.
It’s refreshing to see a network finally thinking global. Bold, risky, controversial – but refreshing anyway. It’s almost like they don’t care if it will ‘play in Peoria.’
Kudos to NBC for doing something different. I loved the John Jeffcoat feature film – refreshing and funny. Hopefully the series will expand on his work.
I love these comments that basically say “Well, I am not racist myself, but the rest of America is, so this show will flop.”
FYI the cast includes three white Americans and a very cute, white Australian woman. All of these white people have jobs. So take a deep breath and relax a little.
Interesting. But I’m mostly curious for the legal side. Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, please!
I’m pulling for “Rex” as well. Would love to see David Tennant in something solid here. He’s too big a talent not to grab!
I hear Paul Reiser is next to be picked up…
NBC needs something to save them from the CBS juggernaut. Chuck won’t do it.
Speaking of which, I wonder how much better the ratings would have been for Chuck on CBS. 25-40% more? NBC’s poor image has an impact on their shows.
WHATS THE STORY BEHIND ELIZABETH PERKINS LEAVING “WEEDS”…now that’s news…
I give “The Event” four and out.
…why?
NBC isn’t in the patience business…
A show like that has gotta breathe, something NBC won’t allow it to do.
Not a chance. The Event will put NBC back in the game.
Love it! But 4th overall in the time period is not first.
I agree that the Event won’t draw. Because of the premise colliding with reality.
Hollywood is in a desperate dance to pretend, really, really hard, that the folks planting bombs in Time Square, or flying planes into buildings, or shooting up places … globally, including Russia, India, China, Spain, the UK, Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt, to name just a few, are anything but Jihadist Muslims.
It’s Tea Party Militiamen, or its shadowy corporate execs, or evil government spy-masters, or a cabal in the White House, or evil oil execs. From “24″ to Fringe, its all the same. A pretend enemy to avoid dealing with the hard choices of the real one.
That pretend game is getting harder and harder to keep going: the sheer incompetence and bungling, from the corporate, to government, to political, to economic, to cultural centers makes a “conspiracy of secret evil White guys” laughable. Goldman-Sachs looks like an idiot boiler room super-sized and based on short-term screwing their customer. “The Fabulous Fab” is everyone’s idea of an idiot, not a shadowy ultra-powerful conspirator.
Meanwhile our enemies are equally obvious and marginally more incompetent, for now. But willing to kill over … South Park.
People either want to laugh, apolitically, as a relief from all this stuff, or see guys like Liam Neeson kill their enemies in Taken. I don’t see this going anywhere. The last four current and prior administrations could not on a good day tie their own shoelaces, selling a massive government conspiracy doesn’t pass the suspension of disbelief given the clown shows present and past running things. At its heart it’s 9/11 Trutherism.
shut up whisky, you and your stupid blog suck. go away.
These are three very bad choices. It’s just more of the same from NBC. Bland, unentertaining, recycled tripe.
I predict “Outsourced” will get the same stellar ratings as “Community” and “Parks and Rec,” which NBC seems perfectly content with.
Me too!!
I really want to see The Cape. Why must they have a bad comedy or legal drama when there are a plethora of those types of shows on network already?
We need more scifi/fantasy/action somewhere on the tube besides Syfy… even they are showing less scifi nowadays.
The Cape sounds like Joel Schumacher’s version of Gotham City, minus Batman. In other words, an absolute mess. I remember reading that the pilot cost something like $15 million, so NBC may still try to find a place for it.
I am not sure who the lead actor of Outsourced is, but my advice to him: don’t buy a new car yet.
Huge props to Steve Stark for pulling one out of the fire. Great guy, knows material and really easy to work with. Worked with him at Paramount and very proud of what he is pulling off. On another note, Community and Parks and Recreation both delivered less than 5 million eyeballs last night. I know the demo is what’s important but less than 5 million eyeballs at 8-9p on Must See Tv is almost incomprehensible. They really need a new comedy to pop on Thursday night much like what Cosby did for Cheers and Family Ties in the early 80′s. Tough to find no matter what generation of TV you talk about.
Wow, only 2.5 million people?
Not accounting for the occasional fireworks accident victim.
Very happy about Love Bites. Cindy Chupack is one of the good gals in this business — a talented person who treats others decently, someone you root for.
i’m surprised that it’s friday, just a little over a week left until upfronts and nbc hasn’t even viewed ‘perfect couples’ yet. death nail?
4 and out for The Event? Don’t think so! This should be able to pick up some of Lost & 24 viewers. If this doesn’t get solid ratings, then NBC should be worried.
Film@11,
That’s exactly what they said about Flash Forward and Happy Town.
I will not be watching “Outsourced”. Why would I want to watch a show about US jobs going to India? Americans are being put out of work…NOT a funny topic. I hope the show will die a quick death.
sounds like “actingup” has a competing pilot at NBC… jealousy will get you no where buddy.
but go ahead… don’t watch because it makes you mad… go ahead and “show them”.
Whatever dude. Go watch your Golden Girls reruns. I’m looking forward to seeing this. Btw, I don’t think I’d ever wish a show to fail that I’ve never even seen a promo for.
Agreed, I hope the WGA boycotts Outsourced, and NBC in general. Only a person with the brain of Odie the dog (Garfield reference) would accept a job on Outsourced. That concept barely held together an episode of The Simpsons and that felt weak at the end to the point that it only served as a chance to have The Simpsons take a trip to India.
Jessy S. Why would the WGA boycott Outsourced? All of the writers on the show would be WGA, its shot here in the US, and crewed by union crew members. In this economy that all you people are talking about, why would someone turn down a job? If you are so ignorant as to make those types of comments, perhaps u should just stick to your Garfield comic books and leave television to those who know something.
agreed, actingup is a douchebag who has a competing pilot.
NBC needs all the help it can get right now…one of these shows they’ve picked up already looks like a failure. Bromstad’s on the ball all-right…behind the 8-ball.
SO excited for LOVE BITES!!! Cindy Chupack is amazing and I’ve been longing for a show that will fill the void that was created when SATC went off the air. This is the best news ever. Good for Cindy, and good for NBC. I’m counting down the days til the pilot airs…
Wow, there sure is an abundance of negativity in many of these comments! Hey people, we are talking about television programming – which include comedies and dramas. These programs are meant for entertainment. All of us are certainly free to choose what we want to watch – that is a perk of living in the good old USA… If you don’t like what is on one station, you switch to another. But, after reading some of these comments, I don’t think some of these people will ever be satisfied with anything the networks come up with! Let’s give these shows a chance – it seems rather harsh to be so meanspirited about a tv show…especially one we haven’t even seen yet!
Instead of bringing Heroes back, just pick-up The Cape and pair that with The Event. At least neither of the new series smells like a rotting corpse.
I am pulling For Rex. The talent in all the actors alone should make a great show. Tennant would really be a steal from across the pond.
damn as i said before the show outsourced must be really really really good for all this panic crazy haters. Isn’t the show providing jobs for writers, actors, and crew? even heard couple of other networks wanted to snap it up. now y would that be?
u can’t hate blindly at least watch it to see, when will the episode air? At least outsourced is generating strong feelings on both sides of the coin, which is better than nothing. this show may overcome the odds, seeing how so many are bent on bullying it. people like people.
Read on deadline & other couple of places that its an ensemble comedy probably with good leads & some nice supporting cast.
can’t wait to see what all this fuzz is about.
The fuss is this:
1. Outsourced is a workplace comedy set in India with Indian actors.
2. Americans with half a brain know that this show is promoting workers from other countries compared to the workers in the United States.
3. We are in a recession so American workers need a job.
4. There is very little in the way of comedy for outsourcing to any country including India.
5. Finally, an idea like this is corporate speak for “We don’t care about America unless we take away your jobs and force you to watch other people work your job.
Moral? I am sure that NBC or any other network or movie studio would want to dip into the Indian talent pool for writers, producers, and actors for American Television. The problem is that most people will not watch anything produced in Asia that undermines our country as a whole. Why do you think the ratings for MSNBC, CNN, and the nightly newscasts are low while Rush Limbaugh gets 20 million listeners for his radio show each day?
The mainstream media is supportive of a President that has designs of turning this country into a socialist heaven with the people of America dependent on this government because their jobs are outsourced to another country. This idea should have never advanced beyond the pitch stage unless if you are talking about Stephen Colbert moving to India to become a telemarkerer. And people wonder why NBC is set to fall to fifth place in a four network race.
Oh boy Jesse S. you are a right wing radical, aren’t ya?
Nobody wants to see a show about india… I mean… slumdog millionare did horrible.
Rush limbaugh might get 20 million viewers but to advertisers, those 20 million people are the demo that counts. 18-45 viewers. We count. His band of fanatical supporters represent a VERY SMALL FRACTION of this our population. Who makes more money, the office or the bang bang theory?
The office, less overall viewers – more ad revenue and much higher dvd sales… and higher 18-45 viewers.
What I am saying is that nobody wants to see a workplace show set in India. Otherwise, shows about people from India are fine by me and Slumdog Millionaire is a great example. It is much better than shows such as Brokeback Mountain and Obama wants a Lesbian Supreme Court Justice.
The fact is that this country is largely independent in thinking and if an average of 20 million listeners per day tune into Rush, it shows that he has higher drawing power than anything released by “The Office” and NBC.
Finally, Rush is treated like a President. He spoke before the CPAC in 2009 and got live coverage on both Fox News and CNN. For the record Rush used to refer CNN as the Clinton News Network.
fuzzy maths let me see if i can count any points.
1. point in fact. you sound very discriminating. what do you have against Indians besides that the point is what you have against South Asian-American/East Indian-American or South Asian actors in the west even as Canada or England? does all South Asian actors have to come from the Indian sub-continent & from there? don’t these actors deserve a chance. these actors are knee deep in mud neither having chance to belonging to bollywood or hollywood. but strangely enough-hollywood is welcoming them. why are you upset that nbc is giving diversity a chance?
how do you feel about American shows with white British actors or white Austrailian actors? u don’t consider them foreign because they are white?
2. How can a show promote workers from other countries & outsourcing?
are u one of those who believe that Silence of the Lambs promote cannibalism & horror films make us all into murderers?
3. There are so many people who needed jobs even before the recession. The recession is not due to outsourcing but
a variety of reasons including government mismanagement.
Who said this is produced in Asia? Have you read any of the credits published in recent articles? What kind of an Indian name is Robert Borden?-must be some great indian writer who changed his name (parts of the original movie was filmed in India but this is a tv show from the entertainment capital of the world)
you have quite a neat list to rabble rouse with haven’t you? And making it all political. Interesting.
People are suffering all over the world while the rich abscond with much needed funds – Goldman Sachs- AIG-they needed only one paper to get billions while many poor folk needing assistance have to fill out tons of forms to get $50 for food. Nothing is trickling down.
why does the government and edd have job transition programs?
what does socialism have to do with this. India itself is a democratic country as well. Obama is trying to free the presidency from puppetry. why shouldn’t a show take place in any location? its make believe. also india is not the only place
that US companies & other countries outsource to-mexico(manufacturing), guatamala, phillippines to name a few.
NBC has foresight and number 1.
sometimes to be on top, a network must be willing to take what is theirs.
Rush is big because he says what ever he wants regardless to anyone-opinions-manipulatons thru fear. and some democrats are too scared to say anything in case they wound him so they end up backing down & news tries to be soo politically correct. Don’t ever mistake me for a democrat or a news reporter.
ABOUT ME: I am not a right wing conservative scared of brown people in the White House and on TV, but I do still hate the show “Outsourced.”
I love seeing Indian actors on TV, way to go NBC. But, I hate that the shtick of the show is how crappy the food is, how stupid the Indians are for not knowing about American culture, and how tough it must be for a white guy that has to come and save the whole brown bunch of them with his American stick-to-it-iveness and uncompromising morals. What a hero. The whole thing borders on racist.
Secondly, but in the same vein. This white American dude comes to India (though the exterior shots looked like they were filmed in Jersey), one of the most populated countries in the world, and finds as a romantic interest, of all things, a Blond white lady. Of course. Who else could a white guy be interested in but a blonde white lady. The first episode also hinted at Asha, one of the phone operators, as a possible love interest for further along in the season, but there is no need for worry – she, of course, is the lightest-skinned Indian woman that the studio could find, just to make sure that middle America doesn’t get all weirded out.
Third, the show is set up so that the triumphs of the company in the show (as they are in real calling centers in India) will consistently have to do with how American this rag-tag bunch of operators can be. The further they come to know, understand and imitate the US culture, the better they will do in business. I was hoping that this show would be smart and lampoon that sad fact, but instead it just seems to be pointing the finger and laughing at Indians for being so cute in their attempts. The show makes no attempt to satirize the greed that is responsible for large companies’ outsourcing practices.
This show is trying to straddle low-brow and the lowest common denominator and not even coming close to succeeding. (Sorry D. Bader, I like you.) All in all this is the worst pilot I’ve seen since “Twenty Good Years.”