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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
I hear another ABC comedy pilot, Wright Vs. Wrong, also is getting another chance. The network is ordering a new pilot from the Sony-produced single-camera project, which stars Debra Messing as a conservative commentator, eyed for midseason. I hear ABC loves Messing and creator Stephnie Weir as well as the voice of the show but wants to improve on the execution with the hire of a new showrunner.
With Wright vs. Wrong and Awkward Situations For Men both getting new pilots, ABC may not order more new comedy series at this time. The network also is keeping an eye on the renewal negotiations between CBS and The New Adventures of Old Christine.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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They also need to replace the title, “Wright vs. Wrong” is about as appealing as “Knight and Day”. In 1980 these are good titles, in 2010 not so much.
Good Lord I am grateful not to be the showrunner who gets the “you get to do this all over again” pilot news from ABC. There is nothing more torturous in the world than making an ABC pilot. Better to be killed. Those poor people.
What do you mean? There’s nothing more creatively fulfilling than pulling out more jokes and humor to add narrative pipe.
ABC should call their half-hours “expositions”, not “comedies”.
They may like Messing and think they can cash in on the sarah Palin Tea Party thing, but unless they rewrite the whole thing it will be just as bad. I read the script. It wasn’t close to funny.
If they are determined to put this on the air, it will be as successful as Romantically challenged.
Can anyone name a comedy pilot that was completely re-tooled and re-shot that ever ended up in syndication? My experience tells me comedy pilots are either funny and/or well cast from the get go or they just don’t ever work. I’m sure there is one example out there but I can’t think of it right now? There have been drama pilots that were re-shot that worked but that form gives you more ways to skin a cat.
I love Lucy –
it was originally Paul Robeson and James Cagney but the network didn’t think america was ready for an interracial gay couple.
How about Big Bang Theory?
Rewritten, recast (the girl), and reshot.
Big Bang Theory, 2 pilots. Three’s Company, 3 pilots. All in the Family, 3 pilots.
Last year, it was The Middle. Not syndicated but doing just fine. Don’t be such a Negative Nellie.
Today’s record breaker Big Bang Theory shot a pilot & then retooled & recast… only Jim & Johnny remain.
Once 30 Rock goes into syndication–30 Rock. The final pilot was a thousand times different (cast, tone, direction) than the one NBC picked up.
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>>Can anyone name a comedy pilot that was completely re-tooled and re-shot that ever ended up in syndication?<<
"All in the Family" did three pilots before it went to series. Same with “Three’s Company” and “Love Boat” (if you want to count that as a comedy). “Happy Days” had two pilots. “Empty Nest” did two very different pilots. “Suddenly Susan” did a one-camera pilot, then did a multicamera pilot and ran for four years.
I really hope ABC gets Christine — how long would it take for them to get it if CBS passes? could they air in the fall? CBS is announcing it’s schedule after ABC, so how would that work.
kasaja – I can name two. The Big Bang Theory and The Middle.
Um, Big Bang Theory? See above story, dumdum.
they will need to massively retool this thing. It was just an awful script. Extremely thin and not funny. trying to rework it probably has more to do with how bad the other pilots were more than anything else. I like the comparison to All in The Family.
Maybe they can try and bring Norman Lear on board to run it, but he probably couldn’t even save it.
wow. this pilot was so bad from start to finish. shows how completely clueless the comedy team and Steve Mcmaniac are.
“30 Rock” in syndication??? Nobody watches it now; what makes you think anyone’s going to watch it in syndication???
And I agree: I read the “Wright vs. Wrong” pilot and it was terrible. “Oh, let’s bash the Republicans, that’ll be funny.” I got news for you, ABC: half the country’s Republican.
Debra Messing and Carrie Fishers chemistry was the only good thing about the pilot- everything else just sat there
wright versus wrong would have gone if andy fickman was not such a hack. spends more time at the craft service table and then directing
Andy Fickman is a wonderful director.
Hilarious.
And not only that but an honorable man who has helped hundreds of people in this business.
I read the script and I thought it was pretty funny.
Hope it gets picked up for a midseason replacement.
I saw the entire episode of the original pilot and thought it was quite good. The entire cast worked well together. The dialogue was resonably sharp. Overall it was a suprisingly strong first attempt for a series, far above the usual starting point for casts and writers. The series would need a little tweaking but not a complete retooling.
I’d rather them pick up Ghost Whisperer