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Back in May, ABC’s previous boss Steve McPherson went for younger, hipper fare when programming new series Monday through Thursday. The show that seemed to be the closest to the ABC brand, Body of Proof - a female-driven procedural with a quirky central character and headlined by a familiar ABC star, Dana Delany – was sent to Fridays. Now, with many of those Monday-Thursday series crumbling and one, My Generation, already canceled, new ABC chief Paul Lee is taking a second look at Body of Proof and is planning to give it a time slot upgrade. Originally, ABC announced a Friday fall lineup that included reality series Secret Millionaire and Body of Proof at 8 PM and 9 PM, respectively. However, ABC never set premiere dates for them, airing reruns of freshmen series in the two-hour block for extra sampling. Now, ABC says it will air Primetime: What Would You Do? in the Friday 9 PM slot beginning Oct. 22. Body of Proof will be held back to be given a proper, marketing-supported launch in a higher-profile slot. The way things go, ABC may have several of those available soon.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Paul Lee has only to go through last years stack of one hour pilot scripts handed in during the end of December and beginning of January to find some great future shows. Anything meaningful with interesting characters was thrown out in favor of very thin, flip material. Channing, Brian, Suzanne didn’t fight for any substantial pieces of writing. They were so traumatized they just wanted to hold onto their jobs and survive the storm. Matt Gross, the producer of Body of Proof fought for this pilot due to his personal relationship with Steve. The guy had access and balls. Not like the rest of the clowns around there.
Barry and Josh were pathetic as leaders. Terrified of Steve they caved on the better, more evolved projects. Audiences want shows with great characters and storylines that are fascinating and that have surprise and uplift. As an agent I read everything that went through this network and it was simply shocking what they chose to embrace. It made no sense at all. But neither did the fact McSweeney and Iger chose to hold onto McPherson even through he was verbally, emotionally and sexually abusive to employees.
Matt G has balls?
More like a wing and a prayer…
Agent, I soooooo agree with you. Call me Monday and let’s discuss.
Couldn’t happen to a better woman. She truly is a delight.
Have loved her since China Beach!
ABC is not the destination for anything “dangerous” or “sexy” or “daring”. But wait…they had LOST! LOST! THEY HAD IT! WHY DID IT HAVE TO GO?
Lost ran out of steam and creativity. From talking to fans, it was starting to mirror the alternative ideas and speculation you can now find in some UFO blogs regarding lost civilizations, inter-dimensional beings and the like. They “lost” me after the first season. I could not get into the second season, even though I liked many of the actors.
But hooray for Dana! She deserves a better time slot.
I just wonder if shows like Twin Peaks, Wonder Years would have been greenlighted by a broadcast network today.
Would love to be able to get more of your opinion(s) on the industry today, “Agent!”
Truth be told, Body Of Proof was the only one of ABC’s new shows that I was interested in seeing.
Series smells o’ the CBS waste pile.
While you’re at it, Paul Lee, look at some of the comedy pilots. Trust me, the best ones were not the ones picked up.
The best comedy pilots were NOT picked up. Paul Lee actually has some wonderful stuff. I hope he will look.
Mc Pherson was at the end of the end this past pilot season. His choices made no sense. I will never forget a Dgirl calling the TV Lit department where I work in desperation and asking if we had a client who could write a show about wine. Or that took place at a winery or was about a family in the wine business. I mentioned Brothers and Sisters on their very network was about a family in the produce business. She said she had no idea that was that the family on Brothers and Sisters did all she knew was that McPherson responded well to wine and the subject of wine and please could we find someone to come pitch a show with wine.
It was truly a pathetic display.
Let’s make a list of ten scripts Paul Lee should read and consider. He seems like a fairly reasonable man. Unfortunately he is working with a group of people who are completely separated from their instincts from the wear and tear of their last boss.
Your wine story is so funny and sad at the same time. Anyone who knew McPherson knows there is no exaggeration to your tale. While we’re at it, I also saw a few pilots that weren’t picked up but should have been. A couple of comedy pilots that had incredible potential — especially because they were good AND different family shows.
I got the wine pitch too from an absolutely panicked ABC Studios underling. “Maybe it could be brothers with a winery in Napa so we could shoot on location and they take over the family winery. Wouldn’t that be great? Who do you have that could write that?”
All because McPherson was self medicating with wine.
I thought Funny in Farsi was promising. I also liked the medical about a doctor like Oliver Saks. Great roles in that. Very soulful. Packed to the Rafters was supposed to be redone it was an Australian show. What happened to that? Seems like it could be very timely.
Paul Lee. Go back and take another look at Funny In Farsi. It is the best pilot ABC this year that didn’t get on, it’s family friendly, and Steve didn’t get it. It’s not too late.
“Funny In Farsi” promising?? With lines like “I’m downing my foot” and “crap on a cracker” – beautiful and predictable Barry Sonnenfeld eye candy but the writing was terrible.
>>>>Matt Gross, the producer of Body of Proof fought for this pilot due to his personal relationship with Steve. The guy had access and balls. Not like the rest of the clowns around there.
HAHAHAHAHAHA ok matt. This show is atrocious and Dana’s plastic surgery is very distracting.
Miss Dana truly needs her own show.
CHINA BEACH must’ve pretty cool in its time.
At least from what I’ve seen in syndication.
But John Wells had a heck of a lot to do with that success.
Maybe Dana’s true use of her talents would be better off
on a cable show.
Where no suit is afraid of supporting storytellers from
telling good, solid stories.
Since they don’t have to worry about jockeying for the perfect parking space.
Is Channing Dungey even a decent D-girl, or is she just a wannabe? And you know what I mean by that??
“Matt Gross, the producer of Body of Proof fought for this pilot due to his personal relationship with Steve. ”
What a joke. Guys a hack. Paul Lee is not stupid. He will choose not to keep a personal friend of McPherson’s who only has a job because of McPherson on the payroll soon enough
Paul Lee should read all the unshot pilots. If Patmore and Dungey were smart they would be reviewing last years material and putting the intelligent stuff in front of him. Such a shallow group of pilots they made and then chose to pick up.
Several pilots in one hour were incredible. The Oliver Saks brain pilot had a fresh story with engrossing lead characters. Of course since it had to do with human behavior and the brain I am sure McPherson passed quickly.
Nothing to say on this story but I remember with a chuckle when Kidnapped was on and Dana delany’s shots were so soft in comparison to the rest of the show which was filmed with a clear and harsh look. It was so funny when they were cutting back and forth from Delroy Lindo in sharp clear focus to Dana in hyper soft blurry-o-vision!
good thing she left desperate housewives