Nellie Andreeva

UPDATED: CBS picked up 3 more drama pilots tonight, the period Ralph Lamb project, which has James Mangold directing, PI show Applebaum directed by Christopher Columbus, and the Ilene Chaiken/Joel Silver character-driven procedural Quean.

The untitled Ralph Lamb project, from Goodfellas writer Nicholas Pileggi and CBS TV Studios, is set in the 1960s and is based on the true story of Ralph Lamb – rodeo cowboy turned longtime Sheriff of Las Vegas. Pileggi co-wrote the script with TV writer Greg Walker (Without a Trace), with James Mangold (Walk the Line) on board to direct. The three will executive produce with Mangold’s producing partner Cathy Konrad and another film producer, Arthur Sarkissian (Rush Hour). Pileggi originally developed the project as a movie at MGM with Sarkissian who got the rights back when MGM went through bankruptcy. Despite the demise of NBC’s The Playboy Club and ABC’s Pan Am, period dramas are hot again this pilot season. In addition to the Ralph Lamb project, NBC greenlighted Western The Frontier, while ABC picked up Gilded Lillys, set in 1895 New York.

Based on Ayelet Waldman’s Mommy Track Mysteries series of books, Applebaum, also from CBS Studios, centers on a former public defender who becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom. Ayelet collaborated on the script with Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper. The 3 will executive produce with Chris Columbus, who will direct, and Michael Barnathan. This is the second pilot order this season for Levin and Cooper, who are also behind CW’s Beauty and the Beast reboot.

Quean, written by Chaiken, centers on an edgy and independent Millennial hacker girl who teams up with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes.. Chaiken and Silver executive produce for Warner Bros. TV where Silver’s TV company is based. This is the second consecutive pilot for Chaiken and Silver at CBS. Last season, Chaiken served as executive producer/showrunner on the Silver-produced CBS dramedy Hail Mary. In addition to the CBS project, which had a put pilot commitment, Chaiken has another one in contention at NBC with Dick Wolf producing. The 3 newly picked up CBS pilots join Widow Detective, Golden Boy, the Jerry Bruckheimer procedural Trooper, legal drama Baby Big Shot and modern Sherlock Holmes show Elementary.

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