Nellie Andreeva

UPDATE: After the 2 pilot orders to Universal TV-produced pilots Midnight Sun and Do No Harm, NBC just gave the green light to the Sony TV-produced period Western The Frontier, from writer Shaun Cassidy and Prospect Park. Thomas Schlamme is attached to direct and executive produce the pilot, which chronicles the journey of a group of disparate travelers from Missouri to the West Coast in 1840. As they struggle to survive, these strangers will be forced to band together and form a family, while they boldly press forward into the great unknown that is the Frontier. The Frontier is one of 3 Western drama scripts commissioned by NBC this season. I hear the network is happy with all 3 and might pick up more than one.

PREVIOUS: NBC has picked up 2 drama pilots from sister studio Universal TV: Midnight Sun aka Pillars Of Smoke and Do No Harm. Both hail from Peter Traugott’s new Universal TV-based production company, which he launched last summer after a 15-year stint at Brillstein Entertainment.

Midnight Sun, based on the Israeli series Timrot Ashan, aka Pillars of Smoke, is a thriller following the mysterious disappearance of a group living on a commune in Alaska. The Alaska setting is appropriate given that the original series is being described as described as Twin Peaks meets Northern Exposure meets Lost. Midnight Sun centers on a female FBI cult specialist starts an investigation that uncovers a larger conspiracy. Lisa Zwerling wrote the adaptation and is executive producing the pilot with Peter Traugott, his executive Rachel Kaplan and Alon Aranya.

Do No Harm is a medical drama about a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. David Schulner wrote the script and is executive producing with Traugott and Kaplan.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.