What to Expect From Pilots for Network TV’s 2012-13 Season (Part 1)
Okay, so there have been several canceled shows—thank God—since I last posted. Part 2, then, is pretty much an update on all of my previous pilot posts. I’ve crossed out the shows that have been nixed on the CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, and The CW posts. Pending new shows that make the cut and some of these that may fall apart by Fall, here’s a look at all the pilots across all networks.
- CBS
Comedy
Friend Me – Two friends move from Indiana to Los Angeles to work at GroupOn
Created by: Alan Kirschenbaum (“Yes, Dear”) and Ajay Sahgal
Directed by: Pamela Fryman
Cast: Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Nicholas Braun
Partners – Architects (and lifelong friends) Charlie and Louis form a new partnership
Created by: David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (both “Will & Grace”)
Directed by: James Burrows
Cast: David Krumholtz, Michael Urie
Drama
Made in Jersey (Previously “Baby Big Shot”) – A lawyer uses her street smarts to have a competitive edge against her colleagues.
Created by: (writer) Dana Calvo (“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”)
Directed by: TBD
Cast: Janet Montgomery, Stephanie March, Toni Trucks
*I hinted in my last post that the main character with street smarts is a minority, but in actuality Toni Trucks plays a side character. Janet Montgomery will lead the cast. My bad, guys.
Elementary – A modernization of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries
Created by: (writer) Rob Doherty
Directed by: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn
Golden Boy – A man tracks down a cop’s surprising rise to police commissioner
Created by: (writer) Nicholas Wootton (“Prison Break”)
Directed by: Richard Shepard
Cast: Al Sapienza, Kevin Alejandro
Vegas – Ex-cowboy Ralph Lamb becomes a sheriff in 1960s Las Vegas
Created by: (writer) Greg Walker (“The X-Files,” “Smallville”)
Directed by: James Mangold
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Carrie-Anne Moss
- NBC
Comedy
1600 Penn – A look into the presidential family that resides at the White House
Created by: (writers) Josh Gad, Jon Lovett, Jason Winer
Directed by: Jason Winer
Cast: Jenna Elfman, Bill Pullman
Animal Practice (Animal Kingdom) – A veterinarian loves the animals he treats but despises their owners
Created by: (writers) Alessandro Tanaka, Brian Gatewood
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Tyler Labine, Justin Kirk
Go On – A sportscaster feels like he has lost it all until he grows closer with his group therapy members
Created by: Scott Silveri (“Friends” – writer, “Joey” – creator)
Directed by: TBD
Cast: Matthew Perry, Tonita Castro
Guys With Kids – Three “adult” males deal with parenthood
Created by: (writer) Charlie Grandy (“The Office,” “Saturday Night Live”)
Directed by: Scott Ellis
Cast: Sarah Rue, Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford, Jamie-Lynn Sigler
The New Normal – A look into a gay couple and the surrogate who will help expand their family
Created by: Ryan Murphy (“Glee”)
Directed by: Ryan Murphy
Cast: Justin Bartha, Andrew Rannells
Next Caller – Battle of the sexes between cohosts at a radio station
Created by: (writer) Stephen Falk (“Weeds”)
Directed by: Marc Buckland
Cast: Dane Cook, Collette Wolf
Save Me – Following an almost fatal accident, a woman believes she can channel God and perform miracles
Created by: John Scott Shepherd
Directed by: Scott Winant
Cast: Anne Heche, Michael Landes, Alexandra Breckenridge
Drama
Chicago Fire – A look into the men and women who work at a Chicago fire department
Created by: Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (both – Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma,2 Fast 2 Furious)
Directed by: Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Cast: Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, Monica Raymund
*More info here.
Do No Harm – A doctor must deal with his alter ego before it begins to ruin his personal and professional life
Created by: (writers) David Schulner (“The Event”) and Gina Wendkos (Coyote Ugly, The Princess Diaries)
Directed by: Michael Mayer
Cast: Steven Pasquale, Alana de la Garza
Infamous – A detective returns to her past life (as the daughter of a maid) to uncover her childhood friend
Created by: Liz Heldens (“Boston Public,” “Friday Night Lights”)
Directed by: TBD
Cast: Meagan Good, Christopher Denham, Tom Lipinski
Revolution – People struggle to connect in a world with no energy
Created by: J.J. Abrams (“Lost”)
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Cast: Billy Burke, Giancarlo Esposito, Andrea Roth
- FOX
Comedy
The Goodwin Games – Three siblings deal with an inheritance their dad just left them
Created by: (writers) Chris Harris, Carter Bays, and Craig Thomas (all – “How I Met Your Mother”)
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Cast: Becki Newton, Scott Foley
Ben and Kate – A man helps his sister raise her child
Created by: (writer) Dana Fox (The Wedding Date, What Happens in Vegas)
Directed by: TBD
Cast: Nat Faxon, Dakota Johnson
Mindy – An OB-GYN doctor tries to balance her work and personal life with her coworkers
Created by: Mindy Kaling (“The Office”)
Directed by: TBD
Cast: Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Ed Helms
*Check out Christina’s thoughts on this pilot watch.
Drama
I have high expectations for this one
The Following – An ex-FBI agent looks for serial killers’ cult leader
Created by: Kevin Williamson (Scream, “The Vampire Diaries”)
Directed by: Marcos Siega
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Shawn Ashmore, Maggie Grace
*I’m keeping my eye out on this one.
The Mob Doctor – A surgeon at a prominent hospital in Chicago is forced to work in the mafia
Created by: Josh Berman (“Drop Dead Diva”) and Rob Wright (“Charmed,” “Las Vegas” – writer)
Directed by: Michael Dinner
Cast: Jordana Spiro, William Forsythe
*I’m keeping my eye out on this one.
- ABC
Comedy
How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life – A divorced mom moves back in with her parents
Created by: (writer) Claudia Lonow (“Less Than Perfect,” “Accidentally on Purpose”)
Directed by: Julie Ann Robinson
Cast: Elizabeth Perkins, Brad Garrett, Orlando Jones
Malibu Country – After a painful divorce, a woman moves from Nashville to Malibu with her kids
Created by: (writer) Kevin Abbott (“Reba,” “Roseanne”)
Directed by: Josh Pasquin
Cast: Reba McEntire, Sara Rue, Lily Tomlin
Family Tools – A man puts his dreams on hold to run his family business
Created by: Bobby Bowman (“Yes, Dear”) and Adrian Poynton
Directed by: Michael Fresco
Cast: J.K. Simmons, Leah Remini
Down to Earth – A family moves to New Jersey and discover that their neighbors are aliens
Created by: (writer) Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love)
Directed by: Chris Koch
Cast: Jamie Gertz, Doug Jones
Drama
666 Park Ave – A mid-western couple moves to NYC to manage a property and discovers it has supernatural powers
Created by: David Wilcox (“Law and Order,” “Fringe”)
Directed by: Alex Graves
Cast: Vanessa Williams, Terry O’Quinn
Last Resort – A submarine crew makes up their own nation with nuclear power
Created by: (writers) Shawn Ryan (“The Shield”) and Karl Gajdusek (“Dead Like Me”)
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Cast: Scott Speedman, Robert Patrick
Nashville – A country star at her peak is forced to collaborate with a rising young star
Created by: Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise)
Directed by: R.J. Cutler
Cast: Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Jonathan Jackson
Red Widow – A widow is forced to take over her late mafia husband in order to protect her family
Created by: Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, “Dexter”)
Directed by: Mark Pellington
Cast: Rhada Mitchell, Luke Goss
Zero Hour – A man is caught up in a conspiracy after his wife is kidnapped
Created by: Paul Scheuring (“Prison Break”)
Directed by: Pierre Morel
Cast: Anthony Edwards
*I’m keeping my eye out on this one.
The CW
Drama
Arrow – A modernization the DC Comic’s “Green Arrow”
Created by: Greg Berlanti (“Green Lantern”), Marc Guggenheim (“Green Lantern”), and Andrew Kreisberg (“Boston Legal,” “Warehouse 13”)
Directed by: David Nutter
Cast: Steven Arnell, Paul Blackthorne
Beauty and the Beast – A modernization of the hit CBS series from the 80s
Created by: (writers) Sherri Cooper (“Everwood,” “Brothers and Sisters”) and Jennifer Levin (“Brothers and Sisters”)
Directed by: Gary Fleder
Cast: Kristin Kreuk, Brian White
The Carrie Diaries – Carrie Bradshaw as a senior in high school
Created by: Amy Harris (“Sex and the City,” “Gossip Girl” -writer)
Directed by: Miguel Arteta
Cast: AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Letscher
Carrie’s sexual adventures pre-college
Cult – A production assistant investigates disappearances that all link back to the television show she is working on
Created by: (writer) Rockne S. O’Bannon (“The Twilight Zone”)
Directed by: Jason Ensler
Cast: Matthew Davis, Jessica Lucas
First Cut – A med student sees similarities between the social atmosphere in her new job at the hospital and high school
Created by: Jennie Snyder (“Gilmore Girls,” “90210”)
Directed by: TBD
Cast: Mamie Gummer, Justin Hartley
What are you excited for come next fall?
Indies Unchained! 