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Following an increasingly competitive development season that featured hefty commitments and an increase in straight-to-series orders, the broadcast networks are gearing up for a busy pilot season as they compete with not only each other but also Netflix and cable.
Established showrunners including Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad) and Tina Fey (30 Rock) are returning to the pool with series commitments at CBS and NBC, respectively. The CW and CBS are looking to launch spinoffs of established series Arrow and How I Met Your Mother, respectively, while Fox is turning to The Mentalist‘s Bruno Heller to tell the origin story of Batman’s Gotham City and Commissioner Gordon. For its part, ABC has remakes of British comedies and Israeli and Australian dramas in the works as well as a new hour executive produced by Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal masterminds Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.
Here’s a look at the pilots in contention for the 2014-15 television season, as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW sift through the numerous development projects and move forward in a bid to find the next breakout comedies and dramas. The Hollywood Reporter will be updating throughout pilot and casting season, so be sure to bookmark this page and come back for the latest news.
(Note: Not included are limited/event and miniseries or other projects earmarked for the summer.)
* Designates casting has been completed.
ABC
COMEDY
An American Education* — PASSED OVER
Logline: A remake of British comedy Bad Education, the project centers on British transplant Alfie Wickers (Whitehall), an unorthodox teacher in the San Diego public school system who loves his students, but his naive enthusiasm and unconventional methods put him at odds with the test-obsessed administrators. He juggles his time between mentoring his students and pursuing the attractive new chemistry teacher.
Cast: Rosie Perez, Jack Whitehall, Brittany Snow, Devin Ratray, David Mares, Phil Morris, Lorenzo Henrie (recurring)
Team: W/EP Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory; EP Jack Whitehall, Ben Cavey
Studio: ABC Studios, Tiger Aspect
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Black-ish* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Centers on an upper-middle-class black man (Anthony Anderson) who struggles to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions and obstacles coming from his liberal wife, old-school father and his own assimilated, color-blind kids. Loosely based on the life of showrunner Kenya Barris (The Game).
Cast: Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne (recurring), Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahid, Miles Brown, Marcus Scribner, Caila Martin
Team: W/EP Kenya Barris; EP/showrunner Larry Wilmore; EP Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, Tom Russo, Peter Principato, Paul Young, Brian Dobbins
Studio: ABC Studios, Cinema Gypsy, Principato Young
Format: Single-camera
Location:
Cristela — (proof of concept presentation) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The semi-autobiographical comedy tells the story of Cristela (Alonzo), an American Latina straddling two cultures while not fully belonging to either. In her sixth year of law school and living rent-free with her sister and brother in law, hopes to find a law firm internship as her mother harasses her about finding a real job and her brother-in-law and sister encourage her to move out.
Cast: Cristela Alonzo, Terri Hoyos, Roxana Ortega, Carlos Ponce, Andrew Leeds, Sarah Halford (recurring)
Team: W/EP Cristela Alonzo, Kevin Hench, EP Marty Adelstein, Shawn Levy, Becky Clements; D John Pasquin
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Format: Multicamera
Location:
Damaged Goods* — PASSED OVER
Logline: A comedy about the sexual politics that have changed between men and women in the post-feminist era.
Cast: Anna Camp, Jennifer Aspen, Steve Talley, Justin Hartley, Ben Lawson, Kellee Stewart, Kyle Jones
Team: W/EP Lauren Iungerich (Awkward); D Declan Lowney
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Fresh Off the Boat* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on Eddie Huang’s memoir Fresh Off the Boat, the comedy revolves around hip-hop loving Eddie as he grows up in suburban Orlando, raised by an immigrant father who is obsessed with all things American and an immigrant mother who is often bewildered by white culture. With his father owning and operating an All-American Steakhouse chain, this loving family of “fresh off the boat” Taiwanese-Americans try to live the American dream while still maintaining their cultural identity and sense of family.
Cast: Randall Park, Constance Wu, Forrest Wheeler, Ian Chen, Hudson Yang
Team: W/EP Nahnatchka Khan (Apartment 23); EP Jake Kasdan, Melvin Mar; D Lynn Shelton
Studio: 20th Century Fox, Popular Misconception
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Galavant* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The fairy-tale musical centers on handsome Prince Galavant (Joshua Sasse) and his quest for revenge against the king (Psych‘s Timothy Omundson) who stole his one true love (Mallory Jansen).
Cast: Timothy Omundson (Psych), Joshua Sasse (Rogue), Vinnie Jones, Karen David, Mallory Jansen, Luke Youngblood
Team: W/EP Dan Fogelman (The Neighbors); EP Alan Menken (original music), Glenn Slater (original lyrics); EP/D Chris Koch
Studio: Abbey C Studios for ABC (U.K.), Rhode Island Ave. Productions
Format: Single-camera
Location: U.K.
Irreversible* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Based on the Israeli series Bilti Hafich, the comedy centers on Andy and Sarah, a somewhat eccentric, self-absorbed couple, and their trials and tribulations, many of which they bring on themselves. The original ranks as the No. 1 original comedy on Israeli broadcast TV.
Cast: David Schwimmer, Iris Bahr, Jessica Knappett, Gary Anthony Williams (guest star), Susie Essman (guest star), Molly Price (guest star)
Team: W/EP/D Segahl Avin (Bilti); EP Peter Tolan, Michael Wimer; P David Schwimmer
Studio: Reshet TV (Divorce: A Love Story), Sony Pictures Television
Format: Single-camera
Location: New York
Saint Francis* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on a blue-collar, no-nonsense, Long Island cop and family man (Michael Imperioli) who butts heads with the modern, liberal world when his 29-year-old sister gets pregnant out of wedlock.
Cast: Michael Imperioli, Paget Brewster, Sharon Gless, Henry Simmons, Spencer Grammer, Jeremy Luke
Team: W/EP Chris Moynihan (Man Up); EP Ron West, Kelly Kulchak; D James Burrows
Studio: ABC Studios, Tagline Pictures
Format: Multicamera
Location:
Selfie* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The modern take on My Fair Lady is inspired by the musical and tells the story of a self-obsessed 20-something woman who is more concerned with “likes” than being liked. After suffering a public and humiliating breakup, she becomes the subject of a viral video and suddenly has more social media “followers” than she ever imagined — but for all the wrong reasons. She then enlists the help of a marketing expert at her company to help repair her tarnished image.
Cast: Karen Gillan (Doctor Who), John Cho, Allyn Rachel, Tim Peper, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David Harewood
Team: W/EP Emily Kapnek (Suburgatory); EP/D Julie Anne Robinson
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Piece of Pie Productions
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Strange Calls (cast contingent; redeveloped from 2012 script)
Logline: Based on the Australian series, the U.S. version centers on a good-hearted but somewhat inept Boston cop who pulls night duty on Nantucket island, where he works from a creaky lighthouse. Strange, inexplicable phenomena start happening with frequency, so he teams with an eccentric lighthouse keeper — who is also the local paranormal authority — to deal with the strange calls that come into the lighthouse station.
Cast:
Team: W/EP Donick Cary (New Girl); D/EP Ruben Fleischer; EP Aaron Kaplan, Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield, Heather Petrigala
Studio: 20th Century Fox, Kapital Entertainment, Hoodlum
Format: Single-camera
Location:
Untitled Brian Gallivan Project* (formerly Bambi Cottages) — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on an overworked father (Paul F. Tompkins) dreaming of being “on vacation all year” who moves his family from the city to New Hampshire, where they open a group of tourist cottages.
Cast: Paul F. Tompkins, Molly Shannon, Shiloh Nelson, Tessa Albertson, Ty Parker, Charlie Kilgore, Connor Kalopsis, Cole Sand
Team: W/EP Brian Gallivan (The McCarthys); EP Will Gluck, Richie Schwartz; D Phil Trail
Studio: ABC Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Olive Bridge
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Manhattan Love Story (aka My Thoughts Exactly) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The romantic comedy exposes the internal monologues of a young couple embarking on a new relationship.
Cast: Analeigh Tipton, Jake McDorman (Shameless), Jade Catta-Preta, Nicolas Wright, Kurt Fuller, Chloe Wepper
Team: W/EP Jeff Lowell (Two and a Half Men); EP Peter Traugott, Robin Schwartz, Rachel Kaplan, Jon Liebman; D Michael Fresco
Studio: ABC Studios, Brillstein Entertainment
Format: Single-camera
Location: New York
Keep It Together* (previously the untitled Kevin Hart comedy) (cast-contingent) — PASSED OVER
Logline: The semi-autobiographical comedy is based on Kevin Hart’s life and stand-up act and takes a candid look at the post-divorce life of a couple trying to forge a friendship for the sake of their kids, despite their differences.
Cast: Romany Malco, Kevin Hart (recurring), Ryan Michelle Bathe Amber Stevens, Bresha Webb, Jayson Blair, Jeff Ross, Bryant Tardy, Corinne Massiah
Team: W/EP Kevin Hart, Neil Goldman, Garrett Donovan (Community), Dave Becky; D Ted Wass
Studio: 20th Century Fox TV, 3 Arts
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
The Winklers* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Based on the Winklers’ lives, the comedy centers on an emotionally reserved construction worker who learns about love, life and hugs while unexpectedly living with his over-sharing in-laws.
Cast: Henry Winkler, Judith Light, Domenick Lombardozzi, Eva Amurri Martino, Josh Sussman, Joseph A. Nunez
Team: W/EP Phil Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond); EP Max Winkler, Rob Reinis, Jake Johnson; D Phil Rosenthal
Studio: 20th Century Fox TV, The Walcott Co.
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
DRAMA
Agatha* — PASSED OVER
Logline: A character-driven procedural centering on a former convict-turned-big-city criminologist who is brought in to help local police crack a case involving a perplexing disappearance. The chief detective she’s been hired to help is her father — and they haven’t spoken in 15 years.
Cast: Bojana Novakovic (2nd position to Fox’s Rake), Clancy Brown, Erik Palladino, Meta Golding, Jee Young Han, Christian Keyes, Aaron Ashmore, Daniel Henney
Team: W/EP Tom Donaghy (The Whole Truth); Mark Gordon, Nicholas Pepper, Michael McDonald; D Jace Alexander
Studio: ABC Studios, The Mark Gordon Co.
Location: Toronto
American Crime* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Examines the personal lives of the players involved in a racially charged trial as their worlds are turned upside down.
Cast: Timothy Hutton, Felicity Huffman, Elvis Nolasco, Caitlin Gerard, Richard Cabral, Johnny Ortiz, Benito Martinez, W. Earl Brown, Penelope Ann Miller
Team: W/EP/D John Ridley (12 Years a Slave); Michael McDonald
Studio: ABC Studios, Stearns Castle
Location: Austin, Texas
Astronaut Wives Club (ordered straight to series with 10 episodes set for midseason 2014-15)
Logline: The 1960s-set drama tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history during the height of the space race. Based on the book by Lily Koppel.
Cast: Dominique McElligott (Hell on Wheels), Odette Annable, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Desmond Harrington, Bret Harrison, Azure Parsons, Zoe Boyle
Team: W/EP Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl); EP Josh Schwartz, Len Goldstein; D Nick Cassavetes
Studio: ABC Studios, Fake Empire, Groundswell
Location: Houston
Clementine* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on a habitual criminal (Sarah Snook) who digs into the mystery of her origins after she becomes the target of a group of zealots who fear she possesses latent supernatural abilities that she will one day harness for either profound good or monstrous evil.
Cast: Mykelti Williamson (Justified), David Strathairn, Kevin Alejandro, Sarah Snook, Edwin Hodge, Kathleen Munroe, Nick Gehlfuss, McKenna Grace
Team: W/EP Dean Georgaris (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life); EP Mark Gordon; D Michael Dinner
Studio: ABC Studios, The Mark Gordon Co.
Location: Toronto
Exposed* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Based on a Scandinavian format, the drama follows an investigative journalist (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth — including making questionable alliances.
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ben Barnes, Sandrine Holt, Pedro Pascal, Peter DeJersey, Brian F. O’Byrne, Fran Kranz
Team: W/EP Charles Randolph (Love & Other Drugs); EP Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan; D Patty Jenkins
Studio: Universal Television
Location: Vancouver, Los Angeles
Forever* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The drama revolves around New York City’s best medical examiner Dr. Henry Morgan (Ringer‘s Ioan Gruffudd), who studies the dead for a reason — he is immortal. With the help of Detective Jo Martinez, the layers will be peeled back on Henry’s colorful and long life through the cases.
Cast: Alana De La Garza, Ioan Gruffudd, Judd Hirsch (Taxi), Donnie Keshwarz, Barbara Eve Harris, Donnie Keshawarz, Joel David Moore
Team: W/EP Matt Miller (Chuck); EP Dan Lin, Jennifer Gwartz
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Lin Pictures
Location: New York
How to Get Away With Murder* (previously How to Get Away) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller that centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that could rock their entire university and change the course of their lives.
Cast: Viola Davis, Tom Verica, Matt McGorry (Orange Is the New Black), Aja Naomi King, Alfred Enoch, Karla Souza, Jack Falahee, Charlie Weber, Liza Weil (Scandal), Billy Brown, Katie Findlay (2nd position to The CW’s The Carrie Diaries)
Team: W/EP Peter Nowalk (Grey’s Anatomy); EP Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers; D Michael Offer
Studio: ABC Studios, Shondaland
Location: Philadelphia
Sea of Fire* (redeveloped from 2012 script) — PASSED OVER
Logline: Based on Dutch format Vuurzee, the drama centers on three teenage girls in a small town who star in a pornographic film and the effect it has on their families. It leads to a disappearance, a murder and host of other secrets boiling under the surface.
Cast: Jennifer Carpenter, Jack Davenport (Smash), Isabelle Cornish, Lilli Birdsell, Christina Chang, Jeffrey Nordling, Zoe Soul, Kier Gilchrist, Kevin G. Schmidt, Amanda Detmer, Michael Trucco, Morgan Taylor Campbell
Team: W/WP Jenna Bans (Scandal); EP Rob Golenberg, Alon Aranya, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Laurie Zaks, Robert Kievit, Frank Ketelaar; D Allison Liddi-Brown
Studio: ABC Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Scripted World, Mandeville
Location: Vancouver
Secrets & Lies* (10-episode series commitment) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on an upcoming Australian series starring Martin Henderson, the drama centers on a patriarch (Ryan Phillippe) who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body.
Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Juliette Lewis, KaDee Strickland, Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome), Belle Shouse, Clifton Collins Jr., Indiana Evans, Charles Dutton (recurring), Steven Brand (recurring), Kate Ashfield (recurring)
Team: EP Aaron Kaplan, Tracey Robertson, Nathan Mayfield; W/EP/showrunner Barbie Kligman; D Charles McDougall
Studio: ABC Studios, Hoodlum, Kapital Entertainment
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
The Club (previously Untitled Susannah Grant Drama) (12-episode, straight to series order)
Logline: An upstairs/downstairs soap centered on a private country club.
Cast: Betsy Brandt (2nd position to NBC’s The Michael J. Fox Show), Boris Kodjoe, Callie Hernandez, Chris Conroy
Team: W/EP David O. Russell, Susannah Grant; EP Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly
Studio: CBS Television Studios, ABC Studios
Location:
Dangerous Liaisons* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Set in New York City and inspired by Dangerous Liaisons, the drama revolves around the love and rivalry between two equally matched, powerful socialites who play out their obsessive attraction and seduction of each other through their manipulation of others.
Cast: Katie Holmes, Rufus Sewell, Melissa George, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Elliot Knight, Oded Fehr, Britne Oldford
Team: W/EP Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You); EP Erwin Stoff, Ilene Staple, Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci; D Taylor Hackford,
Studio: ABC Studios, Olive Productions
Location: New York
The Visitors* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The drama is a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world using the Earth’s most precious resource: children.
Cast: Barry Sloane (1st position to ABC’s Revenge), Lily Rabe, Milo Ventimiglia, Derek Webster, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Catalina Denis, Kylie Rogers, Brianna Brown
Team: W/EP Soo Hugh (Under the Dome); EP Dawn Olmstead, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Steven Spielberg; D Mark Romanek
Studio: ABC Studios, Amblin Television, Grady Girl Productions
Location: Los Angeles
Warriors* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Inspired by the state-of-the-art Walter Reed Military Medical Center, the drama follows the best and brightest of active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine on critically wounded warriors returning home from Afghanistan, on military families and veterans as well as administering to Washington’s government elite. Based on an original teleplay by Steven Baigelman.
Cast: Morena Baccarin, Steve Kazee, Don Hany, Courtney B. Vance, Eloise Mumford, Justina Machado, Greg Grunberg, Hampton Fluker, Abbie Cobb
Team: W/EP Chris Keyser, Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman; D Martin Campbell
Studio: ABC Studios, Mandeville
Location: Vancouver
CBS
COMEDY
Cuz-Bros — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on a successful and suave ladies man whose perfect life is turned upside down when his mess of a cousin needs a place to stay.
Cast: Geoff Stults, Parker Young (both in 2nd position to Fox’s Enlisted), Ian Gomez (2nd position to TBS’ Cougar Town), Debra Jo Rupp, Andrea Anders
Team: W/EP David Caspe, Erik Sommers; EP Jamie Tarses; D Pam Fryman
Studio: Sony Pictures Television, CBS Television, Fanfare
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
Good Session — PASSED OVER
Logline: A happy couple (Mandy Moore, Psych‘s James Roday) decides to see a therapist to help them decide if they should have a baby but quickly discover they have more to discuss.
Cast: Mandy Moore, James Roday, Tracey Ullman, Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Ana Nogueira
Team: W/EP Matt Miller (Chuck), John Hamburg; D John Hamburg (I Love You, Man)
Studio: Warner Bros. TV
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
How I Met Your Dad — PASSED OVER
Logline: In the spirit of How I Met Your Mother, it tells the story from a female point of view. A brand-new story with new characters and a new voice at its center.
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Drew Tarver (UCB), Tiya Sircar Krysta Rodriguez, Nick D’Agosto, Andrew Santino (2nd position to ABC’s Mixology), Anders Holm, Meg Ryan (narrator)
Team: W/EP Emily Spivey, Carter Bays, Craig Thomas; EP/D Pam Fryman Rob Greenberg
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Format: Multicamera
Location: Pilot in Los Angeles; series in New York
The McCarthys (rolled from 2013) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: A family comedy about a loud, sports-crazed Boston clan.
Cast: Jack McGee, Joey McIntyre, Jimmy Dunn (only original castmembers returning); Tyler Ritter, Laurie Metcalf (second position to HBO’s Getting On), Kelen Coleman
Team: W/Co-EP Brian Gallivan (Are You There, Chelsea?); EP Will Gluck, EP Richie Schwartz; EP/Showrunner Mike Sikowitz
Studio: Sony Pictures Television, CBS Television Studios, Olive Bridge
Format: Redeveloped from single- to multicamera comedy
Location: Los Angeles
The Mistake — ROLLED TO NEXT YEAR
Logline: A couple who just “finished” raising their kids discover they are pregnant.
Cast: Julianna Guill
Team: W/EP: Shana Goldberg-Meehan, Scott Silveri (Friends), David Mandel (Seinfeld); EP/D: Andy Ackerman
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Silver and Gold Productions, Woltz International Pictures
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
More Time With Family — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on a husband and father (Papa) who is making a career change in order to spend more time with his family.
Cast: Tom Papa, Alyson Hannigan, Joe Pantoliano, Cyrus Arnold, Jack Gore, Zoe Pessin, Nancy Lenehan
Team: W/EP Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa; EP Tom Papa, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Dave Becky, Josh Lieberman; D James Burrows
Studio: 20th Century Fox TV, Pearl Street Films, 3 Arts
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
The Odd Couple — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Matthew Perry plays Oscar Madison in the half-hour comedy based on Neil Simon’s Broadway play.
Cast: Matthew Perry, Thomas Lennon, Georgia King, Lindsay Sloane Sarah Baker (Go On), Wendell Pierce (1st position to NBC’s The Michael J. Fox Show)
Team: W/EP Matthew Perry, Joe Keenan (Glee, Frasier); EP Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman
Studio: CBS Television Studios, Tannenbaum Co., Timberman-Beverly
Format: Multicamera
Location:
Save the Date — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on newly single 35-year-old Katie (Psych‘s Maggie Lawson), who drunkenly books a wedding venue and is now faced with the task of meeting the right man in the right time.
Cast: Maggie Lawson, Jay R. Ferguson, Michelle Trachtenberg, Julie White, Tom Bennett, Brian Howe
Team: W/EP Jeff and Jackie Filgo; D Pam Fryman
Studio: CBS Television Studios/ABC Studios
Format: Hybrid
Location:
Taxi-22 (previously developed for HBO) — ROLLED TO 2015-16
Logline: The series centers on a misanthropic and politically incorrect NYC cab driver, and is based on the French Canadian hit series of the same title.
Cast:
Team: EP/W Tad Quill; EP Francois Flamand & Patrick Huard (rights holders), Nancy Sanders, Mark Armstrong, Dennis Erdman & Clark Peterson
Studio: CBS Television Studios
Format: Single-camera
Location:
Untitled Jim Gaffigan comedy (rolled from 2013)
Logline: The semi-autobiographical comedy revolves around former SNL staffer Gaffigan as a happily married and harried New York City father of five — as he is in real life.
Cast: Jim Gaffigan, Adam Goldberg, Michael Ian Black, Ashley Williams, Tongayi Chirisa
Team: W/Co-EP Jim Gaffigan; W/EP Peter Tolan (Rescue Me); EP Michael Wimer, Alex Murray
Studio: Sony Pictures Television, Fedora Entertainment
Format: Single-camera
Location: New York
DRAMA
Battle Creek (straight-to-series 13-episode order)
Logline: Based on a 2002 spec, the drama centers on two detectives with very different world views who are teamed up. Together, they must answer the question: Is cynicism, guile and deception enough to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Mich., in the face of a complete lack of resources; or is the exact opposite true — it takes naivete, trust and a boatload of resources?
Cast: Josh Duhamel, Dean Winters, Janet McTeer, Kal Penn, Damon Herriman (recurring), Liza Lapira, Aubrey Dollar, Edward Fordham Jr., Dustin Ybarra (recurring)
Team: W/EP Vince Gilligan, David Shore (showrunner); EP Mark Johnson; EP/D Bryan Singer
Studio: Sony Pictures Television, CBS Television Studios
Location: Los Angeles
CSI: Cyber — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Technology, as we know it, has amplified human behavior to the point where faceless criminals are committing crimes at global proportions with a touch of a button. Avery Ryan (Patricia Arquette), special agent in charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI in Quantico, VA, is tasked to solve high-octane crimes that start in the mind, live online, and play out into the real world. Inspired by cyber-psychologist Mary Aiken’s work.
Cast: Patricia Arquette
Team: W/EP Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue; EP Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman; P Mary Aiken
Studio: CBS Television Studios, Bruckheimer Television
Location:
Madam Secretary — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Centers on the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life.
Cast: Tea Leoni, Tim Daly, Bebe Neuwirth, Geoffrey Arend, Patina Miller, Erich Bergen, Katherine Herzer
Team: W/EP Barbara Hall (1st position to Homeland); EP Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary, Tracy Mercer; D David Semel
Studio: CBS Television Studios, Revelations Entertainment
Location:
NCIS: New Orleans (two-part NCIS backdoor pilot) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline:The NCIS New Orleans office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. With its rich setting of music, fun and debauchery, New Orleans is a magnet for military personnel on leave.
Cast: Scott Bakula, Zoe McLellan (JAG), CCH Pounder, Lucas Black, Paige Turco (guest)
Team: W/EP Gary Glasberg; EP Mark Harmon
Studio: CBS Television Studios
Location:
Scorpion — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on the life of Walter O’Brien, the drama revolves around an eccentric genius and his international network of super-geniuses who form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age.
Cast: Elyes Gabel, Katharine McPhee, Robert Patrick, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Ari Stidham
Team: W/EP Nick Santora (Prison Break); EP Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Heather Kadin; EP/D Justin Lin; EP Scooter Braun, Walter O’Brien; co-EP Danny Rose, Danielle Woodrow, Troy Craig Poon; P Scott Manson
Studio: CBS Television Studios, K/O Paper Products, SB Productions, Perfect Storm Entertainment
Location:
Untitled Cusack, McCabe, Elmore, Cavell project — PASSED OVER
Logline: A series set in the world of Wall Street power and money. Based on an original story by Taylor Elmore, Ben Cavell, John Cusack and Kevin McCabe
Cast: Charlie Cox, Maggie Grace, David Morse, Sophie Okonedo, Joseph Lyle Taylor, John Cusack (guest)
Team: W/EP Taylor Elmore, Ben Cavell; EP John Cusack, Kevin McCabe, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly
Studio: CBS Television Studios, Timberman-Beverly
Location:
Untitled David Marshall Grant project — PASSED OVER
Logline: A soapy medical show centered around quadruplets — three brothers and a sister — who grew up on a reality show. Based on the Israeli format Ran Quartet.
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Jandl, Cameron Scoggins, Ashton Holmes, Anna Brewster
Team: W/EP David Marshall Grant; EP Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Arik Kneller, Avi Armoza, Tariq Jalil, David Garrett, Yona Wiesenthal, Eilon Ratzkovsky, Givora Yaholom, Oren Jakobi
Studio: CBS Television Studios, Timberman-Beverly, Yes, July-August
Location:
Red Zone (previously the untitled Toscano/Ehrin project) — PASSED OVER
Logline: When a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C., a retired CIA operative is pulled back into action and forced to investigate closer to home where the next generation of terrorists are being bred.
Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Kim Dickens, Aimee Garcia, Shanley Caswell, Sepideh Moafi, Stefanie Scott
Team: W/EP: Nikki Toscano (Revenge); Consultant: Kerry Ehrin (Bates Motel); D James Foley
Studio: Universal Television, CBS Television Studios
Location:
Untitled Kevin Williamson drama (Stalker) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The psychological thriller centers on a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD.
Cast: Maggie Q, Dylan McDermott, Mariana Klaveno (1st position to Devious Maids), Victor Rasuk
Team: W/EP Kevin Williamson; D Liz Friedlander
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Outerbanks Entertainment
Location: Los Angeles
Fox
COMEDY
Cabot College (pilot order with series commitment)
Logline: A comedy that takes place at a women’s college that has just opened its doors to men for the first time.
Cast: Margaret Cho, Bonnie Dennison (Third Watch), Jack Cutmore-Scott, Fortune Feimster, Brandon Jones, Ely Henry, Asif Ali
Team: W/EP Matt Hubbard, EP Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, David Miner; EP/D Pam Fryman
Studio: Universal Television, Little Stranger
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
Dead Boss (pilot with eye toward series production) — PASSED OVER
Logline: Based on the British series created by Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh, Dead Boss is a comedic mystery that finds overachiever Helen Stephens (30 Rock‘s Jane Krakowski) wrongfully convicted of murdering her boss (David Cross) and forced to rely on her train wreck of a sister to prove her innocence.
Cast: Jane Krakowski, Amy Sedaris, Rachel Dratch, Cedric Yarborough, Justine Lupe, Ravi Patel, David Cross (guest star)
Team: W/EP Patricia Breen (Suburgatory); EP Aaron Kaplan, Sharon Horgan, Holly Walsh; D Barry Sonnenfeld
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Kapital Entertainment
Format: Single-camera
Location: New York
Fatrick* (pilot with expected series order) — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on Patrick (Zach Cregger), a 30-something man who realizes that his life isn’t quite where it should be. The former fat kid is forced to face the damage caused by years of being “Fatrick” — a chubby little kid just trying to survive. The comedy will take place both in the past — showing “Fatrick” at school and at home — as well as in the present.
Cast: Zach Cregger (Guys With Kids), Marcia Cross, Ray Ford, Dante Hoagland, Lucy Rust, Trevor Larcom, Audrey Scott, Bayne Gibby, Marc Evan Jackson
Team: W/EP Nahnatchka Khan, Corey Nickerson; EP Kevin Walsh, Jeff Morton; EP/D Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
No Place Like Home* (pilot order with eye toward series production) (previously Here’s Your Damn Family) — PASSED OVER
Logline: Revolves a mom (Jane Kaczmarek), single for two decades, who traumatizes her stunted 30-something son (Jon Heder) with a little surprise — she just got married and her new husband (David James Elliott) and his three teenage children are about to move in.
Cast: Jane Kaczmarek, David James Elliott, Jon Heder, Natasha Bassett, Peter DaCunha, Brendan Meyer
Team: W/EP Ricky Blitt (Becoming Glen); EP Steve McPherson, Johnny Galecki
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
The Last Man on Earth (ordered straight to series for midseason 2014-15)
Logline: Will Forte stars as the last man on Earth.
Cast: Will Forte
Team: W/EP Will Forte; W/EP/D Phil Lord, Chris Miller; EP Seth Cohen
Studio: 20th Century Fox TV
Format: Single-camera
Location:
Mulaney* (rolled from NBC; six-episode straight-to-series order) 10 additional episode order
Logline: The semi-autobiographical comedy follows an aspiring comedian coming of age under the influence of his boss (Martin Short), his roommates and his neighbors.
Cast: John Mulaney, Martin Short, Nasim Pedrad, Elliott Gould, Seaton Smith, Zack Pearlman
Team: W/EP John Mulaney; EP Lorne Michaels, Dave Becky, Andrew Singer; D Andy Ackerman
Studio: Universal Television, Broadway Video, 3 Arts
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
Sober Companion (pilot with eye toward series production)
Logline: Centers on a charming, but self-destructive attorney (Shaun of the Dead‘s Nick Frost) who finds his world turned upside down when a court-appointed, and highly unconventional, sober companion (Justin Long) takes control of his life.
Cast: Justin Long, Nick Frost, Pete Davidson, Ally Maki, Dorian Brown, Mouzam Makkar
Team: W/EP David S. Rosenthal (The Middle, 90210), Jennie Snyder Urman (Emily Owens, 90210); D Don Scardino
Studio: CBS Television Studios
Format: Multicamera Single-camera
Location:
Weird Loners (six-episode straight to series order)
Logline: The story of four relationship-phobic people who are unexpectedly thrust into each other’s lives and form an unlikely bond in a Queens, N.Y., townhouse.
Cast: Zachary Knighton, Becki Newton, Nate Torrence
Team: W/EP Michael Weithorn (The King of Queens); EP Jake Kasdan
Studio: 20th Century Fox TV
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
DRAMA
Backstrom* (ordered to series; developed at CBS for 2012-13 season) (13 episodes)
Logline: Based on the books by Swedish criminologist/novelist Leif G.W. Persson, the drama was first developed in July 2012 at CBS. It centers on an overweight, offensive, irascible detective as he tries and fails to change his self-destructive behavior. Fox has ordered 13 episodes; production will begin early this year.
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Kristoffer Polaha, Dennis Haysbert, Page Kennedy, Beatrice Rosen, Thomas Dekker, Genevieve Angelson
Team: W/EP Hart Hanson; EP Leif G.W. Persson, Niclas Salomonsson; EP/D Mark Mylod; P Rainn Wilson
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Location: Vancouver
Empire* (pilot order with an eye toward series) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: A family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire featuring original and current music.
Cast: Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Y. Gray, Malik Yoba, Kaitlin Doubleday, Trai Byers, Grace Gealey, Gabourey Sidibe (recurring), Tasha Smith (recurring), Macy Gray (recurring)
Team: W/EP Danny Strong; EP/D Lee Daniels; EP Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo; Songwriter-producer Timbaland
Studio: 20th Century Fox TV, Imagine TV
Location: Chicago
Gotham (series commitment; pilot order/eyed as 22-episode series) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on characters from the DC Comics universe including a young Bruce Wayne, Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), Joker and Catwoman, the drama explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon (Southland‘s Ben McKenzie) and the villains that made Gotham famous.
Cast: Ben McKenzie, David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne), Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Robin Lord Taylor, Zabryna Guevara (Captain Essen), Sean Pertwee (Alfred), Erin Richards (Barbara Kean, Gordon’s love interest), Camren Bicondova (Selina Kyle/Catwoman), Drew Powell (recurring), Cory Michael Smith (guest star)
Team: W/EP Bruno Heller (The Mentalist); D: Danny Cannon
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, DC Entertainment, Primrose Hill Productions
Location: New York
Hieroglyph* (13-episode straight-to-series order)
Logline: The high-concept fantastical action-adventure show is set in ancient Egypt and centers on a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharaoh (Reece Ritchie), navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.
Cast: Max Brown, Reece Ritchie, Condola Rashad, Kelsey Chow, Caroline Ford, Antony Bunsee, John Rhys-Davies
Team: W/EP Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim); EP Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope; EP/D Miguel Sapochnik
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television, Chernin Entertainment
Location: New Mexico (pilot), Morocco
Home (series prototype plus additional scripts; summer production eyed)
Logline: A family thriller/soap that delves into the secrets lingering behind the façade of a suburban family.
Cast:
Team: W/EP Aron Eli Coleite (Heroes); EP Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed.
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Jerry Bruckheimer TV
Location:
The Middle Man (pilot pickup with backup scripts) — ROLLED
Logline: Explores the unique relationship between Rudy MacAteer, an FBI agent charged with taking down the Italian-American mafia, and his confidential informant, Irish-American gangster Mickey Flood. As Rudy finds himself forced to bend the laws he pledged to enforce, the duo’s actions inadvertently give rise to the Irish-American mob in this timeless Boston crime saga.
Cast:
Team: W/EP Glenn Gordon Caron (Moonlighting); D/EP Ben Affleck, EP Chay Carter; co-EPs Michael Yebba, Emilio Mauro
Studio: Pearl Street Films, Picture Maker Productions
Location:
Red Band Society — series prototype with additional back-up scripts; not a formal pilot order — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on the acclaimed Spanish series Polseres Vermelles, the dark comedy focuses on the daily lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. The depth of the unexpected friendships allows them to survive the challenges of growing up under such intense circumstances.
Cast: Octavia Spencer, Dave Annable, Griffin Gluck, Charlie Rowe, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Zoe Levin, Brian Bradley, Ciara Bravo, Nolan Sotillo
Team: EP Margaret Nagle (Boardwalk Empire), Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Sergio Aguero
Studio: ABC Studios, DreamWorks, Amblin Television
Location:
Runner — off-cycle commitment with eye toward series production in summer ‘14
Logline: Based on the Turkish series Son, the drama, which is to guns what Traffic was to drugs, centers on the traditionally masculine world of arms dealing through the unexpected lens of a woman. After a simple twist of fate, Lauren Marks learns her husband is not the person she believed him to be. Faced with the harsh reality that her life is forever changed, she goes on a truth-seeking journey that entrenches her in a U.S.-Mexican war over weapons and terrorism.
Cast:
Team: W/EP Michael Cooney (Identity); EP/D Peter Horton; EP Ian Sander, Kim Moses
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Location:
NBC
COMEDY
A to Z — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: A romantic comedy set in the world of an online dating company that details the “A to Z’s” of a relationship, from meeting to break-up. The ensemble project navigates the complicated world of modern dating and poses the question: Is there such a thing as destiny?
Cast: Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother), Ben Feldman, Leonora Crichlow, Henry Zebrowski, Christina Kirk
Team: W/EP Ben Queen (Cars 2); EP Rashida Jones, Will McCormack; D Michael Patrick Jann
Studio: Warner Bros. TV, Le Train Train
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Bad Judge — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Centers on a hard-living, sexually unapologetic woman (Kate Walsh) who plays with the law and whose life on the edge is constantly in balance, as she also happens to be a judge in the San Bernardino criminal court system.
Cast: Kate Walsh, John Ducey, Mather Zickel, Arden Myrin, Tone Bell, Robby Shoemaker, Theodore Barnes, Miguel Sandoval
Team: W/EP Chad Kultgen (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone); EP Kate Walsh, Chris Henchy, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Anne Heche, Jill Messik, Miguel Sandoval
Studio: Universal Television, Gary Sanchez Productions
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Ellen More or Less (working title) — PASSED OVER
Logline: After losing 100 pounds, an average-size woman (Stacey McGunnigle) begins reinventing herself in life and love.
Cast: Stacey McGunnigle, Tate Ellington, Chris Diamantopoulos, Joshua Gomez, Jama Williamson, Michael Liu
Team: W/EP J.J. Philbin (New Girl); EP Jason Katims (Parenthood, About a Boy), Michelle Lee; D Peyton Reed
Studio: Universal Television, True Jack Productions
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Feed Me — PASSED OVER
Logline: The dark comedy explores adult intimacy and desire. It centers on a dysfunctional family bound by love and the restaurant they run together. And when daughter Emma’s husband has an affair, they circle the wagons to fiercely protect one of their own.
Cast: Mary-Louise Parker, Toks Olagundoye (2nd position to ABC’s Neighbors), Debra Monk, Ethan Peck, Ed Quinn, Hart Bochner, Andrea Parker
Team: W/EP Sally Robinson (Steel Magnolias); EP Paul Witt, Tony Thomas (The Golden Girls); P Mary-Louise Parker
Studio: Universal Television, Witt-Thomas
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Fifth Wheel PUSHED
Logline: An ensemble comedy about a young woman who confronts her new reality after her last single friend gets engaged.
Cast:
Team: W/supervising producer Heidi Niedermeyer, Elena Crevello (Shit People Say in L.A.); EP Mark Gordon, Andrea Shay; EP/showrunner Jonathan Groff (Happy Endings); D Marc Buckland
Studio: ABC TV Studios, Mark Gordon Co.
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
Lifesaver — cast contingent PASSED OVER
Logline: The comedy asks the question: How you get rid of the most maddening person in the world after he’s given you a kidney? It’s described as an odd couple comedy in which two polar opposites (Christian Borle, Jonathan Ryland) become inextricably linked.
Cast: Christian Borle, Jonathan Ryland, Lindsay Price, Chris Butler, Harriet Harris
Team: W/EP Wil Calhoun (Friends); EP Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan
Studio: Universal Television, TBD Entertainment
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
Love Is Relative — PASSED OVER
Logline: When her newly divorced brother moves in, a wife (Leslie Bibb) and her husband start to see their marriage in a whole new way.
Cast: Jason Jones (The Daily Show), Leslie Bibb, Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect), Barry Rothbart
Team: W/EP: Dan Mazer (Borat); EP Tom Werner, Tom Lassally; D Dan Mazer
Studio: 20th Century Fox, Good Humor TV
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Marry Me — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Centers on a longtime couple (Casey Wilson, Ken Marino) who get engaged — only to quickly realize that it’s harder than it looks.
Cast: Casey Wilson, Ken Marino, Tim Meadows, Dan Bucatinsky (guest), John Gemberling, Sarah Wright, Tymberlee Hill
Team: W/EP David Caspe (Happy Endings); EP Jamie Tarses; EP/D Seth Gordon
Studio: Sony Pictures Television, FanFare
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Mason Twins — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on fraternal twins Pender (June Diane Raphael) and Lizzie Mason (Erinn Hayes). After having been estranged for 15 years, the duo reconnect after Lizzie’s perfect city life falls apart and she returns to her suburban town to discover that her sister hasn’t matured beyond her teen queen days.
Cast: June Diane Raphael, Erinn Hayes, Windell Middlebrooks, Todd Grinnell, Bret Ernst, Jinhee Joung
Team: W/EP Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael; EP Stacy Taub
Studio: ABC Studios
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Mission Control — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: A workplace ensemble comedy in the tone of Anchorman that is set in 1962 and examines what happens when a strong woman (Krysten Ritter) butts heads with a macho astronaut (The Mindy Project‘s Tommy Dewey) in the race to land on the moon.
Cast: Krysten Ritter, Tommy Dewey, Michael Rosenbaum, Malcolm Barrett, Jonathan Slavin, Julie Meyer, Eric Nenninger, Leah Renee
Team: W/EP David Hornsby (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia); EP Adam McKay, Will Ferrell
Studio: Universal Television, Gary Sanchez Productions
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
The Money Pit — PUSHED
Logline: Inspired by the Amblin Entertainment movie, the comedy is a humorous look at biting off more than you can chew and focuses on a newlywed couple who navigates the challenges of modern romance while their house crumbles around them.
Cast:
Team: W/EP Justin Spitzer (The Office), EP Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank
Studio: Universal Television, Amblin TV
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
Mr. Robinson (six-episode series order from pilot developed last season)
Logline: A journeyman musician gets a job as a music teacher at a middle school. While teaching the kids everything from rock to the blues, he simultaneously learns how to put the school’s rules to the test.
Cast: Craig Robinson, Ben Koldyke
Team: W/EP Mark and Robb Cullen; EP Howard Klein, Mark Schulman
Studio: Universal Television, 3 Arts
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Two to Go — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on longtime best friends Kurt and Laura (Go On‘s Christine Woods) as they grapple with the challenges of modern-day dating while their group of friends try and prove that they are destined to be together.
Cast: Christine Woods, Michael Stahl-David, Echo Kellum, Angelique Cabral (2nd position to Fox’s Enlisted), Dana DeLorenzo, Kim Shaw
Team: W/EP Bryan Shukoff, Kevin Chesley (The Hard Times of RJ Berger); EP David Janollari, Jason Bateman, Jim Garavente; D Craig Zisk
Studio: Universal Television, Aggregate Films
Format: Single-camera
Location: Dallas, Texas
One Big Happy — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Centers on a lesbian (Elisha Cuthbert) who gets pregnant just as her straight male best friend (Nick Zano) meets and marries the love of his life (Kelly Brook).
Cast: Elisha Cuthbert, Nick Zano, Kelly Brook, Brandon Smith, Rebecca Corry, Chris Williams
Team: W/EP Liz Feldman (2 Broke Girls); EP Ellen DeGeneres, Jeff Kleeman; D Scott Ellis
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, A Very Good Production
Format: Multicamera
Location: Los Angeles
The Pro — PASSED OVER
Logline: Set in and around a tennis and golf club, Lowe stars as a former doubles champion who is reunited with his ex-partner after a public feud that left them both floundering in life.
Cast: Rob Lowe, Rob Riggle, Rebecca Romijn, Kevin Nealon, Colton Dunn, Rosa Salazar, Andrea Savage
Team: W/EP Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory (King of the Hill, Frasier); EP Rob Lowe, Karey Burke, Marc Gurvitz; EP/D Todd Holland
Studio: ABC Studios, Universal Television
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Old Soul — PASSED OVER
Logline: Loosely based on her life, Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) plays a young woman who is trying to find herself while working as the aide to a group of elderly people.
Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Ellen Burstyn, Nick Thune, Rita Moreno, Fred Willard, Greta Lee
Team: W/EP Amy Poehler, Jonathan Fener, Josh Bycel; EP Dave Becky; D David Wain
Studio: Universal Television, Paperkite Productions, 3 Arts
Format: Single-camera
Location: Los Angeles
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (aka Tooken, the Untitled Tina Fey-Ellie Kemper comedy) (straight-to-series order for fall 2014)
Logline: Centers on a woman (Kemper) who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York.
Cast: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Sara Chase, Lauren Adams
Team: W/EP Tina Fey, Robert Carlock (showrunners); EP David Miner; D Tristram Shapeero
Studio: Universal Television, Little Stranger
Format: Single-camera
Location: New York
Working the Engels (straight-to-series order)
Logline: Follows a family (the Engels) that bands together to keep their heads above water after the loss of their father leaves them with a pile of debt. They go to work running the late patriarch’s storefront law firm — though they’re not all lawyers.
Cast: Andrea Martin, Kacey Rohl, Azura Skye, Benjamin Arthur; Martin Short and Eugene Levy to guest star
Team: W/EP Katie Ford, Jane Ford; EP Howard Busgang, Tom Nursall, Noreen Halpern
Studio: NBC, Halfire-CORE Entertainment, Shaw Media
Format: Single-camera
Location:
DRAMA
Babylon Fields* (originally developed for CBS in 2007) — PASSED OVER
Logline: The dead are rising in Babylon, N.Y., with lives regained, old wounds reopened and families are restored — for better or worse. The newly regenerated bodies are healing faster and growing stronger, prompting discussion that this might be the next step in human evolution.
Cast: Meagan Good, Skeet Ulrich, Kyle Schmid, Virginia Madsen, Ritchie Coster, Yul Vazquez, S. Epatha Merkerson
Team: W/EP Gerald Cuesta, Michael Atkinson; EP/D Michael Cuesta
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
Location: New York
Allegiance (previously titled Coercion) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on the Israeli format The Gordin Cell, the drama is a thriller that revolves around the O’Connor family and their son, Alex (Gavin Stenhouse), a decorated American war hero and CIA analyst who is a true patriot and loves his country and family. Unbeknown to him, both of his parents (Hope Davis) and sister (Margarita Levieva) are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated.
Cast: Scott Cohen (The Carrie Diaries), Gavin Stenhouse, Hope Davis, Margarita Levieva, Morgan Spector, Alex Peters, Kenneth Choi, Annie Ilonzeh
Team: W/EP/D George Nolfi, Avi Nir
Studio: Universal Television, Keshet Media
Location: New York
Constantine — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer graphic novels, the drama centers on master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan), based on the “Hellblazer” graphic novels. Constantine is struggling with his faith as he is haunted by the sins of his past but is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness.
Cast: Matt Ryan, Lucy Griffiths, Harold Perrineau, Charles Halford
Team: W/EP Daniel Cerone (Dexter); EP David Goyer (Batman Begins); D Neil Marshall
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Location: Atlanta
Emerald City (10 episodes, ordered straight to series for midseason 2014-15)
Logline: A reimagining of the classic Frank L. Baum books that have inspired everything from the Wizard of Oz to Wicked, the series is a dramatic and modern reimaging of the tales that include lethal warriors, competing kingdoms and the infamous wizard as he’s never been seen before. A head-strong Dorothy Gale, 20, is unwittingly sent on an eye-opening journey that thrusts her into the center of an epic and bloody battle for the control of Oz.
Cast:
Team: W/EP Matt Arnold, Josh Friedman
Studio: Universal Television
Location:
Mysteries of Laura — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on the Spanish format Los Misterios De Laura, the procedural with a sharp sense of humor follows a quirky female homicide detective (Debra Messing) who juggles high stakes crime as well as her ex-husband (Josh Lucas) and a devilish set of twin boys.
Cast: Debra Messing, Josh Lucas, Laz Alonso, Janina Gavankar
Team: W/EP Jeff Rake (Cashmere Mafia); EP Greg Berlanti, Melissa Berman, Aaron Kaplan, Todd Lituchy; D/EP McG
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Location: New York
Odyssey — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: A Traffic-like thriller that centers on three families who are torn apart when a stranded female soldier (Pushing Daisies‘ Anna Friel), a disillusioned corporate attorney and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy.
Cast: Peter Facinelli, Anna Friel, Jake Robinson (The Carrie Diaries), Treat Williams, Nate Mooney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Daniella Pineda, Elena Kampouris, Jim True-Frost
Team: W/EPs Adam Armus, Kay Foster (The Following); D/EP Peter Horton; EP Mikkel Bondesen, Kristen Campo, Simon Maxwell, Henrik Bastin, Elena Kampouris
Studio: Universal Television, Fabrik Entertainment, Red Arrow Entertainment Group
Location: Boston, Morocco
Salvation — PASSED OVER
Logline: A provocative drama set against the backdrop of a prominent Texas church where faith, family and corruption are explored in equal measure. The pilot centers on Jennifer Strickland, who has to defend her children, church and religious beliefs after her husband dies under mysterious circumstances.
Cast: Ashley Judd, Danny Huston, Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), Warren Kole (Common Law), Stark Sands, Meg Steedle, Emma Dumont, Jake Picking, Rob Brown, Jessica Lu (recurring)
Team: W/EP Liz Heldens (Deception); EP David Janollari; D Jeff Reiner
Studio: Universal Television
Location: Dallas, Texas
State of Affairs — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Described as Scandal meets The West Wing, the drama revolves around a maverick CIA officer (Katherine Heigl) who was plucked from the field to become the president’s (Alfre Woodard) daily briefer, assuming responsibility for targeting America’s most critical threats while navigating the unique lifestyle that comes with such a high-powered job.
Cast: Katherine Heigl, Alfre Woodard, Cliff Chamberlain, Adam Kaufman, Sheila Vand, Tommy Savas, Leslie Odom Jr., Farshad Farahat
Team: W/EP Alexi Hawley; W/D Joe Carnahan; EP Katherine Heigl, Nancy Heigl, Bob Simonds, Sophie Watts, Henry Crumpton, Julia Franz, Rodney Faraon
Studio: Universal Television, Bob Simonds Co., Abishag Productions
Location: New York
Tin Man — PASSED OVER
Logline: A psychological crime thriller that focuses on a fugitive robot (Gossip Girl’s Patrick Heusinger) accused of first-degree murder who may hold the key to the future of human evolution and the young female public defender forced to fight his case.
Cast: Patrick Heusinger (Gossip Girl), Shaun Toub (Homeland), Kara Killmer, Ryun Yu, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Kristen Connolly, Kathleen York, Tim Chiou
Team: W/EP Ehren Kruger (The Ring, Transformers); EP John Glenn, Daniel Bobker; D D.J. Caruso
Studio: Universal Television
Location: New York
The CW
Flash (Arrow spinoff) — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: An origin story of the DC Comics character of scientist Barry Allen, who through a freak accident, is given the power of super speed that transforms him into the Fastest Man Alive.
Cast: Grant Gustin (Glee), Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanagh, Candice Patton, Rick Gosnett, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, John Wesley Shipp (guest star/recurring), Michelle Harrison, Patrick Sabongui (guest)
Team: W/EP Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns; EP/D David Nutter; co-EP Melissa Kellner Berman
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions
Location: Vancouver
Identity — PASSED OVER
Logline: Centers on a young woman (The Help‘s Ahna O’Reilly) in need of a transplant who learns she is related to a powerful family whose son (Hellcats’ Matt Barr) is her only hope for a donor organ. The CIA approaches her to investigate the family’s involvement in domestic terrorism and to infiltrate their rarified world. Her loyalty, morality and ethics are tested as she’s forced to slowly build a case against the family who saved her life.
Cast: Ahna O’Reilly, Matt Barr, Stephen Hagan, Mehcad Brooks, Manish Dayal, Patricia Wettig
Team: W/EP Corinne Brinkerhoff (The Good Wife); EP Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Heather Kadin, Rob Golenberg, Alon Aranya
Studio: CBS Television Studios, K/O Paper Products, Scripted World
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
iZombie* — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: The supernatural crime procedural, based on the DC Comics title of the same name, centers on a medical student-turned-zombie who takes a job in the Coroner’s Office in order to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat so that she can maintain her humanity. However, with every brain she eats, she inherits the corpse’s memories. With the help of her medical examiner boss and a police detective, she solves homicide cases in order to quiet the disturbing voices in her head.
Cast: Rose McIver, Robert Buckley, Malcolm Goodwin, Alex Krosney, David Anders, Nora Dunn, Rahul Kohli
Team: W/EP Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero (Veronica Mars); EP Danielle Stokdyk, Dan Etheridge; D Rob Thomas
Studio: Warner Bros. Television, Rob Thomas Productions
Location: Vancouver
Jane the Virgin — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: Based on the Venezuelan telenovla, the story centers on a hard-working, religious, young Latina woman who is accidentally artificially inseminated following a series of surprising and unforeseen events.
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Jaime Camil, Yael Grobglas, Brett Dier, Andrea Navedo, Justin Baldoni, Ivonne Coll, Ryan Devlin
Team: W/EP Jennie Snyder Urman (Emily Owens, M.D.); EP Ben Silverman, Gary Pearl, Jorge Granier; D Brad Silberling
Studio: CBS Television Studios, Electus
Location: Los Angeles
The Messengers — ORDERED TO SERIES
Logline: When a mysterious object crashes down to Earth, a group of seemingly unconnected strangers die from the energy pulse, but then awaken to learn that they have been deemed responsible for preventing the impending apocalypse.
Cast: Shantel VanSanten, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Joel Courtney, Jon Fletcher, Diogo Morgado (Son of God), Craig Frank, Lane Garrison (recurring)
Team: W/co-EP: Eoghan O’Donnell (Teen Wolf); EP: Basil Iwanyk (The Town); co-EP: Kent Kubena, Ava Jamshidi; D Stephen Williams
Studio: CBS Television Studios and Thunder Road
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Supernatural: Bloodlines* — PASSED OVER
Logline: Explores the clashing hunter and monster cultures of Chicago.
Cast: Lucien Laviscount (Episodes), Nathaniel Buzolic (The Vampire Diaries), Melissa Roxburgh, Sean Faris (Pretty Little Liars), Danielle Savre, Stephen Martines, Bryce Johnson
Team: W/EP Andrew Dabb; EP Eric Kripke, Jeremy Carver, McG; EP/D Robert Singer
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
Location: Vancouver, Chicago
* Indicates casting has been completed
For tips and updates, contact: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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