ABC PILOTS
Our running update of pilots ordered for the 2023-24 TV season, going network by network; EPs = executive producers. (Jump to CBS, The CW, Fox or NBC.)
DROP-OFF (Comedy) — NOT MOVING FORWARD
WRITER: Julieanne Smolinski
OTHER EPs: Ellie Kemper, director Michael Showalter, Sharon Horgan, Clelia Mountford, Stacy Greenberg, Kira Carstensen, Paul Feig, Dan Magnante, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz
CAST: Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Judy Greer (Reboot)
Julia (Kemper) is a working mom for whom nothing is working so she goes looking for her village. With the help of new friends Calvin and Liz, Julia discovers she just might succeed at balancing work and parenting from time to time. This is a comedy for anybody who’s dropped their kids at school, breathed a sigh of relief…then realized it’s Sunday. Based on Sharon Horgan’s British comedy Motherland.
THE GOOD LAWYER (Drama) — STILL IN CONTENTION
WRITERS: David Shore, Liz Friedman
OTHER EPs: Director Ruben Fleischer
CAST: Kennedy McMann (Nancy Drew), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Bethlehem Million (Flatbush Misdemeanors)
A legal spinoff of The Good Doctor, the backdoor pilot (airing March 13) centers on Joni DeGroot (McMann), a promising young lawyer who is brilliant, funny and self-aware but has obsessive compulsive disorder. While her symptoms take a toll on her personal and professional life, her attention to detail allows her to see cases through a different lens.
THE HURT UNIT (Drama) — NOT MOVING FORWARD
WRITERS: Matt Lopez, John Glenn
OTHER EPs: Director Marc Webb
CAST: Ben McKenzie (Gotham), Melissa George (The Mosquito Coast), Michelle Ortiz (This Fool), Jaime Lee Kirchner (Bull)
A highly skilled team of trauma surgeons and nurses race into the field to treat the patients who won’t make it to the hospital in time. When the sick and the injured can’t get to the ER, the HURT Unit, or Hospital Urgent Response Team, brings the ER to them.
JUDGEMENT (Drama) — NOT MOVING FORWARD
WRITER: Joey Falco
OTHER EPs: Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan, Jordan Cerf
CAST: Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life)
The project plays out over two timelines. Fifteen years from now, a woman (Shahi) being vetted for a Supreme Court seat recounts her experience at a prominent D.C. law firm in 2023, where the only thing more controversial than the cases was her messy love life, caught between two feuding brothers. Now, with a Supreme Court seat on the line, all of her darkest secrets are at risk of coming out, threatening her nomination, her reputation, and her marriage.
PUBLIC DEFENDERS (Comedy) — NOT MOVING FORWARD
WRITER: Eddie Quintana
OTHER EPs: McG, Mary Viola, Corey Marsh
CAST: Anthony Anderson (black-ish)
In the single-cam comedy, up to their earholes in student loan debt, four inexperienced public defenders work tirelessly to keep their clients out of jail. Along the way, they have to rely on each other to navigate their first defendants, the absurd court system, and the copy machine that always jams.
UNTITLED DREW GODDARD PROJECT (Drama) — ORDERED TO SERIES
WRITER: Drew Goddard
OTHER EPs: Showrunner Rob Thomas, director Alethea Jones, Sarah Esberg, Pierre Laugier, Anthony Lancret, Jean Nainchrik
CAST: Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Daniel Sunjata (Graceland), Javicia Leslie (Batwoman), Deniz Akdeniz (The Flight Attendant)
A single mom (Olson) with three kids and an exceptional mind helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective (Sunjata), and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team. Based on the popular French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI).
The Hurt Unit sounds like a copy of the Japanese drama MER.
The Hurt Unit is the PRT from station 19.
I thought Fox had a show by Marc Cherry? Is that still in the works?
Yes. Fox has several series in development including the Marc Cherry show. However, Fox is no longer doing pilots for their live action series.
Fox is reportedly no longer doing pilots for live action series, instead Fox is “script to series”. NBC, ABC and CBS are all doing “off cycle” or “second cycle”, aka year round development. # Kevin Reilly was right in 2014, it just took a global pandemic and declining linear ratings for the broadcast networks to finally do something they should have done 6-7 years earlier. That being said, it is mind boggling that there are only 14 pilots unless Nexstar/The CW surprises.
Of those 14, 5 are straight to series, with a potential writers strike, I would imagine few cancelations, several fast tracked pilots, and more reality based shows. With all big nets having a streamer in back pocket no telling what fall will bring us
I counted wrong, it is actually 13 pilots and not 14, but the five direct to series orders are in addition to the number of pilots. Found, The Irrational, The Never Game and the untitled comedy, all of those were “off cycle” and have been in the works for a while. I agree that the big four networks are likely going to cancel very few series, with the potential writer’s strike playing a factor in that. If there is a writer’s strike it seems doubtful that any of these 13 pilots/potential series could be on the air by September 2023.
The CW seemed to indicate they’d be doing an endless stream of reality garbage (that I’ll never watch a minute of). They’re going from ‘must watch’ to ‘always avoid’.
Untitled Mike O’Malley project basically another Splitting Up Together? Still miss that show.
SUT was such a good show!!!!
Does The Irrational sound like Scorpion but just with Walter?
I would love to start a New Network using the old 70s 80s 90s model. With scripted shows 7 days a week even Saturday. And the Daytime Schedule would be old school adding a mix of new soaps and resurrecting some old Canceled soaps and would only have one talk show on during the day and game shows . And pluck the best of the passed over pilots the other networks passed on.
That would be a network I would watch.
I like the idea. How about reviving the old Mystery Movie Wheel Series. Different characters though.
That’s a lot of crime-solving/doctoring/lawyering shows. But I’m very excited for Amber Ruffin’s show.
Literally nothing i would watch, or anything remotely original
Always the same thing every pilot season now. Back in the day, series like Outer Banks and Stranger Things would have found homes regular TV. Not anymore.
On regular TV
I’m guessing Judgement is supposed to be misspelled?
So we get the spinoff The Good Lawyer – guess next we’ll see The Good Detective, The Good Teacher, and The Good Politician (if that last one is possible)
The only one I want to see is THE GOOD DOG.
🐾
Impossible because they’re all good boys/girls
The Good Politician- maybe as a comedy?
It so weird seeing nothing from the cw
I think ‘JUDGEMENT’ is incorrect? In US English, “judgment” (no “e”) is the only correct spelling. In UK English, “judgement” (with an “e”) is standard, but “judgment” is used in legal contexts.
THE IRRATIONAL is going to be good. Love Jesse L. Martin, he is such a fantastic actor.
Anything with Kathy Bates will be great. Loved the original Matlock.
Man, there used to be a time where I would be so stoked for pilot season. But now network TV is all lawyers, cops, and doctor shows. So boring. Streaming has taken over in terms of original TV. How times have changed.
Where have you been it’s always had a long list of law cop and doc series
With other original content thrown in. Where have you been? Genre shows did exist on the big four back in the day.
Once upon a time, my most eagerly anticipated issue of TV Guide was the one showcasing all the new fall shows. Different world back then.
Agree! I couldn’t wait to get the issue and see what was coming. Then again, there was a time when I had 2, yes 2, recorders set for a full 6 hours each per week. Lots to keep up with. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case for quite a long time. And this year isn’t looking to change that, either.
What can I do to ensure that Elsbeth gets produced? I’ve never been so excited by a spinoff as I am about this! I adore Carrie Preston and I adore Elsbeth Tascione. I’ll pledge money, I’ll volunteer my time, I’ll write letters, whatever I can do to convince CBS to run with this!
I’m with you on this one!
I usually hate remakes but I am kind of interested and excited by the Kathy Bates Matlock series
Not one of these sound like a winner they all sound generic and done before. Not one stands out to get me excited.
So many interesting shows. I’m already excited for the new season.
St. Denis Medical sounds like something that may pair with Night Court.
This is like 95% lawyer and cop shows with the occassional medical show sprinkled in. Not much yet that interests me, unfortunately.
Oh no!! There’s nothing that interests the great Lori! Well everything should just be cancelled until Lori is fully satisfied
Are you okay? I expressed an opinion, which is what the comments section is for. Where did I say anything about cancelling things? I’m just… not going to watch them. Jesus…
We have 2 Adventure Series’ coming From CBS True Lies & The Never Game that breaks the cycle of Procedurals.
The Never Game also sounds detective-y, but that’s one I’m giving a chance to because of Justin Hartley.
very disappointing
The only one that interests me at all is “Found” on NBC because of Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
A series based on Oliver Sachs amazing work seems fascinating. I will be looking out for Wolf.
One of these networks needs to hire me. I have a great idea for a show. It’s called “Doctor, Lawyer, Cop.” It’s about a doctor, who’s also a lawyer. They work for the police, fighting crime, saving lives, and defending the innocent.
😂😂😂
The Irrational…aka Instinct. Why can’t we get original content that isnt wholly or mostly based on past shows and their plot lines…
They tried that last year. There were two original-themed hour shows I really liked and would’ve totally supported the next season named “Leap” starring Scott Foley and “Ordinary Joe “starring James Wolk. TPTB decided originality stinks.
I LOVED Leap!
It’s not TPTB’s fault nobody watched either of those shows (which I too enjoyed, FWIW).
I’ll check out Murder By the Book which means it definitely won’t be ordered to series. Every season it’s the same thing. Lame sitcoms and boring procedurals. This is why cable and streaming will continue to win. They take the risks broadcast networks stopped taking after the ’00s. Imagine what our childhoods would have been like if all of those various types of shows didn’t exist? No X-Files and so on.