12 April 2023 U.S. Broadcast TV Season (Continued from Cover) (Continued on page 14) lots join the list of “straight-to-series” orders already announced for the coming season. If we consider what has been rumored, and even stated, by network representatives, the numbers are not surprising. ABC, CBS, and NBC have essentially turned to year-round development via an “off cycle” or “second cycle” process, and FOX is no longer doing pilots for liveaction series, with the exception of Jenny Is a Weapon from Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry. The drama has a possible straight-toseries order. With a few exceptions, the nets don’t appear to be taking big leaps of faith with original ideas when it comes to pilots. Instead, they are betting on characters from existing series, hoping fans will follow them into new adventures. CBS is hedging on the character Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), an attorney from The Good Wife and The Good Fight, in the new drama Elsbeth. The series follows the attorney as she uses her talent to bring criminals to justice with the NYPD. Similarly, a handful of this season’s pilots are based on pre-existing series, with ABC’s comedy Drop-Off, based on the British program Motherland, and its drama Untitled Drew Goddard, based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel. The ABC drama The Good Lawyer is a spin-off of the popular series The Good Doctor. It’s about a young lawyer with obsessive compulsive disorder whose symptoms are both a blessing and a curse. CBS is also betting on an existing property, though its comedy JumpStart is based on a comic strip, not another TV series. Then there’s Matlock, based on the longrunning mystery series starring Andy Griffith that ran from 1986 to 1995. CBS is betting on a reboot of this much-loved crime drama, and no doubt hoping that Kathy Bates’ star power will help draw in viewers, as well. The new edition follows Madeline Matlock, played by Bates, as she rejoins the workforce at a top law firm and uses her shrewdness to expose corruption and, of course, like the original Matlock, win cases. Speaking of star power, Damon Wayans Sr. and Damon Wayans Jr. are headlining CBS’ Untitled Wayans Project as a father-son duo navigating the waters of parenting an adult who is a parent himself. It seems as if the nets are really betting that viewers want to spend their nights in the courtroom, with plenty of legal dramas on tap. This includes the aforementioned The Good Lawyer (CBS), Elsbeth (CBS), and Matlock (CBS), as well as Public Defenders (ABC) and Judgement (ABC). Whether viewers are looking for law, crime, or family dramas or comedies, the network execs are hoping there’s a pilot (or two or more) out there for all viewers. And here’s the pilot list (if the series will be picked up, the distributors are indicated). (By Sara Alessi in New York and Mike Reynolds in Los Angeles) ABC (COMEDY) Drop-Off Writer: Julieanne Smolinski Exec Producers: Michael Showalter, Sharon Horgan, Stacy Greenberg, Clelia Mountford, Stacy Greenberg, Kira Carstensen, Paul Feig, Dan Magnante, Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz Cast: Ellie Kemper Prod Co.: Lionsgate, ABC Signature Premise: Julia is a working mother 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. Based on Horgan’s British comedy Motherland. Distributor: Lionsgate Public Defenders Writer/Exec Producer: Eddie Quintana Exec Producers: McG, Mary Viola, Corey Marsh Cast: Anthony Anderson, Erika Hinningsen, Arturo Castro, Kimrie Lewis, Natasha Lopez, Isaiah Dòdó-Williams Prod Co: 20th Television, Wonderland Sound and Vision Premise: 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. Distributor: TBD ABC (DRAMA) The Good Lawyer Writers/Exec Producers: David Shore, Liz Friedman Exec Producer/Director: Ruben Fleischer Cast: Kennedy McMann, Felicity Huffman, Bethlehem Million Prod Co: ABC Signature, Shore Z Prods, Sony Pictures TV Premise: Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) seeks legal representation to help him win a case and puts his faith in a promising young lawyer who has obsessive compulsive disorder. Distributor: Sony Pictures TV The Hurt Unit Writers/Exec Producers: Matt Lopez, John Glenn Exec Producer/Director: Marc Webb Cast: Ben McKenzie, Michelle Ortiz Prod Co: ABC Signature, Black Lamb Premise: A cutting-edge medical drama about a highly skilled team of trauma surgeons and nurses who 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 (Hospital Urgent Response Team) brings the ER to them. Distributor: TBD Judgement Writer/Exec Producer: Joey Falco Exec Producers: Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan, Jordan Cerf Cast: Sarah Shahi, Portia Doubleday, Christine Adams Prod Co: 20th TV Premise: A high-stakes legal soap that redefines the genre by playing out over two timelines. Fifteen years from now, a woman 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. Distributor: Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Untitled Drew Goddard Writers/Exec Producers: Drew Goddard, Sarah Esberg, Pierre Laugier, Anthony Lancret, Jean Nainchrik Cast: Kaitlin Olson Prod Co: 20th TV Premise: Based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel, the drama revolves around a single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind who 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, and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team. Distributor: Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution CBS (COMEDY) JumpStart Writer/Exec Producer: Wayne Conley Exec Producers: Aaron Kaplan, Melanie Frankel, Bridget McMeel, Wendi Trilling Co-Exec Producer: Robb Armstrong Prod Co: CBS Studios, Kapital Entertainment, Andrews McMeel Entertainment, Trill TV Premise: Based on the comic strip of the same name, set in Philadelphia, the comedy follows Joe, a cop; his wife Marcy, a nurse; and Joe’s partner, Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old-school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it. Distributor: Paramount Global Content Distribution Untitled Wayans Project Writers/Exec Producers: Kevin Hench (Last Man Standing), Damon Wayans Exec Producers: Damon Wayans Jr., Kameron Tarlo Cast: Damon Wayans Sr., Damon Wayans Jr. Prod Co: CBS Studios Premise: Legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa” (Wayans Sr.) has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband. Distributor: Paramount Global Content Distribution
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