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Pilot Season: TV of Tomorrow
'Prime Suspect' revived at NBC; Rob Schneider heads to CBS
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A slew of pilot news dropped at the end of the week. Here's the rundown:NBC's on again-off again remake of "Prime Suspect" is back on again, having been ordered to pilot. "Desperate Housewives" and "NYPD Blue" veteran Alexandra Cunningham is writing and executive producing with Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights"), who will also direct. The project was shelved last season because of trouble casting the lead; we still think our earlier suggestions would work. [EW]
Also at NBC, "Lone Star" creator Kyle Killen has received a green light for his drama pilot "REM," about a detective who finds himself living in two parallel worlds after an accident. The Peacock has also ordered three comedies: "Lovelies" from "Family Guy" writer Chris Sheridan, about two couples and their struggles; "Free Agents," an adaptation of a British rom-com show from "Party Down's" John Enbom; and an untitled show about a doctor who joins his family's practice from "Parks and Recreation" scribe Dan Goor. [The Live Feed]
One more from NBC: "New Adventures of Old Christine" creator Kari Lizer is writing and exec producing an untitled show about a woman who helps people through career transitions. [Deadline]
CBS has given the formal OK to a comedy starring Rob Schneider about a guy who marries into a large Mexican-American family; Schneider also co-wrote the pilot with fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum Lew Morton. The network has also ordered "Home Grown" from "That '70s Show" veterans Jackie and Jeff Filgo. It's about a man who shares a house with his grown daughter and her 12-year-old son. [Deadline]
On the casting front, Kyrsten Ritter ("Breaking Bad," "Gilmore Girls") has landed the title girl in ABC's comedy "Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23." She'll play a New York party girl who runs roughshod over her new roommate ("The Good Wife's" Dreama Walker). [EW]
Naturi Naughton ("Fame") is joining Amber Heard in NBC's drama "Playboy." Like Heard, Naughton will play a Bunny who works in a Playboy Club in the 1960s. [Variety]
Three pilots have landed directors. James Mangold ("Walk the Line," "Men in Trees") will helm "Rookies," the Robert De Niro-produced cop show at CBS; "Mad Men's" Lesli Linka Glatter will direct the drama "Grace" at ABC; and Adam Bernstein ("30 Rock," "Bored to Death") will direct Rob Thomas' comedy "Little in Common" for FOX. [Deadline]
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Rookies, seriously?? Weren't Rookie Blue and the 5000 other shows on the subject enough?
So excited for Krysten Ritter, I hope this works out better than Gravity.
Re Prime Suspect: my first reaction is to say "Oh no, there's no way anyone can be as good as Helen Mirren!" Plus, I doubt most of the women from your September 2009 article would do a regular tv series. But if it's a "done deal," then how about Kyra Sedgwick, now that she's leaving The Closer, or perhaps Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica's President Laura Roslin, for the lead?
Only thing different now that last year is the fact Glenn Close is available with Damages ending this season
The premise of "REM" reminds me of "Life On Mars" and the premise of "Rookies" reminds me a lot of "Rookie Blue". o_O
Gee, I hadn't even thought of Glenn Close. Yeah, she'd be perfect in the role.
"REM," about a detective who finds himself living in two parallel worlds after an accident...
Seriously? Here's an idea: How about a few dramas with realistic story lines and three dimensional characters. Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Good Wife all come to mind. They're completely different but all top notch television because they follow the same formula and don't insult the intelligence of their viewers. Network TV is a wasteland.