Now that NBC has given up trying to reinvent television by trying to cram late-night programming down the throats of its primetime audience, whatever will they do next?
Well, one idea might be to hustle a bunch of new scripted series [The Rockford Files is new?] through development and onto the screens of their now alienated audience in hopes of drawing them back. Follow the jump to check out a partial slate of upcoming NBC series – with muted commentary…
“Prime Suspect” is based on the award-winning BBC series centering on a courageous female detective who investigates complex mysteries in a politically explosive big city. Casting will be announced later. The pilot is produced by Universal Media Studios and ITV. Hank Steinberg (“Without a Trace”) and Erwin Stoff (“The Blind Side”) are the executive producers.
This might work if they could get Helen Mirren to star… Oh, SNAP!
In “The Rockford Files,” the successful NBC drama from the 1970s is re-imagined by executive producers David Shore (“House”) and Steve Carell (NBC’s “The Office”). The title character, Jim Rockford, remains a roguish private eye who tackles the dangerous, quirky and unpredictable cases that no other detective wants to handle. The pilot is from Universal Media Studios and Carousel Productions.
At least James Garner’ll make some money off this – Steve Carell and David Shore certainly aren’t going to be able to find anyone who can match his performance. Besides, Rockford didn’t specialize in “the dangerous, quirky cases that no other detective wants to handle” – at least not intentionally. He’d far rather sit on the beach or go fishing with his dad. That was what made the show work!
“The Event” is a thriller with a unique storytelling device that features multiple points of view concerning a decent, regular fellow who battles against mysterious circumstances that envelope a larger conspiracy. Universal Media Studios produces the pilot that includes Steve Stark (“Medium”) as the executive producer; Nick Wauters (“The 4400”) is the co-executive producer/writer. Casting will be announced later.
The next quickly cancelled serialized drama? I think it might be. I hope it’s not good – I have a track record of falling in loce with good serialized TV shows that get cancelled early…
In “Undercovers,” a domesticated husband and wife return from years in retirement and are re-activated as CIA agents. As they work together for the first time on new cases, they discover new aspects from their past – even as they re-ignite their passion for each other. J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” the 2009 feature film “Star Trek”), Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Star Trek”) and Josh Reims (“Dirty Sexy Money”) are the executive producers; Abrams and Reims are the writers. The pilot is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Bad Robot Productions.
This sounds like Mr. & Mrs. Smith Come Out of Retirement. From anyone but Abrams, I’d pass, but he took the basic concept “Felicity as a spy” and created Alias. And turned Gilligan’s Island meets survivor into LOST.
“Chase” is a new action-procedural drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (the “CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” “The Pirates of the Caribbean” feature films). “Chase,” based on a real-life group and set in the American Southwest, follows a crucial fugitive apprehension team comprised of U.S. Marshals that tracks down the nation’s most notorious criminals. Tension builds as the cat-and-mouse game of the ultimate search escalates in each episode. The series is from Warner Bros. Television and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Joining Bruckheimer as executive producers are Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) and Jonathan Littman (“CSI,” “Cold Case”).
Jerry Bruckheimer doesn’t often mess up. Maybe there’ll be something to this one.
“Kindreds,” created by Emmy Award winner David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice,” “L.A. Law”), follows a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer and his group of misfit associates as their lives come together to form an unconventional kind of law practice. The series is from Warner Bros. Television and David E. Kelley Productions. Kelley is the writer and executive producer.
Kelley’s milked his legal background pretty much to its limit. This might be a good place for him to stop – unless he gets Judd Hirsch to be the curmudgeon and Lee Pace to be his protégé.
“Love Bites” is an hour-long romantic comedy produced by Universal Media Studios and Working Title Films. Writer Cindy Chupack (“Sex in the City,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”), Timothy Bevan & Eric Fellner (both for “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’ Diary”) and Shelley McCrory are the executive producers. Casting and producer credits will be announced later.
I hear “Love Bites” and I think George Hamilton. Interesting pedigree, though. They might pull it off…
The Unnamed Adam Carolla Comedy Project that features the humorous radio and TV personality Carolla (“The Man Show,” “The Hammer”) as a contractor who sets out to re-build his life following a divorce. The pilot is produced by Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun. The executive producers are Carolla, Kevin Hench (The Hammer”), Jon Pollack (NBC’s “30 Rock”), Jimmy Kimmel (“The Jimmy Kimmel Show”), Gail Berman (NBC’s “Mercy”), Lloyd Braun (NBC’s “Mercy”), Daniel Kellison (“The Jimmy Kimmel Show,” “The Man Show”) and James Dixon (“Ace in the Hole”).
I’m not a big Adam Corolla fan [nor an Adam Corolla fan at all], but the premise sounds like Home Improvement after the divorce. That alone gives me a delightful shiver. I hope it works.