The jury’s still out on the future of some ABC series (we’re looking at you, FlashForward and V), but the network is already hard at work on a contingency plan: It’s developing 11 new dramas for fall, including fresh projects from uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Grey’s Anatomy honcho Shonda Rhimes. And there’s good news coming out of the network’s laugh department: the success of Wednesday night series Cougar Town, The Middle, and Modern Family has prompted ABC to continue spending big bucks on more comedies — thus its decision to order 12 half-hour pilots this year. Here are the network’s fall pilots, many of which are still being cast (decisions on which projects are ordered to series are typically made in the weeks leading up to ABC’s presentation to advertisers, which occurs this May in New York. And no, not every pilot will get a pickup):
Dramas
187 Detroit (writer Jason Richman). A light-hearted look at Detroit’s top homicide division.
Body of Evidence (Chris Murphey). A procedural about a female medical examiner who used to work as a neurosurgeon.
Cutthroat (Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters). A dramedy about a single mother who operates an international drug cartel from Beverly Hills.
Edgar Floats (Rand Ravich). A police psychologist becomes a bounty hunter.
Generation Y (Noah Hawley). A documentary-style dramedy that tracks a group of former high school classmates over the last decade.
Matadors (Jack Orman). A drama focusing on two long-feuding families in Chicago that stars David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum).
No Ordinary Family (Jon Feldman, Greg Berlanti). A family of superheroes that stars Michael Chiklis (The Shield).
Off the Map (Jenna Bans, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers). Shot in Puerto Rico, the drama focuses on three doctors who leave the mainland to work at an isolated tropical clinic.
The Whole Truth (Tom Donaghy, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman). Legal drama that provides perspective from the defendant/prosecution prosecution perspective until a verdict is reached.
True Blue (Jon Feldman and Chris Brancato). Homicide detectives in San Francisco reunite to solve the murder of a former co-worker. Cast includes Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace).
Untitled Richard Hatem project. Focuses on a (hot) female detective team
Comedies
Awkward Situations for Men (Jeff Filgo & Jackie Filgo). Inspired by the Danny Wallace book of the same name, the series focuses on a British on-air personality who moves to America and clashes with local customs. Cast includes Wallace and Laura Prepon (That ’70s Show).
Freshmen (Greg Malins, Arianna Huffington). A multi-camera sitcom about three first-year members of Congress that stars Sarah Chalke (Scrubs).
Funny in Farsi (Nastaran Dibai, Jeffrey B. Hodes). Based on the novel of the same name by Firoozeh Dumas, which is a memoir of the author’s childhood.
Untitled David Caspe Project. A single-camera comedy about a couple who breaks up at the altar while their friends try to keep things copacetic. Cast includes Damon Wayans, Jr. (My Wife and Kids ).
How to Be A Better American (Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley). A single-camera comedy about a father who attempts to improve his life and the lives of his (not-so-amenable) family.
It Takes a Village (Casey Johnson & David Windsor). A single-camera comedy about two exes and their partners who come together to raise a 15-year-old boy.
Mr. Sunshine (Matthew Perry, Alex Barnow, Mark Firek). Perry (Friends) stars as a self-absorbed manager of a sports arena. Cast also includes Allison Janney (The West Wing) and Andrea Anders (Better Off Ted).
Untitled Couples Project (Shana Goldberg-Meehan). A multi-camera sitcom about two sisters in different stages of their romantic relationships. Cast includes Joanna Garcia (Privileged).
Untitled Dana Gould Project. A multi-camera comedy about a high school guidance counselor. Cast includes Gould and Brian Dennehy (Cocoon).
Who Gets the Parents (Joe Port & Joe Wiseman). A multi-camera comedy about three adult siblings who are grappling with their parents’ late-in-life divorce.
Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid (Howard Morris and Jenny Lee). A multi-camera comedy based on the book of the same name.
Wright Vs. Wrong (Stephanie Weir). A single-camera comedy about a conservative pundit who’s very different in private.
Southern Discomfort (Chad Kultgen, Rob Long). A multi-camera comedy about a dad whose grown kids move into his house.
This seems like an awful lot of pilots to produce, does ABC even have the timeslots for them all?
No, they don’t have the timeslots for all of these shows. Out of these shows I would think that the network would probably pick like 4 of the dramas and maybe 4 of the comedies will be chosen to go to pilots/series.
Body of Evidence “A procedural about a female medical examiner who used to work as a neurosurgeon.” – who writes this crap? let me guess – she looks like a model and graduated top of her class and she has lots of ATTITUDE!!!!!!
Cutthroat – weeds ripoff
actually its more of a crossing jordan rip off
Shana Goldberg-Meehan show will be bad. He work was always re-written when she was on “Friends”.
SHe can not create charectors. The show “JHoey” proved it. Goodbye Shana Goldberg-Meehan
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Is Wright Vs. Wrong a dark comedy almost like a HBO or showtime Sitcom. If so it would be good.
Wow, alot of add procedural detective programming. guess fansof lost will have to start reading\
Wow, all these pilots seem like tired ideas that are destined to fail. TV is getting worse and worse
my thoughts exactly. a dramedy about a woman running a drug cartel?? have they ever heard of WEEDS?
what are they replacing lost with? thats the big question. they already have a good one with V, but they insist on killing it before it starts…
EXACTLY what I thought! And it would probably be WAY to racy for ABC anyway.
Sounds like Traffic, too.
I was thinking basically the same thing burp ‘n slurp. After I read the description for possibly one of the new dramedies for ABC called Cutthroat I got the impression that this show seems a lot like the t.v. show Weeds and I have to agree with TJ (as well) that if this show is going to be in the same vein as Weeds then it might be way to provocative for basic cable. But with that said I will definitely give this show (and Matadors and No Ordinary Family) a chance(if they get the green light) because who knows maybe this show will be quite intriguing and fill the void of the soon to be departed ‘Lost’.
So did ABC opt for the ‘Untitled Richard Hatem project’ instead of doing an updated ‘Charlie’s Angels?’ While I was kinda interested to see what a new version of ‘Charlie’s Angels’ would be like, I think it’s best that they don’t remake it.
Can we stop with the medical dramas and legal/crime procedurals already? This slate sounds like all kinds of suck.
7/11 of that total are cops/doctors/lawyers. Blech. Plus Weeds ripoff, plus Incredibles ripoff, plus two that I’ve already forgot.
Seriously? I am so sick and tired of medical and law/procedural cop dramas!!!!!!! Where the hell is originality?
Agreed on the crime dramas. Never been a fan of them.
Don’t look to ABC for originality. When they do bring in a fresh show they treat it like crap. Pushing Daises, Eli Stone, Samantha Who?, looks like Flash Forward is soon to meet the same fate. I’d prefer they stick with the tired old stuff rather than getting me attached to a great new show and then ripping it away from me.
I also noticed the “Weeds”-like drama. And “It Takes a Village” sounds a lot like the CW’s “Life Unexpected.” Awful lot of derivative there. Why can’t ABC appreciate the unique shows it ALREADY has, like “V,” “Flash Forward,” and especially “Better Off Red”?
Sorry, that should be “Better Off TED.” Darn phone keyboard.
HAH! I think ABC execs are Better Off DED!
Since Andrea Anders is particpating on another show does that mean that Better Off “Ted” is Dead? This is a bad sign.
Diva, Anders has the pilot in second position. What that means is she is commited to BOT first, if that show isn’t renewed then she will move to the second position show. So no, her being cast in the other show doesn’t mean that BOT is dead. However, I have a strong feeling that it will be.
Actually “It Takes a Village” is based on the writer’s real life. I read the script and I thought it was fantastic.
How about they promote the great comedies they already have…. like, BETTER OFF TED!!!
pardon the grammer
Most of them sound kind of boring to be honest. The one that sounds the most promising is “No Ordinary Family,” just because Greg Berlanti’s name is attached to it. He IS a good writer. So, I’ll check that one out. The rest don’t really grab my intention.
That’s the only one I would consider as well. It sounds like an “Incredibles” rip-off, but then I liked the Incredibles, and I like the people involved.
Hmmm. A dramedy about a single mom that runs a drug cartel, what an original idea! They should name it leaves….
OMG, shoot me now. Allison Janney might be returning to TV? I beg of you, PLEASE don’t pick it up. She’s horrible.
Are you kidding me? Janney is incredible. Haven’t you heard of a little show called ‘The West Wing?!!!’
gosh these seem so boring and all the same. i mean how many medical shows and crime shows could they have?! private practice and grey’s anatomy are enough. And they already have a great crime show that can be serious and hysterical at the same time…Castle! The only show that actually seems like it might have a shot at standing out is No Ordinary Family.
this season y’all came out with great shows such as flashforward and V; what happened ABC??
I miss Eli Stone.
Me, too. Now that was a legal show that was original. And Pushing Daisies–it made my heart hurt to lose it and ES at the same time.
most of dramas sound horrible..ripoffs…not one original Idea…is all detectives and doctors… do we need anymore!!!! does that are not are ripoffs
Generation Y ( saint elmo’s fire)
Cutthroat (weeds)
No Ordinary Family (the incredibles)
Two of those aren’t even television shows…and I’m all for No Ordinary Family. YES FOR THE SUPERHEROES!!!!! And Generation Y does not even sound close to Saint Elmo’s Fire.