Image Credit: Chris Hatcher/PR Photos; Sylvain Gaboury/PR PhotosForget watching cops, doctors and lawyers working dreary modern-day jobs. Next fall, TV could be ruled by superheros, wizards and Playboy bunnies.
The broadcast networks’ pilot orders, which are nearly finished for the year, make this extreme primetime makeover actually possible. Not since a certain ABC show about a mysterious island became a massive hit have the Big Five developed so many serialized, sci fi and straight-up wild projects.
So far we’ve told you all about the best and brightest and craziest pilots in the works at ABC, CBS and NBC. But taking chances isn’t anything new to Fox, which has been doubling down on big ideas the past couple years.
Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly credited Hollywood writers for pilot season having so many creative ideas across the board. “Even character-based writers were coming in with high concept ideas,” Reilly says. “Writers would pitch stories about a dog with laser beam eyes; everything had a ghost in it.”
Industry insiders say Fox’s drama scripts are strong this year. Naturally the most online buzz is around Fox’s most ambitious concepts: Alcatraz has J.J. Abrams & Co. going back to another island, with Lost co-star Jorge Garcia in the lead. Locke & Key is based on Joe “Stephen King’s son” Hill’s graphic novel, a supernatural drama about the adventures of the Locke family in a home with portals to other places.
Yet some say Tim Kring’s Touch is the best script at the network — and one of the best of pilot season. Touch is about a man who discovers his mute, autistic son can predict the future. Since Kring is coming off the tortured wreckage of Heroes, online readers (and, okay, me too) were initially skeptical about this project, but readers agree it’s extremely well written, and it’s compelling enough to draw Kiefer Sutherland to the project, who will play the dad.
Another well written Fox entry is Antoine Fuqua’s project Exit Strategy, reuniting the director with Training Day star, Ethan Hawke, as the leader of a team of experts who help the CIA with extractions.
“We always look to find someone’s favorite show — and a high concept or big conceit done well is one way to break out from the pack,” Reilly says.
On the comedy side, Fox has a little bit of everything. From Rob Thomas’ post-Modern Family take on a trio of different families (Little in Common), to a very Fox-sounding concept that has two moms worried that their daughters are becoming the same type of mean girls that tormented them in school (I Hate My Teenage Daughter).
Here’s Fox’s current pilot rundown:
Alcatraz (J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Liz Sarnoff). Revolves around Alcatraz Island and notorious criminals housed there (drama, pilot).
The Finder (aka Bones spinoff): Based on The Locator books by Richard Greener, about a former military policeman who can find anything. Geoff Stults stars (drama, pilot)
Locke & Key (Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, Joe Hill): Based on Hill’s graphic novel, a supernatural drama about the adventures of the Locke family in a home with portals to other places (drama, pilot)
Exit Strategy (Antoine Fuqua): Stars Ethan Hawke as the leader of a team of experts who help the CIA with extractions (drama, pilot).
Weekends at Bellevue (Lisa Zwerling, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun, Gene Stein). Drama based on the book by Julie Holland, MD; drama that centers on a psychiatrist in charge of the weekend shift of Bellevue Hospital psychiatric unit (drama, pilot)
Touch (Tim Kring, Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope). A man discovers his mute, autistic son can predict the future (drama, pilot).
I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Sherry Bilsing-Graham, Ellen Kreamer). Two women who were tormented by mean girls when they were younger are now appalled to realize their daughters are turning into the same type of girls they never liked (comedy, pilot)
Tagged (David Guarascio, Moses Port). A workplace ensemble set at the Baltimore County coroner’s office (comedy, pilot).
Iceland (Andrew Bobrow). Centers around a group of friends who are reunited and nurture each other after the death of one of their own (comedy, pilot).
Family Album. Told in the vein of 24, a family takes an extended vacation (comedy, pilot).
Little in Common (Rob Thomas). About three families united through their kids’ little league sports (comedy, pilot).
The Council of Dads. Based on the memoir about a man with cancer who lures a group of friends to supervise his daughters if he dies (comedy, pilot).
No Strings Attached (Liz Meriwether, Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope). Focuses on sexual politics of men and women (comedy, pilot).
dramas sound mewwww
supernatural again ( look at NBC)
JJ Abrams again (look at this year poor drama)
shrink and autism..that’s not medical? really?
And the dinosaurs..
Comedies better probably
Not romantic comedies though. “No Strings Attached” sounds like a rehash of every romcom movie out there. Then again, that stupid Brad Garrett show lasted more than one season on this network…
In other words, the same old Fox dreck….
Never heard of ‘em.
Let’s not overpraise the new pilots, lest FOX begins to think they sound so good there’s no need to keep FRINGE around…
word
I’m more worried this high praise will spell the end of Human Targe and Lie To Me.
Same.
Whatever you think about FOX, it’s hard not to argue they make the most daring choices of the big four dinos and actually give some amazing shows a chance (Arrested Development, etc, etc.).
you and me both
If Human Target & Fringe get cancelled I will have a hard time getting involved with yet another new series with Fox as they will probably cancel it right away. The last couple if years my favorite shows were all on Fox & they all got cancelled. Now the only 2 shows I watch are on Fox & both are in danger of getting cancelled again. I’m not saying that those new shows won’t be good. They might be totally awesome but just like totally awesome Fringe & totally awesome Human Target …. They will get cancelled. So why start?
Love Human Target, House, and Fringe. I don’t watch much television, but certainly don’t want to waste my time watching some comedy that is so unfunny that they have to plug in a laugh track. Don’t even get me started about “reality” shows.
Good! I’m sick of procedurals w/o any romance & adventure. Long live Fringe.
Since when is Kiefer Southerland supposed to be a mark of excellence? Tim Kring showed himself to be fairly inept during Heroes, is this going to be any different?
Agree with others- none sound worthy enough to replace Fringe with.
Besides ‘Alcatraz’, I don’t think Fox new shows sound very exciting.
“I Hate My TeenageR Daughter”?? Come on EW. Editors. Really.
Funny how “well written” isn’t well written.
Some of these sound interesting, but I’ll have to see a few ep’s to see how these concepts carry out. Many, many shows in the past sounded great, but execution ultimately yielded really bad shows.
FRINGE should be kept on the schedule. At least we know that’s quality programming with a solid fanbase.
I will be sad if Lie to Me is cancelled on the basis of any of the aforementioned pilots. Fox has Tim Roth and a loyal Lie To Me fan base in its pocket. I hope they don’t throw it all away for nothing.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
Weren’t people falling over themselves with praise for the Heroes pilot?
And the Heroes pilot (and most of the first season) was quite excellent. It’s what came after that was much less excellent.
Hey, first season was good.
Tim Kring should be blacklisted. The Heroes pilot was incredible too, as was that whole first season, but he clearly doesn’t know how to sustain a show.
But isn’t it worth it to have another great season of TV? Sure, Heroes 2-4 hurt, but they don’t nullify how much I enjoyed season 1.
Couldn’t agree more. The first season of HEROES was brilliant.
It’s hard to get excited about anything new Fox does because anything that ends up being great will only get cancelled after 2.75 episodes. I don’t get involved anymore.
I was just thinking that. While a lot of these shows sound great – so did Lonestar, which they cancelled after 2 shows. And I am still pissed off about Firefly, Arrested Development, and the possibility of Fringe being cancelled!!!! What is the point of getting hyped up if they are just going to cancel after two viewings!
Fringe is at least in it’s 3rd season.
Firefly is scheduled to returnmif you had not heard
Um hello Um I believe you forgot the pilot “Outnumbered” which is a pilot that has received a pilot order um ok