General Pilot & Shows In Development Discussion

[ParadoxLost]

15 hours ago, Pollock said:

I vote for The Tick and JCVJohnson too. Like you, I was surprise how good it was. Funny, but sometimes poignant, the only thing I could compare it with is maybe Bojack Horseman : the cartoon as funny as it's horrible about a Direct to DVD actor, bored to death and infatuated with someone cleary better than he is.

I kept thinking about JvDB playing JvDB in the B in Aparment 23.  But it sounds like it was written by the writer responsible for the Expendables which makes sense.

[Trini]

A show for Cho? USA Network Developing Con Artist Drama Starring ‘Star Trek’s’ John Cho 

Quote

“Connoisseur” centers around Clay Park (played by Cho), a brilliant con artist who dupes the wealthiest, most powerful people in the country into paying millions for fake wine, but his hustle forces him into a deadly bargain with an organized crime syndicate, puts him in the cross-hairs of the FBI, and unearths the details of a tragedy that fractured his family years ago in Korea.

[BetterButter]

‘The Departed’ TV Series Lands at Amazon

[zxy556575]

How are everyone's expectations holding up as the new shows roll out?

Reviewing my own comments, I liked This Is Us more than I thought I would and gave Designated Survivor a chance and enjoyed that as well.

[Lady Calypso]

I just looked back on some of my comments on the shows that I've watched so far. This is Us is one I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it's definitely as strong as I hoped it would be. Actually, given the pretty positive reviews, it might be an early contender for renewal, depending on how the next couple of episodes go. Designated Survivor is one I told myself that I would just tune in to the pilot for the actors and judge it accordingly. I'm planning to stick with it for a few more episodes. Speechless is pretty much what I predicted; it's a good comedy that I will enjoy watching. I tried Kevin at Work but fast-forwarded through a lot, so that's a bust for me. 

[Minneapple]

Unpopularly, I know, I found This is Us fairly boring and cliche (Kate's only personality trait appears to be being fat, and oh, God, the big "tearful" Milo speech was SO CHEESY) other than the twist at the end. I'll give it another shot, though.

Pitch is on the DVR. So is Designated Survivor. Hope to get to them soon enough.

The Good Place was, well, good. Terrific cast and I'm definitely sticking with it. I'm glad it's only 13 episodes, though. It'd be hard to mine for more material than that.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Minneapple

[Just Here]

Deadline: ‘Magnum P.I.’ Sequel About His Daughter In Works At ABC From John Rogers & Eva Longoria

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Longoria and Spector, whose UnbeliEVAble is under an overall deal at Universal TV, looked at the studio’s catalog for titles that could be suited for reboot. They identified Magnum P.I. as particularly viable and relevant, and then Rogers unlocked a way in with Thomas Magnum’s daughter that he took custody of in the show’s finale. While the trio felt that rebooting the series with another Thomas Magnum would be daunting, focusing on his daughter was an organic way to update the franchise.

Regarding the daughter character, CNET has some additional plot background from the original series.

 

Not optimistic about this potential series, mainly because I don't trust John Rogers (The Player, Leverage - see IMDb) to properly handle the procedural/legal and espionage elements in this show.

[zxy556575]

The Sorting Hat:

Kevin at Work and Speechless are in the reject pile. I was looking forward to The Good Place but a couple of the characters grated and overall, the minuses outweighed the pluses for me.

I'll stick with Pitch, Notorious, and Falling Water for a bit.

On the bubble about Lethal Weapon. I'm not mad at it but neither did it draw me in.

[TaraS1]

I've tried The Good Place (although I have no idea why, I'm not a Kristen Bell fan), This Is Us, Speechless, Designated Survivor and Pitch.  So far, the only one I'm sticking with is Designated Survivor.

[vibeology]

I'm genuinely loving The Good Place. I like that they've established early that something is going on there and that has me interested.

Designated Survivor and Speechless are getting a few more weeks. I didn't enjoy This Is Us, Lethal Weapon (I vastly preferred the chemistry between the leads in the Rush Hour remake last year.) Notorious wasn't Scandal-y enough (I know two deaths in the first episode should count, but TV deaths are so boring at this point that I barely noticed them) but I'll probably give it one more week because of J. August Richards. I have Pitch sitting on my PVR to watch tonight.

[Enigma X]

I have only watched This Is Us and Designated Survivor and they are both Must See TV for me.

[ABay]

Van Helsing: I didn't like the alternate vampire-ruled universe on Buffy and I disliked it even more here. Deleted after 15 minutes.

MacGyver: the lead is too smirky and the dialogue is trying too hard. I did make it to the end but only by fast-forwarding through some bits.

Those are the only new shows I've watched so far.

[Rae87]

It took me a few tries to finish MacGyver. I liked the lead when he was in X-Men: First Class but he looks too young to accomplish everything his character said he did. I'm pretty sure the only way Jack Dalton could have watched MacGyver's back for years is if he was at the ultrasound. They really should have gotten someone in their thirties to play Mac instead.

[CoderLady]

Agree about MacGyver. The lead is way too young to have the skills and experience to be plausible as the walking Swiss Army knife the original was, and giving him the constant hacker-in-a-van backup just dilutes the whole lone agent concept that made the original interesting. My attention started wandering within the first 10 minutes, and when they plugged in the replacement comm center female it was full-on generic action show to me and I bailed.

[atomationage]

Thumbs up on This is Us, The Pitch, and The Exorcist.  (Also Berlin Station, The Collection, and Swedish Dicks, but who is going to watch those?)

Thumbs down on Bull, way down, and MacGyver.

Sideways on Speechless, The Good Place, and (Hooten and The Lady.)

[Trini]

I made a new thread to discuss the new shows that airing now, so we can keep this one about shows that are still in development/ or yet to air.

[ABay]

On 9/23/2016 at 3:32 AM, Just Here said:

Deadline: ‘Magnum P.I.’ Sequel About His Daughter In Works At ABC From John Rogers & Eva Longoria ...

Not optimistic about this potential series, mainly because I don't trust John Rogers (The Player, Leverage - see IMDb) to properly handle the procedural/legal and espionage elements in this show.

John Rogers's participation is the only thing that gives me hope it won't totally suck. I love the capers on Leverage and the way it made some good political points without getting preachy or getting dragged into the "dark and gritty is the mark of a True Artiste of Rare Genius" trap so many shows seem to lately. Looking at you, USA network. 

32 minutes ago, atomationage said:

Thumbs up on This is Us, The Pitch, and The Exorcist.  (Also Berlin Station, The Collection, and Swedish Dicks, but who is going to watch those?)

I would watch Berlin Station, even if Richard Armitage uses an American accent, but Directv doesn't carry Epix.

[DearEvette]

So far for the new season big thumbs ups to: Atlanta, Queen Sugar, This is Us, Pitch

-- It is interesting that my two fave network shows so far This is Us and Pitch were both created by the same person and both had a twist revealed at the end of the pilot.

Will give it another try to: Speechless -- I liked it ok but it was a bit strident.  Hoping that is because it was suffering from Pilotitis

Didn't even bother to try: Bull, MacGyver

Looking forward to: Insecure, Luke Cage

Will try at some point: Designated Survivor

[Just Here]

Yay, another (possible) adaptation:  NBC has ordered a pilot script (with penalty) for a The Italian Job adaptation (EW.com).

[Bookish Jen]

I'm still watching Criminal Minds even though it is a mere shadow of its early seasons.

Really like Superstore last year, and continue to watch it this season, very funny. I used to work and retail and can relate to this show all too much.

The Goldbergs continues to charm me.

I like Pitch, and will catch up with The Good Place.

I was going to watch Designated Survivor, but that might be a binge watch once it comes out on DVD or via-online.

Can't wait for Timeless to start.

[MissAlmond]

The USA Network is hoping the third time's a charm and have set the premiere date of November 15, 2016 for their twice postponed new series, "Shooter."  Why the clueless network heads simply didn't change the title to the name of the book, instead of the movie, and avoid all this is a mystery known only to them.  Considering what happened the last two times this show tried to air, I advise everybody to stay on extra alert come November 15.

http://deadline.com/2016/10/shooter-newpremiere-date-usa-network-1201830323/

Edited October 4, 2016 by MissAlmond
corrected year

[GinnyMars]

1 hour ago, MissAlmond said:

Considering what happened the last two times this show tried to air, I advise everybody to stay on extra alert come November 15.

Pretty sure you're right and there will indeed be a mass shooting on November 15.

I was quite shocked by those stats when I first discovered that website.

[BetterButter]

'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' TV Series in the Works

[Trini]

This is a TV adaptation not a 'reboot'! /pet peeve

Anyway, ''Single White Female' TV Series In the Works at NBC'. As a limited/mini-series? Because I don't see how to get more than one season out of the concept.

[Trini]

Quote

ABC is taking a second stab at developing a sitcom starring vehicle for comedian Gabriel Iglesias. The network has a new half-hour project in development, starring Iglesias, from Ryan Seacrest Productions and CBS Television Studios. This is not a spec sale; the pitch was bought by ABC late last year and the script will be is in consideration for this pilot cycle. ...

Written by Taylor Hamra (Nashville), the untitled project focuses on a commitment-phobe bachelor who reconnects with his friend who has just broken up with the woman he has been with since pre-school. Iglesias stars and executive produces.

Bachelor Comedy Starring Gabriel Iglesias In Works At ABC

[Lady Calypso]

So, Tvline seems to have compiled the list of pilots for all the networks so far. Obviously some of these might change, since it's still fairly early. And reading them, I'm less than impressed, as usual. I might need to seriously lower my standards.

[zxy556575]

It would be fun if these were all Amazon pilots we could vote on.

I assume they'll give Jonathan Creek a creative credit on this one:

DECEPTION
When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, illusion, and influence — the FBI. He’ll become the world’s first consulting illusionist, helping the government solve crimes that defy explanation and trap criminals and spies by using deception.

Could be interesting but I hope This Is Us isn't going to spawn a lot of these.

ME, MYSELF & I
A single-camera comedy examining one man’s life over a 50-year span. The show will focus on three distinct periods in his life — as a 14-year-old in 1991, a 40-year-old in present day, and a 65-year-old in 2042.

Yeah, the fact of Seth Farland's involvement makes this a no-go for me.

ORVILLE — STRAIGHT TO SERIES
WRITER: Seth MacFarlane
CAST: Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), Adrianne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Penny Johnson Jerald (Castle), Scott Grimes (ER), Peter Macon (Shameless), J Lee (Family Guy), Halston Sage (Crisis)
Set 300 years in the future, the hourlong dramedy follows the adventures of the Orville, a not-so-top-of-the-line exploratory ship in Earth’s interstellar Fleet. Facing cosmic challenges from without and within, this motley crew of space explorers will boldly go where no comedic drama has gone before.

[GinnyMars]

20 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

it gets harder and harder to keep track of what's on the air and what critics actually enjoy.

I like Metacritic, it's a good place to start.

[AimingforYoko]

All the 2017 network pilots in one handy location (EW).

[palmaire]

Some of those sound fun/intriguing, but I've been fooled by loglines before. The ones I like probably won't go to series, anyway. /sour

[shapeshifter]

23 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

All the 2017 network pilots in one handy location (EW).

The first one has potential for changing people's hearts and minds, but that's a lot to expect from a TV show:

Quote

The Crossing
Refugees from a war-torn country start showing up to seek asylum in a small American town. Only the country these people are from is America and the war they are fleeing is 250 years in the future. The local sheriff with a past, a federal agent, and a mother in search of her missing refugee daughter drive this allegory with a surprising conspiracy at the center.
Team: Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie will write and executive-produce with Jason Reed.
Cast: Sandrine Holt, Steve Zahn, Natalie Martinez, Jay Karnes, Marcuis Harris, Tommy Bastow, Simone Kessel, Bailey Skodje, Rick Gomez, Kelley Missal, Rob Campbell, John D’Leo, Grant Harvey, Luc Roderique.

The second one sounds like a do over of Designated Survivor — which really could use a do over.

[selkie]

For those who think Game of Thrones is far too easy to follow, the legal issues surrounding Wheel of Time tv/movie rights have been resolved, and Sony has announced production on a tv series based on the books. No announcement of which network is likely to air it at this point.

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/wheel-of-time-tv-series-sony-1202390897/

I think that somewhere around 10-15% of the printed series is characters smoothing their skirts and tugging their braids, and at least that part can be condensed for the screen. The big question is how to wrangle starting around book 7 or 8 when Robert Jordan kind of lost control of his cast of millions. 

I do think that the success of GoT makes it easier to sell this kind of show, and think it's got a lot of potential if they can do a still respectful translation to the screen that can dial back some of the things that made the book series problematic. 

Edited April 22, 2017 by selkie

[DearEvette]

Good lord.  They are really going to try to do the Wheel to Time series?  And yes, I agree that the success of AGOT makes this seems plausible but the scope of WOT feels so much bigger somehow. And are they gonna throw HBO levels of money at it though?

1 hour ago, selkie said:

The big question is how to wrangle starting around book 7 or 8 when Robert Jordan kind of lost control of his cast of millions. 

This is funny because I think that is when I gave up on the books.  I couldn't keep track of all the new characters being introduced after book 4, and I reading it in real time so the wait between books exacerbated that.  Though I do hear that after RJ died and Brandon Sanderson came in to write the last two books, they were pretty tight.  Which isn't surprising, Sanderson's own series are really tight and inventive.

[SVNBob]

11 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Refugees from a war-torn country start showing up to seek asylum in a small American town. Only the country these people are from is America and the war they are fleeing is 250 years in the future.

Sounds like the "Goobacks" episode of South Park. "They Terk Our Jerbs!"  But since it's on network, there won't be a gigantic gay orgy protest.  At least, not on-screen.

[ParadoxLost]

Quote

The Gospel of Kevin
A one-hour dramedy about the divorced, depressed, and unemployed Kevin (Jason Ritter), who is tasked by God with a mission to save the world.
Team: Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters will write and executive-produce.
Cast: Jason Ritter, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Cristela Alonzo, Chloe East, Dustin Ybarra, India de Beaufort, J. August Richards.

Is this a sequel to Joan of Arcadia where Joan Girardi disappears or gets locked up for talking to God and then her brother Kevin Girardi (still played by Jason Ritter) grows up and gets married and then divorced, depressed, and unemployed and tasked by God to save the world one person at a time because its a family thing?

Seriously, there is no way this show comes into existence without Ritter mentioning that he's been in a variation of it before.

Although if its as good as Joan of Arcadia, I'll take it derivative or not.

[possibilities]

I love Cristela Alonzo, so maybe it will be decent. Otherwise, I am extremely skeptical.

[Trini]

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2017/07/19/hbo-announces-confederate-a-new-drama-series-created-by-david-benioff-and-db-weiss-40013/20170719hbo01/

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HBO Announces "Confederate," A New Drama Series Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

... "Game of Thrones" creators/showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will return to HBO with their new original series CONFEDERATE, it was announced today by Casey Bloys, president, HBO Programming.

CONFEDERATE chronicles the events leading to the Third American Civil War. The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution. The story follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone - freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall.

Besides several issues I have with the premise, this seems like it's been done already. Has this ("what if the South won?") been done already?

[CoderLady]

I rarely ever actively wish for a creative venture to fail because each one employs hundreds of people trying to put food on the table, but I hate the idea of a fantasy world where black Americans are slaves so much that I can't even put together a decent sentence. Die, fucker, and quickly.

[Minneapple]

Holy moly, that sounds like a bad idea on many many many many levels.

[2727]

15 hours ago, Trini said:

The story follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone - freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall.

So slavery is bad, then? Got it.

Minus the sarcasm, this sickens and enrages me more than a TV show has any right to.

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

But I guess it all depends on the writing and the execution.

Right. I know people love Game of Thrones.  Me?  I never loved it but I did watch it.  They are decent storytellers but one area I felt they were weak was dealing with sensitive topics--like sexual violence.  So I don't have much hope with them making a whole show around a concept that will need to be very sensitive in order to not make it exploitative. 

[Trini]

I haven't read through this yet: 'The Producers of HBO’s Confederate Respond to the Backlash and Explain Why They Wanted to Tell This Story'

Edited July 22, 2017 by Trini

[shapeshifter]

Premiering on Sunday, August 6, on Amazon: Comrade Detective (Metacritic):

Quote

Amazon's new cop comedy is set in 1980s Romania, presented as if it is a long-lost Romanian series with performances by Romanian actors dubbed by a pretty impressive English-language cast led by Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and also featuring Jenny Slate, Jake Johnson, Chloë Sevigny, Jerrod Carmichael, Nick Offerman, Jason Mantzoukas, John Early, Fred Armisen, Kim Basinger, Mahershala Ali, Bobby Cannavale, Mark Duplass, and more.

[MissAlmond]

On 7/19/2017 at 6:05 PM, Trini said:

HBO Announces "Confederate," A New Drama Series Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

... "Game of Thrones" creators/showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will return to HBO with their new original series CONFEDERATE, it was announced today by Casey Bloys, president, HBO Programming.

CONFEDERATE chronicles the events leading to the Third American Civil War. The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution. The story follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone - freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall.

Another premium cable TV series not worth subscribing for nor will I give a damn about missing!

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 7/21/2017 at 8:45 PM, Trini said:

I haven't read through this yet: 'The Producers of HBO’s Confederate Respond to the Backlash and Explain Why They Wanted to Tell This Story'

Oh Boo Hoo that people are reacting negatively to this. And Fuck if I'll "wait and watch before I rage" as they and Bloys urge. ???

Edited July 27, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule

[Minneapple]

On 7/21/2017 at 8:45 PM, Trini said:

I haven't read through this yet: 'The Producers of HBO’s Confederate Respond to the Backlash and Explain Why They Wanted to Tell This Story'

I don't care what they say. D&D's writing has all the grace and subtlety of a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. I wouldn't trust them to handle a project like this at all. It's a terrible idea and they should feel bad for coming up with it and HBO should feel bad for greenlighting it.

[DearEvette]

On 7/20/2017 at 6:41 PM, nosleepforme said:

It sounds kind of like The Man in the High Castle, alternative history fiction with the second World War being traded for the Civil War and without any science-fiction elements.

 

But I guess it all depends on the writing and the execution.

 

Yeah, I've seen a lot of people make comparisons to The Man In The High Castle, but I think there are some important distinctions that allow MiTHC to really be viewed as fiction whereas Confederate is harder to think of fictionally.

For One thing, MiTHC uses as its basis stuff that never actually happened on US soil.  We were never defeated by Hitler, Germany or the Japanese and we've never been invaded.  The 'What If' scenario of that show reads as purely fictional because of this so there is a real distance from the material.  It would be different if we had been defeated and briefly occupied.  But that isn't the case.  So you can suspend disbelief and watch that show for what it is, truly science fiction because there is no basis in lived fact there.

OTOH, slavery actually existed in the US.  What Confederate sounds like it is asking is not so much for us to suspend disbelief to pretend about something that never happened, but asks us to watch the extended timeline of something that really did happen.  And while legal slavery ended, systems were still put in place to continue to maintain economic and social dominance of whites over blacks in the aftermath -- i.e. Segregation & Jim Crow etc.  It is difficult to ask for people to watch this with suspended disbelief and comfortable distance because there are people still alive today who lived under Jim Crow.

Honesty why would anyone today want to watch this given the crap that enacts on a daily basis that still shows how the legacy of slavery continues to infect things in direct and indirect ways.  And even worse this duo!  Good Lord.  I like the GOT books but not the show.  People who only watch the show get a real skewed idea of events in the books. 

Spoiler

Jeyne being stabbed through her pregnant belly? Didn't happen in the books.  Jaimie raping Cersei over their son's dead body?  Didn't happen in the books.  They've amped up violence to women on screen for shock and titillation.

  Not to mention there is tons more text and subtext in the books that goes missing in the show. So yeah, not really interested in seeing how they would choose to include the rape of black female slaves in the modern day. (cuz you know they will....)

[2727]

On 7/21/2017 at 8:45 PM, Trini said:

I haven't read through this yet: 'The Producers of HBO’s Confederate Respond to the Backlash and Explain Why They Wanted to Tell This Story'

Not going to watch the show, not going to read the creators' mealy-mouthed justifications. Rage nosebleed coming on.

(There is a forum for the show, if anyone wants to concentrate their disgust. Or be open-minded.)

[paulvdb]

11 hours ago, DearEvette said:

For One thing, MiTHC uses as its basis stuff that never actually happened on US soil.  We were never defeated by Hitler, Germany or the Japanese and we've never been invaded.  The 'What If' scenario of that show reads as purely fictional because of this so there is a real distance from the material.  It would be different if we had been defeated and briefly occupied.  But that isn't the case.  So you can suspend disbelief and watch that show for what it is, truly science fiction because there is no basis in lived fact there.

OTOH, slavery actually existed in the US.  What Confederate sounds like it is asking is not so much for us to suspend disbelief to pretend about something that never happened, but asks us to watch the extended timeline of something that really did happen.  And while legal slavery ended, systems were still put in place to continue to maintain economic and social dominance of whites over blacks in the aftermath -- i.e. Segregation & Jim Crow etc.  It is difficult to ask for people to watch this with suspended disbelief and comfortable distance because there are people still alive today who lived under Jim Crow.

I don't watch MiTHC, so I don't know how it portrays the Nazis or race-relations in Nazi-occupied America, but there are still people alive who lived under Nazi rule so I don't agree with your argument that Confederate is a worse idea than MiTHC because people are still alive who lived under Jim Crow.

My main issue with the premise of Confederate is that slavery would still exist in the South if it had become independant from the United States. It would have existed longer than it did in our real history, but slavery was abolished in all Western nations in the 19th century and I think slavery would have been abolished in the South eventually, even if only because of international pressure. That doesn't mean that I believe that black people in such an independant South would necessarily be equal to white people today. There could very well still be segregation, but not slavery.

I think that part of the premise is as unrealistic as a successful German invasion of the United States in WW2.

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I don't watch MiTHC, so I don't know how it portrays the Nazis or race-relations in Nazi-occupied America, but there are still people alive who lived under Nazi rule so I don't agree with your argument that Confederate is a worse idea than MiTHC because people are still alive who lived under Jim Crow.

Yes, there are still people who are alive who lived under Nazi rule.  But there are no Nazi monuments erected all over this country to remind them of that.  There are no Nazi flags still hanging over public buildings.   There are no places they can walk around in America and see remnants of their oppression like blacks can where the fountains used to say "white" vs. "colored."  The Klan is still burning crosses in people's yards as recent as last year.  It would be one thing if MiTHC actually took place in Germany or Europe because then there'd be the same issues.  But it doesn't, it is centered on the US where none of that happened and the burden of shame and guilt for the rise of Nazism doesn't ride on our shoulders like it does for the Germans.  So like I said, there is a distance from the reality in  MiTHC that just doesn't exist in what they are proposing for Confederate.