#orderedtoseries

[pilotseason2020]

CALL ME KAT (ordered direct to series, fka “Carla”)

based on the BBC series “Miranda”

Carla is a 39-year-old woman who struggles every day against society and her mother to prove that you cannot have everything you want — and still be happy. Which is why she spent the money her parents set aside for her wedding to open a Cat Café in Louisville, KY. 

Cast (thus far)

Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory, Blossom) as Carla “Kat”, a 39-year-old woman who struggles every day against society and her mother to prove that you CANNOT have everything you want — and still be happy. Which is why she spent the money her parents set aside for her wedding to open a Cat Café in Louisville, KY. The role is inspired by that of Miranda Hart’s Miranda in the BBC series. (Sep 19, 2019)

Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) as Kat’s high school crush, Max, who recently returned from teaching English overseas and now works as a bartender across the street from the cat café. He’s getting over a long-term relationship with an ex that Kat imagines to be the most beautiful woman in the world — but Max values personality and humor over physical attractiveness. Jackson’s Max is a version of Tom Ellis’ character Gary in the BBC series. (Mar 6)

Swoosie Kurtz (Mike & Molly) as Sheila who grew up in Louisville and subscribes to very traditional gender roles. She views her daughter Kat’s unmarried status as her own personal failure. A charming narcissist, Sheila has used her sex appeal to date an endless array of men since Kat’s father died. The role is inspired by that of Patricia Hodge’s Penny in the BBC series. (Feb 12)

Kyla Pratt (One on One, The Proud Family) as Randi, a hip, confident millennial who was named Louisville’s top barista four years in a row. Randi works at the café despite having no interest in cats. As someone who juggles multiple suitors, Randi encourages Kat to adopt a new approach to dating. (Feb 13)

Julian Gant (Good Girls) as Carter, who manages a piano bar, The Middle C, in a trendy area of Louisville. Recently divorced, he’s navigating life as a single dad, while complaining every step of the way. (Apr 28)

Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace) as Phil, who works for Kat and bakes all the pastries at the cat cafe. Kat is helping Phil get a new lease on life after his recent breakup with his longtime partner. The role is a version of the character Clive played by James Holmes in the BBC series. (Apr 2)

Series Creator: Darlene Hunt

Producers: Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik, Todd Spiewak,  Angie Stephenson, Miranda Hart, Darlene Hunt

Studios: Warner Bros. TV, BBC Studios , Sad Clown Productions, That's Wonderful Productions

Genre: Multicamera

This is one of three BBC-inspired adaptations at FOX this season, alongside fellow comedy “This Country” and drama “The Big Leap.”

[readmelearnfromme-blog]

I’M DYING UP HERE ordered to series by Showtime. Jim Carrey is executive producing. Premise: Set in L.A.’s stand-up comedy scene of the 1970s, during which the careers of many of the comedy superstars began, the series delves into the inspired and damaged psyches that are required to stand alone in front of an audience and make them laugh.

Melissa Leo, Ari Graynor, Clark Duke, Michael Angarano, RJ Cyler, Erik Griffin and Stephen Guarino star.

The series is based off a novel by the same name written by William Knoedelseder. The series is written by Dave Flebotte (Masters of Sex, Will & Grace). 

The series begins filming Fall 2016 in LA. 

[pilotseason2020]

UNTITLED ELLIOT STABLER SPIN-OFF (ordered direct to series, 13 eps)

a spin-off of “Law & Order: SVU” and the extended franchise

Revolves around the NYPD organized crime unit, led by Elliot Stabler.

Cast (thus far)

Christopher Meloni will reprise his role as Elliot Stabler, which was the male lead role in the first twelve seasons of Law & Order: SVU. Alongside his partner/best friend Olivia Benson, Stabler was a dedicated and brash detective who investigated sex crimes. Stabler was married with five children. The role earned Meloni a lead actor in a drama series Emmy nomination in 2006.

Producers: Dick Wolf, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski, *Matt Olmstead

Studios: Universal Television, Wolf Entertainment

“SVU” is now finishing its 21st season and has become the longest-running US live action series on television. When Meloni left, the now tied-in Chicago franchise hadn’t even made its debut. This is the first show to come out of the massive new five-year, nine-figure, multi-platform deal Wolf signed with Universal Television last month, which includes multiple series commitments.

[pilotseason2020]

WALKER (ordered direct to series, aka “Walker, Texas Ranger”)

reboot of the former CBS series which starred Chuck Norris

Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two with his own moral code, returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family, and find unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history), while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.

Cast (thus far)

Jared Padalecki (Supernatural) as Cordell Walker, a man finding his way back to his family while investigating crime in the state’s most elite unit. (Sep 23, 2019)

Lindsey Morgan (The 100) as Micki, Walker’s partner who was born and raised in San Antonio. Described as focused and perceptive, her family has been in Texas since before it was Texas. She’s been in the Army and on the police force and knows first-hand what it’s like to be singled out and discriminated against because of her gender. (Variety, Feb 5)

Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars) as Liam Walker. Described as smart, slightly smug, but with a strong moral compass, Liam is Walker’s younger gay and conservative brother who has been recently promoted to assistant DA. Liam and Walker are close, but Liam gives his brother no shortage of tough love. Liam has always stayed close to home, often sacrificing his personal life in favor of his family duties. In Walker’s absence, he stepped up to take Walker’s kids under his wing. Liam’s close relationship with Walker’s son and daughter makes Walker slightly jealous. (Variety, Feb 19)

Jeff Pierre (Once Upon a Time) as Trey Barnett. Warm and loving but haunted, Trey is Micki’s boyfriend. An Army medic recently back from his deployment, he’s doing his best to adjust but it’s not easy. He has a good relationship with Micki; they keep each other honest, and know each other better than they let anyone else know them. (Mar 4)

Coby Bell (The Game) as Captain Larry James, a Texas Ranger Captain, a trailblazer in his division, confident, sharp as a razor. Captain James, as the only African American man in the Austin headquarters and one of only a few in the entire Ranger division, has true grit and a wry sense of humor. (Feb 28)

Violet Brinson (Sharp Objects) as Stella Walker. Sixteen years old, insolent and riding an emotional rollercoaster, Stella is Walker’s teenage daughter. Headstrong and smart as hell, she resents her dad for being absent – and she’s not about to forgive him anytime soon. Her unrest leads her to ask questions Walker isn’t ready to answer. (Mar 12)

Kale Culley (Me, Myself and I) as Arlo Walker. Fourteen years old, sweet, sincere and quietly smart, Arlo is Walker’s son. Arlo rabidly consumes information and is eager to learn any skill that will help, please and impress his family. Unlike his sister, he doesn’t want to cause a stir. In other words, a time bomb. (Mar 12)

Molly Hagan (Jane the Virgin) as Abeline Walker, Walker’s mother, an unstoppable force of nature. Abeline is a third generation Texas rancher. Smart and perceptive, she always puts the family first and never hesitates to give advice whether asked for or not. (Feb 27)

Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files) as Bonham Walker, Walker’s father. He is sturdy, conservative and tough as nails but a family man through and through. A third-generation Texas rancher, he’s most comfortable taking care of business on the ranch — in the bullpen, supervising cowboys, training horses. Bonham is a man who speaks his mind. He’s not about to mince words when it comes to talking to his kids. (Feb 21)

Series Creator: Anna Fricke

Producers: Jared Padalecki, Dan Lin, Lindsay Liberatore, Anna Fricke

Studios: CBS Television Studios, Rideback

Primetimer Pilot Preview: “pass”

[pilotseason2020]

YOUNG ROCK (ordered direct to series - at least 11 eps)

About Dwayne Johnson’s formative years...

Cast (thus far)

Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is set to appear in each episode.

Series Creator: Nahnatchka Khan, Jeff Chiang

Producers: Nahnatchka Khan, Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang

Studios: Universal Television, Fierce Baby, Seven Bucks Productions

Genre: Family

This series is perhaps comparable to a 2017 NBC pilot Khan worked on, about the childhood of her then-boss and collaborator Kourtney Kang, that was not ultimately ordered to series. However, the Rock is decidedly more famous than Kang.

[pilotseason2020]

SUPERMAN & LOIS (ordered direct to series)

set in the established continuity of “Arrow”, “Supergirl”, et.al

The story of the world’s most famous Super Hero and his journalist wife as they deal with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.

Cast (thus far)

Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf) as Clark Kent/ Kal-El/ aka Superman. (June 16, 2016)

Elizabeth Tulloch (Grimm) as Lois Lane. (Sep 14, 2018)

Jordan Elsass (Little Fires Everywhere) as Jonathan, who is clean-cut, modest and kind-hearted, with an aw-shucks attitude that somehow doesn’t seem dated. (Feb 5)

Alexander Garfin (The Peanuts Movie) as Jordan, who is wildly intelligent, but his mercurial temperament and social anxiety limits his interactions with people, and consequently, Jordan prefers to spend most of his free time alone, playing video games. (Feb 5)

Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) as  Lana Lang-Cushing, the loan officer at Smallville Bank who stayed in Smallville when others left for something bigger and brighter. Lana re-establishes her friendship with her old friend, Clark Kent, during one of the most difficult periods in her life. (Apr 7)

Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) as General Samuel Lane, a no-nonsense Army general who’s determined to keep America, and the world, safe from all threats – from this world or beyond. Lane’s a workaholic who demands nothing but excellence from all those in his life. This role was played on a recurring basis by Glenn Morshower in the first season of Supergirl, which was also the sole season to air on CBS and be filmed in LA, and as such is a recast. (Apr 2)

Erik Valdez (Graceland) as Kyle Cushing, the husband of Lana Lang. Cushing is Smallville’s fire chief and local hero who’s seen his fair share of tragedy. Small town raised with small town beliefs, Kyle doesn’t care much for the big city and often butts heads with people that come from it. (Apr 8)

Series Creator: Alexander Garfin, Todd Helbing

Producers: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Geoff Johns

Studios: Warner Bros. TV, Berlanti Productions

Genre: Superheroes and Family

Primetimer Pilot Preview: “recommend”

Primetimer’s Character Descriptions

[pilotseason2020]

UNTITLED TED DANSON/TINA FEY PROJECT (ordered direct to series)

A wealthy businessman runs for mayor of Los Angeles for all the wrong reasons. Once he wins he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his staff, and connect with his teenage daughter, all while controlling the coyote population.

Cast (thus far)

Ted Danson (The Good Place, Cheers) as Mayor Bremer, the wealthy businessman at the center of the show. (July 18, 2019)

Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) as Arpi, a longtime liberal councilwoman. Having dedicated her life to the betterment of Los Angeles, she makes no secret of her disdain for the newly elected Mayor Bremer, whom she considers unqualified, sexist, and too tall to be trusted. (Nov 20, 2019)

Kyla Kenedy (Speechless) as Orly Bremer, the headstrong teenage daughter of the new mayor. (The Wrap, Feb 12)

Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Jayden, the interim Director of Communications in the newly elected Mayor’s office. (Sep 13, 2019)

Vella Lovell (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Mikaela, a fiercely ambitious politician-in-the-making, moved up from the mayor’s campaign manager to his interim chief of staff. (Jan 21)

Series Creator: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock

Producers: Tina Fey, Ted Danson, Jeff Richmond, David Miner, Robert Carlock

Studios: Universal Television, Little Stranger, 3 Arts Entertainment

Genre: Office, Political, and Satirical

The series has been in the works for more than a year and was written specifically for Danson. It is likely inspired by the election of Donald Trump and more recently the campaign of Mike Bloomberg. Directly on the heels of Trump’s unexpected rise to President, ABC ordered to series comedy “The Mayor” (pilot season 2017) about an aspiring musician who ran for mayor for the wrong reasons. While star Brandon Michael Hall, and his castmates, were praised for their performances (and Hall subsequently came to star in CBS’s “God Friended Me”), “The Mayor” did not get a back-order and burned off some of its thirteen episodes online. That being said, the auspices of the involved parties on this project make it likely NBC will invest heavily in this series, which has already been ordered.

[pilotseason2020]

THE BIG SKY (ordered direct to series)

based on “The Highway”, a book in C.J. Box’s Cassie Dewell series

Private detective Cassie Dewell partners with ex-cop Jenny Hoyt on a search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. When they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.

Cast (thus far)

Kylie Bunbury (Pitch) as Cassie Dewell, ex-rodeo rider turned private detective. Cassie is the junior partner of Cody Hoyt at their firm, Hoyt and Dewell, and eager to get involved in the case of the missing girls. (Mar 3)

Katheryn Winnick (Vikings) as Jenny Hoyt. (Feb 27)

Ryan Phillippe (Shooter) as Cody Hoyt, a well-meaning ex-cop turned private investigator working at his Helena, Montana, firm. Married to but separated from fellow ex-cop, Jenny Hoyt, his life becomes complicated when he’s asked to help find his son’s missing girlfriend. (Feb 26)

Natalie Alyn Lind (The Gifted) as Danielle Sullivan. Impulsive, confrontational and hot-headed, Danielle is kidnapped during a trip to visit her boyfriend in Montana along with her younger sister, Gracie. (Mar 10)

Brian Geraghty (Chicago P.D.) as Ronald Pergman, a blue-collar long-haul trucker with a disturbing dark side who becomes the subject of an investigation. (Mar 2)

Jesse James Keitel (Fluidity) as Jerrie. A gender-fluid artist with big dreams, a small town is not the best place for a fish out of water like Jerrie, who is looking for acceptance. When truck driver Ronald meets Jerrie, the intimacy between them is palpable, until it takes an unexpected turn. Keitel is non-binary. (Mar 10)

John Carroll Lynch (American Horror Story) as Rick Legarski, a grizzled good-ol’-boy Montana state trooper who outwardly seems dutiful and prideful in his police work as well as to the vast community he protects, yet there is more to this misunderstood man than meets the eye. (Feb 12)

Dedee Pfeiffer (For Your Love) as Denise Brisbane, the brash office manager at P.I. firm Hoyt and Dewell who does her best to keep the peace amongst her colleagues while simultaneously exemplifying someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. She’s part psychologist, part Den Mother, and always the biggest presence in the room. (Feb 13)

Series Creator: David E. Kelley

Producers: Ross Fineman, David E. Kelley

Studios: 20th Century FOX Television

Genre: Thriller and Crime

Primetimer Pilot Preview: “recommend”

David E. Kelley is also the creator of CBS’  “Lincoln Lawyer” pilot, based on the novel of the same name (which was also adapted into a 2011 film).