Here's a look at the pilots most likely to land series orders, which as always should be taken with a grain of salt as buzz changes like the wind.
1. Minority Report (Fox)
The reboot — with a known title and fan base — was one of the hottest scripts heading into pilot season and was Fox's first official drama pickup of the season — and has been a front-runner ever since. From Amblin TV, Paramount TV and 20th TV, Stark Sands and Meagan Good star in the drama from showrunner Kevin Falls and Max Borenstein. The drama is already making firm offers to writers and will join a genre lineup at Fox that also includes Gotham and Sleepy Hollow. On the flipside, Fox has also been targeting a big push for soapy fare to join mega-hit Empire with Krista Vernoff's semi-autobiographical dramedy Studio City also considered a lock. The soap with music written by co-star and Idol alum Chris Daughtry stars Eric McCormack and will also present a second revenue stream for the network. Of Fox's remaining dramas, Autopsy (formerly Rosewood) has a good chance, while Frankenstein and Lucifer appear less likely.
2. Grandpa (Fox)
The Fox comedy stars John Stamos as a version of himself: a longtime bachelor whose life is upended after he learns he's a father and grandfather. With Netflix's Full House and Lifetime's tell-all in the works, Stamos could not be any hotter on the small screen. The comedy features a marketable star and hails from an established producer (Galavant, The Neighbors' Dan Fogelman) and comes as multigenerational comedies (The Goldbergs, Black-ish, Modern Family) continue to perform well. Meanwhile, Fox's Rob Lowe-Fred Savage starrer The Grinder is also considered a lock; and Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life, starring Jack Cutmore-Scott and Meaghan Rath, is already taking meetings for writers. The latter comedy, which explores the misadventures people have after college but before they settle down, has been considered the sleeper hit of the season and, sources say, tested through the roof. Meanwhile, buzz appears to be less than ideal for Detour, Fantasy Life and Dana Klein's The Perfect Stanleys.
3. Chicago Medical (NBC)
Dick Wolf will likely join Shonda Rhimes with four dramas on their respective networks as his Chicago Fire spinoff starring S. Epatha Merkerson, Yaya DeCosta, Laurie Holden and Oliver Platt is considered a lock to go to series. That would give Wolf four procedurals on NBC and join veteran Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. The backdoor pilot performed well earlier this season and arrives as medical dramas have been a must-have for the broadcast networks this season. Expect that to join drama Blindspot, with Greg Berlanti's newest entry potentially taking the place of his freshman critical punching bag Mysteries of Laura, the latter of which was pulled in favor of SVU repeats. Also looking good (and already staffing) are dramas The Player (formerly Endgame) from the producers of The Blacklist and starring Philip Winchester and Wesley Snipes as well as medical drama Heartbreaker (previously Heart Matters) and potentially Game of Silence, the latter of which is considered to be a dark, cable-type drama.
4. Strange Calls (NBC)
Of NBC's 14 comedies in the works, the network already has straight-to-series commitments for its Coach follow-up and Eva Longoria's Telenovela. Among the remaining offerings, few front-runners have emerged with quirky supernatural comedy Strange Calls — based on the Australian format and starring Community favorite Danny Pudi — said to have surprised many network honchos. Other half-hours considered likely to go to series include Superstore, America Ferrera's comeback about a group of employees at a big-box retailer; and the untitled Suzanne Martin multigenerational family comedy starring Patrick Warburton reportedly "on the air" and reiterating NBC's commitment to multicam. Cuckoo andPeople Are Talking also have a shot.
1. Minority Report (Fox)
The reboot — with a known title and fan base — was one of the hottest scripts heading into pilot season and was Fox's first official drama pickup of the season — and has been a front-runner ever since. From Amblin TV, Paramount TV and 20th TV, Stark Sands and Meagan Good star in the drama from showrunner Kevin Falls and Max Borenstein. The drama is already making firm offers to writers and will join a genre lineup at Fox that also includes Gotham and Sleepy Hollow. On the flipside, Fox has also been targeting a big push for soapy fare to join mega-hit Empire with Krista Vernoff's semi-autobiographical dramedy Studio City also considered a lock. The soap with music written by co-star and Idol alum Chris Daughtry stars Eric McCormack and will also present a second revenue stream for the network. Of Fox's remaining dramas, Autopsy (formerly Rosewood) has a good chance, while Frankenstein and Lucifer appear less likely.
2. Grandpa (Fox)
The Fox comedy stars John Stamos as a version of himself: a longtime bachelor whose life is upended after he learns he's a father and grandfather. With Netflix's Full House and Lifetime's tell-all in the works, Stamos could not be any hotter on the small screen. The comedy features a marketable star and hails from an established producer (Galavant, The Neighbors' Dan Fogelman) and comes as multigenerational comedies (The Goldbergs, Black-ish, Modern Family) continue to perform well. Meanwhile, Fox's Rob Lowe-Fred Savage starrer The Grinder is also considered a lock; and Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life, starring Jack Cutmore-Scott and Meaghan Rath, is already taking meetings for writers. The latter comedy, which explores the misadventures people have after college but before they settle down, has been considered the sleeper hit of the season and, sources say, tested through the roof. Meanwhile, buzz appears to be less than ideal for Detour, Fantasy Life and Dana Klein's The Perfect Stanleys.
3. Chicago Medical (NBC)
Dick Wolf will likely join Shonda Rhimes with four dramas on their respective networks as his Chicago Fire spinoff starring S. Epatha Merkerson, Yaya DeCosta, Laurie Holden and Oliver Platt is considered a lock to go to series. That would give Wolf four procedurals on NBC and join veteran Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. The backdoor pilot performed well earlier this season and arrives as medical dramas have been a must-have for the broadcast networks this season. Expect that to join drama Blindspot, with Greg Berlanti's newest entry potentially taking the place of his freshman critical punching bag Mysteries of Laura, the latter of which was pulled in favor of SVU repeats. Also looking good (and already staffing) are dramas The Player (formerly Endgame) from the producers of The Blacklist and starring Philip Winchester and Wesley Snipes as well as medical drama Heartbreaker (previously Heart Matters) and potentially Game of Silence, the latter of which is considered to be a dark, cable-type drama.
4. Strange Calls (NBC)
Of NBC's 14 comedies in the works, the network already has straight-to-series commitments for its Coach follow-up and Eva Longoria's Telenovela. Among the remaining offerings, few front-runners have emerged with quirky supernatural comedy Strange Calls — based on the Australian format and starring Community favorite Danny Pudi — said to have surprised many network honchos. Other half-hours considered likely to go to series include Superstore, America Ferrera's comeback about a group of employees at a big-box retailer; and the untitled Suzanne Martin multigenerational family comedy starring Patrick Warburton reportedly "on the air" and reiterating NBC's commitment to multicam. Cuckoo andPeople Are Talking also have a shot.
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