We are heading into the pilot screening stage of pilot season, an annual binge-viewing ritual that started long before binge viewing existed. Over the next week or so, the broadcast networks will hold marathon screenings of their pilots for some extra feedback before the final pickup and scheduling decisions are made. Here is where things stand according to industry chatter.
ABC’s legal drama Conviction checks many boxes for ABC — it’s a procedral, a genre the new regime reportedly is making a push into; and it has a strong female protagonist to mesh with the network’s signature serialized dramas, including the Shondaland trio. The pilot starring Hayley Atwell has been steadily gaining momentum over the past couple of weeks. The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez starring Gina Torres has been on a similar trajectory, garnering stronger buzz as time progressed. On the more testosterone side, ABC has the straight-to-series drama Designated Survivor starring Kiefer Sutherland, and Marvel’s Most Wanted, which still looks like a no-brainer. Тhe heavily serialized pilots murder-trial drama The Jury continues to have fans, with the Mark Geragos-inspired Notorious also well received. John Ridley’s female PI drama Presence also is being talked about, with some suggesting that it may come down to picking up the new project or renewing Ridley’s praised ABC series American Crime. The Reese Witherspoon-produced Broken, which was an early standout, may have slipped down a notch but is still in contention.
Greg Berlanti continues to march toward a fourth comic-based series on the CW with Riverdale flying high. Beyond that, monster drama Transylvania and the paranormal drama from Kevin Williamson look solid, while love story No Tomorrow, the only CW pilot with no genre hook, also has fans. There has been less feedback on the Mars project, which I hear underwent some reshoots, and the Frequency reboot.
ABC’s legal drama Conviction checks many boxes for ABC — it’s a procedral, a genre the new regime reportedly is making a push into; and it has a strong female protagonist to mesh with the network’s signature serialized dramas, including the Shondaland trio. The pilot starring Hayley Atwell has been steadily gaining momentum over the past couple of weeks. The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez starring Gina Torres has been on a similar trajectory, garnering stronger buzz as time progressed. On the more testosterone side, ABC has the straight-to-series drama Designated Survivor starring Kiefer Sutherland, and Marvel’s Most Wanted, which still looks like a no-brainer. Тhe heavily serialized pilots murder-trial drama The Jury continues to have fans, with the Mark Geragos-inspired Notorious also well received. John Ridley’s female PI drama Presence also is being talked about, with some suggesting that it may come down to picking up the new project or renewing Ridley’s praised ABC series American Crime. The Reese Witherspoon-produced Broken, which was an early standout, may have slipped down a notch but is still in contention.
Greg Berlanti continues to march toward a fourth comic-based series on the CW with Riverdale flying high. Beyond that, monster drama Transylvania and the paranormal drama from Kevin Williamson look solid, while love story No Tomorrow, the only CW pilot with no genre hook, also has fans. There has been less feedback on the Mars project, which I hear underwent some reshoots, and the Frequency reboot.
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