Updated 19:55: Added Las Reinas, Salamander, The Gospel of Kevin, Unit Zero, Untitled Shondaland Legal Project, Jalen vs. Everybody, Liberal Arts (Black-ish Spin-off), Losing It, Schooled (The Goldbergs Spin-Off), Untitled Single Dad Project
Deception
Cameron Black is the world’s greatest illusionist. The Master of the Impossible! At least, that’s what people used to call him – before his greatest secret was exposed and his career destroyed. Even worse, Cameron has good reason to believe this was no accident. A criminal illusionist masterminded his downfall. Now, Cameron must find out who sabotaged him and expose them to the world. It’s a good plan… but maybe a little too impossible. Until…
… an FBI jet blows up in a hangar outside New York. It was transporting a cartel boss to prison. To the untrained eye it looks like an explosion, the cartel boss is dead. But Cameron knows this jet didn’t blow up. It disappeared! Is it possible the cartel boss used a criminal illusionist to escape? Is this the same illusionist who wrecked his career? To get answers, Cameron must convince FBI agent Kay Daniels that he can help her find the cartel boss.
Of course, he’s not exactly FBI material. Cameron’s antics and constant showmanship irritate Kay’s superiors, but this genius for illusion is her best chance to capture the cartel boss. And they make for a good team. Cameron’s unique abilities compliment Kay’s FBI training and street smarts, even when his over-the-top persona gets them into trouble.
They also have help. Cameron’s magic team (the geniuses behind his stage show) can build any trick or illusion for them. Kay has the FBI and her crack partner, Special Agent Mike Alvarez, who just so happens to be one of Cameron’s biggest fans. With both teams working together, they stage an illusion of their own that brings down the cartel boss and puts Cameron one step closer to finding his criminal illusionist. The FBI is impressed. They order Kay to put together a new team – the Deception Group. Their job: to solve any deception and outdo it with their own. Kay immediately recruits Cameron and his team. Together, they’ll take down criminals and spies and, along the way, go after the elusive illusionist who destroyed Cameron’s career.
DECEPTION is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (Chuck), executive producers Martin Gero (Blindspot), and Berlanti TV (The Flash, Arrow). Illusionist David Kwong (Now You See Me) will co-produce.
Las Reinas
Miami Detective Alex de la Reina is as notorious for her homicide investigations as she is for her last name: she is the granddaughter of Gabriella de la Reina, the ruthless head of the city’s most powerful crime family. Alex turned her back on her family when she was sixteen, but that doesn’t stop her from using their influence to do her job; she is the only detective in Miami who can walk into a gang shoot-out and come out unscathed.
Alex’s new partner Andrew Somerset and her mentor Lieutenant Donald Worden fear that her risk-taking behavior has gotten out of hand. But Inspector Kathryn Geller of the Organized Crime Task Force doesn’t care how Alex gets things done; she needs her help. Karen Ruiz, the daughter of the De La Reinas’ most ruthless enforcer, has disappeared. If this girl dies, the city could see a gang war that ends in a blood bath.
Alex knows that she has no choice but to see her family for the first time in years, to ask them to stand down and stay out of her way until she can find out what happened to Karen. Gabriella and her consigliere Robert Ellison welcome Alex warmly back into the fold. After all, Gabriella is determined that Alex is the only one who has the strength to inherit her throne. But Alex’s younger brother Diego is not as forgiving; he felt abandoned when she left the family without taking him. Now, Diego is trying to prove that he deserves to take over the family business from Gabriella.
With Gabriella’s help and resources working in tandem with the police on Karen’s case, Alex starts making breakthroughs. But this favor puts her into a conflict she can’t resolve. For now, she must walk the murky line between the law and her family, and question her true destiny as a De La Reina.
From writer/executive producer Dean Georgaris (Laura Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, The Manchurian Candidate) and The Mark Gordon Company (Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Quantico).
Salamander
We open on a heist: the robbery of sixty-six specific safety deposit boxes housed in an exclusive private bank. The robbers break open the boxes, but the boxes don’t contain money or valuables, just personal effects: thumb drives, photos and documents. The following morning, when the bank manager, Kant, discovers the robbery, surprisingly he doesn’t call the police – leaving us to wonder: just who do those sixty six boxes belong to?!
Meanwhile, Ethan Anders is on a blind date with Nora Schaller. It is not going well. They come from totally different worlds, and it’s awkward. Nora is a psychiatrist for Homeland Security with an expensive education and an uptown brownstone. Ethan is Queens through and through, and the gains he’s made in life are because he worked his ass off to get them. The two realize that they are far from an ideal match and end the date, thinking it is goodbye forever.
Ethan works at a boutique security firm as a design engineer alongside his ebullient and impulsive brother, Kevin. The firm provides security for the bank from our opening, and Ethan notices that someone at the firm shut off the bank’s security system the night before – an “inside man” to the robbery. Worse, Ethan suspects the culprit was his brother. Troubled, he seeks counsel from his best friend and AA sponsor: David Vargas, a former police detective. Vargas tells Eddie that he’s got no choice but to confront Kevin with what he knows… But when Ethan returns to the office, he discovers a total blood bath. Everyone at the firm, including his beloved brother, has been shot dead.
Ethan is taken for questioning by two police detectives. But, on the way there, one of the detectives kills his partner and tries to kill Ethan… who barely escapes. Ethan is terrified – whoever robbed the bank not only killed his brother to cover it up, but was willing to kill everyone else in the office in the process – and whoever they are, they have reach into the NYPD. Ethan doesn’t know where to turn. He’s too afraid to return home, or to any of his friends. So, he goes to the only place he can think of -- he arrives on Nora’s doorstep, begging for help.
Upon hearing his story, Nora fears that Ethan might be paranoid or insane – but he pleads for her to trust him, and, reluctantly, Nora decides to help him out. Using his brilliant cyber skills and her government credentials, they start to dig into this mystery and discover that the safety deposit boxes share a common code word – Salamander ---and that the boxes are each linked to politicians, industry heads, and financiers. But, why? And what is their significance?
As they are reeling from this, they discover that Helen Barrett, a U.S Senator, has just been arrested for blowing up a ferry in the east river. Ethan and Nora are stunned: Helen Barrett’s name is on the Salamander list. Just what is going on here? Is someone using the contents of the boxes to blackmail their owners into doing horrible deeds. But who? And why? Ethan and Nora realize that, despite the fact that they barely know each other, and have almost nothing in common, they may be the only ones capable of solving this mystery and discovering who is responsible for the murder of Ethan’s brother and is now trying to kill him to keep their enterprise a secret.
The Crossing
In the idyllic American fishing town of Port Canaan, with its coffee shops, bakeries and bookstores, Sheriff Jude Miller’s days are typically filled with yoga and low-intensity police work. But the peace and quiet of his city is upended when the inexplicable happens: hundreds of bodies wash up on a beach on the outskirts of town. Scores are dead… but 47 have survived.
At the site of the event he’s met by Department of Homeland Security Agent, Emma Ren, and they assess the situation. But the facts don’t add up. No plane crashes or nautical distress signals have been reported and, even stranger, the survivors are all asking for asylum. They say they are Americans, fleeing a war… a war that they claim won’t happen for another 150 years.
Survivors like married couple Rebecca and Caleb explain that they are escaping a genetically superior population of humans who have ascended to power in the future and embarked on a campaign to kill off all members of the lower classes. They have been oppressed, hunted; they have come here hoping for a better life.
Conspiracy theories begin to take root; no one knows if these people are actually refugees, invaders, or actors in a complicated hoax. Emma, though skeptical, reports back to her superiors at Homeland Security. Until all the facts can be ascertained, and a plan of action realized, it is deemed necessary for the survivors to be held under strict supervision in a secret location.
As the case grows in importance Jude finds himself marginalized by Emma and the Feds. But when he is confronted by Rae — a survivor of the crossing who has found herself separated from the others — she appears to have physical and mental capabilities that go far beyond the norm. She is a member of this advanced master race, of which the survivors have spoken.
But Rae, he learns, is not some evil agent, sent to hunt the refugees. But just a mother, seeking her daughter, from whom she has been separated… and with whom she has come, like the others, seeking a better life. And in order to find her daughter, she is going to need Jude’s help.
As the Feds continue to monitor the survivors, it becomes clear that this most unusual group of visitors will change and disrupt the lives of the people in this peaceful town… and that their presence here could ultimately put the whole world in grave danger.
The Doomsday Project
As a preventive measure, the U.S. government assembled a think tank of the most brilliant, out-of-the-box thinkers from various disciplines -- military, entertainment, science, and technology – tasked with dreaming up man-made disaster scenarios and their possible solutions. But the program was ultimately considered too dangerous. The team was disbanded, the files sealed.
Five years later, when a lethal virus is stolen from a government research lab, it looks suspiciously like a step-by-step operation from the think tank’s playbook. Homeland Security decides to reunite the team in hopes that they can outsmart the terrorists who have the scenarios they created.
Dr. Davis Albright is the team’s architect and engineer. He’s confident, polished, slightly obsessive-compulsive, and treats both work and life with a meticulous caution. Dr. Elle Trask -- who happens to be Davis’s ex-wife – is the team’s scientist and MD. With multiple degrees and a popular public persona, Elle is a brilliant thinker with an effortless sensuality and confidence.
Bringing wit and creativity to the group is blockbuster screenwriter Warren Moore, a charming cad who enjoys the exploits of his lucrative movie career, but secretly yearns for a position of importance fit for his staggering intellect. Quietly crunching numbers in the room is analyst, statistician, and veritable crystal ball Nate Hensley, a guarded hipster millionaire who founded a colossally successful website that predicts sports, elections, and stock market trends.
The only person in the room actually trained in counter-terrorism is Ivy League educated Navy SEAL Chris Wyatt. Benched from the illustrious SEAL Team Six due to a controversial (but life-saving) decision, Chris now trains special warfare sailors in Virginia, until he is pulled back into the think tank.
Rounding out the group is cyber security specialist Kayla Greene, the lone newcomer to the think tank, having replaced team member Alec who died two years prior. Kayla is scrappy, irreverent, and fiercely independent, and until the think tank, has always been the smartest person in the room. She is naturally untrusting, having lost her mother at a young age to mysterious circumstances, and not a born team player – both things she will have to overcome to be a successful part of the team.
Kayla was hired by the acting Deputy Director of Homeland Security, Faye Walsh, a bold and decisive leader who never approved of this think tank and now is tasked with leading them. She is filling in for John Mercer, the founder of the Doomsday project, whose recent disappearance coincides with the leak of the team’s scenarios. Everyone wants to know if he’s been kidnapped, killed, or if he’s part of the terrorist plot.
Now reunited, the think tank has to face a ticking clock to try and outsmart the greatest opponent they’ve ever had to face – themselves. They must combine all their skills to stay ahead of the disasters they dreamed up in this thrill ride from executive producers Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) & Julie Weitz and writers Mark Bianculli & VJ Boyd (Justified).
The Good Doctor
San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital is about to employ a new surgeon, 25 year-old Shaun Murphy; a young man unlike any doctor they’ve ever hired before, which is causing problems for the Board of Directors. Shaun is autistic. He also has savant syndrome, which means that while he has real and fundamental difficulties communicating and connecting, he is also a genius with almost perfect recall.
Growing up wasn’t easy--he was bullied by kids as well as his own father. But when he was 14 years-old, his genius attracted the attention of Dr. Ira Glassman who mentored him and now wants to hire him. Although he’s President of the hospital, Glassman still needs to convince key players that Shaun is the right person for the job. There’s Allegra Alexis, who controls the Board’s purse strings; Jessica Preston, whose grandfather started the hospital; and Horace Andrews, Head of Surgery who considers Shaun too big a risk for his department to take on.
When Shaun uses his encyclopedic medical knowledge to save a young boy’s life, his detractors cannot deny he has the knowledge to be a great surgeon. But while his knowledge saved a life today, his lack of judgment could cost a life tomorrow. A surgeon must inspire confidence in patients and in their fellow doctors. Can Shaun do that? Can he successfully work with the tough, brilliant surgeon Dr. Neil Melendez, or form an effective team with the medical residents like Elle Mclean, Jared Unger and Claire Brown.
From David Shore (House) and Lost and Hawaii Five-O star Daniel Dae Kim, this is based on a South Korean format.
The Gospel Of Kevin
Kevin Flynn is about to look at life a lot differently…
As a big shot investor from New York City, Kevin’s life is on a downward spiral after he lost one of his clients a bunch of money. That’s when he called his twin sister, Amy Flores, which brings him to her house outside of Austin, Texas. Amy, a newly widowed mother, and her 14-year-old-daughter Reese, are going through a difficult time too. Reese is coping with the loss of her father by embracing her intense teenage attitude and having her estranged Uncle Kevin around is only making matters worse.
That night, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has summoned Amy to their headquarters. Upon her arrival, Amy is briefed about dozens of meteor-like impact craters detected all over the globe. What’s strange is that none of these craters show evidence of a typical meteor strike. NORAD alerts Amy they are concerned this could be the result of a military attack, or worse yet, testing of a new dominant weapon.
That same night, Kevin and Reese awaken to a meteor crashing in a nearby field. Inexplicably drawn to the meteor, Kevin touches it and is knocked out by the explosion it emits. But before he blacks out, he hears the words: Transform Yourself. When he awakes, Kevin realizes that the meteor he has touched has transformed into Yvette, an otherworldly being who claims she is a Messenger from God. She explains that thirty-five righteous souls, who protect the world just by existing, have disappeared; Kevin must find and anoint thirty-five more righteous souls while she finds out what went wrong.
This information alarms Kevin who identifies as a nonbeliever. While he struggles to figure out whether he’s legitimately going crazy, Yvette begins his spiritual training, causing Kevin to literally see the world through new eyes. But Yvette warns him he will have to keep his secret to himself. Meanwhile, Amy’s team at NORAD is investigating his suspicious behavior, and whoever has altered the original righteous beings from losing their faith could be plotting to stop Kevin from fulfilling his sacred mission to save the world.
A light drama from Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (Agent Carter, Resurrection, Reaper).
The Trustee
Detective Eliza Radley has developed a reputation for herself in San Francisco’s North Precinct. Her undeniable instincts close cases, but her reckless behavior in the field has cost her a few partners. Now she’s in hot water with her boss, Captain Waits, who can’t find a cop willing to partner with her. Just as Radley discovers a sex trafficking ring shuttling young girls from Mexico into prostitution, Captain Waits puts her on strict desk duty. Driven to save the girls from danger, Radley is determined to find a way back onto the case.
By chance, Radley discovers an unlikely partner: her precinct’s trustee, Amanda Jones. Jones is finishing the last year of her 5-year prison sentence by serving as the police station trustee, performing menial and janitorial tasks at the station. But Jones’s insight into this particular case could be Radley’s only way to rescue the girls, so Radley breaks the rules and takes Jones out of the precinct to search for leads.
Jones proves useful to Radley with her ability to anticipate a criminal’s next move. But the risk-averse and extroverted Jones quickly clashes with Radley, who is willing to break the rules but is emotionally closed off. Soon, the two begin to see other sides of each other. Upon meeting Jones’s grandmother Odelle, Radley realizes the toll prison has taken on Jones’ relationships. And Jones understands Radley’s emotional walls when they visit Radley’s father Anthony, a retired cop who has never recovered from the death of his son.
Though Jones and Radley have completely opposing views on crime and punishment, a successful partnership is born. THE TRUSTEE is a fun buddy cop dramedy from Elizabeth’s Banks’ Brownstone Productions and written and executive produced by Jay Scherick and David Ronn.
Unit Zero
At the CIA, there are heroes -- and then there is Unit Zero, a team of desk jockeys who suddenly find themselves thrust into the crossfire when they must go into the field for the first time as spies. No longer just fetching coffee and setting up the boss’ powerpoint presentation, these unlikely heroes will solve cases of national security and succeed because no one will ever suspect they are spies. This team of zeroes is done dreaming small. It’s time to “dream average.”
Their leader Jackie Fink (Toni Collette) is a whipsmart engineer responsible for inventing the coolest spy gadgets you’ll ever see. She’s also a single mom who’s trying to figure things out with Gabe, her one-night-stand and the father of her child.
Each member of Unit Zero is so much more than they appear on the surface. Phineas Bog is treated just like any other IT nerd, but he’s the head of cyber security, the smartest guy in the room, and hiding a huge crush on Jackie.
Brianna Pierce, Jackie’s best friend, is a maverick spy on probation. She’s looking to prove she deserves to be back in the field. But underneath her motorcycle-riding, badass persona, you’d never guess that when it comes to her friends, she’s all heart.
Midge Glass is only known around the office for her pumpkin bread, but underneath her sweet face and tacky sweaters, is a whole other person. She can disassemble a field rifle just as fast as she can whip up a lemon tart.
And lastly there is Azeema Khabiri, the overeager, coffee-making college intern, who’s a third level black belt and a whiz at Middle Eastern dialects, who just can’t wait to be a spy.
The team jets to Mexico to take on a homicidal hacker and rumble with a drug cartel. Only Mike Barclay, head of the CIA, knows what they can do. He’s so impressed with their work, he makes them a secret team of spies – even secret to the rest of the CIA. He knows they’re zeroes, but he also knows they’re the only ones he can count on for the toughest, most sensitive missions.
Untitled Marc Cherry Project
When a strange crime occurs in small town Oxblood, Kentucky, Sheriff Ruby Adair (Reba McEntire) is called in to get to the bottom of what appears to be an act of terrorism. Though many people are jumping to conclusions around her, Ruby keeps her cool as she begins to work on the case with Tag Fayad, an FBI agent of Middle Eastern descent whose expertise tells him very quickly that this is not an act of terrorism but something else entirely. Tag’s urban perspective immediately clashes with Ruby’s small town outlook, but they agree that there may be something sinister going on in this small town that they must uncover.
As Tag and Ruby look into the case, Ruby also must deal with the return of her ex-husband Deke to Oxblood. Their estranged adult daughter disappeared a few years ago, leaving behind Ruby’s grandson TJ for Ruby to raise. But it was also her disappearance which led to the dissolution of Ruby and Deke’s marriage, and Ruby is floored to discover Deke is moving back to town with his new wife, Randa, and a baby on the way.
Tag, meanwhile, finds himself an outsider in rural Kentucky. But since he is stationed here, Tag strikes up a relationship with Jennifer, a beautiful young woman he meets at a bar. He also becomes acquainted with a number of the colorful townspeople of Oxblood as Ruby and Tag embark on the case.
Ruby and Tag’s quest turns up more questions than answers, but the case is thrown for a loop when Jennifer disappears. Tag and Ruby will have to set aside their own differences so they can ultimately see past the lace curtains of this southern town where there are more secrets than anyone could imagine.
Untitled Shondaland Legal Project
A new legal drama from Shondaland set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, aka “The Mother Court” – the most prestigious, high-profile trial court in America. Here, six new lawyers are about to face off and make history in its hallowed courtrooms.
It’s Assistant Federal Public Defender Sandra’s first day as a lawyer and New Yorker. She’s sensible and resourceful but burdened by the decision to leave a Supreme Court clerkship – the story of which has followed her to this new job, and which her perhaps too big-hearted fellow defender Jay won’t let her forget. Thankfully Sandra’s best friend and roommate Allison has her back. Also an Assistant Federal Public Defender, Alison is wealthy, generous, and unfortunately in a relationship with--
Seth, first-time Assistant U.S. Attorney. Being adversaries with his girlfriend and reluctant roommates with her best friend strains his low-key, Midwestern nature. Not making things any easier is his cocky, case-stealing colleague Leonard, while their fellow AUSA Kate just wants to stay out of the drama, do her job, and get the win.
These colleagues, friends, and lovers will have to prove their worth to impress their veteran bosses, the smartest judges in the system, and a take-no-prisoners Court Clerk as they do battle in lower Manhattan.
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Charlie Foxtrot
Jason Biggs is the loveable, eager-to-please Charlie Taylor. He is from a military family – but while his father earned a purple heart in Vietnam and his fearless brother Joe is about to be deployed to Iraq -- Charlie plays a different role in the Army: he’s a dentist. His cautious nature makes him better at giving out advice on flossing than commanding the troops (or tending to his dating life).
He’s the opposite of his mother, Sue, a sharp-tongued widow who even her sons will admit is “not nice”. She disapproves of Joe’s fiancé Angelina, a headstrong single mom who plays by her own rules. Together with her two teenage misfits, Maria and Hector, she brings a little chaos in to Charlie, Joe and Sue’s regimented life on base at Fort Bragg.
Before he deploys, Joe asks Charlie to watch out for Angelina and her kids. It’s a solemn promise, and one he clearly expects Charlie to keep. Unbeknownst to Charlie, he asks the same thing of Angelina: watch over his brother, who could use a little help himself.
In Joe’s absence, the family has to pull together to make sure the kids stay on track, Sue and Angelina get along, and Charlie becomes a hero in his own right.
Household Name
Comedy legend Carol Burnett returns to television as 93-year old Vivian Valmont, a glamorous, Hollywood film star whose larger-than-life persona is larger than her current fan base. Alternately imperious, witty, needy and affectionate, it is hard to tell which Vivian you’ll get day-to-day, or even moment-to-moment.
Vivian has lived in the same magnificent home for 60 years, and never plans to leave, yet her current precarious financial state means she has no choice but to sell it. But her best friend and manager, Edward Von Glimpse, has come up with an inspired plan to sell the house with a very odd provision – whoever buys the house has to let Vivian live in it with them for the rest of her life.
It’s not a condition most people would agree to, but Ted Peters, ever-the-optimist, convinces his skeptical wife, Wendy, to take the plunge, along with their two children, 12-year-old Jessica and 9-year-old Charlie. The chance to live in this amazing home in the city’s best school district at a bargain price is too rare an opportunity to pass up in the out-of-reach real estate market of Los Angeles.
While living with the unpredictable and demanding Vivian might be a steep price to pay to finally own their first home, the Peters discover that having someone with the kind of life experience Vivian has also comes with unexpected benefits. Conversely, while Vivian has enjoyed her privacy and living a life without compromise, it’s hard to ignore the fact that this new family injects some much needed life and vitality into the solitary, out-of-touch existence she’d been living. Together, this new, merged family learns to appreciate the value of having three generations under one roof.
This multi-camera comedy hails from writer Michael Saltzman (Mad Men, Murphy Brown, Wings, Halt and Catch Fire), who executive produces with Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation) and Brooke Posch, Dave Becky (3 Arts Entertainment), and Michael Pelmont (The Nacelle Company) through Universal Television.
Jalen vs. Everybody
Current ABC/ESPN analyst and former 13-year pro-basketball star, Jalen Rose, stars as himself in this single camera comedy inspired by his life. A single dad to feisty teenager, Samantha, and bookish 6-year old, Nathan, Jalen struggles to keep up with his kids while juggling his commitments as a sports commentator. He also co-hosts his ESPN Radio show ‘Jalen & Jacoby’ with his good friend, David Jacoby.
This delicate routine is disrupted when Samantha begins demanding that her father take her and her friends out for expensive sushi, and when Jalen discovers that his daughter is becoming social media obsessed. He realizes that he must change his “fun dad” tactics and start laying down the law before both his kids grow up too fast.
He tries his best to manage it all, along with his ex and his kids’ mother, Denise (Kelly Jenrette), but then again with Jalen’s jet set lifestyle Denise doesn’t feel she that can fully count on him. Also keeping him in check are his mom and spitfire grandmother who insist that he take their calls no matter what he is in the middle of, and fiercely believe he should marry his much younger, fashionista girlfriend, Angela. Jalen’s loyal assistant, Becky, does what she can to help him keep it all afloat.
As Jalen struggles to keep everyone in his life happy, at work and at home, his status as a celebrity adds an additional layer of challenges. Wherever Jalen goes, the public is there to take pictures and post about him online. Social media stories, whether true or false, spiral out of control forcing Jalen to constantly explain himself to the press, his bosses, and worst of all, his family. And if these humiliations aren’t enough, strangers and colleagues are happy to remind him of that one epic game in which Kobe Bryant had the best game of his career, while Jalen was guarding him.
Pro-athletes and ESPN personalities will guest star in this new comedy created by Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh off the Boat), with Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar (Speechless, Fresh off the Boat) executive producing through 20th Century Fox.
Libby & Malcolm
Libby Wright (Felicity Huffman) is a smart, opinionated Red-state Republican and Malcolm Black (Courtney B. Vance) is a smooth-talking Blue-state Democrat. Polar opposites – except when it comes to love. Against all odds, this unlikely couple just got married, and are now settling into their new home in Los Angeles along with Malcolm’s three kids: nerdy and neurotic eleven year-old Malcolm Jr. aka MJ (Jahi Winston), confident thirteen year-old Cassius (Sayeed Shahidi) who knows how to game the system, and fifteen year-old Naya (Monique Green), the uber-smart, defiant daughter who has no interest in having a booty-less white stepmom.
Libby and Malcolm also co-host their new political show “Black & Wright”, where these fiery pundits go head-to-head on all of today’s hot button issues. Randal Martin (Gary Cole) is their crazy, bordering-on-sociopathic executive producer who loves to stoke their fire. For this, he’s hired two segment producers to keep their arguments in overdrive: Zevina “Zev” Adler (Caitlin McGee), a techno journalist who lives by the tweet-based 24-second news cycle, and Bernie Wilson (James Lesure), a put-upon old-school newsman who hates the vapid Twittersphere.
Together, Libby and Malcolm duke it out on-air to sway an audience of millions, hoping to get their polarized viewers to vote “red” or “blue” on the show’s signature Lean-O-Meter. But when this fiercely competitive couple drops the ball at home, they realize they have to set aside their differences and find the middle ground to raise Malcolm’s three kids and prove the skeptics wrong about this marriage of total opposites.
All’s fair in love and ratings in this family comedy from creators/executive producers Kenya Barris and Vijal Patel (black-ish).
Liberal Arts (Black-ish Spin-off)
The Johnson’s eldest daughter, Zoey (Yara Shahidi) heads off to college and quickly discovers that not everything goes her way once she leaves the nest. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris partners with Larry Wilmore (The Nighty Show, Bernie Mac) to create a contemporary take on the issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education. Yara is joined by Black-ish's Deon Cole (Charlie) who moonlights as an adjunct marketing professor as well as funny new characters both in the administration and student body who all reflect the complex and hilarious points of views currently populating college campuses
Losing It
Andy Baker (Jon Cryer) is a successful acupuncturist who turned to Eastern Philosophy as a way to cope with his crazy family. While he’s close with his mother, his relationship with his father is complicated. Especially since Andy finds himself having to take care of the dad who never really took care of him. A bit of a control freak, Andy believes he can fix anything. Except for maybe his marriage, which has been in trouble ever since he caught his wife with another man.
Andy’s dad, Leo, the patriarch of the family, is charming, even when he’s being surly. An old-school dad, Leo claims to love all his kids. And perhaps he does. He just tells his other kids more than he tells Andy. Leo is having some memory problems, but he’s still John Wayne. He just can’t always remember where he parked his horse.
Andy’s mom, Susan, is a tornado of love, running around taking care of everyone. When she’s not managing the family business, she’s either doting on her kids, or helping her husband deal with his memory loss. She’s the glue that holds the family together.
Andy’s younger brother, Owen, has the perfect life. A successful birthday party magician, Owen only works two days a week. But don’t let the cape fool you, after the second party on Saturday, he’s usually hooking up with the divorced mom that hired him. Handsome and charming, Owen doesn’t have a care in the world… until he discovers he got one of the birthday party moms pregnant. Now Owen has to come to terms with the fact that he’s losing his freedom.
Andy’s younger sister, Charlie (Natalie Morales), is the adopted golden child in the Baker family. As her dad puts it, “That’s the beauty of adoption, you can pick out exactly the one you want.” In all the ways that Andy and his dad bump heads, Charlie is daddy’s little girl. Charlie has succeeded at everything she’s ever done. Which is why she is so desperate to hide the fact that her once successful boutique bakery went out of business three months ago. And now, Charlie’s starting to lose faith in herself.
As the kids and Leo prepare an amazing birthday for Susan, all of their secrets come out. What they discover is, between infidelity, new parenthood, memory loss, and, let’s just say, life, they’re all losing it. But, if they can come together as a family, maybe-- just maybe-- they can find their way out.
Raised by Wolves
Sheila Gable is a tough Midwestern mom who doesn’t sugarcoat anything—well, except her famous “Dr. Pepper Ham.” Recently laid off after a factory closure, Sheila’s been applying for entry-level jobs with no luck. She has five kids to support and the family’s budget has dwindled from “small” to “pathetic.” Luckily, the Gables have their trademark gallows humor— and shared love of pop culture— to carry them through these lean times.
Sheila’s 14 year-old daughter, Dusty is a legend in her own mind— an outgoing, boy-crazy diva who makes onlookers cringe. 13 year-old Dolly is the sardonic, bookish foil to her older sister. Next, we have sweet, dreamy 10 year-old Yoko who just wants to save the world’s bees, 7 year-old Banksy, who wishes he wasn’t the only boy in the house, and 5 year-old Beebee, the cheerful mascot of the family.
Sheila’s father, Paul “Grampy” Kosinski is a pathological narcissist who always seems to need something from his daughter. Right now, he needs a roof over his head. The timing couldn’t be crappier, but he vows to pitch in and help Sheila as much as he can. Can Grampy redeem himself after decades of jackassery? (Probably not.)
Join the “Able Gables” in their offbeat world of TV, tequila and junk food in this comedy from Berlanti TV, based on the UK series created by Caitlin and Caroline Moran who executive produce with writer/ executive producer Diablo Cody.
Schooled (The Goldbergs Spin-Off)
It is 1990-something at William Penn Academy, the same Philadelphia area high school featured in The Goldbergs. Adam, Barry and Erica have all graduated, and it is the first time in memory the faculty has not had to deal with number one smother, Beverly Goldberg. But despite this welcomed development, devoted gym teacher, Coach Rick Mellor (Bryan Callen), faces an even bigger challenge.
School counselor John Glascott (Tim Meadows) has just been promoted to Head of School and is ready to make big changes. Armed with a PhD, he has a modern vision of education and is ready to abolish the stale teaching techniques of the 80s. He describes it to Mellor in terms he can understand – everyone gets a trophy. Mellor’s old school philosophy is the complete opposite. He believes in competition and personal achievement and vows to prove to Glascott that his teaching methods still have value.
Glascott’s job only gets tougher as Mellor’s energy and contrasting philosophy drives him to bigfoot Glascott’s big plans and take over his “all community share session”, turning it into a pep rally.
Complicating his life even more, Glascott has hired his sister Lucy as his secretary, allowing her three socially-challenged kids to attend William Penn. They are 16 year-old Felicia who, since her parents’ divorce, has been on a rebellious, destructive path; 14 year-old Gigi, a positive and quirky kid; and Gigi’s twin brother Oscar -- a gentle, shy giant. Lucy initially embraces the opportunity for her know-it-all big brother to be an influence in her childrens’ lives, but she soon secretly turns to Mellor and his old-school techniques to keep them out of trouble.
The new comedy is from Adam F. Goldberg, creator of The Goldbergs. It is based on the real teachers who inspired him and is “dedicated to teachers everywhere.”
Splitting Up Together
Lena and Martin have finally made the decision to divorce. The romance has died, as well as the sex, and they have become more like camp counselors for their three children 13 year-old Mae, 11 year-old Mason, and 7 year-old Milo.
Lena’s sister Maya, her parents Henry and Alma, and best friends Arthur and Camille are surprised by the news and confused when they find out that the couple will still live together. They wonder what will happen when they start to date other people.
Their arrangement is unusual: Lena and Martin will live in separate parts of the house, and split up parenting duties on a weekly basis. On the ‘off-duty week’ that parent lives in the garage and is free to do whatever he or she wants. The kids seem to go with the flow, at least at first.
Lena, the supermom control freak, is just waiting for Martin to be overwhelmed by the household and kid duties, but is surprised when he isn’t. Not that everything is perfect. During Lena’s on-duty week, Martin is touched that she comes to him for help, something that never has happened before.
As the couple starts to see each other in a different light, they realize this divorce could be the best thing for their marriage.
Based on the Danish series Splitting Up Together, writer Emily Kapnek (Suburgatory, Selfie) executive producers with Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Kleeman.
Start Up
Alex Schuman (Zach Braff) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband, and father of two who is about to plunge into the great unknown. He’s been working on the same radio show for 16 years and is tired of having his most original pitches rejected for fluff pieces. So he decides to put everything on the line, quit, and start a podcast company of his own to tell the stories that he believes in.
His wife, Noush, is not thrilled about giving up his income, but loves Alex and so decides to support his leap, even though she still she has some concerns. She knows he is a great storyteller, but questions his ability to raise money and manage a small business. For this, he assembles a dream team to round out his skills: radio producer, Deirdre Riordan, who’s only a little bit in love with him; and his best friend from high school, fast-talking salesman Eddie Ramirez, a slick numbers guru with a business degree. The team quickly rents some office space that they share with other unlikely entrepreneurs trying to make big things happen, too.
After Alex makes some disastrous pitches for funding, it’s his kids, 11 year-old budding magician Ben and 5 year-old Soraya, who give him the focus and confidence to fight for his dream.
Based on the podcast START UP, Zach Braff stars, directs and executive produces with Matt Tarses (Scrubs) and Davis Entertainment (Dr. Ken, Blacklist).
Untitled City Mayor Project
Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years, he’s toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Courtney shares his home with the perfect roommate: his best friend, biggest fan, and mother, Dina Rose, a postal carrier who gets the neighborhood gossip by reading everybody’s mail. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century: running for mayor of his hometown, Fort Grey, California, to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: an election victory.
With his theatrical debate performance, penchant for honesty, and innate sense of empathy, the voters see someone who could shake up the dismal conditions of a city they all love. Or maybe they just cast a protest vote for the most outlandish candidate in the race. Either way, Courtney decides to postpone his rap ambitions and fulfill his accidental call of duty.
But this charismatic, reluctant warrior won’t be going into battle alone. He’ll be leaning on the brilliant, ruthless, and tactical Valentina Barella (Lea Michele), who remembers Courtney as the class clown who cheated off her during high school pre-calc. His kitchen cabinet also boasts two unconventional political aides: his questionably qualified buddies, Jermaine, the smooth operator, and T.K., the sensitive sweetheart.
In his first big initiative, Courtney throws together a hastily organized cleanup party, which turns out to be a lot harder than this political newbie anticipated. If Courtney wants to live up to the hopes of his friends and neighbors and the high expectations of his mom, he’ll have to overcome his hubris and check his swagger at the door, without changing into someone the voters – and Courtney himself –don’t recognize.
From Executive Producers Jeremy Bronson (Speechless, The Mindy Project, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Grammy and Tony winner Daveed Diggs (Broadway’s Hamilton), and Jamie Tarses (Happy Endings). Directed by James Griffiths (black-ish).
Untitled Single Dad Project
Newly single dad Josh Keeler (Rob Riggle) has moved his two daughters from Seattle to Queens, to start a new life after his wife left their family. He hopes New York will be good for both his writing career and his kids.
Josh will do anything to make sure that his girls know that they can count on him. While he was married, he took a backseat in the parenting department but thrust into this new role, he will need to learn how to show his girls that they are the most important things in the world to him and create new memories. Despite his best efforts, it doesn’t quite feel like home yet for outspoken 12 year-old Harper or quirky 9 year-old Delia. They’ve left their friends behind and have given up greenery and a house for a cement park and a rundown apartment. They are sleeping on pool rafts, because Josh, in an effort to save money, ditched their beds, dressers, and couches.
Their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Kim, eavesdrops on their conversations and yells her thoughts back through their thin walls. She’s not afraid to let Josh know that she disapproves of his parenting style, his smelly cooking, and even the way he uses the communal laundry room.
While Josh gets off on the wrong foot with Mrs. Kim, things go a bit better with guys’ guy Elias, who is both their neighbor and the building’s handyman. Elias has a daughter of his own and the two will bond over both having girls.
Josh may be smart, but he is clueless about raising his daughters. Luckily, the neighbors soon realize that he is struggling parent who needs their help. Elias will become someone that Josh can really count on while Mrs. Kim helps him navigate the world of PTA and raising girls on the verge of puberty. Together, the building will the band together to help make Josh into the parent he needs to be. In this rundown apartment with a partial view of Manhattan, the Keelers will find an unlikely family.
Written by Dannah Phirman & Danielle Schneider (The Hotwives, Marry Me) who executive produce with Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern (Trophy Wife, Imaginary Mary), produced by ABC Studios.
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