Rueben's Ramblings

Here are the The CW pilots up for consideration for the 2016-2017 TV season:

Frequency – In this reimagining of the New Line Cinema film, a female police detective discovers she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father, also a detective, who died in 1996. They forge a new relationship while working together on an unresolved murder, but unintended consequences of the “butterfly effect” wreak havoc in the present day.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jeremy Carver (Supernatural), Toby Emmerich, John Rickard, Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz

CAST: Peyton List (The Flash, The Tomorrow People), Riley Smith (Nashville), Mekhi Phifer (ER), Lenny Jacobson (Nurse Jackie), Anthony Ruivivar (Banshee, American Horror Story), Devin Kelley (Resurrection) and Daniel Bonjour (The Walking Dead).

No Tomorrow – When a risk-averse female procurement manager at an Amazon-like distribution center falls in love with a man who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, it leads to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest to fulfill their individual bucket lists.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Corrine Brinkerhoff (Jane the Virgin), Scott McCabe and Tory Stanton

CAST: Tori Anderson (The L.A. Complex), Joshua Sasse (Galavant), Amy Pietz (The Nine Lives of Chloe King), Sarayu Blue (The Real O’Neals) and Jesse Rath (Defiance).

Riverdale – Set in present day and based on the iconic Archie Comics characters, this surprising and subversive take on Archie and friends explores the surrealism of small-town life — the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome façade.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Jon Goldwater

CAST: Newcomer KJ Apa, Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody), Lili Reinhart (Surviving Jack), Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210), Mädchen Amick (Witches of East End), Marisol Nichols (Teen Wolf, 24), Camila Mendes, Ashleigh Murray, Madelaine Petsch.

Transylvania – In 1880, a headstrong young woman in search of her missing father ventures from NYC to Transylvania, where she teams up with a wrongfully disgraced Scotland Yard detective. Together, they witness the births of the most famous monsters and villains in history.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Hugh Sterbakov (writer), Jeff Pinkner, Andre Nemec, Josh Applebaum and Scott Rosenberg

CAST: Laura Brent (Legend of the Seeker), Luke Allen-Gale (Dominion) and Sofia Penas (The Young and the Restless).

Untitled Mars Project – Explorers arrive on Mars to join its first human colony, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration/settlement to investigation/survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Doris Egan, Frank Marshall and Robert Zotnowski

CAST: Georgina Haig (Fringe, Once Upon a Time), Neal Bledsoe (The Mysteries of Laura), Mouzam Makkar (The Vampire Diaries and The Following) and Carl Beukes (Dominion).

Untitled Paranormal Project – A young woman seeks help from a parapsychologist when she begins to experience paranormal phenomena.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Kevin Williamson and David Nutter

CAST: Megan West (How to Get Away with Murder), Matt Passmore (Satisfaction) and Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl).

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Riverside

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: No Tomorrow and Frequency

LONG SHOT: Untitled Mars Project

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Here are the NBC pilots up for consideration for the 2016-2017 TV season:

The Blacklist (Spin-Off) – The May 12 episode of The Blacklist will serve as a backdoor pilot, with Famke Janssen playing Susan “Scottie” Halsted, who will – rumor has it – have a relationship with Tom Keane (Ryan Eggold) that mirrors the relationship that Liz and Red have on the mothership series.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jon Bokenkamp, John Eisendrath, John Davis and John Fox

CAST: Famke Janssen (How to Get Away With Murder), Edi Gathegi (The Blacklist) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable).

Chicago Justice – This will be a planted Chicago P.D. spinoff – a backdoor pilot – that will be set in the legal world.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Dick Wolf

CAST: Philip Winchester (The Player), Joelle Carter (Justified), Nazneen Contractor (Heroes Reborn) and Carl Weathers (Rocky and Colony).

Cruel Intentions – This pilot picks up over 15 years after the end of the movie, following the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey, the son of her brother, who was the late Sebastian Valmont, and Annette Hargrove. Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Roger Kumble, Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin, Neil Moritz and Pavun Shetty

CAST: Sarah Michelle Gellar (the original Cruel Intentions film), Taylor John Smith (American Crime), Peter Gallagher (The O.C.), Kate Levering (Drop Dead Diva), Samantha Logan (The Fosters), Sophina Brown (Ravenswood and Numb3rs) and Nathalie Kelley (UnREAL).

Heavenly Creatures – This pilot is redeveloped from last season’s pilot called Unveiled. It follows a war hero who rediscovers his purpose in life when a celestial being offers him a chance to change the world, one person at a time.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: John Glenn, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey

CAST (as of 2015 Unveiled pilot) [this list of cast could clearly change]: Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), Stephan James (Selma), Will Kemp (Petals in the Wind), Connie Nielsen (The Following), Mouzam Makkar (Matador) and Dana Davis (Franklin & Bash).

Midnight Texas – Based on Charlaine Harris’ best-selling trilogy and set in Midnight, Texas, a remote town where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, and even an angel. Mystery, horror and romance combine to both enthrall and frighten any outsiders who decide to venture into this unusual place.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Monica Owusu-Breen and David Janollari

CAST: François Arnaud (Blindspot), Dylan Bruce (Orphan Black, Heroes Reborn), Sarah Ramos (Parenthood), Parisa Fitz-Henley and Yul Vasquez.

Miranda’s Rights – A legal soap about an idealistic group of lawyers who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Katie Lovejoy and John Glenn

CAST: Rebecca Breeds (The Originals), Jamie Chung (Once Upon a Time), Noel Fisher (Shameless), Gail O’Grady (Revenge), John Gabriel (Young & Hungry), Monique Coleman (High School Musical) and Ruffin Prentiss (Power).

Time – This high-octane drama follows an unlikely trio who travel through time to battle a master criminal intent on altering the fabric of human history with potentially catastrophic results.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Shawn Ryan, Eric Kripke, John Davis, Jon Fox and Marney Hochman

CAST: Abigail Spencer (Rectify, Suits), Matt Lanter (90210), Malcolm Barrett (Better Off Ted), Goran Visnjic (ER), Claudia Doumit (Scandal) and Sakina Jaffrey (House of Cards).

Untitled Dan Fogelman Dramedy – This hour-long project centers on a group of people born on the same day, including a married couple expecting triplets in Pittsburgh and a handsome television actor growing bored of his fly bachelor lifestyle.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Dan Fogelman, Jess Rosenthal, Charlie Gogolak, John Requa and Glenn Ficarra

CAST: Mandy Moore (Red Band Society), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Justin Harley (Revenge and Smallville), Sterling Brown (Army Wives) and Ron Cephas Jones (Mr. Robot).

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: The Blacklist Spinoff and Chicago Justice

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: Midnight Texas and Time

COOL FOR NOSTALGIA SAKE ONLY: Cruel Intentions

LONG SHOT: Heavenly Creatures

The drama Taken has been given a straight to series order. It will be set in present day, serving as a prequel to Luc Besson’s big-screen franchise, following a young Bryan as he acquires the very skills he uses to save his future daughter. The cast will include Clive Standen (Vikings) and Jennifer Beals (The L Word).

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Here are the FOX pilots up for consideration for the 2016-2017 TV season:

24: Legacy – Featuring an all-new cast of characters, the potential series centers on a military hero who encounters a troubled return to the U.S., compelling him to ask CTU for help in saving his life, and stopping what potentially could be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Howard Gordon, Manny Coto and Evan Katz

CAST: Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead), Ashley Thomas (Black Mirror), Jimmy Smits (Sons of Anarchy), Miranda Otto (Homeland), Teddy Sears (The Flash), Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal), Anna Diop (The Messengers) and Sheila Vand (State of Affairs).

A.P.B. – This pilot is about a tech billionaire who purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder, but can this eccentric and enigmatic figure’s cutting edge approach fix the broken ways of these blue blooded veterans?

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: David Slack and Len Wiseman

CAST: Natalie Martinez (Secrets and Lies), Justin Kirk (Weeds), Ernie Hudson (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Eric Winter (Witches of East End), Caitlin Stasey (Reign) and Taylor Handley (The O.C.).

The Exorcist – A modern reinvention inspired by William Blatty’s original 1971 book, the propulsive, serialized psychological thriller follows two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jeremy Slater, James Robinson, David Robinson and Barbara Wall.

CAST: Geena Davis (Grey’s Anatomy), Brianne Howey (Scream Queens), Hannah Kasulka (The Fosters), Alfonso Herrera (Sense8), Ben Daniels (Flesh and Bone) and Kurt Egyiawan (Beasts of No Nation).

Lethal Weapon – When Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he gets partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh, who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid any stress in his life.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Matt Miller, Dan Lin, Jennifer Gwartz and McG

CAST: Damon Wayans, Sr., Jordana Brewster (Dallas), Keesha Sharp (American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson), Kevin Rahm (Mad Men), Clayne Crawford (Rectify) and Johnathan Fernadez (Younger and Girls).

Pitch – This pilot follows a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Dan Fogelman, Rick Singer, Tony Bill and Helen Bartlett

CAST: Kyle Bunbury (Twisted), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Franklin & Bash), Ali Larter (Legends and Heroes), Mark Consuelos (Kingdom and Alpha House) and Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years).

Recon – A rookie FBI agent embeds herself in a suspected terrorist family.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Caroline Dries, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson

CAST: Tracy Spiridakos (Revolution), Nick Wechsler (Revenge), Alexander Siddig (Game of Thrones), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Karan Oberoi (NCIS) and Amanda Warren (The Leftovers)

Untitled Lee Daniels Project (formerly known as Star) – The pilot centers on three young women who form a musical act with the hope of making it big.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Lee Daniels and Tom Donaghy

CAST: Queen Latifah and Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order).

Zoobiquity – This light, unconventional medical procedural follows the unlikely pairing of a successful, driven cardiologist as she risks career suicide by teaming with a socially-challenged veterinarian who relates better to animals than people. They try to put aside their competitive natures to cure the incurable using a unique blend of cross-species medicine that’s never been tried before. Based on Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers’ book of the same name.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jon Collier, Stephen Nathan, Spencer Medof, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers

CAST: Marsha Thomason (White Collar), Peter Facinelli (Supergirl), Kim Raver (24, Bones) and Ben Rappaport (Mr. Robot).

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: 24: Legacy

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE (just get a better show name): Zoobiquity

LONG SHOT: A.P.B.

The following dramas have already been given a straight to series order:

Prison Break – A limited, 10-episode continuation of the hit series, picking up several years later.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Paul Scheuring, Marty Adelstein and Dawn Olmstead

RETURNING CAST: Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar and Paul Adelstein.

NEW CAST: Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains)

Shots Fired – An expert investigator digs into a series of shootings in a small Tennessee town. Alongside a special prosecutor sent to the town by the Department of Justice, she must navigate the media attention, public debate and social unrest that comes with such volatile cases.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Gina Prince-Bythewood, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Francie Calfo and Brian Grazer

CAST: Sanaa Lathan (Love & Basketball), Helen Hunt (Mad About You), Richard Dreyfuss (Madoff), Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Stephan James (Selma), Aisha Hinds (Under the Dome) and Tristan Wilds (90210).

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Here are the CBS pilots up for consideration for the 2016-2017 TV season:

Bull – This pilot is based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw during his days as head of one of the most prolific trial consulting services of all time.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Paul Attanasio, Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and Jay McGraw

CAST: Michael Weatherly (NCIS), Freddy Rodriguez (The Night Shift) and Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy).

Bunker Hill – Follows a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists a veteran surgeon with a controversial past in starting a hospital with a cutting edge, “new school” approach to medicine.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jason Katims and Michelle Lee

CAST: Augustus Prew (The Borgias), Dermot Mulroney (Shameless), Odette Annable (The Astronaut Wives Club), Brenda Song (Scandal, Dads) and Reshma Shetty (Royals Pains).

Doubt – This pilot centers on Sadie Ellis, a lawyer who becomes romantically involved with a client who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman and Adam Bernstein.

CAST: Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy), Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black), Dulé Hill (Psych), Dreama Walker (Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23) and Elliott Gould (Ray Donovan).

NOTE: This pilot is a hold-over from last season.

Drew – This pilot is a contemporary take on the character from the iconic Nancy Drew book series. Now in her 30s, Nancy is a detective for the NYPD where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Joan Rater, Tony Phelan and Dan Jinks.

CAST: Sarah Shahi (Person of Interest), Anthony Edwards (ER), Felix Solis (The Following), Vanessa Ferlito (Graceland), Steve Kazee (Shameless) and Debra Monk (Grey’s Anatomy).

Four Stars – This pilot is about two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Florida make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Becky Mode, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and RJ Cutler.

CAST: Wilmer Valderrama (Minority Report, That ’70s Show), Bojana Novakovic (Shameless), Bruce Greenwood (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story), Steven Bauer (Ray Donovan) and Ashley Zukerman (Manhattan).

MacGyver – This is a reimagining of the television series of the same name, following a 20-something MacGyver as he gets recruited into a clandestine organization where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Paul Downs Colaizzo, Michael Clear, Henry Winkler and James Wan,

CAST: Lucas Till (X-Men), George Eads (CSI), Addison Timlin (Californication) and Michelle Krusiec (Hawaii Five-0).

Training Day – In this reimagining that begins 15 years after the film left off, an idealistic young African-American police officer is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with a seasoned, morally ambiguous Caucasian detective.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Will Beall, Antoine Fuqua, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed.

CAST: Justin Cornwell (Chicago P.D.), Bill Paxton (Big Love), Drew Van Acker (Pretty Little Liars), Katrina Law (Arrow), Julie Benz (Defiance, Dexter) and Lex Scott Davis (Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart).

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Drew and Bull

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: MacGyver

LONG SHOT: Four Stars

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Here are the ABC pilots up for consideration for the 2016-2017 TV season:

Broken – A ruthless Dallas divorce attorney’s life begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Meaghan Oppenheimer, Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea

CAST: Anna Paquin (True Blood), Enrique Murciano (Without a Trace), Blair Underwood (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy, 11.22.63), Charity Wakefield (The Player), Penelope Ann Miller (American Crime), Thad Luckinbill (Nikita, The Young and the Restless) and Zeb Sanders (The Messengers)

Conviction – This plot tells the story of Carter Morrison, the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former President, who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensic experts, work together to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Liz Friedman, Liz Friedlander, Mark Gordon and Nicholas Pepper

CAST: Hayley Atwell (Marvel’s Agent Carter), Eddie Cahill (CSI: NY), Shawn Ashmore (The Following), Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead), Manny Montana (Graceland), Merrin Dungey (Alias, Once Upon a Time) and Daniel DiTomasso (Witches of East End)

The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez – This pilot is about an immigrant who rose from rags to riches; a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices she made to attain the American Dream.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Charise Castro Smith, Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters

CAST: Gina Torres (Suits), Eric Close (Nashville), Melora Hardin (The Office), Raúl Castillo (Looking), Angelica Celaya (Constantine), Debra Mooney (Everwood), Marta Milans (Killer Women), Zabryna Guevara (Gotham), Alison Fernandez (Law & Order: SVU) and Christina Pickles (Friends).

The Jury – Dubbed 12 angry Men meets Serial, the drama follows a single murder trial as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence the jurors’ judgment, and how their preconceptions change along the way.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: VJ Boyd, Mark Bianculli, Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz

CAST: Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife), Jeremy Sisto (Wicked City, Suburgatory), Eve Harlow (Heroes Reborn), Adina Porter (The 100), Brandon Jay McLaren (Graceland), Ben Esler (Hell on Wheels), Brian Howe (Masters of Sex, Justified), Jayne Taini (Ray Donovan), Kevin Rankin (Gracepoint), Nikki DeLoach (Awkward) and JD Pardo (Revolution)

Marvel’s Most Wanted – The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spinoff follows the characters of Bobbi Morse (aka Mockingbird) and Lance Hunter.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Paul Zbyszewski, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb

CAST: Adrianne Palicki, Nick Blood, Delroy Lindo (Blood & Oil, The Chicago Code), Oded Fehr (Covert Affairs) and Fernanda Andrade (Red Widow)

Model Woman – A fictionalized family soap inspired by the Robert Lacey’s book, set in the late 1970’s during the notorious Model Wars, the show is centered on Bertie Geiss – a tempestuous matriarch and uncompromising businesswoman at the helm of an internationally renowned modeling agency.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Helen Childress, Rosalie Swedlin and Scarlett Lacey

CAST: Andie MacDowell (Cedar Cove), Steven Weber (iZombie), Jamie Barber (NCIS and Battlestar Galactica), Dan Byrd (Cougar Town), Chris Mason (The Fades), Caitlin Carver (The Fosters), Nicole Ari Parker (Rosewood) and Kaley Ronayne (Gotham)

Notorious – This pilot is inspired by the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker, the series is a provocative look at the unique, sexy, and dangerous interplay of criminal law and the media.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Josh Berman, Allie Hagan, Mark Geragos, Wendy Walker, Kenny Meiselas, Jeff Kwatinetz, Josh Barry and Brian Gersh

CAST: Daniel Sunjata (Graceland), Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs), Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights), J. August Richards (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Ryan Guzman (Heroes Reborn), Kevin Zegers (Gracepoint), Kate Jennings Grant (Alpha House) and Sepideh Moafi (Black Box)

Presence – This pilot follows Presence Foster, a former Army Counter Insurgency Operative who finds herself navigating a widely divergent and highly colorful cross-section of Los Angeles as she unintentionally begins a career as an unlicensed P.I.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: John Ridley and Michael McDonald

CAST: Rick Gonzalez (Rush) and Colin Woodell (The Originals)

Spark – Set in an alternate history where gas and coal fuel the world, this genre soap centers on the battle for power between two rival families and a rebellious young woman with a spark of invention that could level both their empires.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Michael Cooney, Ian Sander and Kim Moses

CAST: Antonia Thomas, Lena Olin (Alias), Tom Brittney (Outlander), Tracy Ifeachor (The Originals), Alex Lanipekun (BBC’s Spooks), Austin Hébert (Bonnie & Clyde), Rege-Jean Page (Roots) and Rachel Hurd-Wood

Still Star-Crossed – This period drama pilot picks up where Romeo & Juliet left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate. Based on the book by Melinda Taub.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Heather Mitchell, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Michael Goldstein

CAST: Lashana Lynch, Torrance Coombs (Reign), Zuleikha Robinson (Homeland, Lost), Wade Briggs (Home and Away), Sterling Sulieman (In Time and Pretty Little Liars), Grant Bowler (Defiance), Anthony Head (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Merlin) and Dan Hildebrand (Sons of Anarchy)

Time After Time – Using the 1979 novel and movie as a starting point, this pilot will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells and his Time Machine.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Kevin Williamson

CAST: Josh Bowman (Revenge), Freddie Stroma (UnREAL), Regina Taylor (Dig, The Unit) and Genesis Rodriguez (Entourage)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Marvel’s Most Wanted and Still Star-Crossed

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: Notorious and Spark

LONG SHOT: Conviction

The drama Designated Survivor has been given a straight to series order. It centers on a lower level United States Cabinet member who is suddenly handed the presidency after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union address kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession. The cast includes Kiefer Sutherland (24), Maggie Q (Nikita), Kal Penn (House), Italia Ricci (Chasing Life), Natasha McElhone (Californication), Adan Canto (The Following), LaMonica Garrett (Sons of Anarchy) and Tanner Buchanan (The Fosters).

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Lastly, here are the NBC pilots up for consideration for the 2015-2016 TV season:

Blindspot – A beautiful woman, with no memories of her past, is found naked in Times Square with her body fully covered in intricate tattoos. Her discovery sets off a vast and complex mystery that immediately ignites the attention of the FBI who begin to follow the road map on her body to reveal a larger conspiracy of crime while bringing her closer to discovering the truth about her identity.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Greg Berlanti and Martin Gero

CAST: Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace), Ashley Johnson (Spooked), Jaimie Alexander (Thor), Rob Brown (Treme), Audrey Esparza (Black Box) and Ukweli Roach (The Royals) and Sullivan Stapleton (Strike Back)

Chicago Med – This is a medical drama spinoff from firefighter series Chicago Fire.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES:  Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Matt Olmstead and Dick Wolf

CAST: Yaya DaCosta (Whitney Houston), S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead), Oliver Platt (The Big C) and Nick Gehlfuss (Shameless)

The Curse of the Fuentes Women – When a magical and mysterious young man inexplicably emerges from the ocean, he breathes new passion into the lives of the Fuentes women.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Silvio Horta and Andrew Maher

CAST: Adan Canto (The Following), Trace Lysette (Transparent), Rachel Ticotin, Katie Sarife (Teen Spirit), Christina Vidal (Total Recall), Robbie Jones (Hellcats), Sonia Braga

Endgame – In the high stakes world of Las Vegas, a former sniper turned security expert is drawn into a mysterious conspiracy that forces him to complete a series of heroic challenges in order to save innocent lives.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: John Rogers and John Davis

CAST: Cara Buono (Mad Men), Philip Winchester (Strike Back), Charity Wakefield (The Raven) and film star Wesley Snipes

Game of Silence – A rising attorney on the brink of success could lose his perfectly crafted life when his long lost childhood friends threaten to expose a dark secret from their violent past.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: David Hudgins, Carole Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz

CAST: Claire van der Boom (Love Is Now), David Lyons (The Cape and Revolution), Deidrie Henry (Beyond The Lights), Michael Raymond-Jones (Once Upon a Time), Larenz Tate (Rush), Bre Blair (Last Vegas), Conor O’Farrell (CSI) and Demetrius Grosse (Justified and Banshee)

Heart Matters – Inspired by the life of Dr. Kathy Magliato, this medical soap follows the outspoken Alex Panettiere, one of the rare female heart transplant surgeons. Alex brings an innovative eye to treating patients week to week while also balancing the complications of her professional and romantic life.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jill Gordon, Amy Brenneman and Brad Silberling

CAST: Melissa George (The Slap and Hunted), Joshua Leonard (If I Stay), D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys), Maya Erskine (Man Seeking Woman), Shelly Conn (The Lottery and Terra Nova) and Dave Annabel (Brothers and Sisters)

Love Is A Four-Letter Word – Race, sexuality and gender roles collide when three diverse couples put modern marriage to the test.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Diana Son, Mikkel Bondsen and Kristen Campo

CAST: Brian Tee (The Wolverine), LeToya Luckett (Single Ladies), Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break), Colin Donnell (Arrow), Monet Mazur (Castle), Cynthia McWilliams (Real Husbands of Hollywood) and Nadine Velazquez (Major Crimes)

Unveiled – A one-hour drama following an ensemble of flawed guardian angels who intervene in the lives of those who find themselves facing crisis in an attempt to restore their faith and, often, save their lives.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: John Sakmar, Kerry Lenhart, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey

CAST: Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), Stephan James (Selma), Will Kemp (Petals in the Wind), Connie Nielsen (The Following), Mouzam Makkar (Matador), Dana Davis (Franklin & Bash),

Warrior – In a grounded, contemporary multicultural and sometimes magical milieu, a damaged heroine works undercover with physical and spiritual guidance from a mysterious martial arts master to bring down an international crime lord.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: David DiGilio, Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald

CAST: Will Yun Lee (Hawaii Five-0), Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Brue Lee Story), Holt McCallany (Golden Boy), Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome and Secrets and Lies), Rila Fukushima (Arrow) and Lance Gross (Crisis)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Chicago Med and Blindspot

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: Warrior and Game of Silence

LONG SHOT: Unveiled

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Here are the FOX pilots up for consideration for the 2015-2016 TV season:

Frankenstein – This drama follows Ray Pritchard, a morally corrupt retired cop, who is given a second chance at life when he is brought back from the dead. Now younger and stronger, Pritchard will have to choose between his old temptations and his new sense of purpose.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Rand Ravich and Howard Gordon

CAST: Philip Baker Hall, Adhir Kalyan (Rules of Engagement), Ciara Bravo (Red Band Society), Tim Dekay (White Collar), Rob Kazinsky (True Blood) and Dilshad Vadsaria (Revenge)

Lucifer – Based on the DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, the drama centers on Lucifer who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Tom Kapinos, Jerry Bruckheimer, Len Weisman, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed

CAST: Lesley-Ann Brandt (Spartacus), Tom Ellis (Downton Abbey and Rush), Nicholas Gonzalez (Sleepy Hollow), Lina Esco (Cane), Lauren German (Chicago Fire), D. B. Woodside (24), Rachael Harris (The Hangover)

Minority Report – Ten years after the end of Precrime in Washington, D.C. from the box office film, one of the three Precogs struggles to lead a “normal” human life, but remains haunted by visions the future, when he meets a detective haunted by her past, who just may help him find a purpose to his gift.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Kevin Falls, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, and D. Mark Mylod

CAST: Wilmer Valderama (That 70’s Show), Laura Regan (Mad Men), Daniel London (Manhattan), Li Jun Li (Billy & Billie), Meagan Good (Deception) and Stark Sands (Inside Llewyn Davis)

Rosewood (Tentative Name) – This close-ended, investigative series centers on the brilliant Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, Jr., the top private pathologist in all of Miami. As owner of one of the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art independent labs in the country, he finds the secrets in bodies that others usually miss.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen

CAST: Morris Chestnut (Legends), Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Ben and Kate) and relative newcomer Jaina Lee Ortiz

Studio City – This drama is a coming-of-age story about a young singer’s path to stardom as she lives with her songwriter father, who happens to be a drug dealer to the stars.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Krista Vernoff, John Wells and Andrew Stern

CAST: Eric McCormack (Perception), newcomer Florence Pugh, Riley Smith (True Blood), singer-songwriter Chris Daughtry, Samantha Logan (The Fosters), Jordan Calloway (Drumlne: A New Boat), Timothy Granaderos (Undateable), Heather Graham (Californication) and Jeanine Mason (Bunheads)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Frankenstein

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: Minority Report

LONG SHOT: Studio City

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Here are the pilots up for consideration for the 2015-2016 TV season at The CW:

Cheerleader Death Squad – This drama follows a former CIA agent-turned teacher who realizes that his elite students at a Washington D.C. prep school have high level access through their personal connections, and trains them to be his eyes and ears in the world of international espionage so that he can make his way back into the CIA.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Marc Cherry, Neal Baer, Dan Truly and Sabrina Wind

CAST: Alan Van Sprang (Reign), Abbie Cobb (Suburgatory), Gia Mantegna (The Middle and Gigantic) and Aylin Bayramoglu (The Glee Project)

Cordon – The drama, based on the Belgian series, revolves around an epidemic that breaks out in Atlanta, leaving some people stuck on the outside of a large city quarantine.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Julie Plec, David Nutter and Carl Joos

CAST: George Young (Casualty) and Trevor St. John (One Life To Live), Hanna Mangan Lawrence (Spartacus), Chris Wood (The Vampire Diaries) and Claudia Black (Farscape).

Dead People – The drama centers on a down-on-his-luck, semi-alcoholic but roguishly charming cab driver, who, after a near-death experience, suddenly has the ability to interact with ghosts, including his late ex-wife who he has never gotten over.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Tom Kapinos

CAST: Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead), Echo Kellum (Ben and Kate) and Alexandra Chando (The Lying Game)

Tales from the Darkside – Based on the 1980’s horror/fantasy/thriller anthology will focus on one regular character, a weathered and tortured young man, Newman is the guide to the unsuspecting who come across The Darkside.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Joe Hill, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

CAST: Kris Lemche (Joan of Arcadia)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Cheerleader Death Squad

LONG SHOT: Dead People

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Here are the CBS pilots up for consideration for the 2015-2016 TV season:

Code Black – This medical drama is set in the busiest and most notorious ER in the nation, L.A. County Hospital, where the extraordinary staff confronts a broken system in order to protect their ideals and the patients who need them the most.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: David Semel, Marti Noxon, Ryan McGarry, Michael Seitzman and Linda Goldstein-Knowlton

CAST: Bonnie Somerville (Golden Boy), Ben Hollingsworth (Cult and The Tomorrow People), Luis Guzman and Raza Jaffrey (Smash)

Criminal Minds (Spin-Off) – This version will focus on a division of the FBI that helps American citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Erica Messer, Mark Gordon and Nick Pepper

CAST: Gary Sinise (CSI: NY), Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) and David Henney (Revolution and Wolverine).

Doubt – This series is about a smart, chic, successful defense lawyer at a boutique firm, who gets romantically involved with one of her clients who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Tony Phelan and Joan Rater

CAST: Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Teddy Sears (Masters of Sex), KaDee Strickland (Secrets and Lies and Private Practice), Dule Hill (The West Wing and Psych), Dreama Walker (Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23) and veteran actor Elliott Gould.

For Justice – This drama is about a female FBI agent working in the Criminal Section of the Department of Civil Rights Division who finds herself caught between her radical real family and her professional family.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Rene Balcer, Robert DeNiro, Jane Rosenthal, James Patterson, Bill Robinson and Leopoldo Gout

CAST: Mario Van Peebles (Ali and Damages), Leonardo Nam (Vantage Point), Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls and The Good Wife), Tim Blake Nelson (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and Klondike), Shawn Hatosy (Southland), Rachel Boston (Witches of East End) and veteran actress Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show).

LFE – This series is a high-octane medical procedural, centering on second-year residents at New York City’s top hospital as they attempt to balance their god complexes with their humanity.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Dan Jinks and Paul Downs Colaizzo

CAST: Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Annie Funke (A Most Violent Year), Andy Mientus (Smash) and Daniel Sharman (Teen Wolf)

Limitless – Picking up where the 2011 film left off, the drama follows Brian Sinclair as he discovers the power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced into using his newfound drug-enhanced abilities to solve weekly cases for the FBI.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Neil Berger, Bradley Cooper and Craig Sweeny

CAST: Jake McDorman (American Sniper and Greek), Hill Harper (CSI: NY), Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Grimm and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves).

Rush Hour – Based on the feature film, the series is about a stoic, by-the-book Hong Kong police officer is assigned to a case in Los Angeles where he’s forced to work with a cocky African-American LAPD officer who has no interest in a partner.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Bill Lawrence, Blake McCormick, Jon Turteltaub, Arthur Sarkissian, Brett Ratner and Jeff Ingold

CAST: Justin Hires (the box office film 21 Jump Street), Page Kennedy (Backstrom), Aimee Garcia (Dexter), Jessika Van (Awkward) and Jon Foo (Tekken).

Sneaky Peter – The series follows a thirty-something con man who takes the identity of his past cellmate, upon leaving jail. Dubbed “Sneaky Pete,” he hides from his debtors, while working at his fake family’s bail bond business, and uses his charm and criminal prowess to take down bad guys worse than himself, partnering with an attractive female “cousin” who has her suspicions about his real motives.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: David Shore and Bryan Cranston

CAST: Shane McRae (Still Alice and The Following), Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar and Ted), Margo Martindale (Justified and The Americans), Libe Barer (Parenthood), Marin Ireland (The Divide and Homeland) and Peter Gerety (Prime Suspect).

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Rush Hour and Limitless (just because they are based on the feature films)

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: For Justice

LONG SHOT: LFE

PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Sneaky Pete

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In a few weeks the major networks will make their annual presentations to the advertisers in New York City, presenting a cavalcade of their existing stars from their returning series as well as introducing the new faces and shows that will hit the primetime landscape for the 2015-2016 TV season.

Over the course of this week, I will take a look at each of the five major networks, reviewing the pilots that are under consideration for possible pick-up as a full-fledged series for the upcoming fall TV season.

First of, here are the ABC pilots up for consideration for the 2015-2016 TV season:

The Adversaries – The drama will follow the patriarch of a New York legal dynasty who becomes embroiled in a trial of his own, forcing his federal-prosecutor daughter to decide which side she will fight on.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: David Zabel

CAST: Kristen Hager (Being Human), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Christine Lahti (Hawaii Five-0), Enuka Okuma (Rookie Blue), Christine Evangelista (Chicago Fire) and Lenny Platt (One Life to Live)

The Advocate – A successful woman survives a medical scare and becomes an advocate for other victims navigating their way through the American healthcare system.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein

CAST: Kim Raver (Grey’s Anatomy and 24), Joy Bryant (Parenthood), Coby Bell (Burn Notice) and Elliot Knight (How to Get Away with Murder)

Boom – The series centers on the biggest oil discovery in American history, which triggers a geopolitical shift and an economic boom in North Dakota, the greatest since the American Gold Rush in 1849. The drama tracks the pilgrimage of a young, ambitious couple, seeking a better life, to the oil fields of the Bakken. Set in a modern day “Wild West”, the couple comes across roughnecks, grifters, oil barons, criminals and fellow prospectors.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Tony Krantz, Josh Pate and Rodes Fishburne

CAST: Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Don Johnson (Nash Bridges), Delroy Lindo (Believe), Amber Valletta (Revenge and Legends), Scott Michael Foster (Greek and Chasing Life), Rebecca Rittenhouse (Red Band Society), India de Beaufort (Jane By Design), Caitlin Carver (The Fosters) and Yani Gellman (Pretty Little Liars).

The Broad Squad – The series is inspired by true stories, looking at the first four women to graduate from Boston’s Police Academy in 1978.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Stephane Savage, Josh Schwartz, Len Goldstein, Aaron Kaplan and Bess Wohl

CAST: Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Rutina Wesley (True Blood), Charlotte Spencer (Angelina Ballerina), Cody Horn (Magic Mike and Rescue Me), Michael Gaston (The Mentalist), Kenneth Mitchell (Jericho and Switched at Birth) and Morgan Spector (Allegiance)

Smoke and Mirrors (formerly The Catch) – Unbeknownst to her slippery fiancé, a bride-to-be — who investigates fraud for a living — is not all she claims to be. And when the fiancé’s expertly planned con collides with her perfectly constructed lies, they plunge into a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Shonda Rhimes, Betsey Beers and Jennifer Schuur

CAST: Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill), Damon Dayoub (NCIS), Mireille Enos (The Killing), Alimi Ballard (Numb3rs and Dark Angel), Rose Rollins (The L Word), Jacky Ido (Taxi Brooklyn), Jay Hayden (The House Bunny) and Elvy Yost (Mildred Pierce)

Flesh and Blood – The series centers on a politician’s son, who shows up nearly 10 years after his presumed death and rocks the local community. His reappearance, naturally, has repercussions for the neighbor jailed for his murder and the police officer that handled the case.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENE: Jenna Bans, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks

CAST: Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights), Liam James (The Way Way Back), Joan Allen (The Bourne franchise), Andrew McCarthy, Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Madeleine Arthur (The Tomorrow People), Margot Bingham (Boardwalk Empire) and Rupert Graves (Sherlock)

Kingmakers – The series takes place at an elite Ivy League university that is rocked by a student’s sudden death, prompting a young man to take on a new identity to infiltrate the school and its century-old secret society consisting of privileged students, ambitious faculty, and high-profile alums, in order to investigate his sister’s death, after she’s found dead her freshman year.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Sallie Patrick

CAST: Adrian Pasdar (Heroes and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Kristin Bauer van Straten (True Blood and Once Upon a Time), Colm Feore (Revolution), Khary Payton (Teen Titans Go), Parminder Nagra (The Blacklist and Alcatraz), Michael Trevino (The Vampire Diaries), Colin Woodell (The Originals) and Kendrick Sampson (The Vampire Diaries)

L.A. Crime – This series is a character-driven, true-crime procedural, exploring sex, politics and popular culture across various eras in L.A. history; first focuses on two LA cops in search for a Bonnie & Clyde-esque serial killing team amidst the rock-and-roll, coke-infused revelry of the 1980s Sunset Strip.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Steven Baigelman, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks

CAST: Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), Erika Christensen (Parenthood), Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl), Gabriel Luna (Matador), Adam Rothenberg (Ripper Street), Anne Winters (Tyrant), Karolina Wydra (True Blood and Justified) and W. Earl Brown (True Detective)

Mix – A one-hour dramedy that explores the realities of modern-day families — multi-cultural, multi-generational, built through divorces, affairs and adoptions — set against the backdrop of a revered family restaurant at a crossroads.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jennifer Cecil, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack

CAST: Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue), Camille Guaty (Scorpion), Britne Oldford (Ravenswood), Sam Page (House of Cards) and Joaquim de Almedia (24 and Fast Five)

Of Kings and Prophets – An epic Biblical saga of faith, ambition and betrayal as told through the eyes of a battle-weary king, a powerful and resentful prophet and a resourceful young shepherd on a collision course with destiny.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Jason Reed, Reza Aslan and Mahyad Tousi

CAST: Ray Winstone (The Departed), Oliver Rix (The Musketeers), Simone Kessell (Terra Nova) and Maisie Richardson-Sellers (The Originals)

Quantico – This series is about a group of young FBI recruits, all with specific reasons for joining, and how they battle their way through training at the Quantico base in Virginia.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Mark Gordon, Nicholas Pepper and Joshua Safran

CAST: Dougray Scott (Hemlock Grove), Jake McLaughlin (Believe), Graham Rogers (Revolution), Johanna Braddy (UnReal and Hit the Floor), Aunjanue Ellis (NCIS: Los Angeles and The Book of Negroes), Tate Ellington (The Mindy Project) and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra

Runner – In this pilot Lauren Marks believes she is leading a perfect life, until it is ripped apart by one simple twist of fate: to uncover the truth she must follow a trail of lies that take her into the world of cartels and the illegal gun trade between the US and Mexico.

THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES: Ian Sander, Kim Moses, Jon Cowan, Michael Cooney and Peter Horton

CAST: Adam Rodriguez (CSI: Miami), Paula Patton (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Courtney Ford (Revenge and True), Chris Johnson (The Vampire Diaries and Betrayal), Brent Sexton (The Killing) and Megan Dodds (Ever After)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Smoke and Mirrors (simply because it’s a Shonda Rhimes production)

WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE: The Broad Squad

LONG SHOT: Runner and Quantico

PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Boom

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