Rueben's Ramblings

Here is the list of pilots under consideration at The CW for the 2014-2015 TV season:

Flash: This is a spin-off of Arrow, based on characters published by DC Comics, where Central City assistant police forensics investigator Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) is given the power of super-speed after a freak accident that transforms him into the Fastest Man Alive.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns, Andrew Kreisberg and Melissa Kellner Berman (all from Arrow)

CAST: Grant Gustin (Glee), Danielle Panabaker (Necessary Roughness), Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order), Rick Cosnett (The Vampire Diaries), Candice Patton (The Game), Tom Cavanagh (Ed), John Wesley Shipp (Dawson’s Creek and the 1990’s The Flash), Michelle Harrison (Emily Owens M.D.) and Patrick Sabongui (upcoming Godzilla movie)

Identity: This pilot is about a young woman asked to investigate a powerful family in exchange for help with an organ transplant.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Corinne Brinkerhoff (Elementary), Alon Aranya (Hostages), Heather Kadin, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (all from Sleepy Hollow)

CAST: Ahna O’Reilly (The Help), Matt Barr (Hatfields & McCoys and Hellcats), Mehcad Brooks (Necessary Roughness), Patricia Wettig (Brothers & Sisters and thirtysomething) and Irish actor Stephen Hagan (BBC series Injustice)

iZombie: A med student-turned-zombie takes a job in the coroner’s office to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat to maintain her humanity, but what happens when she starts inheriting the corpse’s memories? With the help of her medical-examiner boss and a police detective, she solves homicide cases to quiet the disturbing voices in her head. Based on the DC Comics series.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero, Dan Etheridge and Danielle Stokdyk (all from Veronica Mars)

CAST: Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time), Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), David Anders (Once Upon a Time and Alias), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill and 666 Park Avenue), Alexandra Krosney (Last Man Standing), UK native Rahul Kohli and Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live alum)

Jane the Virgin: This is an adaptation of the Venezuelan telenovela Juana La Virgen about a young Latino woman who accidentally finds herself pregnant.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jennie Snyder Urman (Emily Owens M.D. and 90210) and Ben Silverman (Ugly Betty)

CAST: Gina Rodriguez (The Bold and the Beautiful), Mexican actor-singer Jaime Camil (in US debut), Yael Grobglas (Reign), Brett Dier (Ravenswood), Andrea Navedo (Golden Boy), Ryan Devlin (Cougar Town and Veronica Mars Season 3) and Ivonne Coll (Switched at Birth and Teen Wolf)

Supernatural: Bloodlines: This is a spin-off series that will explore the clashing hunter and monster cultures of Chicago.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jeremy Carver, Adam Glass, Eric Kripke, Bob Singer, McG and Phil Sgriccia (all from Supernatural)

CAST: Nathaniel Buzolic (The Vampire Diaries), Lucien Laviscount (Episodes and Skins), Sean Faris (Pretty Little Liars and Reunion), Bryce Johnson (Pretty Little Liars and Popular), Danielle Savre (Heroes), Stephen Martines (The Vampire Diaries and The Closer) and Melissa Roxburgh (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules)

The Messengers: When a mysterious object crashes down to earth, a group of seemingly unconnected strangers die from the energy pulse, but then awaken to learn that they have been deemed responsible for preventing the impending Apocalypse.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife and The Unit), Basil Iwanyk (The Town and The Expendables) and Kent Kubena (Akeelah and the Bee)

CAST: Sofia Black-D’Elia (Skins), Joel Courtney (Super 8), British actor Jon Fletcher (The Good Wife), Diogo Morgado (The Bible mini-series) and Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Flash and Supernatural: Tribes

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: The Messengers

LONG SHOT (but it sure would be cool to see it): Identity

RIP-OFF OF THE SEASON: iZombie (it’s Tru Calling but with a zombie (oh joy!) Sorry Rob Thomas, I LoVe Veronica Mars, but I just can’t buy into anything with zombies).

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Jane the Virgin

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Here is the list of pilots under consideration at FOX for the 2014-2015 TV season:

Empire: This pilot centers on Lucious Lyon, a charismatic, savvy music superstar who is about to take his company, Empire Entertainment, public. Raised on the streets, he has never backed away from a fight and will resort to any measures, fair or foul, to defend his beloved Empire.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Danny Strong (The Butler), Lee Daniels (The Butler), Francie Calfo (Scoundrels) and Brian Grazer

CAST: Terrance Howard (Iron Man), Taraji P. Hanson (Person of Interest), Malik Yoba (Single Ladies), Kaitlin Doubleday (Catch Me If You Can) and Bryshere Y. Gray (aka rapper Yazz The Greatest)

Gotham: This pilot explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon from the Batman comics and films — who is still a detective and has yet to meet Batman — and the villains who made Gotham City famous.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Bruno Heller (The Mentalist), Danny Cannon (The Tomorrow People, Nikita) and DC Comics writer Geoff Johns

CAST: Ben McKenzie (Southland and The O.C.), Donal Logue (Vikings and Terriers), Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix franchise), David Mazouz (Touch), Sean Pertwee (Elementary), Robin Lord Taylor (Another Earth), Erin Richards (Breaking In), Zabryna Guevara (Burn Notice) and newcomer Camren Bicondova

Home: This is a family thriller/soap that delves into the secrets lingering behind the facade of a suburban family.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Aron Eli Coleite (Heroes), Jonathan Littman (CSI) and Jerry Bruckheimer

CAST: None so far

Red Band Society: Based on the acclaimed Spanish series Polseres Vermelles, the dark comedy focuses on the daily lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. The depth of the unexpected friendships allows them to survive the challenges of growing up under such intense circumstances.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Margaret Nagle (Boardwalk Empire), Justin Falvey (Under the Dome), Darryl Frank (Las Vegas), Sergio Aguero (Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Steven Spielberg

CAST: Octavia Spencer (The Help), Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters), Zoe Levin (The Way, Way Back), Charlie Rowe (Neverland and Pirate Radio), youngster Griffin Gluck (Private Practice), Ciara Bravo (Big Time Rush), Nolan Sotillo (Prom) and newcomer Rebecca Rittenhouse

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Gotham

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Empire

FOX has also already given an order for the following direct-to-series dramas:

Backstrom – This 13-episode straight-to-series drama is about offensive, irascible Detective Everett Backstrom who tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior while leading his team, the Serious Crimes Unit, as they navigate Portland’s most sensitive cases.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Hart Hanson (Bones) and Mark Mylod (Shameless)

CAST: Rainn Wilson (The Office), Kristoffer Polaha (Ringer), Dennis Haysbert (24), Page Kennedy, Beatrice Rosen (Blue Mountain State), Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Genevieve Angelson (House of Lies)

NOTE: Backstrom was actually a CBS pilot that was passed over by the network and picked up by FOX.

Hieroglyph – This 13-episode straight to series drama about a notorious thief is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Travis Beacham (Pacific Rim), Peter Chernin (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Katherine Pope (New Girl), Miguel Sapochnik (House) and Anna Fricke (Everwood and Being Human)

CAST: Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), Max Brown (Beauty And the Beast), John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings franchise), Kelsey Chow (One Tree Hill and Pair of Kings), Condola Rashad (Smash and Steel Magnolias), Antony Bunsee (Hollyoaks) and relative newcomer Caroline Ford

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Here is the list of pilots under consideration at NBC for the 2014-2015 TV season:

Babylon Fields: The dead are rising in Babylon, NY, and as a result, lives are regained, old wounds are reopened and families are restored — for better or worse. The newly regenerated bodies are healing faster and growing stronger than anyone else, leading to the suspicion that they might be the next step in human evolution.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Michael Cuesta (Elementary) and newcomers Gerald Cuesta and Michael Atkinson

CAST: Meagan Good (Deception), Skeet Ulrich (Jericho), S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), Kyle Schmid (Copper and Blood Ties), Virginia Madsen (Witches of East End), Ritchie Coster (Luck and The Blacklist) and Yul Vazquez (Treme)

Coercion: This pilot is a thriller revolving around the O’Connor family and their son, Alex, a decorated American war hero and CIA analyst who is a true patriot and loves his country and family. Unbeknownst to him, both of his parents and his sister are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated. Once the parents are reluctantly pulled back in, the stakes rise they are coerced into spying on their own son and turning him against his country.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Newcomers Amit Cohen and Ron Leshem, George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau) and Avi Nir (Homeland)

CAST: Relative newcomer Gavin Stenhouse, Hope Davis (About Schmidt), Margarita Levieva (Revenge), Kenneth Choi (Ironside), Scott Cohen (Gilmore Girls), Annie Ilonzeh (Arrow, Drop Dead Diva and Charlie’s Angels), Alexandra Peters (Sage Paints the Sky) and Morgan Spector (Person of Interest)

Constantine: Based on the characters in DC Comics’ stories about John Constantine, an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Daniel Cerone (Dexter), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) and DC comics writer Geoff Johns

CAST: Matt Ryan (Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior), Lucy Griffiths (True Blood and Robin Hood), Harold Perrineau (Lost) and Charles Halford (The Event)

Mysteries of Laura: Based on the popular Spanish series Los Misterios De Laura, it follows the life and relationships of a female homicide detective who can handle murderous criminals — but not her evil twins.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jeff Rake (Cashmere Mafia), Greg Berlanti (Arrow) and Aaron Kaplan (Terra Nova)

CAST: Debra Messing (Smash and Will & Grace), Josh Lucas (The Firm), Laz Alonzo (Breakout Kings) and Janina Gavankar (True Blood and Arrow)

Odyssey: Traffic-like thriller that revolves around three families whose lives are torn apart when a stranded female soldier, a disillusioned corporate attorney and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Adam Armus (Heroes), Nora Kay Foster (The Following) and actor Peter Horton

CAST: Peter Facinelli (Nurse Jackie), Daniella Pineda (The Originals), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbage (Lost), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies), Treat Williams (Everwood), Nate Mooney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jake Robinson (The Carrie Diaries) and relative newcomer Elena Kampouris

Salvation: Set against the backdrop of a prominent Texas church where faith, family and corruption are explored in equal measure. It centers on Jennifer Strickland, who has to defend her children, church and religious beliefs after her husband dies under mysterious circumstances.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Liz Heldens (Deception) and David Janollari (Six Feet Under)

CAST: Ashley Judd (Missing), Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), Warren Kole (Common Law) and Ron Brown (Treme) and Danny Huston (Magic City and X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

State of Affairs: The pilot centers on a key CIA attaché who counsels the president on high-stakes incidents around the world. She balances her intense political responsibilities with a complicated personal life.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy), Alexi Hawley (Castle), Joe Carnahan (The Blacklist), Robert Simonds (This Means War) and Julia Franz (Made in Jersey)

CAST: Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) and Cliff Chamberlain (Chicago-based theatre actor), Sheila Vand (Argo), Adam Kaufman (Without a Trace), Tommy Savas (Hollywood Heights), Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash) and Alfre Woodard

Tin Man: Psychological crime thriller set in the near future focuses on a fugitive robot accused of first-degree murder, who may hold the key to the future of human evolution, and the young female public defender forced to fight for his cause.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Ehren Kruger (The Ring, Transformers) and Daniel Bobker (The Skeleton Key)

CAST: Patrick Heusinger (Revolution and Gossip Girl), Kathleen York (Crash and The Client List), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Chicago Hope), Kristen Connolly (House of Cards) and Shaun Toub (Homeland)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Mysteries of Laura (as long as they can make Debra’s character serious)

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Constantine

LONG SHOT (but it sure would be cool to see it): Tin Man

RIP-OFF OF THE SEASON: Babylon Fields (did anyone hear of The Returned or Resurrection?)

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Salvation and Odyssey

NBC has also already given an order for the following direct-to-series drama:

Emerald City: This new series is a modern and dark reimagining of the classic tale of Oz that includes lethal warriors, competing kingdoms, and the infamous wizard as we’ve never seen him before. A headstrong 20-year-old Dorothy Gale is unwittingly sent on a journey that thrusts her into the center of an epic and bloody battle for the control of Oz.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Matthew Arnold (Siberia), Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

CAST: None so far

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Here is the list of pilots under consideration at CBS for the 2014-2015 TV season:

CSI Spin-Off: This pilot will center on Avery Ryan, Special Agent in Charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI in Quantico, who is tasked with solving high-octane crimes that start in the mind, live on-line, and play out into the real world.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Anthony E. Zuiker (CSI creator), Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Jonathan Littman (all three at CSI) and Jerry Bruckheimer

CAST: Patricia Arquette (Medium)

Madame Secretary: The pilot explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Barbara Hall (Joan of Arcadia), actor Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary (Invictus), Tracy Mercer (Beyond the Wormhole) and David Semel

CAST: Tea Leoni (The Naked Truth), Tim Daly (Private Practice), Geoffrey Arend (Body of Proof), Patina Miller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), Bebu Neuwirth (Frasier and Cheers), relative newcomers Katherine Herzer and Erich Bergen

NCIS: New Orleans: The New Orleans NCIS office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Gary Glasberg (NCIS), actor Mark Harmon and Tony Wharmby (NCIS)

CAST: Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap), Zoe McLellan (Dirty Sexy Money), CCH Pounder (Warehouse 13), Paige Turco (The 100 and Person of Interest) and Lucas Black (Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift)

Only Human: A soapy medical show centered around quadruplets, three brothers and a sister, who grew up on a reality show.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: David Marshall Grant (Brothers & Sisters), Carl Beverly (Elementary), Sarah Timberman (Justified and Unforgettable) and David Garrett (Step Up)

CAST: Jamie Leigh Curtis (Freaky Friday and NCIS), Ashton Holmes (Nikita and Revenge), Nick Jandl (Green Lantern) and relative newcomer Cameron Scoggins

Red Zone: This drama revolves around a retired CIA officer who’s pulled back into action after a terrorist attack hits Washington, D.C.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Nikki Toscano (Revenge)

CAST: Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace), Samantha Mathis (Under the Dome), Kim Dickens (Friday Night Lights), Aimee Garcia (Dexter), Kevin Rahm (Mad Men and Desperate Housewives), Graham Rogers (Revolution), Sepideh Moafi (upcoming Black Box), and Shanley Caswell (The Conjuring)

Scorpion: Inspired by the true story of Walter O’Brien, a real-life Professor X who recruited and trained other geniuses from around the world to work together to save lives and solve problems from casino security to Military Drone warfare.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Nick Santora (Prison Break), Scooter Braun (The Giver), Heather Kadin (Sleepy Hollow), Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci (both from Sleepy Hollow) and Justin Lin (Fast and Furious franchise)

CAST: Actor Elyes Gabel (Game of Thrones and Body of Proof), Katharine McPhee (Smash), Robert Patrick (The Unit) and Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Dad)

Untitled Ben Cavell/Taylor Elmore Project: This pilot is set in the world of Wall Street power and money.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Ben Cavell (Justified), actor John Cusack, Taylor Elmore (Justified), Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly (both from Elementary)

CAST: Charlie Cox (Stardust and Boardwalk Empire), Maggie Grace (Lost), David Morse (Treme and The Green Mile) Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda and After Earth) and Joseph Lyle Taylor (The Dark Knight Rises)

Untitled Kevin Williamson Project: A psychological thriller centered around a pair of detectives who handle stalking cases for the Los Angeles Police Department.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries and The Following)

CAST: Dylan McDermott (Hostages and American Horror Story), Maggie Q (Nikita and Divergent), Mariana Klaveno (True Blood and Devious Maids) Aubrey Dollar (Women’s Murder Club and 666 Park Avenue) and Victor Rasuk (How to Make It in America)

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Madame Secretary

WILL PROBABLY GET AN ORDER: CSI Spin-Off and new NCIS franchise

LONG SHOT (but it sure would be cool to see it): Scorpion and Red Zone

RIP-OFF OF THE SEASON: Only Human (don’t we have enough reality already that we have to make a scripted series be about a reality series family?)

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Untitled Ben Cavell/Taylor Elmore Project

CBS has also already given an order for the following direct-to-series drama:

Battle Creek – The series is about two detectives with very different worldviews who are teamed up and must answer the question: Are cynicism, guile and deception enough to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Michigan in the face of a complete lack of resources; or is the exact opposite true – it takes naïveté, trust and a boatload of resources?

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), David Shore (House), Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad) and Melissa Bernstein (Breaking Bad)

CAST: Janet McTeer (The White Queen), Dean Winters (Oz), Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas) and Kal Penn (House)

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While the major networks, for the most part, are still running their annual pilot season throughout the first few months of the year that could all be changing in the very near future. In the meantime, though, let’s take a look at what each of the major networks have in the works for this coming fall’s TV season.

First, here are the dramas that ABC has under consideration and my opinions on which dramas may or may not get picked up:

Agatha: A former convict turned big city criminologist is brought in to help local police crack a case involving a perplexing disappearance. The chief detective she’s been hired to help is her father – and they haven’t talked in fifteen years.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Tom Donaghy (Without a Trace), Mark Gordon (Criminal Minds and Grey’s Anatomy)

CAST: Bojana Novakovic (Rake), Erik Palladino (NCIS: Los Angeles), Aaron Ashmore (Veronica Mars, Smallville and Warehouse 13), Clancy Brown (Sleepy Hollow), Meta Golding (The Tomorrow People), Daniel Henney (X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Revolution), Jee Young Han (the web series City of Dreams) and Christian Keyes (Beauty And the Beast)

American Crime: Set in California’s Central Valley, the pilot centers on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the victims, the accused and their families.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: John Ridley (The Wanda Sykes Show, Third Watch)

CAST: Timothy Hutton (Leverage), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Penelope Ann Miller (Mistresses), Benito Martinez (The Shield and Supernatural), W. Earl Brown (Deadwood), Elvis Nolasco (Oldboy), Caitlin Gerard (The Social Network), Richard Cabral (Southland) and newcomer Johnny Ortiz

Clementine: A habitual criminal digs into the mystery of her origins after she becomes the target of a group of zealots who fear she possesses latent supernatural abilities that she will one day harness for either profound good or monstrous evil.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Dean Georgaris (The Manchurian Candidate), Ilene Staple and Mark Gordon (Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy)

CAST: David Strathairn (Alphas), Australian newcomer Sarah Snook, Edwin Hodge (The Purge), Kevin Alejandro (Arrow), Kathleen Munroe (Alphas, Stargate Universe and Resurrection), Mykelti Williamson (Justified) and Nick Gehlfuss (Shameless)

Exposed: Adapted from Liza Marklund’s best-selling novels, it centers on an investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, including making questionable alliances.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Charles Randolph (Love & Other Drugs), Peter Traugott (Samantha Who?) and Rachel Kaplan (Do No Harm)

CAST: Fran Kranz (Dollhouse), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (A Good Day to Die Hard), Brian F. O’Byrne (FlashForward), Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards and Hostages), Pedro Pascal (Graceland and The Good Wife) and Peter De Jersey (Broadchurch)

Forever: Dr. Henry Morgan is New York City’s star medical examiner, but what no one knows is Henry studies the dead for a reason: He is immortal. With the help of detective Jo Martinez, the show peels back the layers of Henry’s colorful and long life through their cases.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Matthew Miller (Chuck), Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes) and Jennifer Gwartz (Veronica Mars)

CAST: Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four and Ringer), Alana de la Garza (Law & Order), Joel David Moore (Bones), Barbara Eve Harris (CSI), Donnie Keshawarz (Damages and The Sopranos) and Judd Hirsch (Taxi)

How to Get Away With Murder: A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that will rock the entire university and change the course of their lives.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Peter Nowalk (all from Grey’s Anatomy)

CAST: Viola Davis (The Help), Tom Verica (The Nine), Lisa Weil (Gilmore Girls and Scandal), Katie Findlay (The Carrie Diaries), Billy Brown (Hostages), Charlie Weber (90210), Aja Naomi King (Emily Owens, M.D.), Matt McGorry (Orange Is The New Black), Jack Falahee (Twisted), Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter franchise) and Karla Souza (Instructions Not Included)

Sea of Fire: When three teenage girls star in a pornographic film, it tears their families apart and leads to a disappearance, a murder and host of other secrets boiling under the surface in a small town. This pilot is based on the Dutch series Vuurzee.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jenna Bans (Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy), Alon Aranya (Betrayal and Hostages), David Hoberman (Monk), Todd Lieberman (The Fighter) and Laurie Zaks (Castle)

CAST: Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter), Jack Davneport (Smash), Christina Chang (Nashville), Jeffrey Nordling (Body of Proof and Killer Women), Amanda Detmer (Necessary Roughness), Michael Trucco (Killer Women and Battlestar Galactica), Kevin G. Schmidt (“The Young and the Restless and Unnatural History), Lilli Birdsell (Geek Charming), Isabelle Cornish (Home and Away), Zoe Soul (Prisoners), Keir Gilchrist (United States of Tara) and Morgan Taylor Campbell (Spooksville)

The Visitors: Based on a Ray Bradbury short story, the pilot chronicles the race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world using our most precious resource against us.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Dawn Olmstead (Prison Break), Soo Hugh (Under the Dome), Darryl Frank (Falling Skies and The Americans), Justin Falvey (Las Vegas and Smash) and Steven Spielberg

CAST: Barry Sloane (Revenge), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Lily Rabe (American Horror Story), Brianna Brown (Devious Maids), Derek Webster (Revolution), Catalina Denis (The Assets) and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf (Being Human)

Untitled Richard LaGravenese Project: Set in New York City, it revolves around the love and rivalry between two equally matched, powerful socialites who play out their obsessive attraction and seduction of each other through their manipulation of others.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King), Erwin Stoff (The Matrix) and Wren Arthur (A Prairie Home Companion)

CAST: Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour, Katie Holmes (Dawson’s Creek), Melissa George (Alias, Hunted, Grey’s Anatomy), Britne Oldford (Ravenswood), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Smash) and Oded Fehr (The Mummy franchise and Covert Affairs)

Warriors: The series will follow the best and brightest of active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine on critically wounded warriors returning home from Afghanistan, on military families and veterans, as well as administering to Washington’s government elite.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Chris Keyser (Party of Five), David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman (The Fighter) and Laurie Zaks (Castle)

CAST: Eloise Mumford (The River and Lone Star); Courtney B. Vance (FlashForward), Morena Baccarin (Homeland and Firefly), Greg Grunberg (Felicity, Alias and Heroes), Abbie Cobb (Suburgatory), Justina Machado (The Fosters), Australian actor Don Hany (Underbelly), Steve Kazee (Tony winner for Broadway’s Once) and newcomer Hampton Fluker

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: How To Get Away With Murder (simply because of Viola Davis alone)

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Clementine

LONG SHOT (but it sure would be cool to see it): The Visitors

RIP-OFF OF THE SEASON: Forever (does anyone remember New Amsterdam? No?! Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones played an immortal man too and that show didn’t last long at all)

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Untitled Richard LaGravenese Project

ABC has also already given an order for three direct-to-series dramas that include the following:

Secrets & Lies – This 10-episode drama will focus on a family man who finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation, and his sanity are all at stake.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Barbie Kligman (Private Practice and The Vampire Diaries) and Aaron Kaplan (Terra Nova)

CAST: Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions), Juliette Lewis (The Firm), KaDee Strickland (Private Practice), Clifton Collins (Red Widow), Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome) and Australian actress Indiana Evans (Blue Lagoon: The Awakening)

The Astronaut Wives Club – This is a 10-episode series that will debut on July 24, telling the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history during the height of the space race.

UPDATE: The Astronaut Wives Club has been pushed back with production now set to start this fall and the series not debuting until mid-season of the 2014-2015 TV season.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl), Josh Schwartz (Chuck) and Michael London (Sideways and The Illusionist)

CAST: JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Once Upon a Time), Azure Parsons (True Detective) and Zoe Boyle (Breathless)

The Club – The 13-episode series will be an upstairs/downstairs soap centered on a private country club.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Susannah Grant (A Gifted Man), Sarah Timberman (Unforgettable and A Gifted Man) and Carl Beverly (Elementary and Justified)

CAST: Callie Hernandez (Sin City 2), Betsy Brandt (The Michael J. Fox Show), Boris Kodjoe (Undercovers) and newcomer Chris Conroy

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So far this week I covered the dramas that are up for consideration at ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC for the upcoming 2013-2014 TV season; and now today I will focus on the dramas at The CW.

They are listed in alphabetical order below:

Blink – This pilot focuses on a car accident that leaves a family’s patriarch in a coma-like state where he cannot speak or move, but can hear. His narration and various fantasy sequences provide a wry counterpoint to the stories and conflicts of his family.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Vera Herbert (Awkward.) will write and serve as a supervising producer while David Marshall Grant (Smash) will be the executive producer along with Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly (both from Elementary) acting as producers.

CAST: John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C) will play Greg, the lead role while Madeline Carroll (Flipped) will play Ari Trask, Greg’s 16-year-old daughter. Elizabeth Marvel (Person of Interest) will play Greg’s wife Helen Trask, a strong-willed psychotherapist. Johnny Simmons (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) will play Ari’s older brother Doge, a guy who feels deeply which often gets him in trouble. Michael Weston (House) will play Greg’s slightly disheveled younger brother who moves in with his brother’s family.

Company Town – The pilot is about a scandal at a Navy base in Virginia that divides best friends. The focus is on two early 20-something women – Krista and Page – who grew up together, who were once best friends, but are now on opposite sides of the Townie/Military divide.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Sera Gamble (Supernatural) will write and executive producer with Taylor Hackford and Bill Haber (Rizzoli & Isles).

CAST: Gage Golightly (Teen Wolf) will have the lead role of Krista, who has lived a charmed life and is happily engage to Paul, a lieutenant in the Navy, but begins to show her vulnerable side when Paul gets involved in the scandal. Stella Meave (Golden Boy) will have the other lead role of Page, who grew up with Krista and were best friends, but are now on opposites sides of the scandal. Newcomer Maya Kazan, granddaughter of Oscar-winning director Elia Kazan, will play Marla – the best friend and sidekick to Krista. Merle Dandridge (Sons of Anarchy) will play Louise, the newly appointed Commanding Officer of Naval Support Activity tasked with sorting through the scandal. Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie) will play Jack Weiss, a mechanic with the Navy while Dondre Whitfield (Make It or Break It) will play Don, a combat-trained trauma surgeon. Relative newcomer Graham Hamilton will play Mark, a well-bred and charming lieutenant in the Navy who has a dark side.

The Hundred – The pilot is based on the forthcoming novel by Kass Morgan of the same name that is set nearly a century after a nuclear war that destroyed civilization, in which a spaceship has sent 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth to investigate the possibility of re-colonizing.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Newcomer Jason Rothenberg will write and executive-produce with Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo (Pretty Little Liars).

CAST: Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) will play Kane, an ambitious officer aboard the Ark who has his sights set on the Chancellor’s job. Eliza Taylor (Neighbours) will play Clarke Walters, the de facto medic, who knows the truth behind their mission. Marie Avgeropoulos (Cult) is on board as Octavia Black, Bellamy’s (Bob Morley) illegally born sister. Paige Turco (Person of Interest) will play Abby, Clarke’s mother. Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy) will play Chancellor Jaha, the leader of the remaining human race now living in the orbiting space station. Bob Morley (Neighbours) and Eli Goree (Emily Owens, M.D.) will play Bellamy Black and Wells Jaha respectively. Thomas McDonell (Prom) will play Finn, a cool and charismatic free spirit who is something of a folk hero to the kids on The Ark because of his ability to bend the rules and escape unharmed. Kelly Hu (Arrow and The Vampire Diaries) will play Cece, the Chief Communications Officer on The Ark. And, newcomer Christopher Larkin will play sweet and likable Monty, who is the furthest thing from a delinquent, but he uses his smarts and sense of humor to help delinquent Clarke in her quest to survive.

(Copyright Entertainment Weekly)

The Originals – This is The Vampire Diaries spin-off pilot that will follow the “Original” Family, focusing primarily on Klaus (Joseph Morgan) who returns to New Orleans, a town he helped build centuries ago to reunite with his diabolical former protégé Marcel (Charles Michael Davis from The Game and Grey’s Anatomy).

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries) will write and executive producer with Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo (Pretty Little Liars).

CAST: Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt and Phoebe Tonkin will also continue their roles from The Vampire Diaries in this spin-off while relative newcomer Daniella Pineda will play Sophie a witch whose magic has been silenced by not snuffed. She is quietly sowing the seeds of a revolution amongst her peers. Danielle Campbell (Prison Break) will play Davina, a young witch who has been over-sheltered by her protective caregivers. Leah Pipes (Life is Wild and The Deep End) will play Camille, a college psychology student fascinated by the study of human behavior unaware of the supernatural universe that exists around her.

Oxygen – This pilot is about an epic romance that ignites between a human girl named Emery (Aimee Teegarden from Friday Night Lights) and an alien boy named Roman (Matt Lanter from 90210), who are part of the nine Orions selected for a high school pilot program in which humans and aliens are desegregated.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Meredith Averill (The Good Wife) will write and executive-produce Josh Appelbaum (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol).

CAST: Malese Jow (The Vampire Diaries) will play Emery’s friend Julia, a dying – but surprisingly vibrant girl – who may get a second chance at life thanks to the aliens and Titus Makin Jr. (Glee) will play goofy and cute Lukas. Grey Damon (Nine Lives of Chloe King) plays Grayson who has a crush on Emery. Natalie Hall (Pretty Little Liars) will play human girl Taylor, the undisputed queen of her high school who takes an interest in newcomer Emery but Emery’s friendliness towards the hated Orions may put a damper on their new friendship. Relative newcomer Chelsea Gilligan and Greg Finley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will play two of the alien Orions.

Reign – This pilot is about what happens as 15-year-old Mary Queen of Scots arrives in France, betrothed to Prince Francis. She must survive fierce foes, dark forces and a world of sexual intrigue.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Stephanie Sengupta (Outlaw) and Laurie McCarthy (CSI: Miami) will write and executive-produce.

CAST: Adelaide Kane (Neighbours) will play the lead role of Mary Queen of Scots. British actor Toby Regbo (Treasure Island mini-series) will play Prince Francis. Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables) will play Queen Catherine, the Queen Consort of France, who is willing to do anything to maintain her own standing and power at Court, as well as that of her children. Jenessa Grant (Cyberbully) will play one of the ladies-in-waiting. British newcomer Celina Sinden will play Greer, another of the ladies-in-waiting. Australian Caitlin Stasey (Tomorrow When the War Began) will play lady-in-waiting Kenna. Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia) will play Mary’s friend and lady-in-waiting Lola. Rossif Sutherland (Flashpoint and King) will play the recurring role of French prophet Nostradamus. Torrance Coombs (The Tudors) will play Sebastian, Francis’ resourceful illegitimate half brother.

The Selection – This pilot (which was actually set up for last pilot season) will follow a working-class young woman chosen by lottery to participate in a competition with 25 other women to become the nation’s next queen. This is based on the Kiera Cass book of the same name.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain (The Vampire Diaries) will write and executive produce.

CAST: Israeli actress Yael Grobglas will play the lead role of America Singer. Michael Malarkey (Raw) will play Prince Maxon Shreave. Young British actor Lucien Laviscount (Skins) will play Aspen Leger, a handsome, brave young man from the servant class who is having a secret, illegal relationship with America. Australian actress Peta Sergeant (Winners & Losers) will play Gaia, a rebel leader who is working to overthrow the monarchy. Sean Patrick Thomas (Ringer) will play Sylvan Santos, Social Secretary to the Royal Family and the candidates’ guide in all things related to The Selection. Newcomer Celia Massingham will play fellow competitor Celeste Newsome, a drop dead gorgeous member of the Noble Class. Anthony Head (Buffy and Merlin) will play King Clarkson, the patriarch of the royal family that rules the nation. Relative newcomer Sarah Winter will play Ashley Brovillette, a naïve young woman thrilled to be among the Selection’s participants. Louise Lombard (CSI) will play Queen Amberly, a canny political player within the palace and knows everything there is to know about every single girl in The Selection competition. Ben Aldridge (Lark Rise to Candleford) will play Prince Maxon’s younger brother.

The Tomorrow People – This pilot is based on the U.K. series of the same name that tells the story of several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, possessing special powers like teleportation and telepathy. They work together to defeat the forces of evil.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Phil Klemmer (Chuck) will write and executive-produce with Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries) and Greg Berlanti (Arrow).

CAST: Peyton List (Mad Men) will play Cara, the female member of the Tomorrow People group who has a sense of humor beneath her serious demeanor and seems to be a trustworthy ally. Australian actor Luke Mitchell (H2O: Just Add Water) will play one of the other Tomorrow People, John Young. Robbie Amell (Revenge – and cousin of Arrow star Stephen Amell) will play a character named Stephen, a tormented young man who longs to be normal and is relieved when he learns that he’s not crazy, but rather part of a group of genetically superior Tomorrow People. Mark Pellegrino (Lost and Supernatural) will play Dr. Jedikiah Price, an evolutionary biologist committed to containing the threat posed by the “Tomorrow People,” whom he believes to be a grave danger to the human race. Madeleine Mantock (Casualty) will play plat Astrid, Stephen’s closest friend since childhood. Aaron Yoo (21) will play resident badboy of the Tomorrow People who is a lightning bolt of energy and fun.

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: The Selection and The Originals

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: The Tomorrow People, Oxygen and The Hundred

LONG SHOT (but it would be cool to see): Reign

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Blink

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So far this week I covered the dramas that are up for consideration at ABC, CBS and FOX for the upcoming 2013-2014 TV season; and now today I will focus on the dramas at NBC.

They are listed in alphabetical order below:

After Hours – The pilot is about a motley crew of rogue ex-Army surgeons (think M*A*S*H-meets-ER) that bring humor and rock-n-roll energy to the night shift at a chaotic trauma center in San Antonio, Texas.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah (90210) will write and executive-produce

CAST: Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) will play Ragosa, Jeananne Goossen (Alcatraz) will play Krista, Brendan Fehr (Roswell) will play Drew, Brigid Brannagh (Army Wives) will play Althea, Jill Flint (Royal Pains) will play Dr. Jordan Santos, Ken Leung (Lost) will play Topher and Eion Macken (Merlin) will play TC Callahan. [No other details could be tracked down for this pilot at this time.]

Believe – This pilot is about the unlikely relationship that develops between a young girl with a gift and a man sprung from prison who has been tasked with protecting her from the evildoers who covet her power.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter) and Mark Friedman (The Forgotten) will write and executive-produce with J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk (Lost).

CAST: Jake McLaughlin (Crash) will play Tate, the man who is sprung from prison to protect the young girl from those trying to hunt her down while newcomer Johnny Sequoyah will play the young girl named Bo. Delroy Lindo (The Chicago Code) will play Winter, a kind man with an honorable agenda posing as a priest who may not be what he seems. Jamie Chung (Once Upon a Time) will play Channing, Winter’s all business associate. Sienna Guillory (Resident Evil: Retribution) will play Moore, a hit woman after Bo. Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks and Desperate Housewives) will play Skouras, a mysterious billionaire with an even more mysterious agenda.

The Blacklist – This pilot is about Red, the world’s most wanted criminal, who mysteriously turns himself in, offering to give up everyone he has ever worked with. His only condition: He will only work with Elizabeth Keen, a newly minted FBI agent with whom he appears to have no connection.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jon Bokenkamp (Perfect Stranger) will write and executive-produce with John Eisendrath (Alias).

CAST: Megan Boone (Law & Order: Los Angeles) will have the female lead role while Ryan Eggold (90210) will play Elizabeth’s husband Tom. James Spader (Boston Legal) will play the lead role (of the most wanted criminal) opposite Boone. Diego Klattenhoff (Homeland) will play Donald Ressler Field Agent In-Charge. Henry Lennix (Dollhouse) will play Harold Cooper, the successful yet cynical Assistant Director of Counterterrorism at the FBI.

Bloodline – This pilot is about Bird Benson, a smart, irreverent young girl who finds herself caught between two warrior families in modern suburbia.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: David Graziano (Awake) will write and executive-produce with Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights).

CAST: Skyler Samuels (The Nine Lives of Chloe King) will play the lead role of Bird Benson. Tom Everett Scott (Southland) will play Dr. Christopher Benson, a beloved ER physician at a suburban hospital who’s known for his charm and dedication to his patients. But an indiscretion years ago led to him impregnating a patient; the resulting child was Bird. KaDee Strickland (Private Practice) will play Bird’s mother Stella, who has been raised in a family descended from an ancient line of killers, brigands and mercenaries. Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) will play Bird’s grandfather, Leo Killpriest, a Greek mercenary who married off Bird’s mother to satisfy a mysterious debt with a rival Chinese clan. Chris Zylka (The Secret Circle) will play Troy Robbins, who grew up with the rigorous training regimen once mandated for all male Spartans. He is smitten by Bird. Tzi Ma (24) will play Charles Hwang, Bird’s trainer and mentor.

Hatfields & McCoys – This pilot is set in present-day Pittsburgh, where a startling death reignites the feud between the legendary families. Unleashing decades of resentment, the blue-collar McCoys will put the Hatfields’ wealth and power at risk as they battle for control of the city.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: John Glenn (Eagle Eye) will write and executive-produce with actress Charlize Theron.

CAST: Virginia Madsen (Scoundrels) will play the matriarch of the McCoy clan, Eloise McCoy, a self-made woman who manipulates her son into taking revenge on the Hatfields after her husband is murdered. Jesse Lee Soffer (The Mob Doctor) will play Patrick McCoy, prodigal son who returns home after years away. Patrick Flueger (The 4400) will play Jack McCoy, a street-smart, hot-headed guy who is fiercely loyal to his family. He runs a sports bar in the city he loves. Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) will play Hatfield matriarch Mary, the city’s mayor and Nick Westrate (Hatfields & McCoys mini-series) will play her son Randall. Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) will play Emma McCoy, a resident at Allegheny General Hospital. Annie Ilonzeh (Charlie’s Angels and Switched at Birth) will play Shannon Hatfield, the adopted daughter of Mary Hatfield, who develops a romantic interest in Patrick McCoy. James Remar (Dexter) will play Mary Hatfield’s estranged husband Joe.

I Am Victor – This pilot is based on the Jo Nesbo upcoming novel of the same name that focuses on Victor Port, a high-powered divorce attorney with a unique view of relationships. He is quick, charming, disarming, brazen and direct. He unapologetically says what most people think but dare not say, and the methods he uses on behalf of his clients are anything from jurisprudence.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Mark Goffman (The West Wing) will write the pilot while Katie Jacobs (House) and author Jo Nesbo will executive-produce.

CAST: John Stamos (ER and Full House) will play the lead role of Victor Port. Megan Dodds (Ever After) will have the female lead, playing Victor’s wife Helen, an accomplished businesswoman and a caring, family-oriented mother of two. Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo) will play Victor’s best friend Elliott, an off-beat, off-books former cop who helps Victor acquire information and things, legally and otherwise. Terry Kinney (Oz) will play Victor’s father-in-law. Newcomer Lorenza Izzo (Hemlock Grove) will play the lead role of Lena Engles, the Assistant District Attorney while McKaley Miller (Hart of Dixie) will play Victor’s daughter Dana. Angela Sarafyan (Twilight Breaking Dawn 2) will play Cucumber, Victor’s sassy secretary. Josh Zuckerman (Kyle XY and 90210) will play Wes, an attorney with an extraordinary mind.

Ironside – This pilot is a remake of the 1960s classic drama, about Robert T. Ironside, an acerbic police detective relegated to a wheelchair after a shooting, who is hardly limited by his disability as he pushes and prods his hand-picked team to solve the most difficult cases in the city.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Michael Caleo (The Sopranos) will write and executive produce with David Semel (American Horror Story).

CAST: Blair Underwood (L.A. Law) will have the lead role of Ironside. Brent Sexton (The Killing and Justified) will play Gary, Ironside’s ex-partner, once a hard-nosed detective who blames himself for the shooting and falls apart after the incident. Gary struggles to move on with his life. Pablo Schreiber (Weeds) will play a team member named Virgil, one of the toughest, craziest cops in the city who will do anything to protect citizens, victims and most of all his partners. Neal Bledsoe (Smash) will play the wealthy and highly educated Teddy who became a cop following a family tragedy. Spencer Grammer (Greek) will play the lead role of Holly, who stands up to Ironside and everyone else. She would be much higher up in the police department if she would distance herself from the criminals she grew up around. Kenneth Choi (24 and Sons of Anarchy) will play Captain Ed Rollins, Ironside’s supervisor.

Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives – This pilot is about three couples in the idyllic community of Saddle Hills, California who live secret lives; especially when a murder in their suburban home complicates their lives.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Sascha Penn (Imagination Movers) will write and executive-produce with Jerry Bruckheimer.

CAST: Nicole Ari Parker (Soul Food) will play Paula Cooke, Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) will play Greg Cooke; Perry Reeves (Entourage) will play Danielle Deaver and James Tupper (Revenge and Men in Trees) will play Richard Deaver; Laura Allen (The 4400) will play Alison Dunn and Martin Henderson (Off the Map) will play Kyle Dunn – the three main couples in the pilot. [No other details could be tracked down for this pilot at this time.]

The Sixth Gun – This pilot is based on the best-selling Oni Press graphic novel, a supernatural Western that tells the tale of six mythical guns with otherworldly powers in the Old West, the most dangerous of which falls into the hands of an innocent girl named Becky Montcrief who – alongside shadowy gunfighter Drake Sinclair – must battle vile men thought long dead that have set their sights on retrieving the gun.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Up and comer Ryan Condal will write with Carlton Cuse (Lost) as executive producer.

CAST: Laura Ramsey (Lords of Dogtown) will play the lead role of Becky while Michiel Huisman (Treme) will play the lead role of Drake Sinclair, a rogue gunslinger. W. Earl Brown (Rogue) will play Oliander Bedford Hume, a seemingly immortal Confederate War General obsessed with acquiring the sixth – and most powerful – of the guns. Graham McTavish (24) will play Hume’s loyal lieutenant Silas Hedgepeth and Aldis Hodge (Leverage) will play Mercer, a Special Agent with the Pinkerton Detective Agency who is searching for the aforementioned gunfighter. Pedro Pascal (The Good Wife) will play Special Agent Ortega, the younger of the two Pinkerton detectives who follow Mercer’s lead. James LeGros (Ally McBeal) will play Bill John O’Henry, a gunslinger who is a fervently loyal companion and sidekick to Drake Sinclair and Chin Han (The Dark Knight and Arrow) will play Chow, a brilliant Machiavellian schemer. Elena Satine (Magic City) will play “widow” Missy Hume, a powerful Madame who runs the town of Brimstone, who is kept unnaturally youthful by being in possession of the Fifth Gun.

Untitled Rand Ravich Project – This pilot is about Washington’s most powerful players, including the President, who find themselves blackmailed into an international conspiracy by an unlikely puppeteer. The story follows Marcus Finley, an idealistic Secret Service agent who finds himself at the epicenter of an international crisis on his first day on the job as the President’s son’s protection when the son, along with several of his classmates, are kidnapped.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Rand Ravich (Life) will write and executive produce with Far Shariat (Life).

CAST: Lance Gross (House of Payne) will play the lead role of Marcus Finley while Rachael Taylor (666 Park Avenue and Charlie’s Angels) will play FBI agent Susie Dunn, who is responsible for getting information from the children’s parents and whose biological daughter Amber is among the kidnapped. Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) will play Susie’s sister Meg, who has been raising Amber as her own. Halston Sage (The Bling Ring) will play Amber Fitch, one of the kidnap victims and daughter of Susie. Max Martini (The Unit and Revenge) will play Koz, a well-armed and deadly mercenary behind the abduction. Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) will play Bill Gibson, the chaperone on the ill-fated private school bus. He is divorced from his wife and estranged from his daughter, Beth Ann (relative newcomer Stevie Lynn Jones), who is a passenger on the bus. Michael Beach (Third Watch) will play the FBI Director, who snaps into action after learning of the crisis while James Lafferty (One Tree Hill) will play Mr. Nash, this boyishly handsome private school instructor who was abducted along with his students. Joshua Erenberg (Suburgatory) will play Anton, a genius student whisked away into the woods by the wounded Finley to save him.

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Ironside and Hatfields and McCoys

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Bloodline

LONG SHOT: The Sixth Gun

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: The Blacklist

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So far this week I covered the dramas that are up for consideration at both ABC and CBS for the upcoming 2013-2014 TV season; and now today I will focus on the dramas at FOX.

They are listed in alphabetical order below:

Boomerang – This pilot is about a family business fraught with tension, except in this case it’s a family of assassins.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Davey Holmes (Awake and Pushing Daisies) will write and executive-produce with fellow John Wells and Andrew Stearn (Shameless).

CAST: Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) will play Margie Hamilton, the matriarch of the Hamilton clan and a briskly professional assassin who can kill and dispose of a suspected terrorist in the afternoon then switch to wife and mother mode without a hitch. Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) will play patriarch Bill, Margie’s husband. Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield) and Patrick Heusinger (Royal Pains) will play brothers Sam and Carl, Maggie’s sons. S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order) will guest star as a mysterious agency bureaucrat while Rosa Salazar (Parenthood) will play Olive Chatsworth, the ex-girlfriend who Sam (Stahl-David) has never forgotten. Stephanie Jacobsen (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will play Carl’s wife Angela and mother of their two boys, who is unaware of her husband’s real job.

Delirium – This pilot is based on the best-selling trilogy about a world in which love is deemed illegal. The main focus will be on Lena Holoway, who does the unthinkable just 95 days before a scheduled treatment will remove her ability to love: She meets a great guy.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Karyn Usher (Prison Break) will write and executive-produce with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope (New Girl)

CAST: Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew) will play the lead role of Lena Holloway while Daren Kagasoff (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will play Lena’s love interest Alex who is a police officer. Billy Campbell (The Killing) will play wealthy political leader Thomas Fineman, who is the head of a lobbying organization called Deliria Free America who supports the use of the brain modification that prevents citizens from falling in love and leads to a peaceful, ordered society. Corey Reynolds (The Closer) will play Tack, the strategic, no-bullshit leader of the Resistance Movement. Gregg Sulkin (Pretty Little Liars) will play Julian Fineman, the prep-school heart-throb son of Thomas. Jeanine Mason (Bunheads and So You Think You Can Dance) will play y Lena’s best friend Hana. Michael Michele (ER) will play Senator Elyse Hargrove, an ambitious widow with three children and Presidential aspirations who has a growing opposition to the political insurrection. Brenda Koo (Bling Ring) will play Ren, the best friend of Alex (Kagasoff), a covert revolutionary and opponent of the anti-Deliria operations. Melinda McGraw (Men Of A Certain Age) will play Lydia, the image-conscious wife of Thomas Fineman.

Gang Related – This pilot is about a gang member named Ryan Lopez who is sent in to infiltrate the San Francisco Police Department, rising through its ranks who must balance his obligations to his crime family with an increasing sense of loyalty to his new “family”: the SFPD’s Gang Task Force.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Writer Chris Morgan (Fast Five) will write and executive-produce with Scott Rosenbaum and Brian Grazer (both from V).

CAST: Ramon Rodriguez (Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen) will play the lead role of Ryan Lopez. Sung Kang (Fast Five franchise) will play Tae Kim, an Asian gang specialist on loan from the FBI who refuses to celebrate Ryan’s achievements because he considers Ryan’s tactics as dangerous and wasteful. Actress Inbar Lavi (Underemployed) will play Vanessa “Vee” Hicks, the youngest member of the Gang Task Force. Jay Hernandez (Last Resort) will play Dante Acosta, Ryan’s best friend since childhood and the son of gang lord Javier Acosta. Cliff Curtis (Missing and Trauma) will play Javier Acosta who runs La Familia Sud, one of the most dangerous and powerful Latino gangs in San Francisco. Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill) will play a doctor who treats Ryan for his bullet wound injuries and the daughter of the gang task force’s captain. Terry O’Quinn (Lost) will play Sam Chapel, a tough, dynamic police chief who oversees the Gang Task Force.

Human – This pilot is an action-packed buddy cop drama set in a future in which LAPD officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids. The focus will be on cop John Kennex and his android partner Dorian.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: As stated J.H. Wyman (Fringe) will write and team with J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk (Lost) as executive producers.

CAST: Michael Ealy (Common Law) will play a lead role as Dorian, a decommissioned DRN-0167 robot that is thrust back into service when his “memories” provide critical intelligence on a newly revived drug cartel. Lily Taylor (Six Feet Under) will play Maldonado, an ambitious and determined police captain who is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. Michael Irby (The Unit) will play top LAPD Detective Richard Paul who blames Kennex for the death of fellow officers in the traffic mission that casts a pall over the department while British actor Mackenzie Cook (Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise) will play Rudy Lom, the eccentric and underpaid designer of the LAPD’s robotics squad. Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) will play Valerie Stahl, a uniformed cop with a strong moral compass who believes the best of people. Karl Urban (Dredd) will play cop John Kennex, who is a respected police officer who has shut down emotionally after a tragic mission left him critically injured. Mekia Cox (Undercovers and 90210) will play the ex-lover to John Kennex.

The List – This pilot is about a U.S. Marshal who leads the hunt for the person who stole “The List,” a file that reveals the identities of everyone in the Federal Witness Security Program, who begin showing up dead.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Paul Zbyszewski (Daybreak) will write and executive-produce

CAST: Richard T. Jones (Nikita and Judging Amy) will play Elston Rayburn, a Special Agent for the FBI who gets sucked into the search while Michael Pena (End of Watch) will play Dan Soto née Shaker, an Inspector with the U.S. Marshal Service who’s tasked with finding the person who stole the file. Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl) will play Special Agent Natalie Voss, a fearless FBI agent who detests dealing with the Witness Security Program, but is intrigued by Soto. Gary Cole (Chuck) will play Soto’s boss, Chief Inspector Bob McKinnon, a stand-up, loyal guy who goes to bat for Soto when his maverick inspector gets into hot water, yet again. Tamsin Egerton (Camelot) will play Delilah, a conniving charmer and deadly international operator while Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill) will play Maddie Soto, Soto’s ex-wife and the mother of his two kids, who is a psychologist.

Rake – This pilot is about Keegan Joye, a brilliant, charming defense attorney whose biggest challenges all exist outside the courtroom: money owed to the IRS and a bookie, overlapping affairs, a cranky kid and his exhausted ex-wife.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Peter Duncan (creator of the original Australian series on which this pilot is based) and Peter Tolan (Rescue Me) will write and executive produce.

CAST: Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets) will star in the lead role while Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings franchise) will play Keegan’s ex-wife Maddy. Necar Zadegan (Emily Owens, M.D.) will play Scarlet Meagher, an Assistant DA of the City of Lo Angeles who is old friends of Keegan’s. Bojana Novakovic (Drag Me to Hell) will play Mikki a high-priced prostitute who’s had a five-year relationship with Keegan. John Ortiz (Luck) will play Ben, Keegan’s friend from law school. They are yin and yang and they know it. Ben is conservative, not flashy, an extremely decent family man who recognizes that Keegan is the performer of the two. Together they make quite a team, in and out of court. David Harbour (Pan Am) will play David Potter, the bane of Keegan’s life, a scrupulously honest tax attorney determined to prove Keegan hasn’t been paying his taxes. Tara Summers (Boston Legal) will play Leanne Zander, Keegan’s extremely put-upon but no-nonsense assistant.

Sleepy Hollow – The pilot finds Ichabod Crane transported from the Revolutionary War to present day Sleepy Hollow to be partnered with Detective Abbie Archer to solve the mysteries of a town ravaged by the battle between good and evil.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Fringe) will write and executive-produce.

CAST: British actor Tom Mison (Salmon Fishing In the Yemen) will play the lead role of Ichabod Crane while Nicole Beharie (Shame) will play Abbie Archer, who is about to leave for the FBI Academy when she witnesses the brutal murder of someone close to her, and her story is corroborated by only one person — a man called Ichabod Crane. Katia Winter (Dexter) will play Katrina Crane, Ichabod’s stunningly beautiful wife who works as a civilian nurse in the 37th Regiment. Orlando Jones (MADTv) will play Frank Williams née Luis Mendez, a Lieutenant with the Westchester Sheriff’s department who transfers to Sleepy Hollow in order to coordinate the investigation into a double homicide. John Cho (Go On and FlashForward) will play Andy Dunn, a likeable officer who stumbles across Crane in the present day. Katia Winter (Dexter) will play Katrina Crane and Orlando Jones (Men in Trees) will play Lt. Frank Williams.

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: Delirium and Sleepy Hollow

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Boomerang and Rake

LONG SHOT (but sure would be cool to see it): Human

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: The List

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Yesterday, I covered the dramas that are up for consideration at ABC for the upcoming 2013-2014 TV season; and now today I will focus on the dramas at CBS.

They are listed in alphabetical order below:

The Advocates – This pilot is about a lawyer, Shannon Carter, and an ex-con, Henry Bird, who team up as “victim advocates,” going to the very edge of the law to right wrongs and fight for the underdog.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Bruno Heller (The Mentalist) will write and executive producer.

CAST: Mandy Moore (A Walk to Remember) will play the lead role of Shannon Carter while Ben McKenzie (Southland and The O.C.) will play the lead role of Henry Bird. Brit Morgan (True Blood) will play Henry’s sister Rose, a tattooed and pierced supermarket cashier. CCH Pounder (Warehouse 13) will play Marjorie Kaplan, the prim but perceptive and tough as nails head of the Victim Advocate Office. Esai Morales (Caprica and Magic City) will play District Attorney Rafael “Raffa” Cortez, who is a sharply focused student of Machiavelli and Bill Clinton, who has a history with Shannon.

The Anatomy of Violence – This pilot is about Adrian Raines, a criminal psychologist who studies sociopaths, who partners with a young female detective with whom he shares a conflicted past.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Alex Cary (all producers on Homeland) will write and executive produce.

CAST: Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) will play the lead role of Raines while Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia and House) will play Abby, a young FBI agent who shared a conflicted past with Raines. David Harewood (Homeland) will play Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Mike Alejo, Adrian’s boss and friend.

Backstrom – This pilot is based on the Swedish book series about Everett Backstrom, an overweight, irascible detective as he tries and fails to change his self-destructive behavior.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Hart Hanson, creator and executive producer of Bones, is behind this project.

CAST: Rainn Wilson (The Office) will play the lead role while Dennis Haysbert (The Unit) will play John Almond, one of the detectives who works with Backstrom. Kristoffer Polaha (Ringer) will play Sgt. Peter Niedermayer, the unit’s Forensics Liaison. Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will play Valentine, Backstrom’s decorator and underworld connection. Camryn Manheim (The Practice and Ghost Whisperer) will play Police Chief Anna Holt. Mamie Gummer (Emily Owens, M.D.) will play the lead role of Nicole Carlton, a watchful competent police detective.

Beverly Hills Cop – This pilot is the sequel (of sorts) to the movie franchise where Alex Foley’s (Eddie Murphy) son patrols the rich and famous of Beverly Hills.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Shawn Ryan (The Shield) will write and executive producer with Eddie Murphy.

CAST: Brandon T. Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) will play the lead role of Aaron Foley. Kevin Pollack (Casino and The Usual Suspects) will play Rodney Daloof, the in-house lawyer for the Beverly Hills Police Department. David Denman (Drop Dead Diva) will play Brad, a socially awkward Beverly Hills detective, former baseball player and musician. Sheila Vand (Argo) will play Leila Madani, a Beverly Hills Detective, who gave up a life of privilege for one of independence. Christine Lahti (Jack and Bobby and Hawaii Five-0) will play Helen, the Captain of the Beverly Hills Police Department.

Hostages – This pilot is about a surgeon named Ellen Sanders, who is selected to operate on the President of the United States, an assignment that propels her family into a grand political conspiracy. Her family is taken hostage and the ransom to return them is that she has to kill the President.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jeffrey Nachmanoff (The Day After Tomorrow) will write and executive producer along with Jerry Bruckheimer. The pilot is based on an Israeli series.

CAST: Toni Collette (The United States of Tara) will play the lead role with Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story and The Practice) playing an FBI agent tasked with helping the family. Tate Donovan (Damages and Deception) will play Ellen’s husband Brian, a former Ivy League athlete and golden boy who is covering up the fact that his real estate career is now in trouble and he’s fallen into debt. Relative newcomers Quinn Shephard and Mateus Ward will play Ellen’s two children, sullen 17-year-old Danni and well-meaning 15-year-old Jake. Sandrine Holt will play Maria Gonzales, a last-minute replacement on the hostage team. Rhys Coiro (Entourage and A Gifted Man) will play Kramer, the brother-in-law of Duncan (McDermott), the righteous FBI agent at the center of the political conspiracy; Kramer’s involvement in the conspiracy will test his loyalties and add another layer of complication and drama for Duncan. Billy Brown (The Following) will play Archer, who is ex-military with a razor-sharp tongue and a temper who will play an integral part in taking Ellen and her family hostage. James Naughton (Gossip Girl) will play the President of the United States.

Intelligence – This pilot is about the U.S. Cyber Command, a unit that has been created around one agent Gabriel Black who has a very special gift — a microchip has been implanted in his brain that allows him to access the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Michael Seitzman (Empire State and North Country) will write and executive-produce.

CAST: Josh Holloway (Lost) will play the lead character with Michael Rady (Emily Owens, M.D.) will play Chris Jameson, a federal investigator. James Martinez (Gravity) will play Gonzalo “Gonzo” Sanchez, a member of the team who is partnered with Chris. Marg Helgenberger (CSI) will play Cybercon director Lillian. Meghan Ory (Once Upon a Time) will play Riley O’Neil, an ex-Secret Service agent taking on the challenge of protecting the nation’s top intelligence asset. John Billingsley (True Blood) will play Dr. William Crispin, a top computer neuroscientist formerly at the U.S. Cyber Command Unit

NCIS: Red – This pilot is, of course, a spin-off of the NCIS franchise in which a small mobile team of agents are forced to live and work together as they crisscross the country solving crimes.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Shane Brennan, who is the executive producer for both NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, of course.

CAST: John Corbett (Northern Exposure) will play Roy Quaid, a former NCIS special agent forced to retire from active service. Kim Raver (24 and Revolution) will play Special Agent Paris Summerskill while Edwin Hodge (Cougar Town and Red Dawn) will play Kai Ashe, a technical assistant, tech savvy computer guy and expert on everything. Scott Grimes (Party of Five and ER) will play Dave an agent who has an eye for clues, a nose for lies and is the team’s forensic specialist. Gillian Alexy (Damages) will play Special Agent Claire, who is educated, worldly and athletic.

The Ordained – The pilot is about Tom Reilly, the son of a Kennedy-esque family who leaves the priesthood to become a lawyer to prevent his politician sister from being assassinated.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Journalist/author Lisa Takeuchi Cullen will write, while Frank Marshall (War Horse) and Larry Shuman (Devious Maids) will executive producer. War Horse’s

CAST: Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire) will play the lead role of Tom Reilly. Hope Davis (In Treatment) will play Tom’s older sister Patricia, a first-term Mayor of New York City. Nestor Serrano (The Day After Tomorrow) will play Hector Nunez, one of the partners at Tom’s new firm who he suspects is behind the plot to kill his sister. Jorge Garica (Lost) will play Carlos, the law firm’s staff investigator. Audra McDonald (Private Practice) will play Anthea, a senior litigator at the firm. Sam Neill (Alcatraz) will play Tom’s dad, Michael Thomas Riley and Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) will play Tom’s next door neighbor Sam.

Reckless – The pilot is a sultry legal show set in Charleston, S.C., where a gorgeous Yankee litigator Jamie and Roy, a Southern city attorney struggle to hide their intense attraction while clashing amidst a police sex scandal.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Dana Stevens (What About Brian) will write and Ian Sander and Kim Moses (Ghost Whisperer) will executive produce.

CAST: Cam Gigandet (Burlesque and the first Twilight film) will play the title role of Roy while Anna Wood (Deception) will play the lead role of Jamie. Michael Gladis (Mad Men) will play Chief of Police Holland Knox, a family man who radiates integrity. Kim Wayans (In Living Color) will play Vi, Jamie’s paralegal while Georgina Haig (Fringe) will play Lee Anne, a police officer in the Charleston Police Department. Shawn Hatosy (Southland) will play bad-boy police detective Trey. Gregory Harrison will play Dec, a polished, well-connected Charleston attorney, who is Roy’s ex-father-in-law and mentor. Adam Rodriguez (CSI: Miami) will play Preston, a well-respected police detective who works on the Charleston PD alongside Trey.

Second Sight – This pilot is a gothic, psychological thriller that tells the story of a New Orleans detective named Ross Tanner, who suffers from Azoors Syndrome, an ocular eye disorder that saddles him with regular hallucinations but also opens up his subconscious in a way that aids his job.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Michael Cuesta (Homeland) will write and executive producer with his brother Gerald Cuesta and Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) also as executive producer.

CAST: Jason Lee (Memphis Beat and My Name Is Earl) will play the lead role while Kim Dickens (Treme and Friday Night Lights) will play fellow detective Samantha “Sammy” Wilde. Erik Jensen (CSI) will play fellow detective Daniel “Manischewitz” Bashevis, an Orthodox Jew from a long line of Louisiana Orthodox. Derek Luke (HawthoRNe and Captain America) will play Det. Paul Giroux, a new member of Tanner’s Team, who is after Tanner’s job. Jill Scott (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) will play eye doctor Dr. Callier, the specialist who tends to Tanner’s ocular disease. Christina Cole (Chaos) will play Gemma, one of Tanner’s detectives.

The Surgeon General – The pilot is a medical show which centers on Dr. John Sherman, the most powerful doctor in the nation, the Surgeon General.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Samuel Baum (Lie To Me) will write and executive produce.

CAST: Jason Isaacs (Awake and the Harry Potter franchise) will play the lead role and Kathryn Morris (Cold Case) will play Lydia, the female lead. Katherine McNamara (New Year’s Eve) will play his daughter Lily. Beth Riesgraf (Leverage) will play micro-organisms expert Dr. Page Wyatt. Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings) will play Dr. Fischer, a psychiatrist who is a member of Dr. Sherman’s team, overseeing the nation’s mental health. Mike Colter (Ringer) will play Connor McCallan, an epidemiologist on his team. Ann Deavere Smith (Nurse Jackie) will play the Vice President while Paul McCrane (ER) will play the President’s Chief of Staff. Miguel Sandoval (Medium) will play Senator Nortega.

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: NCIS: Red and Intelligence

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Hostages

FOR NOTERIOITY ONLY: Beverly Hills Cop

LONG SHOT: Second Sight

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: The Anatomy of Violence

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It’s that time of year again – the time of the season when the networks start rolling out details on the new comedies and dramas they are considering for the upcoming fall TV season. Each year each network has a long list of shows they are contemplating for pick-up, but the catch is figuring out which shows the network brass will actually go with for the new season.

Each TV season is different because, as we all know, fades come and go, the interest for a particular brand of TV show is always different and what may have worked the season before isn’t necessarily going to work in the next.

With those thoughts in mind, I do as thorough research as possible on all of the new dramas being considered for the fall by the major networks and attempt to determine which shows will be picked up and, of course, which ones won’t. The criteria I use to make these determinations is usually the same: premise of the pilot, casting (a key ingredient) and the likelihood of viewer appeal.

So, let’s take a look at what ABC has to offer for all of their drama pilots. They are listed in alphabetical order below:

Betrayal – This pilot is about a beautiful, unhappily married female photographer named Sara, who begins a torrid affair with a lawyer named Jack for a powerful Chicago family. When he turns out to be defending a murder suspect who is being prosecuted by her husband, the relationship and the case begin a spiraling series of betrayals with cataclysmic results for everyone involved.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: David Zabel (ER) will write and executive produce.

CAST: Hannah Ware (Boss) will play Sara. Stuart Townsend (XIII: The Series) will play the lead role of Jack. Chris Johnson (The Vampire Diaries) will play Sara’s husband Drew. James Cromwell (American Horror Story) will play Terence Karsten, the head of the powerful Chicago family. Wendy Moniz (Damages) will play Jack’s wife Elaine, the daughter of Karsten. Actor Henry Thomas (E.T.) will play the slightly brain-damaged son of the family’s patriarch whose life was saved by Jake. Elizabeth McLaughlin (November Christmas) and Braeden Lamasters (Easy A) will play Elaine and Jack’s 16-year-old twins.

Big Thunder – This pilot is about a brilliant, late-19th-century New York doctor Grant Carson and his family, who are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to relocate to a frontier mining town run by a powerful, but mysterious tycoon. They quickly realize that not everything in Big Thunder is as it seems.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Jason Fuchs (writer for Ice Age) will write while Chris Morgan (Fast Five) will be the executive producer.

CAST: Ed MacLiam (EastEnders) will play the lead character of Dr. Grant Carson while Ruth Bradley (Primeval) is expected to play Grant’s wife Emma. Spencer Locke (Resident Evil) will play their 17-year-old daughter Abby. Youngster Pierce Gagnon (One Tree Hill) will play Grant and Emma’s son Jack. Ana De La Reguera (Eastbound & Down) will play Selena Morales, who runs the local saloon. Zahn McClarnon (Ringer) will play Bear, an Apache who teaches young Jack to ride a horse. British actor Alex Hassell (Anonymous) will play the mysterious tycoon. Alex Meraz (Twilight) will play Kiowa, an Apache who like Bear seems to know what’s really going on.

Doubt – This pilot is about a former cop named Vincent J. Calzonetti, who is now a cunning but charming low-rent lawyer, who uses his street smarts to work the system for his clients while battling his own demons and wooing his ex-wife.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: David Shore, who created House, created this drama.

CAST: Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder) will play the lead role of Vincent while Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break) will play Steve Adams, Vince’s ex-partner who still remains his best friend and confidante. Greg Grunberg (Heroes) will play Mark, Vince’s caring and always well-meaning older brother, who is developmentally disabled as a result of a childhood accident, but high-functioning. He works at Vince’s office as the receptionist and believes that his brother can save the world. Kacey Rohl (The Killing) will play Monica, the firm’s whip-smart paralegal/investigator who often goes about and beyond the scope of her job to help them win the case. Carla Gugino (Political Animals) will play Vincent’s ex-wife Linda, a no-nonsense and extremely competent D.A., who has little patience for courtroom antics, especially when it involves her impulsive former spouse.

REVISED: Forever (formerly The Returned) – This pilot is about what happens when the people you have mourned and buried suddenly appear on your doorstep as if not a day has gone by. The lives of the people of Arcadia are forever changed when their deceased loved ones… return!

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Aaron Zelman (Criminal Minds) is the writer. The pilot is based on a novel by Jason Mott.

CAST: Matt Craven (NCIS) will play Fred, the local sheriff who has been a widower ever since his wife died in an accident 32 years ago. Devin Kelley (The Chicago Code) will play Gail Garland, the town physician whose latest patient appears to be an 8-year-old boy who died 30 years ago. Samaire Armstrong (The Mentalist and The O.C.) will play Elaine, an attractive and snarky woman with a controlling personality who loses her composure when her father seems to come back from the dead. British actor Sam Hazeldine (Raven) will play Abel, a mysterious man coming back from the past. Frances Fisher (Eureka) will play Lucille, who lives with her husband Harold in Arcadia and is amazed when her 8-year-old son, Jacob, who drowned 32 years ago, reappears in 2013. Nicolas Gonzalez (Off the Map) will play Connor, one of the Sheriff’s patrolmen and boyfriend to Gail. Mark Hildreth (V) will play Preacher Tom Hild, the local minister, who starts to question his beliefs when the dead start coming back. Omar Epps (House) will play Martin Bellamy, an agent with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Kurtwood Smith (That 70’s Show) will play Harold whose dead son Jacob (youngster Landon Gimenez) is among the returned.

Gothica – This pilot is a sexy, modern gothic soap weaving together the mythologies of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray (among others). It will focus on Grace Van Helsing, a woman who discovers the likes of everyone from Victor Frankenstein to Dorian Gray exist in modern-day San Francisco while she searches for her own identity.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Matt Lopez (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) will write and Mark Gordon (Grey’s Anatomy) will be the executive producer. Also, Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (the women behind Reaper) will serve as showrunners.

CAST: Janet Montgomery (Human Target and Made in Jersey) will play Grace Van Helsing while Raza Jaffrey (Smash) will play John Harker, a police detective investigating the death of Grace’s brother Chris, whose murder mirrors that of their parents. Chris Egan (Kings and Letters from Juliet) will play Victor Frankenstein, the head of a biotech company on a quest to bring back his recently deceased daughter. Tom Ellis (The Fades) will play Dorian Gray, a wealthy playboy whom Grace has known and loved her entire life. Tracie Thoms (Cold Case) will play Mina Murree, Grace’s eclectic friend from college and the Managing Editor at Grace’s family’s paper, The Guardian. Emma Booth (Parker) will play Madeline Usher, wife to Victor Frankenstein. Seth Gabel (Fringe) will play Roderick Usher, the district attorney and heir to the once-powerful Usher family who is carrying secrets. Melissa George (Hunted and Alias) will play Fiona Hunter, the show’s most formidable force, and everyone from Grace to Dorian to Victor will find their mettle and savvy tested by her.

Influence – This pilot is a provocative workplace ensemble about the complicated relationship between two brothers, manic genius Clark and slick ex-con Ross Edwards, who head an agency that uses the real science of human motivation and manipulation to solve its clients’ problems.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Kyle Killen, who created Awake, is behind this project.

CAST: Steve Zahn (Treme) will play the lead role of Clark Edwards and Christian Slater (The Forgotten) will play Ross Edwards. Wynn Everett (The Newsroom) will have the female lead role of Claire, Ross’ ex-wife, who is hired by Clark to be the new office manager. Megalyn Echikunwoke (House of Lies) will play Megan, who uses her beauty and acting skills to help the team turn their scientific schemes into real world results. Cedric Sanders (The Social Network) will play Latrell, a serious, talented young man from a tough neighborhood tapped by Ross, who saw a raw and untapped talent for business in him. Gregory Marcel (The Good Shepherd) will play Miles, a promising graduate student who improbably followed Clark to the company.

Killer Women – This pilot will focus on Molly Parker, the only woman in the Texas Rangers, who is a ballsy, beautiful badass who knows how to get to the truth and isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers along the way. The sheriff’s daughter has a doctorate in gender studies as well as a Miss Texas crown from 1992. She was hand-picked to be one of the two Texas female Rangers and is a forensic specialist, an interrogation ace and can shoot with deadly precision. Her personal life, meanwhile, is a mess — as the recently divorced Molly now lives with her older brother Billy, and her two rowdy nieces.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Hannah Shakespeare (The Playboy Club) will write and Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) and Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) will executive produce. This pilot is based on the Argentine series Mujeres Asesinas.

CAST: Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) will play the lead role while Marc Blucas (Necessary Roughness) will play DEA officer Dan Winston, Molly’s ex-husband. Marta Milans (Shame) will play Vanessa “Nessa” Hernandez, who is married to, but separated from, Molly’s older brother Billy, Michael Trucco (Fairly Legal and Battlestar Galactica).

Lucky 7 – This pilot is about the lives of seven employees of a service station in Queens who are changed in many unexpected ways when they win a lottery jackpot.

THOSE BEHIND THIS SHOW: David Zabel (ER) and Jason Richman (Detroit 1-8-7) will write and executive-produce along with Steven Spielberg and Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank (both from Smash).

CAST: Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (The Wire) will play Bob Harris, the boss at the service station while relative newcomer Stephen Louis Grush will play one of the seven employees, a reformed ex-convict named Nicky. Summer Bishil (Towelhead), Anastasia Phillips (Skins) and Lorraine Bruce (Eden Lake) will play three of the seven employees while Christine Evangelista (The Joneses) will play the “baby mama” of another winner, Matt. Luis Antonio Ramos (The Ruins) will play Antonio Clemente, the gas station mechanic who pulled out of the lottery pool to save money. Matt Long (Private Practice) has recently joined the cast of this pilot.

REVISED: “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (formerly S.H.I.E.L.D.) – This pilot is, of course, based on the Marvel Universe’s fictional and secret law-enforcement agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse and director of The Avengers and Maurissa Tancharoen (his sister-in-law) will write and executive producer.

CAST: Clark Gregg will reprise his role of Phil Coulson from the Avengers (Thor, etc.) films while Ming-Na (Stargate Universe and Eureka) will play Melinda May, relative newcomer Brett Dalton will play Grant Ward, Elizabeth Henstridge (Hollyoaks) will play Gemma Simmons, Ian De Caestecker (The Fades) will play Leo Fitz, Shannon Lucio (The Gates) will play Debbie and Chloe Bennet (Nashville) will play Skye. REVISED: J. August Richards (Angel) was just announced as being added to the cast in a “super top-secret role”!

Murder in Manhattan – This pilot is a New York City-set dramedy about a mother-daughter, Blythe and Lex, sleuthing team.

THOSE BEHIND THIS SHOW: Maria Maggenti (Monte Carlo) will write and executive produce the series with Ryan Reynolds.

CAST: Bridget Regan (Legend of the Seeker) will play Lex, who teams up with her mother Blythe, to be played by Annie Potts, as amateur sleuths. Lex works in the Mayor’s office by day and as a sleuth with her mom at night. Enver Gjokaj (Dollhouse) will play Jack, Lex’s best childhood friend, who is now an NYPD detective who has feelings for Lex and helps her and her mother in their investigations. Brendan Hines (Lie To Me) will play Lex’s brother, an Assistant District Attorney.

Reckless – This pilot is about what happens when the wife of David Ritter is unjustly imprisoned during a political uprising overseas. He pursues every legal option to secure her release; but when he’s stymied by the U.S. government in the name of diplomacy, he is forced to consider less-than-legal options.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Chris Black (Mad Men) will write and Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) will executive produce.

CAST: Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) will play the lead role of David. Eloise Mumford (The River) will play Sarah Harrison, the wife who has been unjustly imprisoned. Sarah is a doctor at a medical clinic in East Myanmar. Lou Taylor Pucci (Southland Tales) will play Ryan Harrison, Sarah’s “good guy” brother who interns at his family’s manufacturing business. Stephen Lang (Terra Nova) will play Sarah’s dad Tom, who runs a top military manufacturing facility, using his strong political connections to demand action in his daughter’s disappearance. Lyndon Smith (90210) will play Allie, Sarah’s smart and conscientious sister. Bess Armstrong (House of Lies) will play Sarah’s mother. Naveen Andrews (Lost) will play Brit Roland Shaw, former SAS and a renegade who will do whatever it takes to rescue Sarah. Ashton Holmes (Revenge and Nikita) will play Wyatt, a cocky, opportunistic acquaintance of David’s from college who represents a private security contractor, who eventually puts David in contact with Roland Shaw, a dangerous mercenary. Parminder Nagra (ER and Alcatraz) will play David’s co-worker Susan, the CFO for the company and trusted advisor to the family. Ernie Hudson (Last Resort) will play Frank Wolfe, an intelligence analyst with the CIA who is put out to pasture.

Westside (formerly known as Venice):– This pilot is a modern take on Romeo & Juliet, pitting two rival families of California’s most seductive city against each other with the focus on Sophie Nance and Chris Carver, star-crossed lovers from rival families in Venice, California.

THOSE BEHIND THE SHOW: Byron Balasco (Without a Trace) will write and executive producer with McG.

CAST: Odette Annable (House) will play Sophie Nance while Luke Bracey (Home And Away) will play Chris Carver. Jennifer Beals (Flashdance and The Chicago Code) will star as Lisa Hopkins-Carver, the matriarch of the Carver clan while Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) will play Gordy Nance, the powerful head of the Nance family. Michael Graziadei (The Young & The Restless) will play Josh Nance, the son of Gordy Nance and brother of Sophie, a rising star in his father’s company, poised to take over the family business. Lincoln Lewis (Home and Away) will play Shealy, Chris’s brother, who just got out of prison after six years. Dean Winter (30 Rock) will play Robbie Carver, a local legend who runs the Carver family surf shop in Venice and is brother-in-law to Lisa. Lexi Ainsworth (General Hospital) will play Nico, Lisa’s teenage daughter Lisa and Brooklyn Sudano (My Wife And Kids) will play Chris’s girlfriend Jess, who has been waiting six years to be reunited with him after he is released from prison only to learn that he is now seeing Sophie.

MOST LIKELY TO BE PICKED-UP: S.H.I.E.L.D.

COULD MAYBE GET AN ORDER: Murder in Manhattan and Killer Women

LONG SHOT (but it sure would be cool to see it): Gothica

RIP-OFF OF THE SEASON: Forever (formerly The Returned) [anyone remember The 4400 on USA?]

NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Betrayal

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