The Upfronts are coming! The Upfronts are coming!
The Upfronts - when the networks present their Fall TV schedules to advertisers, and therefore to us - is the week of May 15. This is not just an opportunity to make sure that our favorite shows remain alive, but also a time to look the future. What new shows will be on my programming plate in the fall? I asked my insider TV friends what were the hottest pilots in production:
NBC (Monday, May 15):
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: It's already been announced that NBC has given the greenlight (and reportedly a 13 episode order) to this Aaron Sorkin/Thomas Schlamme drama set behind the scenes at an SNL-type variety show. Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, and Bradley Whitford star. With Sorkin onboard, this pick-up was a no-brainer, but this will probably affect another NBC show, the untitled Tina Fey half hour, a satire about the...uh...goings-on behind the scenes at an SNL-type variety show (starring Alec Baldwin).
After Studio 60 probably the hottest is Heroes:Modern day, real life superheros. Stars Adrian Pasdar (Desperate Housewives , Ali Larter Final Destination 2 , Greg Grunberg (Weiss on Alias !)and Milo Ventmiglia (Jess from Gilmore Girls!).
Community Service: A single-camera comedy starring Jay Mohr. When a prominent NY attorney loses it all he travels to a small Ohio town to find his lost love. Supposedly in a similar vein as My Name is Earl.
20 Good Years: A comedy starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor, about two friends who realize that life doesn't last forever.
Friday Night Lights: Based on the film about a small town high school football program. Stars Adrianne Palicki (South Beach,) Connie Britton (24,) and Kyle Chandler (the hostage negotiator on Grey's Anatomy!)
ABC (Tuesday, May 16):
October Road: Bryan Greenberg (Jake on One Tree Hill) stars as a famous novelist who goes home only to find that the townspeople hate him for spilling all their secrets. Laura Prepon (That 70s Show) also stars.
Six Degrees: Six strangers go about their lives not realizing the impact they are having on each other. Stars Bridget Moynahan (Lord of War ), Campbell Scott (The Exorcism of Emily Rose), Hope Davis (The Weatherman), Erica Christensen (Flight Plan).
Drift: A cop mourning his daughter's death develops a narcoleptic "drift" which helps him solve crimes. Stars Amy Carlson (Law & Order), Chazz Palminteri (Kojak) Marcia Hay Harden (American Dreamz) and Jason O'Mara (Conti on InJustice!)
Secrets of a Small Town: : Angie Harmon (Inconceivable, Denise Richards (the tabloids) and Brian van Holt (Threshold) star in this drama about a town rocked by murder.
Traveler: When a simple prank goes wrong, and three friends are involved in a murder, they begin to wonder if they can trust each other. Apparently this is Warner Bros. favorite pilot and ABC likes as well. Aaron Stanford (X Men) and Logan-Marshall Green (Trey on The OC!) star.
Fox (Thursday, May 18):
Vanished: A drama about the search for a senator's wife who goes missing, this show has already been picked up for 13 episodes. Christopher Egan (Empire ), Gale Harold (Queer as Folk ) and Rebecca Gayheart (Nip/Tuck) star.
Primary : Two hostage negotiators try to ignore their growing attraction. Starring Gina Torres (The Shield) and Michael Cudlitz (Prison Break).
Damages: Chicago-based lawyers juggle their career and personal lives. Starring Adam Rothenberg (Misconceptions ), Cole Houser (The Cave), and Kristen Lehman (Killer Instinct).
13 Graves: An ex-treasure hunter searches for his brother. Matthew Lillard (Without a Paddle) stars.
Note: CBS upfronts are Wed, May 17. The CW's are Thursday May 19.
