Pilot Season

It’s that time of year again…pilot season!! Ok fine, very few people geek out over pilot season the way I do, but I enjoy getting in on the ground floor for whatever it is the networks will be delivering us this fall. Over the past 2-3 months, the broadcast nets have been green lighting and casting dozens of pilots for the 2012-2013 season. Thankfully, the Hollywood Reporter has put together a great comprehensive guide for all of the projects in development, which can be found here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-pilots-2012-complete-guide-287221.

There’s nothing that I’m crazy excited about this year, but, basing my opinion on the one sentence logline, the creative team behind the show, and the announced cast, here are the seven shows I’m most intrigued to see get picked up for series.

(Editor’s note: My wife would kill me if I were to actually pick up seven new shows this fall!)

Last Resort, ABC – About a U.S. nuclear submarine which, after ignoring an order to fire nuclear missiles, winds up being hunted and escapes to a NATO outpost where the crew declares itself to be the world's smallest nuclear nation, this is easily the premise that draws me in the most. Speculative fiction can be a lot of fun, and this one has the potential to blend action with the exploration of interesting issues concerning morality, the armed forces and geopolitical concerns. It also gives me a lot of confidence that one of the creators behind it is Shawn Ryan, who is responsible for The Shield and The Chicago Code. I’ve been looking forward to his next project, and I’m excited he’s chosen such an ambitious one.

Nashville, ABC – Three words: Connie freaking Britton. If I haven’t mentioned it before, I LOVED Friday Night Lights. If it’s not my favorite show of all time, it’s certainly in the conversation, and I will follow Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler, and a few others from that cast almost anywhere they choose to go in TV land. Thankfully, Britton has been able to detach herself from the train wreck that was American Horror Story, and I’m hopeful we’ll find her on our televisions again this fall. Described as a family soap, Britton plays a country music star at her peak, who has to contend with another star (Hero’s Hayden Panettiere) on the rise. Whatever. As long as I get to hear Britton say “ya’ll” as much as possible!

The Selection, CW – I so want to like a show on the CW. I was hoping Ringer would be it this year, but alas, that was not to be. Set 300 years in the future, The Selection is about a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation. The Hunger Games comparisons are unavoidable, and as much as I enjoyed those books, I’m hoping this is something completely different in both tone and story. Could be pretty cool if done well. I know nothing about the creative team behind the show, but the central character is being played by Aimee Teegarden, another FNL vet, who, while not my favorite actress on the show, I’m interested to watch again if in the right project.

County, NBC – Have I mentioned I liked Friday Night Lights? This is the latest from FNL creator Jason Katims, who also created Parenthood, another surprisingly good show on NBC. Katims seems to have a knack for taking premises that I’d normally have no interest in (I didn’t start watching FNL or Parenthood until late into their first seasons when the positive buzz was becoming unavoidable), and creating the type of heartfelt character driven dramas that I love the most. So, while County, about a group of young doctors, nurses and administrators in a frenetic underfunded and morally compromising L.A. County hospital, is something I’d normally never think twice about watching, this time I plan on getting in on the ground floor.

1600 Penn, NBC – Forget all the potential, of which I think there is plenty, that comes with a traditional family comedy with a White House twist. The real draw here is what child of the 90’s isn’t “pee your pants” excited to see Bill Pullman once again taking on the role of President of the United States! I really really hope the show’s first episode opens with a narrative voiceover by Pullman – “Mankind, that word should have new meaning for us all today…”

Mindy Kaling Comedy, Fox – No title for this one yet, but Mindy Kaling is funny. Giving her her own show as an OB/GYN? Sounds good to me, I’m in. Frankly, if I’m being honest, she’s one of the few bright spots left on The Office. If this pilot is picked up for series, she will be sorely missed there.

Revolution, NBC – There was a time, probably in that short cross-over period when both Alias and Lost were airing at the same time, that I was fully on board with anything and everything brought to us by J.J. Abrams. Since then, though, it seems he more or less only lends his name to shows or has only a small role in a show’s conception, and enough of those have been either average or duds, where I no longer blindly adore everything with his name on it. Nevertheless, his name still piques my interest, and his latest, Revolution, about a post-apocalyptic world where all forms of energy cease to exist, looks like it has some potential. What can I say, I’m a sucka for post-apocalyptic.