Pilot Watch

Posted: Thu., Feb. 19, 2009, 8:46pm PT

ABC TV pilots: 2009-2010

By Variety Staff

The networks are tapping the weak economy to conjure their own ratings stimulus.

Several of next season's series hopefuls revolve around characters who have been hit by the recession -- while several more take on the nation's widening gap between haves and have nots.

That's just one of several trends emerging from this year's surprisingly hefty crop of pilot orders.


Drama
TITLE	STUDIO	EXEC PRODUCERS	DIRECTOR	LOGLINE	CAST
The Deep End PICKED UP	20th Century Fox TV	David Hemingson	David Hemingson	Follows four first-year recruits to a prestigious L.A. law firm	Matt Long, Ben Lawson, Tina Majorino, Norbert Leo Butz, Leah Pipes, Billy Zane, Sherri Saum, Clancy Brown
Eastwick PICKED UP	Warner Bros	Maggie Friedman	David Nutter	Based on John Updike’s “The Witches of Eastwick”	Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jamie Ray Newman, Paul Gross, Sara Rue, Veronica Cartwright, Johann Urb, Jon Bernthal, Ashley Benson
Empire StateNOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Michael Seitzman, Jeff Reiner, Mark Gordon, Deb Spera	Jeremy Podeswa	Two families – one rich, one blue collar -- collide in Manhattan	n/a
Flash Forward PICKED UP	ABC Studios	David Goyer, Brannon Braga, Jessika Goye, Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza	David Goyer	Based on Robert J. Sawyer’s sci-fi novel	Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Sonya Walger, Courtney B. Vance, Brian O’Byrne, Christine Woods, Zachary Knighton, Peyton List
Happy Town PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Scott Rosenberg, Gary Fleder	Gary Fleder	Small town’s secrets revealed after its first crime in seven years	Geoff Stults, Lauren German, Amy Acker, Dean Winters, John Patrick Amedori, Sarah Gadon, Jay Paulson, Robert Wisdom, Sam Neill
The Forgotten PICKED UP	Warner Bros. TV	Mark Friedman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon	Mark Friedman	A team of dedicated amateur detectives work on cases involving unidentified victims	Rupert Penry-Jones, Reiko Aylesworth, Michelle Borth, Bob Stephenson, Anthony Carrigan, Rochelle Aytes
Limelight NOT PICKED UP	Warner Bros.	KJ Steinberg, McG, Peter Johnson, Leonard Goldberg, David Semel	David Semel	Students and faculty at a New York performing arts school	n/a
See Cate Run NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	John Scott Shepherd, Matt Gross	Dean Parisot	Young attorney struggles with love; but will one day run for president	n/a
Untitled Daniel Cerone Project NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Daniel Cerone, Francie Calfo	Greg Hoblit	Detective uses brilliant 11-year-old brother to solve crimes	n/a
Untitled Dave Hemingson Proj. NOT PICKED UP	20th Century Fox	Dave Hemingson	Michael Fresco	Blue-collar kid gets first job at powerful L.A. law firm	n/a
The Unknown NOT PICKED UP	Warner Bros.	Mark Friedman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon	Danny Cannon	Amateur crime fighters bring justice to unknown victims	n/a
V PICKED UP	Warner Bros.	Scott Peters, Jason Hall	Yves Simoneau	Remake of the 1980s miniseries, about aliens arriving to Earth	A reimagining of the 1980s miniseries about the world’s first encounter with an alien race
Comedy
TITLE	STUDIO	EXEC PRODUCERS	DIRECTOR	LOGLINE	CAST
Canned NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Kevin Etten, Peter Traugott, David Rosenthal	n/a	Presentation about friends who all get fired on the same day; multi-cam	n/a
Cougar TownPICKED UP	ABC Studios	Kevin Biegel, Bill Lawrence, Courtney Cox-Arquette, David Arquette	Bill Lawrence	Cox-Arquette stars as a single mom who starts dating; single-cam	Courteney Cox, Christa Miller, Busy Philipps, Dan Byrd, Brian Van Holt, Josh Hopkins, Ian Gomez
Hank PICKED UP	Warner Bros. TV	Tucker Cawley, Tom Werner, Kelsey Grammer, Mike Clements	Tucker Cawley	Reserve officers for the L.A. County sheriffs department; single-cam	Kelsey Grammer, Melinda McGraw, David Koechner, Macey Cruthird, Ryan Wynott
Let It Go NOT PICKED UP	Sony	Alex Herschlag, Mitch Hurwitz, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum	n/a	Lauren Graham as a self-help guru learning to follow her own advice; single-cam	n/a
The Middle PICKED UP	Warner Bros.	DeAnne Heline, Eileen Heisler	Julia Ann Robinson	Life of a Midwest middle-class family, with Patricia Heaton; single-cam	Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Eden Sher, Atticus Shaffer, Charlie McDermott
Modern Family PICKED UP	20th Century Fox	Steve Levitan, Chris Lloyd	Jason Winer	Documentarian films three different families, with Ed O’Neill; single-cam	Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Sarah Hyland, Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould, Ariel Winter
No Heroics NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Drew Pearce, Jeff Greenstein, Andrew Zein	Marc Buckland	B-list superheroes and their daily struggles	n/a
Pryors NOT PICKED UP	Warner Bros.	Tucker Cawley, Mike Clements, Tom Werner, Kelsey Grammer	n/a	Grammer stars as man who loses his fortune on Wall Street; multi-cam	n/a
Pulling NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Stacy Traub, Francie Calfo, Sharon Horgan, Dennis Kelly, Rob Hanning, (w) Elliot Hegarty	n/a	Three women at the crossroads of their lives; single-cam	n/a
This Little Piggy NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Steven Cragg, Brian Bradley	n/a	Family man is forced to take in his younger siblings	n/a
Untitled Ricky Blitt Project NOT PICKED UP	Warner Bros.	Ricky Blitt	James Burrows	Thirtysomething guy torn between slacker BFF and new galpal; multi-cam	n/a
Untitled Anita Renfro Project NOT PICKED UP	Sony	Rob Hanning, Amy Welsh, Mitch Hurwitz, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum	n/a	Family comes first in this parenting show; multi-cam	n/a
Untitled Jeff Strauss Project NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Jeff Strauss, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis	n/a	Two couples and a divorced friend juggle parenthood and marriage; multi-cam	n/a
Untitled Tad Quill Project NOT PICKED UP	ABC Studios	Tad Quill	Marc Buckland	Two couples – new parents vs. recent empty nesters; multi-cam	n/a
Alternative
TITLE	STUDIO	EXEC PRODUCERS	DIRECTOR	LOGLINE	CAST
Shark Tank PICKED UP	Sony Pictures TV	Mark Burnett	n/a	Budding entrepreneurs compete to convince a panel of millionaires to fund their business proposals	n/a

Several of next season's series hopefuls revolve around characters who have been hit by the recession -- while several more take on the nation's widening gap between haves and have nots.

That's just one of several trends emerging from this year's surprisingly hefty crop of pilot orders.

Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com