CBS has had a great year with new series like Hawaii Five-O remake and Blue Bloods, but faced a storm with the whole Two and the Half Men debacle with Charlie Sheen. That doesn't mean that the network is tarnished in any way. Their other comedies such as The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother are still strong and growing, while dramas like the NCIS, CSI, and Criminal Minds franchises are still bringing in the viewers despite almost dominating the network's entire schedule. Survivor, Undercover Boss, and The Amazing Race are also not showing drastic signs of viewership erosion, so we wonder with a very reliable schedule how will CBS choose and pick their pilots for the fall. The Good Wife, while a critical darling, is facing possible cancellation since it's been reported as being a "bubble show," but with the accolades the show has won this year, will CBS toss it aside in favor for some new blood?
Among the new offerings in CBS's pilot pool, we have the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar to primetime TV since her departure from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and we have another J.J.Abrams/Bryan Burk produced television series penned by "The Dark Knight" and "Memento" co-author Jonah Nolan ready to have its chance to shine. Which shows should make the final cut? Take a gander at the pilot descriptions and decide for yourself.
Rookies
This pilot sounds like CBS's answer to ABC's summer hit Rookie Blue and Grey's Anatomy rolled all up in one, but for Robert DeNiro to sign up as an executive producer, the show might have something fresh to offer after all.. The premise revolves around the career and private lives of six new rookie NYOD officers who try to make it through the day, one beat at a time. The pilot is the brainchild of Richard Price and will star Leelee Sobieski ("Never Been Kissed"), Adam Goldberg (The Unusuals), Judy Marte (CSI: Miami), Stark Sands (Generation Kill), Tom Reed, Terry Kinney (The Unusuals), and Harold House Moore.
The Doctor
Created by Rina Mimoun, this drama involves a mother who reconnects with her children through the family's medical practice after a long period non-family bonding. Let the awkward holiday dinners commence! The cast for this pilot includes Christine Lahti (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Chicago Hope), Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives, Twin Peaks), Michael Boatman (Spin City, Gossip Girl), Scott Foley (Felicity, The Unit), and Eva Amurri. David Nutter will direct the pilot.
Ringer
We wish we could only just describe this show by only saying, "Sarah Michelle Gellar is in it" and just leave it at that. But we know better here despite our love of everything SMG. Come on! She's Buffy! However, this might be the very reason why she hasn't been back on prime time TV in so long, so... Moving on.
Ringer tells the story of a young woman on the run from the mob who decides to hide in plain sight by taking up the identity of her twin sister. The plan would have worked if only her sister didn't have someone gunning for her own head as well. D'oh! Gellar seves as co-executive producer on the pilot which stars Kristopher Polaha (Life Unexpected), Ioan Gruffudd ("Fantastic Four" movie series), Nestor Carbonell (LOST), Tara Summers (Boston Legal), and Mike Colter. The pilot was created by Nicole Snyder and Eric Charmelo, who will also serve as executive producers along side Gellar, Pam Veasey, and Peter Traugott.
Person of Interest
J.J. Abrams has Alcatraz and Fringe over at FOX, but he's decided to stake claim on some prime CBS real estate as well. Teaming up with Jonah Nolan, the co-author of "The Dark Knight" and "The Prestige" (with his brother director Christopher Nolan) and Bryan Burk, the trio offers Person of Interest to the Eye Network. Presumed dead by the world, an ex-CIA agent is called out of hiding by a eccentric billionaire to take back the streets of New York City. Wonder if this will be a straight up procedural or will some complicated mythologies be introduced into the series at some point?
The cast includes Jim Caviezel (2009's The Prisoner), Michael Emerson (LOST), Taraji P. Henson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Karate Kid"), and Kevin Chapman (Rescue Me, Rizzoli & Isles). Pretty damn good cast, if you ask us...
Hail Mary
This pilot, which comes from writer Jeff Wadlow and has the backing of Joel Silver (Veronica Mars) and Ilene Chaiken (The L Word), revolves around Minnie Driver who portrays a mother, whose son was murdered, and how she trades in her status as a housewife in favor of becoming a private investigator with the help of her son's best friend KZ, who will be portrayed by Brandon T. Jackson ("Tropical Thunder," "Big Mama's House: Like Father, Like Son"). Another standard procedural, but with a twist. Hopefully, viewers won't be cheering for these two makeshift detectives to get it on, because that's kind of wrong... The pilot also stars Jet Jurgensmeyer, Stephen Tobolowsky (Glee), Noureen DeWulf, and Enrique Murciano (Without A Trace).
The Rememberer
Ever wish that you could remember everything? Well, there are people who are able to do just that, but it can be a double edged sword at times. This seems to be the plight of Carrie Wells, portrayed by Poppy Montgomery (Without A Trace), who has this catch-22 of an ability which is called hyperthymesia. It also doesn't help that Carrie is an ex-cop, who is lulled back to the NYPD for said "gift." If we were her, we would simply ask for a hefty sized raise in return for our services, but we digress.... Montgomery's co-stars include Dylan Walsh, Michael Gaston, Daya Valdaya, and Kevin Rankin. The pilot was created by John Belluci and Ed Redlich, who are adapting the story to screen from a novel by the same name by J. Robert Lennon.
Untitled Susannah Grant Project
The last drama pilot on CBS's development scale comes from Susannah Grant and will be directed by Jonathan Demme who will also serve as executive producer. The pilot stars Patrick Wilson as Dr. Michael Halstead, a super surgeon who doesn't know when to quit when it comes to his combative nature. When Michael's ex-wife Anna (Jennifer Ehle) - also a doctor - passes away, she returns as a ghost to help guide Patrick by teaching him a thing or two about a thing called 'life.' The pilot also includes Julie Benz, fresh off of her role on ABC's No Ordinary Family. Benz will play Michael's sister Didi, a "unfocused and overwhelmed" single mother with a heart of gold. Sounds like Rita Bennett from Dexter to us... Law & Order vet S. Empatha Merkerson also has a role on the show with Afton Williamson rounding out the cast.
Which of these dramas do you hope make it to CBS's 2011 Fall Schedule?
I would really love to see a season 8 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Geller and Eliza Dushku produced by Joss Whedon. However, I would be willing to try Ringer and Sports Night.
Ringer all the way! I can't wait for Sarah M Gellar's return to tv! CBS pickt it up!
"Ringer" seems like the most interesting out of all the other pilots. I hope it'll get picked up. If it does, I'll definitely tune it.
I hope CBS will pick up "Ringer". They'd be fools if they didn't pick up a potential hit show starring the talented Sarah Michelle Gellar.
I do hope Ringer will get picked up. The pilots sounds interesting and Sarah Michelle is so lovely and talented!
'Ringer' and 'Person of Interest' seem to be the most appealing. I love the idea of JJ Abrams teaming up with another Lostie. And Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to TV is something I'd definitely tune in for, regardless of the premise. But after reading the plot details and seeing the other cast memeber, I think CBS would fools to not give this a try.
I think in order for CBS to grow as a network, it will have to grow with it's audience and put out some newer material.
Here's to hoping they give themselves a chance to venture out into garner more viewers with 'Ringer'!
Je veux RINGER !!! <3
I definitely hope for "RINGER". I would love to see Sarah Michelle Gellar back at TV and think she deserves a good role back there as well. The plot sounds good and I think they could make a lot out of it. So go ahead CBS and take it ;)
Rememberer sounds fantastic! It has everything, including strange and amazing talent, gritty crime, great cast and great writers…A winner!!
I would like to see Jennifer Ehle in the new CBS series. She has so much great talent that has yet to be explored. = )
Retour de SMG dans le petit écran, je vote RINGER….. CBS il ne vous reste plus qu'à diffuser les pilot pour qu'ils puissent voir le jour dans notre contrée Francaise…. yeahhhhhhh
Vote for rookies here we goooooooooooooo
Rememberer is the best choice here. Rookies is a clone of ABC's Rookie Blue, complete with silly romances. Jennifer Ehle & Julie Benz were badly miscast in medical show–the pilot was awful and soooooo sappy.
Is Sports Night a remake of the 1998 tv sereis of the same name? If Sports Night does not get picked up then I really think that Eliza Dushku should join the cast of Ringer. That would be interesting to watch a new sereis with two Buffy the Vampire Slayer series alums on it!
I meant Sports Radio. I guess that I am really hoping that Eliza Dushku could join the cast of Ringer instead. It would be a reunion of Buffy and Faith with new character names.
I really do not think that Sports Radio will be picked up by CBS in the fall. Because Damon Wayons Jr. has another pilot picked up on the Fox network. That is why I am hoping that Eliza Dushku could join the cast of Ringer instead. It would be a reunion of Buffy and Faith with new character names.
Dear CBS
Please bring Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the air again. I would love to see the Season 8 of that show.
Sincerely
John Hill