I’ve never really paid that much attention to pilot season. Sure, I would read news items about who’s been cast where and what network picks up what pilot, but I simply let the decisions of the network pick-ups decide what pilots to investigate further. However, after becoming a bigger TV fan in the past 12 months, I decided to take an early look at what exactly could be on television come fall 2011.
The main thing I noticed was how strong of an influence that Glee and Modern Family have had. Granted, it’s not surprising in the least; considering sagging broadcast ratings and the very bland development season that was fall 2010-11, it makes sense for the networks to go after twists and variations of two of the biggest shows on television. There are over 20 projects in the works from the big 5 networks that are similar to the two shows, ranging from the tangentially related (Prickly Spheres, a CW product about a classical musician who gives up a Julliard scholarship to join a rock band) to almost exact copies (The Packaged Deal, an ABC comedy concerning the fact that when you marry someone, you marry their entire family). There are families linked through sports (Little in Common), three sisters in all stages of relationships (10 Things You Don’t Know About Women, which is the sister show to Untitled Christopher Moynihan Project that has a group of guys in the same situation), three sisters raising their younger brother (Kevin’s Life with Women), a modern American family that becomes the subject of a British documentary (Untitled Larry Wilmore Project), and three brothers from different mothers who try to avoid their fathers mistakes (Brothers). There are underdog summer camps (Acting Out), musical summer camps (Camp), a reunited small town cover band (Anthem), and women making it in the music industry (Full Nelson). In short, if you like Glee or Modern Family, you may be in luck when fall comes around because at least a couple of these shows (and those that I haven’t mentioned) will be picked up.
It’s not just glee clubs and families this season, though, as there seems to be a reinvigorated interest in the supernatural, thanks to the success of The Vampire Diaries. Instead of focusing strictly on the of-the-moment vampire boom, networks have branched out a little bit into alien hunters (Smokers), magic (Magical Law), witches (Secret Circle), the paranormal (Echelon, Spirits, Untitled Kevin Williamson Project), and good old fashioned superheroes (Raven, AKA Jessica Jones). Most of these are via the CW, which is understandably feeling the pressure to capitalize on The Vampire Diaries as well as replace the aging Supernatural and departing Smallville. I was slightly surprised because I assumed there would be a boom of vampire-related programming to come out in the wake of the show’s success, but expanding into the supernatural may be the best thing to do. You never want to stay on a trend for too long and let the bubble burst, sinking the shows you currently have that follow that trend. Plus, speaking as a fan of shows of this ilk, there are so many untapped supernatural subjects that it’d be a shame to just stick to vampires, so bring on the slight tweaks, please.
In addition to the endless list of remakes/adaptations that are currently in the works, there are a few shows that you have to look twice at to differentiate between current hits. ABC’s period drama Pan Am seems to be in the same vein as Mad Men while Plan This looks to capture the same spirit of dearly departed Party Down and there are a trio of shows that sound like Cougar Town minus the wine. There are eccentric psychiatrists and sassy city women and tons of time traveling; there are several small-town-with-a-secret dramas and there is even a Jennifer Love Hewitt project that’s simply dubbed as “the female Big Bang Theory”.
But don’t fret, TV fans, networks have heard your cries and there’s plenty of high concept material potentially coming to your screens in September. There are shows about fairy tales (Once Upon a Time), bunnies (Playboy), space (Mars Direct), political campaigns (Battleground), guardian angels (Guardians), and yes, even Nascar (The Crew) in the pipeline, a creative light in the CIA/FBI/doctor/lawyer/cop show darkness. And trust me, in the 2011-12 development season, there are beaucoups and beaucoups of variations on that tried and true formula. Included in that group are shows about pop stars (Confessions of a Back-Up Dancer), colonial reenactments (Brave New World), the civil war (Untitled Cuse & Wallace Project), and a soapy war between a Texas family and a Mexican family (Sendera), so if even a couple of these pilots are picked up for fall, there will truly be a little something for everyone on network TV.
It’s incredibly early to fret over the next development slate, as there are only a few new shows that have been ordered to series at this point, but it’s always nice to look ahead and see what we could all be potentially obsessing over (or complaining about) in the near future. I know I’m very curious to see what direction each network will go, but regardless of where they go, I know I’ll be along for the ride every step of the way.
If you want a look at every pilot currently up for consideration, you can head over to The Futon Critic.
