Jimmy Smits is King of Today's Pilot Pick-Up Frenzy
It's a busy afternoon for pilots and unlikely series renewals; just hours ago, Fox ordered new seasons of two on-the-bubble series and greenlighted four pilots to order. Meanwhile, FX imported a live-action comedy from Australia, and NBC -- poor NBC! -- is still batting a few of its higher profile projects back and forth while courting Jimmy Smits for multiple series, hoping that the West Wing alum will be the network's savior. Here's a full run-down of today's pilot news.
Renewals
· Lie to Me will get a third season on Fox even though show runner Shawn Ryan has already announced his departure.
· Human Target will get a sophomore season on Fox with Chuck's Matt Miller taking over as show runner.
· Law & Order is a guaranteed "renewal" at NBC according to Nikki Finke.
Pilot Orders
· Wilfred: FX has ordered a pilot of the live-action comedy series based on the Australian series of the same name. The David Zuckerman (Family Guy) project centers on "a guy, the girl next door, and mixed-breed dog, Wilfred, who is part Labrador retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender."
Fox Pilot Pickups
· RideAlong: Shawn Ryan's cop drama starring Jennifer Beals and Jason Clark.
· Midland (alternate title: Lone Star): A drama starring Jon Voight as an oil industry con man in Texas.
· Traffic Light: A single-camera comedy about male relationships.
· Keep Hope Alive: Greg Garcia's half-hour comedy about a single parent.
NBC Uncertainties
· Garza, a drama about a retired Supreme Court justice who returns to law, has not been picked up yet although the show's star, Jimmy Smits, is testing well.
· The network is also trying to woo Smits into playing the lead on Law & Order: Los Angeles.
· Of the three legal drama pilots being developed by the Peacock, the Kathy Bates-starring Kindreds has the best shot at pick-up
· Surprisingly, NBC's high-profile reboot of the Rockford Files (starring Dermot Mulroney) is getting negative buzz and might need a reshoot.
· Fox Picks Up Four Pilots, Renews Lies, Target [THR]
· PRIMETIME PILOT PANIC: NBC Update - Jimmy Smits on LOLA? [Deadline]
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Comments
just wow. those all sounded like crap in a blender.
Retired from the Supreme Court in his mid-50's? So, not going for any sort of believability, I guess?
Horrific. Why do I even own a Tivo?
Surprisingly? Dermot Mulroney has almost as much charisma as a discarded soda can, and you're surprised he's getting negative buzz as a remade detective once played by James Garner? Maybe next you can be surprised when a movie version of "Dallas" starring John Travolta and Jennifer Lopez falls through.
By the way what the hell is up with Jimmy and the silly-ass specs lately? It's almost as if, instead of the pilots, there's a certain role on CBS he...has his eye on.
YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
Looks like he has his own style...I really hope they find somewhere to put him. He has alot of talent and it's time for him to come back to primetime.