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]