Pilot Buzz
A rundown of the top new contenders for the fall
Jimmy Smits
The networks are just days away from unveiling their fall lineups. Here's the early word on what new shows to expect.
ABC will try hard to diversify its program lineup with a few dramas that don't fall into the soap category. That's why Marlowe, based on the famous Raymond Chandler detective character, and Pushing Daisies, a quirky supernatural drama about a man whose touch brings people back to life ("with procedural elements" as the pilot's log line says), are on the list of possible pickups. A sitcom based on the Geico cavemen and Sam I Am, starring Christina Applegate, are contenders on the comedy side. And oh, yes — the network also has a new series that will be spun out of a little show called Grey's Anatomy.
CBS is trying to shake things up creatively. High on the list is a soapy saga starring Jimmy Smits as the head of a multigenerational family in the rum business. It's been touted as a "Latino Sopranos." Also in the running: Babylon Fields, about a town where zombies resume their predeath activities, and Swingtown, a '70s period drama about open marriage. On the comedy side, Giants of Radio has picked up some buzz. Wonder who's going to play Don Imus?
NBC execs believe they have a strong companion fantasy drama for Heroes in the form of Journeyman, which stars Kevin McKidd as a time traveler. They're also high on Lipstick Jungle, a drama about three high-powered New York women based on Candace Bushnell's novel.
Fox has already picked up 13 episodes of the new sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, now called Back to You. The Sarah Connor Chronicles, starring Lena Headey as a cyborg fighter in futuristic Los Angeles, is a top drama contender.
CW is bullish on Gossip Girls, a new series from O.C. creator Josh Schwartz that's based on a series of teen novels, and on Reaper, about a bounty hunter (Bret Harrison) who reclaims souls that escaped from hell. The network also has an untitled family drama set in South Africa from producer Michael Rauch that is high on the list of contenders.
