The American television landscape is quite regimented, and it is at this time of year when their networks starts assessing their current shows. Some cancellations and renewals have already been confirmed, but as we move into spring, these start coming in thick and fast.
To replace the poor shows that end up being this year’s Terra Nova, Flashforward or The Event, new pilots are already being made. We take a quick look at some of the projects jostling for position in the schedules later in the year.
First we set out some of the projects that are, in some way, shape or form, remakes of existing stories. Feel free to leave your opinions in the comments below, and by all means have some guesses at potential casting, should these make it to series…
About A Boy – Movie to TV Show
About A Boy (NBC)
A remake of the Hugh Grant film, which itself was based on the Nick Hornby novel. The pilot is to be directed by Iron Man’s Jon Favreau.
Bad Teacher (CBS)
A remake of the relatively recent Cameron Diaz film, about a foul-mouthed educator on the hunt for her next husband.
Barbarella
From the widow of the 1968 film’s producer with a script by recent James Bond writers.
Beverly Hills Cop (CBS)
The Shield and Last Resort’s Shawn Ryan teams up with Eddie Murphy to bring us a story centred upon Axel Foley’s son. Apparently, the elder Foley will be on hand for the pilot and cameos throughout but details on any other returning cast members are not yet forthcoming.
The Bridge – heading for US remake
The Bridge (FX US remake)
Broen is an excellent Swedish/Danish thriller about a body found exactly on the border between the two countries, and the subsequent joint police investigation. The programme already has a British / French remake in the works (The Tunnel, obviously), and now a body is going to be discovered precisely on the US / Mexican border, too.
Friends & Family (Fox remake)
An American remake of Gavin and Stacey, with American geographic scale presumably making the distance between Essex and Wales negligible.
Ironside (NBC)
Remake of the 60s programme starring Perry Mason’s Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-bound detective. The Event’s president Blair Underwood has been attached to the project.
NCIS LA Spinoff (CBS)
Little introduction required. A spinoff of NCIS:LA, which was a spinoff of NCIS, itself a spinoff of JAG. So much spinning off, they must be dizzy!
Cobie Smulders signed up for S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)
Out of all the pilots on the table this year, this is the one guranteed to make our founder and chief, Dave, a little more excited than a grown man ought to be :). Joss Whedon, Marvel, Agent Coulson and chums.
Sleepy Hollow (Fox)
A modern-day (hmmm) reimagining of the legend, most recently brought to life in the Johnny Depp film. This does, however, come from the pens of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Fringe, Star Trek, Hawaii 5-0, Alias)
Spy US Remake (ABC)
The popular and quirky Sky1 comedy gets the transatlantic nod.
The Tomorrow People (The CW)
Remake of the British children’s programme from the 70s. The Tomorrow People are otherwise regular children with special abilities representing the next stage in human evolution.
Venice (ABC)
Another modern-day reimagining, this time of the classic Shakespeare play, set in Venice (California, not Italy), and brought to us by McG.
Wonderland – TV Pilot
Wonderland (NBC)
From the creator of CSI comes this new pilot based on, and acting as a kind of sequel to, the Lewis Carroll novel, where Alice has become the evil queen.
Amazon (The CW)
On hold for the moment but very much not dropped given the success of Arrow, this project returns the popular character of Wonder Woman to our screens.
Z (USA Network)
Not technically a pilot as rumour has it that it is being considered for straight to series, Z sees the character of Zorro planted in the setting of modern day Los Angeles.
