Fox (US) Picks Up 6 Show To Series
Fox (US) today announced they had taken 6 of their pilot shows to full series, bringing 4 ‘new’ dramas and 2 new comedies to the network.
First up is Lethal Weapon, which sees Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans Sr. take on the roles of Riggs and Murtaugh, originally played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the films. Riggs, a slightly unhinged, ex Navy Seal and Texas cop joins the LAPD after the loss of his wife and baby. He’s partnered with Murtaugh, an older cop who is supposed to be avoiding stress in his life after suffering a minor heart attack.
Next up is a tv show version of The Exorcist (I can hear film critic/Exorcist fan Mark Kermode’s hands flapping from here…) Inspired by William Blatty’s 1971 novel, this will be a ‘modern reinvention’ of the psychological thriller, which follows 2 very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession and confronting the face of true evil. Stars Alfonso Herrera (Sense8), Ben Daniels (House of Cards, The Hollow Crown), and Geena Davis (Grey’s Anatomy, Commander in Chief).
A.P.B. comes from Person of Interest’s David Slack, and tells the story of an enigmatic tech billionaire, who purchases a troubled police precinct in the wake of a loved one’s murder, bring a cutting edge approach to fix their broken policing system. Stars Justin Kirk (Weeds, Modern Family) and Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome, Kingdom).
Pitch is a baseball drama starring Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome, Tut) about a young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play in the major leagues. I wouldn’t expect this to land here anytime soon, as US sport dramas tend to struggle in the UK.
Making History is the first of the 2 comedies, and is about 3 friends who find a way to travel back in time and visit some of the greatest moments of the past as they try to resolve their personal problems. Written by Dads & Family Guy scribe Julius Sharpe and stars Adam Pally (Happy Endings, The Mindy Project), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), and Yassir Lester (Girls).
Finally The Mick is a comedy starring Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as a hard-living, foul-mouthed woman who is forced to moved to the wealthy Greenwich, Connecticut, to raise the spoiled kids of her wealthy sister who has fled the country to avoid a federal indictment.
In addition to those shows, Fox has already commissioned 24: Legacy – A continuation of the 24 brand without Kiefer Sutherland starring Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead, Straight Outta Compton), and the Lee Daniel’s drama Star, about the rise of a girl band. There are also rumours Fox might not be done, with the Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec drama Recon still on the table, which would star Tracy Spiridakos as an FBI agent embedded in a suspected terrorist family, possibly coming in as a midseason replacement.
