2010 TV Pilot Season's almost a wrap: The race to the finish

There are just 20 days left before you hear a lot of cheering and crying across TV Land.

Which of your favorite shows will survive? Which will be canceled?  And what new dramas and comedies will make it to the fall line-up?

The final answers won't arrive until the week of May 17, when the networks make their presentations to advertisers on Madison Avenue. But the networks are busy scheduling pilot screenings with focus groups, as most of the 82 contenders have wrapped.

Here's where all the hopefuls stand. (And check out our pilot photo gallery.)


ABC


The network that is losing "Lost" (don't cry) has 11 dramas and 12 comedies in contention for next fall.  Of those, all have completed production except the comedy, "Southern Discomfort," which began shooting today and cast Sophia Bush ("One Tree Hill") since our last update.

The single-camera comedy, "Wright v. Wrong" recently added Tisha Campbell-Martin ("My Wife and Kids") to its cast. And the sitcom starring Dana Gould, who also produces it, is now titled "Nolan Knows Best."  The above photograph shows Debra Messing in "Wright v. Wrong" and Michael Chiklis in "No Ordinary Family."

CBS

All 17 of CBS' pilots have wrapped except the comedy, "Open Books."  The network is producing nine dramas and eight comedies.

Since our last update, Terry Kinney ("The Unusuals") has been added to the untitled Michael Dinner drama. CBS also is still including "I Witness" as a drama pilot, even though it has not even been cast. For our purposes, we did not include it in CBS' roster.  The above photograph shows Forest Whitaker and Thomas Gibson in the "Criminal Minds" spinoff, which aired as part of "Criminal Minds" on April 7.


There also have been some changes made to a few of the network's comedies:

"Hitched"
Sara Fetcher ("The Hairy Fairy")  replaced Kristin Kreuk and Riki Lindhome ("Gilmore Girls")

Untitled Carter Bays and Craig Thomas project
Lindsay Sloane ("Help Me Help You") and Brandon Hardestry

"Mike and Molly"
Melissa McCarthy ("Samantha Who?")


"Open Books"
Aisha Tyler ("Ghost Whisperer")

"True Love"
Tyler Labine ("Sons of Tucson"), and Lizzy Caplan ("Party Down") replaces Ashley Austin Morris in a guest role



The CW

Except for "Hellcats," the CW has wrapped its five other pilots, including "The Damn Thorpes," which is the new title of the Amy-Sherman Palladino and Dan Palladino drama. The above photo shows Scarlett Johnson as Lucy December and Sean Faris as Gideon Thorpe in "The Damn Thorpes."

The CW is only producing drama pilots again this year, opting to fill its line-up with those shows and reality series. The following casting changes have taken place since our last update:

"Hellcats"
Sharon Leal (Private Practice"), Ben Browder ("Stargate")

Untitled Amy Holden Jones project
Dejan Loyola


"Betwixt"
Tessa Thompson ("Heroes")

The photograph below shows Scott Porter as John, and Jeremiah Hundley as Kirk in "Nomads."

Fox


Fox has 16 pilots fighting for new TV season slots, and all have wrapped production except for Jamie Foxx's and Affion Crocket's untitled sketch show, which should complete production this week. The cast includes sketch comedy vets: Eric Andre ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Erica Ash ("Mad TV"), Kyle Dunnigan ("Reno 911"), Dana DeLorenzo.

Of Fox's pilots, only four are dramas, and since our last update, Delroy Lindo ("The Cider House Rules" and "Kidnapped") had been added to the cast of one of them, "Ride-Along." The photo above shows Jason Clarke, Jennifer Beals and Matt Lauria in "Ride-Along."

Fox produced 12 comedy pilots, including two sketch shows. There are a few updates on the comedy side:

"Strange Brew"
Greg Germann ("Ally McBeal"), Damon Gupton ("Deadline")

"Tax Man"
Orlando Jones ("Magnolia"), Martin Short ("Damages"), and Judy Greer ("Miss Guided")

"Running Wilde"
Joe Nunez ("Prison Break") and Jayne Houdyshell ("Garden State"). The photo below shows Will Arnett, who is the star of "Running Wilde," in the pilot, which he also wrote.

NBC

Trying to repair the damage to its 10 p.m. hole, NBC has nine dramas vying for slots next fall. The network also is trying to extend its comedy success beyond Thursday nights with 11 pilots. All of the pilots have wrapped.

Since our last update, Andre Holland ("Sugar") was added to the cast of "Rockford Files." The above photo shows Kelli Giddish as Annie Frost, Rose Rollins as Daisy Ogbaa, Jesse Metcalfe as Luke Wilson, Amaury Nolasco as Marco Martinez, and Cole Hauser as Jimmy Godfrey in "Chase."

The following casting additions were made to the comedies:

"Perfect Couples"
Christine Woods ("Flash Forward"), Kyle Howard ("Related")


"Outsourced"
Rizwan Manji ("Better Off Ted"), Rebecca Hazlewood ("Doctors"), and Anisha Nagarjan. The photo above shows Ben Rappaport as Todd and Rizwan Manji as Rajiv.

"Next"
Amy Landecker ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent"), Duane Martin ("Rita Rocks"), Ben Shenkmen ("Damages")

"Friends With Benefits"
Ryan Hansen ("Party Down"),  Jessica Lucas ("Melrose Place"), Fran Kranz ("Dollhouse")  replaces Patrick J. Adamas.

"Our Show"
Tyler James

"This Little Piggy"
Nick D'Agosto ("The Office"), Aaron Refvem ("General Hospital"), and Ashley Gerasimovich

"The Pink House"
Zach Cregger ("The Whitest Kids U Know"), Ashley Madekwe ("Secret Diary of a Call Girl")

"Beach Lane"
Kristen Johnston  ("Ugly Betty"), Nick Thune ("The Jay Leno Show"), Aimee Garcia ("Trauma")

"Nathan vs. Nurture"
Mikey Day ("Kath & Kim"),  Joy Osmanski ("True Jackson, VP"), Will Greenberg ("Cloverfield")


-- Maria Elena Fernandez (Follow me on Twitter @writerchica)

Photos: "Wright v. Wrong." Credit: Adam Larkey / ABC. "No Ordinary Family." Credit: Karen Neal / ABC.  "Criminal Minds" spinoff.  Credit: CBS. "The Damn Thorpes." Credit: Jack Rowand / The CW. "Nomads." Credit: Patrick Brown / The CW. "Ride-Along." Credit: Peter Sorel / Fox. "Riding Wilde." Credit: Ed Araquel / Fox. "Chase." Credit: NBC. "Outsourced." Credit: Harper Smith / NBC.

Related

 

TV Watch: Will Your Favorite TV Show Survive?

Photo gallery: Which shows will survive Pilot Season 2010?

2010 Pilot Season: Casting news and more

Pilot Season: News and Casting Updates

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Comments

[gd]

I want "The Pink House" to be picked up!!! I want to see Kat McPhee every week on my TV!!! She could even record the song for the closing credits!!! NBC pick up "THE PINK HOUSE"!!!!!!!

I think I made my point.

[Michelle]

Rex is Not Your Lawyer, please and thank you, NBC.

[DougP]

Great series of articles.

What a depressing, uninspired line up of show. I like a good drama but enough with the cops, doctors and lawyers already. It has gone beyond being a bad joke.

[Sara Jane]

love what i heard about ourtsourced. can't wait to see the Julliard hottie in it. heard that there is a surprise actor in it from the drew carey show. as Parvesh Cheena of Karma Calling & the Ode and Sacha Dhawan of History Boys & Bradford Riots with few other talented actors. looking for something fun, and i need fun with all that's going on in life.

[katscratch]

I'm torn on Rex is Not Your Lawyer- it sounds like one of those just-a-bit-too-quirky series that will vanish after five episodes worth of network and viewer confusion. On the other hand, I'm dying for the US to get a good look at David Tennant. (and hear the American accent he learned for the role!)