TVSquad

With the thought of another year of According to Jim on the air, it's with excitement that I report that new shows may be coming to take its place. ABC has ordered two pilots: Prince of Motor City and an untitled David Hemingson dramedy. The former, which purports to have Shakespearean roots, comes from writer Jessica Goldberg and writer/actor Hamish Linklater, better known around here as Matthew on The New Adventures of Old Christine.

The connection to Shakespeare is that Prince tells the story of a Detroit family in the auto industry and the power struggles therein. Something tells me there's a son that returns to the family business after his father's death to find his uncle and mother in charge. But I could just be guessing...

If you think "stealing" from the Bard is barking up the wrong tree, think again. Remember West Side Story? What about Kiss Me Kate? What about Harold Hecuba's idea for a musical Hamlet? (Oh, wait, that was Phil Silvers on a Gilligan's Island episode!)

Prince of Motor City has yet to be cast, but Goldberg with co-executive produce the show with Chris Brancato and Bert Salke (both worked on (Tru Calling). Hamish is not going to star in the show, but will be a consulting producer. Hopefully he'll be too busy hanging out with Christine (once CBS picks up the show) and unable to appear in another series. By the way, when the Emmys are doled out later this year, somebody please be sure to include Hamish in the nominations. He's amazing on Christine.

Dave Hemingson, whose credits include How I Met Your Mother and Kitchen Confidential, wrote the pilot set in a Los Angeles "boutique" law firm, following the adventures of a young law school graduate from a working-class background who's thrust into this new setting. Does the phrase fish out of water come to your mind like it comes to mine?