After the success of The Closer, you can't blame TNT for going with a proven formula.The cable network is close to greenlighting two police drama pilots, a project from Jerry Bruckheimer about young undercover officers and Bunker Hill starring Donnie Wahlberg (which actually already received an a pilot order).
TNT's certainly been a busy little bee, stacking up new series left and right. Besides these two pilots, they've got Time Heals, starring Jada Pinkett Smith as a hospital nursing director; Night and Day, with William Fichtner playing an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; and Men of a Certain Age, a dramedy featuring Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher.
All these pilots are in addition to the new series TNT are launching this year. Raising the Bar already premiered to big numbers earlier this month (although subsequent weeks dropped in the ratings), while Leverage (about modern-day Robin Hoods) and Trust Me (about ad execs) debut later this year.
And of course, there's the Closer spinoff that's in the works.
What do you think -- is TNT becoming the foremost cable network for dramas ... or is it biting off more than it can chew?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-30-2008 @ 5:28PM
Skapig said...
More new scripted programming is good, but sticking to the same few tired formulas is not so good. Taking on all of those shows is ambitious and all of them can't possibly stick. I have a hunch that many of these are going to come off as rush jobs and/or play it much too safe.
In the end, TNT is risks saturating its own market. People can only divide up their time between so many shows.
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10-01-2008 @ 4:36AM
Will said...
How the hell does Bruckheimer have time to eat, sleep, take a shower or anything else (though I suppose he doesn't do his own laundry, ha ha)? He produces something like 8 tv series on the air right now & he still does movies, too. Talk about a work-aholic!
As for TNT, I've never watched the Closer (I don't really care for Kyra) but I did enjoy Saving Grace. I'd probably watch more of their shows, but often they tend to be on opposite of a network show I like & I've given up recording (well, almost) shows because I never get around to watching them. So it's going to have to be a really good show for me to check it out. I've already got 2 or 3 cop-type shows (does Criminal Minds fit that cat.?), so I would probably pass on any new ones.
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