The networks are going to unleash their new fall schedules in a few weeks. Which new shows are in the running? Well, Juliana Margulies is going to be an attorney (again), Kelsey Grammer is going to be a Wall Street CEO who gets canned (you knew you were going to see at least one show with that premise this fall), Lauren Graham is going to be a self-help guru, Chevy Chase and The Soup's Joel McHale are going to be community college students, and Thomas Jane is going to be ... well, Hung. AOL has a list of the 30 shows that have the best shot at being on our TV screens when the fall rolls around. Not all of the shows will make it, of course. Some we'll never see at all, unless the pilot episode is leaked online. I'm still ticked that ABC didn't pick up Marlowe (with Life on Mars star Jason O'Mara) a couple of season ago. The gallery is after the jump.
Pilots Roundup
With big hits like 'Grey's Anatomy' and '30 Rock' winding down for the season, we're getting a head start on all the buzz-worthy pilots every TV fan needs to know about.
And here are some hints -- small-screen vets like Kelsey Grammer, Julianna Margulies and Sarah Michelle Gellar are set to return, classic hits ('Melrose Place') are getting high-profile remakes and two spin-offs could give their predecessors a run for their money.
Click through our pilots roundup to find out where each will premiere and which stars are on board ... so you can make the informed decisions about which shows you may want to save room for on your DVR.
Getty Images (2)
Untitled Kelsey Grammer Project
ABC
Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Melinda McGraw
Premise: There's nothing funnier than unemployment, right? When a high-powered Wall Street CEO loses his job, he's forced to do something unfamiliar: spend time with his family.
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Mike Theiler, AFP / Getty Images
'The Good Wife'
CBS
Cast: Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Chris Noth (guest star)
Premise: Emmy winner Julianna Margulies returns to television as a politician's wife who also serves as a defense attorney. Sounds like a pretty 'Good' bet to us.
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Rob Loud, Getty Images
'Back'
CBS
Cast: Skeet Ulrich, Sherry Stringfield, John C. McGinley, D.B. Woodside
Premise: 'Jericho' star Ulrich returns to CBS to star in this mystery drama centering on a man who went missing during the 9/11 attacks -- only to reappear eight years later. Wonder what fans will send the network to save this one from early cancellation?
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Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage
'Barely Legal'
NBC
Cast: Hilary Duff
Premise: A new comedy about 18-year-old Kathleen Holtz (Duff), the youngest lawyer ever to pass the California state bar exam. Sort of like 'Doogie Howser, ADA.'
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George Pimentel, WireImage.com
'The Beautiful Life'
CW
Cast: Mischa Barton, Elle Macpherson, Ben Hollingsworth, Sara Paxton, Ashley Madekwe, Nico Tortorella
Premise: The CW looks to add even more beautiful people to its prime-time lineup with 'The Beautiful Life,' a new series about models living together in New York. Highlights include 'The OC''s Mischa Barton as Sonja, a high-fashion supermodel who's having trouble staying on top of the circuit, and Elle Macpherson, who plays the owner of Focus Models.
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Getty Images
'Boardwalk Empire'
HBO
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon
Premise: Could this be a 1920s version of 'The Sopranos'? Producer and director Martin Scorsese presents a drama about drinking, gambling and mob activities in Prohibition-era Atlantic City.
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Dominique Charriau, WireImage
'Body Politic'
CW
Cast: Brian Austin Green, Minka Kelly, Jason Dohring, Gabrielle Union
Premise: A look at the sexier side of D.C. politics, the CW has Minka Kelly playing Hope, a girl in search of her long-lost dad -- who just so happens to be Attorney General. She takes a job working for him and befriends her fellow Capitol Hill newbies, who also happen to be incredibly good-looking.
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Paul Redmond, WireImage
'The Bridget Show'
ABC
Cast: Lauren Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Holly Robinson Peete
Synopsis: In her first TV role since 'Gilmore Girls,' Graham takes a darker comedic turn as Bridget, a self-help guru who becomes obsessed when her boyfriend dumps her, and struggles to take the advice she doles out. With Mitch Hurwitz ('Arrested Development') behind it and Barry Sonnenfeld ('Pushing Daisies') signed on to direct the pilot, this one is already generating major buzz.
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Jemal Countess, WireImage
'Community'
NBC
Cast: Chevy Chase, Joel McHale
Premise: Funnyman McHale ('The Soup') stars as a lawyer who enrolls at a community college after his degree is ruled invalid. Also on board is Chase, playing a fellow student who has been married five times. Given NBC's success with comedies, this could be a nice edition to the community.
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Michael Buckner, Getty Images
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-23-2009 @ 7:32PM
Jake said...
After scrolling through I have to say I'm not really looking forward to any of them. Two HBO shows - Maladys and Boardwalk Empire, seem the most promising. But neither jumps out as must see. As for the networks, the only show that looks halfway interesting is Off Duty.
Reply
4-23-2009 @ 7:47PM
Christopher said...
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say any shows that are on FOX, 85-90% will be canned.
Reply
4-23-2009 @ 7:54PM
Morjana Coffman said...
You know, it's more than irritating to have a pop up window for these "articles,' but it's also VERY annoying that the ADVERTISEMENTS on the right hand side of the screen cut off the text on the right.
And I agree with Jake -- I'm not looking forward to any of those series. Sigh.
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4-23-2009 @ 8:06PM
Sam said...
Boardwalk Empire is the only remotely interesting show on the whole list.
BTW - Whoever designed the javascript popup display on this is a douchebag.
Reply
4-23-2009 @ 8:36PM
CParis said...
About the only show I might plan to tune into is HBO's "Treme". Anything with that pedigree (Homicide, The Wire) is worth watching.
The rest of the shows sound pretty lame, most of the casts are not really compelling, definitely not "must see" TV.
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4-23-2009 @ 8:41PM
Liz said...
Agreed, none of these look that appealing.
Reply
4-23-2009 @ 8:44PM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I won't be wasting my time on any new shows on the big nets since 90% of them won't make it past year 1. 20% of them won't even make it past the 4th episode. Why even bother? The only new shows I'll be watching are on the cable channels, where they have higher quality and give them a chance to grow most of the time.
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4-23-2009 @ 11:19PM
Johnzo said...
This is NOT a complete list.
ABC has "Flash Forward" and "I, Claudius" in production and neither of them were mentioned. I bet what we end up seeing in May will be rather different.
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4-23-2009 @ 11:56PM
svrkevi said...
I'll judge them after I watch the first episode...I once though shows like Man Men and BSG were bad ideas...I sat down and watch them, changing my opinion...I will not prejudge...not this year
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4-24-2009 @ 12:06AM
segsig said...
I agree with Jake, Off Duty is the only one that looks remotely interesting. I fear for it though being on the Nothing But Crap network.
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4-24-2009 @ 12:51AM
DapperDan said...
5 grabbed my eye that I will check out
if they are picked up
***
V on ABC
masterwork on Fox
Vampire Diaries on the CW
Back starring Skeet Ulrich on CBS
AND
Eastwick on ABC due to Sara Rue starring in it
Reply
4-24-2009 @ 3:52AM
Aurel said...
Boardwalk Empire (Scorsese gets me to at least take a look), The Bridget Show (Lauren Graham, Mitchell Hurtwitz, Jeffrey Tambor, need I say more?), Hung (I like Thomas Jane a little too much for my own good), Off-Duty (because of Whitford and Malco), Treme by David Simon of course, and The Wonderful Maladys (interesting cast).
HBO sure has an interesting line-up of new shows for next year.
Reply
4-24-2009 @ 3:27PM
Jim Kosmicki said...
the pilot I'm most excited for was just announced as shooting: the HBO pilot for George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire." This has the potential to be the pay-cable "Lord of the Rings" -- in a good way. Lots of palace intrigue, battles, medieval settings, and mysterious evil behind the scenes. But it's not going to be listed in articles like this because it isn't part of the normal TV season cycle.
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4-24-2009 @ 11:39AM
Will said...
There are a few that sound mildly interesting (the Lauren Graham show for instance) but I wouldn't watch Patricia Heaton cross the street, let alone on my television, so that's an automatic "NO" right there.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 6:18PM
genaldar said...
What the hell happened to the American version of the IT Crowd with Mchale?
Reply