US Upfronts: 2019 trailers

This week US networks held their annual Upfronts presentations to advertisers,

Amongst the confirmations were a full season for Batwoman with Aussie Ruby Rose and Not Just Me, an adaptation of Australian drama Sisters.

Trailers may include traces of language / adult themes / violence or nudity:

ABC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwynrxEPSQk

Stumptown: Based on the “Stumptown” graphic novel series, follows Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders) as a strong, assertive, and sharp-witted army veteran with a complicated love life, gambling debt, and a brother to take care of in Portland, Oregon. Her military intelligence skills make her a great P.I., but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and not quite in alliance with the police.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAD2deAqxCE

Emergence: Developed and picked up to pilot at NBC but officially getting a series pickup at ABC, the character-driven genre thriller centers around a police chief (Allison Tolman, Fargo, Downward Dog) who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all. The series hails from ABC Studios-based Agent Carter duo Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters. Donald Faison co-stars in the drama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnQjti7hlc

Mixed-ish: It’s not easy being a Rainbow in a black and white world. From executive producers of black-ish and grown-ish, mixed-ish is coming to ABC.

Reef Break: Picked up straight to series with a 13-episode order, the action drama starring and exec produced by Poppy Montgomery is set for a summer debut. Produced by ABC Studios and its international arm in collaboration with Fresh broadcaster M6, the drama is based on Montgomery’s idea and stars the Unforgettable grad as a former thief-turned-fixer for the governor of a Pacific island paradise.

The Baker and the Beauty: Based on an Israeli series, the drama tells the story of the unlikely romance between a blue-collar baker (Victor Rasuk) and an international superstar (Nathalie Kelley). Set in Miami, the Notting Hill-esque series is a co-production of ABC Studios and Universal TV in association with Keshet Studios, which produced the original. It’s the second series pickup this season for writer/EP Dean Goergaris, who also has Bluff City Law at NBC.

For Life: The formerly untitled Hank Steinberg/Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson drama was a favorite of ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke, who heavily pursued leading man Nicholas Pinnock (Counterpart) for the part. He stars in the prisoner-turned-lawyer serialized legal and family drama from Steinberg (The Last Ship). The series, a co-production between Sony TV and ABC Studios, is told through the prism of Pinnock’s character as he strives to get his life back while exposing the flaws in the penal and legal systems. The pickup arrives the same week that Starz announced that the sixth season of 50 Cent’s drama Power would be its last. Sony-based Doug Robinson and George Tillman exec produce, with Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Joy Bryant (Parenthood) and Mary Stuart Masterson co-starring.

United We Fall: Of the seven comedy scripts ABC ordered to pilot, this multicamera entry starring Jane Curtin and Will Sasso is the lone half-hour to score a series pickup. It joins Black-ish spinoff Mixed-ish as ABC’s only two new comedies for the 2019-20 season after the network, sources say, passed on half-hours starring Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) and Hannah Simone (New Girl) — both of which were the leading front-runners all pilot season long. The Latinx-Catholic family comedy (Christina Vidal stars opposite Sasso as a married couple from two different backgrounds) hails from Making History grad Julius “Goldy” Sharpe, who wrote and exec produced. It’s a co-production between ABC Studios and Sony Pictures TV. Big Bang Theory Emmy nominee Mark Cendrowski directed the pilot.

FOX:

Deputy: The drama features one of pilot season’s biggest talent deals for True Detective grad Stephen Dorff, who stars in the modern cop drama with a classic Western spirit. Will Beall (Aquaman) penned the script and exec produces alongside director David Ayer and his Cedar Park partner (and former Audience Network chief) Chris Long. The series hails from Entertainment One and Fox Entertainment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX8feK5WK68

Filthy Rich:  The Southern Gothic dramedy starring (and produced by) Kim Cattrall has drawn positive early reviews for the strong and authentic product that writer, director and exec producer Tate Taylor (The Help) has turned in. The concept — a wealthy Christian network CEO dies, leaving his family and illegitimate kids to battle over his fortune — works with the new Fox Entertainment’s post-Disney deal identity. Sex and the City grad Cattrall has also drawn rave reviews in industry circles for her performance opposite This Is Us Emmy winner Gerald McRaney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08jj1NBCU9g

Outmatched: The multicamera comedy from Lon Zimmet (L.A. to Vegas) revolves around a blue-collar couple (Jason Biggs and Maggie Lawson) in South Jersey trying to get by and raise four kids — three of whom are certified geniuses. Tisha Campbell-Martin co-stars in the 20th TV and Fox Entertainment co-production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26C6JqBdb20

Prodigal Son: The drama, which generated rave reviews for stars Michael Sheen and Tom Payne (The Walking Dead), is a fresh take on the crime franchise and follows a notorious serial killer and his criminal psychologist son. Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver reunite with Deception exec producer Greg Berlanti on the series, which co-stars Lou Diamond Phillips and Scandal favorite Bellamy Young. The series is a co-production between Warner Bros. TV and Fox Entertainment.

https://youtu.be/oL-gvYvyWgA

Not Just Me: The drama is based on Endemol Shine Australia’s series Sisters. Weisman penned the script about an only child whose life is turned upside down when her famous father (Timothy Hutton) reveals he used his own sperm to conceive upward of a hundred children, including two new sisters. Brittany Snow, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Emily Osment star in the co-production between Universal TV, Endemol Shine and Fox Entertainment.

https://youtu.be/rRAoNVJcgms

Next: An internal favorite of new Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier, the drama is a fact-based thriller about the emergence of a rogue AI that combines action with an examination of how tech transforms culture in a way that isn’t always understandable. Manny Coto (24) penned the script and exec produces alongside John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. Mad Men grad John Slattery stars and reunites with former AMC president Collier on the drama. The series hails from 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment.

BH90210: A meta-revival of the iconic 1990s teen soap is due for a six-episode run in the summer. Original stars Jason Priestley (Brandon), Jennie Garth (Kelly), Ian Ziering (Steve), Gabrielle Carteris (Andrea), Brian Austin Green (David) and Tori Spelling (Donna) will play heightened versions of themselves in what is being billed as an “event series.”

What Just Happened: A half-hour scripted comedy/talk show hybrid, the nine-episode series is a spoof on the after-show format and sees the network inventing a drama series. Fred Savage created the comedy and serves as its “host.” Premieres in the summer.

Bless the Harts: As Family Guy and The Simpsons will now be expensive for Fox to keep around given their newfound status as Disney properties, the network is doubling down on animation this season. Bless the Harts, created by Emily Spivey (Up All Night, SNL) and from 20th TV, follows a group of people living in the South. What they lack in money, they make up for in family and friends. Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell and Ike Barinholtz lead the voice cast of the series that counts Phil Lord and Chris Miller among its exec producers.

911: Lone Star: A spinoff set in Austin, the series will star Rob Lowe as a “sophisticated New York City firefighter” who moves with his son to Texas and has to balance saving the lives of the most vulnerable and fixing issues in his own life. Tim Minear, the 911 showrunner who recently renewed his overall deal at producer 20th TV (now owned by Disney), will oversee the new show as well; co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are also involved although both have now set up shop at Netflix. Lowe is a co-exec producer.

Duncanville: Produced by Amy Poehler and The Simpsons duo Mike and Julie Scully, the animated comedy — a co-production between 20th TV and Universal TV — revolves around a 15-year-old boy and his mother. Poehler will reunite with her Parks and Recreation co-star Rashida Jones as both lead a voice cast that also includes Wiz Khalifa and Ty Burrell.

The Great North: The animated comedy was put in development last fall and is from the Emmy-winning Bob’s Burgers team of creator Loren Bouchard and writers Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux and Minty Lewis. Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, Megan Mullally, Paul Rust, Aparna Nancherla, Will Forte and Dluce Sloan comprise the voice cast. The series follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family as a single dad does his best to keep his weird bunch of kids close as the artistic dreams of his only daughter lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall. The series is a co-production between 20th TV and Fox Entertainment.

NBC:

Bluff City Law: The character-driven legal drama follows an elite Memphis law firm that specializes in controversial landmark civil rights cases. Jimmy Smits (L.A. Law) returns to NBC to star as a legendary lawyer. Caitlin McGee plays his daughter. The Universal TV drama is from writer Dean Georgaris (who also has The Baker and the Beauty at ABC) and David Janollari Entertainment. The project had been among the network’s buzziest dramas during development.

Perfect Harmony: Bradley Whitford stars in a single-camera comedy from Disney’s 20th TV as a former Princeton music professor who unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church. Speechlessveteran Lesley Lake Webster created the series, with Whitford and pilot director Jason Winer among the EPs.

Sunnyside: The single-camera comedy from executive producer Mike Schur (The Good Place) revolves around Garrett Shah (Kal Penn), a former New York city councilman who finds his calling when faced with immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream. Matt Murray (Parks and Recreation) co-wrote the script alongside Penn. The series hails from Universal TV, Schur’s studio-based Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Council of Dads: In the vein of the network’s hit This Is Us, the Universal TV drama from former Grey’s Anatomy showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater centers on Scott (Tom Everett Scott), a father of four who’s diagnosed with cancer. He assembles some of his closest allies — best friend Anthony (Clive Standen), AA sponsor Larry (Michael O’Neil) and surgeon Oliver (J. August Richards), who’s also his wife’s (Sarah Wayne Callies) best friend — to be “back-up dads” for every stage of his family’s life. The show is based on a memoir by Bruce Feller.

Indebted: The lone multi-cam comedy among NBC’s four new half-hours, the Sony-produced series (formerly known as Uninsured) stars Adam Pally and Abby Elliott as parents ready to reclaim their lives now that their kids are growing up. Then his parents (Fran Drescher and Steven Weber) show up at their door, broke, and he feels obligated to take them in. Dan Levy (The Goldbergs) created the show and exec produces with Sony-based Doug Robinson.

The Kenan Show: Saturday Night Live Emmy winner Kenan Thompson stars as a father to two adorable girls while balancing his job and a father-in-law (Andy Garcia) who helps in the most inappropriate ways. Thompson will continue on at SNL, as the new show is being held for a midseason debut. Lorne Michaels and his Universal TV-based Broadway Video exec produces the single-camera comedy from writer Jackie Clarke (Superstore).

Lincoln: Based on the bestselling Bone Collector book series, the drama — a co-production of Sony and Universal TV — stars Russell Hornsby (just off Fox’s canceled Proven Innocent) as Lincoln Rhyme, a criminologist seriously injured in his hunt for a serial killer. Arielle Kebbel plays the young beat cop who helps him hunt the killer while also taking on other high-profile cases. Justified veteran VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli co-wrote the pilot, based on Jeffrey Deaver’s novels that also spawned a 1999 movie with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: A musical drama from executive producer Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor) and writer Austin Winsberg (Gossip Girl), the Lionsgate TV series is the first 2019-20 pickup from an outside studio for NBC. Jane Levy (Castle Rock) stars as a whip-smart coder in San Francisco who, after an unusual event, starts to hear people’s innermost wants and desires expressed through songs. After first questioning her sanity, she comes to realize this unwanted curse may actually be a great gift. Skylar Astin, Peter Gallagher, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Carmen Cusack and Mary Steenburgen also star.

CBS:

All Rise: The legal drama from writer Greg Spottiswood (Frontier) follows the lives of judges, prosecutors and public defenders as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of L.A. amid a flawed legal system. Simone Missick and Wilson Bethel star in the Warner Bros. TV and CBS TV Studios co-production.

Bob Hearts Abishola: The multicamera comedy from writers Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky (Mike and Molly), Al Higgins and Gina Yashere stars Mike and Molly grad Billy Gardell as a middle-age businessman who falls for his nurse, a Nigerian immigrant. Folake Olowofoyeku and Christine Ebersole star in the Warner Bros. TV-produced comedy, which remained a front-runner for a series order all pilot season long after landing at CBS with a sizable penalty.

Carol’s Second Act: Everybody Loves Raymond grad Patricia Heaton is officially returning to CBS (after taking a year off following The Middle’s conclusion on ABC). Heaton stars in the multicamera comedy from Trophy Wife duo Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins as a mother who, after raising her two children and retiring from teaching, pursues her dream of becoming a doctor. Kyle MacLachlan co-stars in the CBS TV Studios comedy.

Evil: The drama marks the return of Robert and Michelle King to broadcast television following CBS’ The Good Wife. Westworld grad Katja Herbers stars — in a potential breakout role — alongside Luke Cage’s Mike Colter and Aasif Mandvi and network favorite Michael Emmerson. The series is a psychological mystery that examines science vs. religion and the origins of evil. The series hails from CBS TV Studios, where the Kings are under an overall deal.

The Unicorn: Converted from a multicamera comedy to CBS’ lone new single-camera effort, Walton Goggins (Justified) stars as a widower who, with the help of his friends and family, moves on following the most difficult year of his life, which includes being an ill-equipped but devoted single parent to his two daughters and re-entering the dating game to find out he’s a hot commodity. Rob Corddry and Michaela Watkins co-star in the CBS TV Studios comedy from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment.

Broke: The multicamera comedy, from Jane the Virgin’s Jennie Snyder Urman and writer Alex Herschlag (Will & Grace), follows a wealthy trust fund baby who is cut off by his father as he and his wife move into her estranged sister’s Reseda home, forcing the two siblings to reconnect. Jane the Virgin’s Jaime Camil and CBS favorite Pauley Perrette (NCIS) star alongside Natasha Leggero, Izzy Diaz and Antonio Corbo. The series hails from CBS TV Studios.

FBI: Most Wanted: The FBI spinoff gives Wolf three franchises across two broadcast networks. (He also has New York Undercover still in contention at ABC.) The spinoff stars Julian McMahon and Alana de la Garza and explores the Fugitive Task Force of the FBI. The series, like its flagship, is a co-production between Universal TV — where Wolf is based — and CBS TV Studios.

https://youtu.be/XX-23rGBCR4

Tommy: Talk about a casting coup. CBS chief creative officer David Nevins personally recruited Edie Falco — who starred in Nuse Jackie when Nevins ran Showtime — to topline the drama about L.A.’s first female chief of police. The awards season darling stars in the drama from Amblin TV and writer/showrunner Paul Attanasio (Bull).

The CW:

https://youtu.be/vrIiPcv4_iY

Batwoman: Ruby Rose will make TV history as the Greg Berlanti-produced DC Comics show is the first live-action scripted drama series with a lesbian superhero (played by an out actress). The Orange Is the New Black grad stars as Kate Kane, the superhero who roams the streets of Gotham as Batwoman and must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to become the city’s symbol of hope. The Vampire Diaries grad Caroline Dries serves as showrunner on the Warner Bros. TV-produced series that counts Geoff Johns among its exec producers. Dougray Scott, Elizabeth Anweis, Meagan Tandy, Camrus Johnson, Nicole Kang and Rachel Skarsten round out the cast.

https://youtu.be/omiogm9JBvo

Nancy Drew: Following multiple attempts to revive the beloved sleuth, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl, Dynasty) have cracked the code on the revival. The CBS TV Studios-take follows an 18-year-old Nancy (potential breakout Kennedy McMann) who thought she’d be leaving her hometown for college but winds up staying close to home after a family tragedy. Noga Landau, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Schwartz and Savage write and exec produce the drama. Scott Wolf has replaced Freddie Prinze Jr. as Nancy’s father.

https://youtu.be/_ryc9o-10ZQ

Katy Keene: The Riverdale spinoff from Berlanti and showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa stars Pretty Little Liars grad Lucy Hale as the aspiring fashionista as she meets an adult Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) in New York. Julia Chan, Jonny Beauchamp, Camille Hyde, Lucien Laviscount, Zane Holtz and Katherine LaNasa round out the cast of the Warner Bros. TV drama.

Bulletproof: The British import cop drama starring Noel Clarke (Doctor Who) and Ashley Walters (Top Boy) premieres in the summer.

Pandora: Another acquisition, this sci-fi drama from Mark A. Altman (Castle) and Steve Kriozere (NCIS) is set in the year 2199 and follows a young woman who has lost everything as she joins Earth’s Space Training Academy. It premieres in the summer.

Source: Hollywood Reporter