NBC Projects for the 2019 Pilot Season

DRAMA PROJECTS

3,000 HOURS (Warner Bros. Television) — Medical drama by Erin Cardillo and Richard Keith (Life Unexpected) & Greg Berlanti. Revolves around a group of master’s psychology candidates who embark on the 3,000 clinical hours they must spend in the field with patients to get their degrees — all while balancing their education, friendships and messy personal lives. Along the way, they’ll not only find unique and surprising ways to help their patients, they’ll also learn how to help each other and, ultimately, themselves. Put pilot commitment.

ADVERSARIES (Warner Bros. Television) — Legal drama by Martin Gero (Blindspot, Deception) & Alex Berger.  A humorous, aspirational legal drama that argues the path to healing a polarized nation is through listening and empathy. It stars Panjabi as a successful LA attorney who leaves her comfortable, coastal bubble to practice law in America’s heartland, her home state of Wisconsin. She’s forced to confront preconceived stereotypes and realize there’s more that unites us than divides us. Starring Archie Panjabi. Put Pilot.

AT THAT AGE (Universal Television) — Drama by Nikki Reed & Malcolm D. Lee (Girls Trip, Scary Movie 5). Billed as an exploration of a Harlem family’s legacy; after the Cooper family’s golden child suffers a catastrophic event, seven family members face a foundational shift, make life-altering decisions and deal with deep secrets coming to light.

BLACKMISTH (Universal Television) — Thriller drama by Jeff Wadlow (The Strain, Bates Motel, Truth or Dare). Based on the graphic novel by Malik Evans and Richard Sparkman. Centered on Alex Malloy, known in the intelligence community for building high-tech weapons for U.S. government agencies. When he discovers some of the files containing his weapon designs have fallen into the wrong hands, he sets off on a journey to recover the files before his weapons are used for harm.

THE BLACK TAPES (Universal Television) — Supernatural drama by Matthew Arnold (Emerald City). Based on the podcast of the same name. Follows a journalist’s investigations into the unexplained supernatural mysteries caught on tape by a skeptical scientist. Each week the two of them embark on a journey exploring the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both.

BLOOD TIES (Universal Television) — Procedural crime show by Jennifer Lopez (Shades Of Blue) & Tom Szentgyorgyi (The Mentalist). When convicted homicide detective Steve Horvath is exonerated, he’s given his job back but finds he now has unconventional insight about the criminals he faces. Teaming up with an unexpected rookie who has a secret agenda of his own, Horvath must learn to adapt to life outside of prison while trying to figure out who framed him and why.

THE BONE COLLECTOR (Sony Pictures Television/Universal Television) — Thriller by VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli (S.W.A.T.). based on the bestselling book series by Jeffery Deaver and the 1999 movie of the same name. Follows Lincoln Rhyme, a retired genius forensic criminologist left paralyzed after an accident on the job. When a harrowing case brings him back to the force, Rhyme partners up with an ambitious young detective, Amelia Sachs, to take down some of the most dangerous criminals in the U.S. Premium script commitment.

CAPITAL (Universal Television) — Thriller by Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) & Julie Anne Robinson (The Middle, The Catch). Centers on Special Agent Joanna Ward who heads up an elite Washington, D.C., unit that catches the world’s most dangerous criminals because she knows that all high-stakes crimes have one thing in common. Money. Someone’s paying for it and someone’s profiting from it. But when her partner gets killed and her team comes under attack, Jo must form an unholy alliance with her arch-enemy: a money launderer-extraordinaire who’s on the run from his most dangerous client.

CONWAY (Universal Television) — Crime drama by Vin Diesel & Jonny Umansky. Centers around St. Louis detective Cal Conway, who finds his world turned upside down when he wakes up from a coma with exceptional cognitive abilities. Returning to the force, he sets out to solve the city’s most complex cases but the discovery of a lethal side effect makes Cal wonder whether his new abilities are more of a blessing or a curse.

COUNCIL OF DADS (Universal Television) — Drama by Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI, Close to Home), Joan Rater & Tony Phelan (Doubt, Grey’s Anatomy). The story of Scott Perry, who assembles a unique group of carefully chosen male friends to help his family adjust to a new normal after receiving a potentially terminal diagnosis.

CUL-DE-SAC (Universal Television/Blumhouse Television) — Horrific serialized drama by Laryza Kondracki (The Fix, Rogue). About three families living in a suburban cul-de-sac who begin to experience terrifying events and come to realize there’s something sinister invading their perfect middle-class dream

EINSTEIN (Universal Television) — Crime drama by Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) & Michael Reisz (Boston Legal, Charmed, Unforgettable). Import of the German series. Follows a whip-smart, smooth-talking and illegitimate descendant of Albert Einstein who is recruited by the police for his skills at solving particularly complex cases.

EMERGENCE (ABC Studios) — Mystery drama by Michelle Fazekas & Tara Butters (Kevin Probably, Agent Carter, Resurrection). Centers around a sheriff 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. Put pilot.

GOLDBUG (Universal Cable Productions) —  Adventure drama by Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, Falling Water) & Daniel Tuch (Burn Notice, Hand of God). Follows a bookish PhD student who must travel halfway across the world to find the treasure her estranged mother never could.

HOOPS (SpringHill Entertainment) — Basketball drama produced by Lebron James & Jennifer Cecil (Notorious, Private Practice). After years on the road as both a star player and coach in the WNBA, Stevie Decker jumps at the chance to return to her alma mater to become the first female head coach of a men’s college basketball team. But coming home isn’t easy as her career took a toll on her family, and the school she loves is embroiled in a sex scandal involving her mentor, a legendary former coach. Script commitment with penalty.

THE LAST AMERICAN VAMPIRE (20th Century FOX Television) — Supernatural thriller drama based on Seth Grahame-Smith, by Terry Matalas (12 Monkeys).  Follows a 500-year-old bloodsucker and bon vivant named Henry Sturges, who’s been held under lock and key for the last forty years, and who’s believed to be the last of his kind. When a series of grizzly murders reveal a resurgence of vampires in the U.S., the FBI teams this affable monster up with Abby, a young FBI analyst, to solve a conspiracy centuries in the making. Script commitment with penalty.

THE LAST SPY (CBS Television Studios/Imagine Television) —  CIA drama by David Guggenheim (Designated Survivor) & Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man). The members of an elite deep cover CIA unit are killed after their real-life identities are exposed. In the aftermath, the only operative to escape the onslaught recruits her own team of former spies and assets to complete their missions while also working to unravel the conspiracy behind who betrayed her friends and colleagues.

LAW & ORDER: HATE CRIMES (Universal Television) — Crime drama by Dick Wolf & Warren Leight (Law & Order: Criminal Intent). Based on New York’s actual Hate Crimes Task Force, the second oldest bias-based task force in the U.S. The unit, which pledges to uphold a zero tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind, works under the NYPD’s real Special Victims Unit and often borrows SVU’s detectives to assist in their investigations.

MAJOR (Universal Television) — Dance drama by Jennifer Lopez (Shades Of Blue) & Todd Graff. Set at the most competitive and prestigious university dance department in the country.

ORDINARY JOE (20th Century FOX Television) — Fantasy drama by Matt Reeves (Felicity, The Passage, Planet of the Apes) & Garret Lerner (Altered Carbon). Joe finds himself at a dramatic crossroads: Will he choose love, loyalty, or his artistic passion? The series then jumps forward 10 years and follows three different paths Joe’s life takes based on each choice he could have made a decade earlier. Put pilot commitment.

PRISM (Universal Television) — Legal drama by Daniel and Ben Barnz (Cake, Phoebe in Wonderland), Carol Mendelsohn (CSI). A provocative exploration of a murder trial in which every episode is told through the perspective of a different person involved. Driven by an ensemble of complicated and original characters, the Rashomon-inspired show will explore bias in the criminal justice system and let the audience ask if truth matters less than who can tell the most compelling story.

RED STICK (Sony Pictures Television) — Crime drama by  Samantha Humphrey (SWAT), based on an idea by Patricia Cornwell. Follows Dr. Annie Dodge who is summoned from New York to her hometown of Baton Rouge, LA, after the sudden death of her father, the city’s beloved coroner. Now, as she’s mourning the loss of her childhood hero, Annie finds herself reluctantly stepping into her father’s role to solve an ongoing murder while navigating the complicated waters of Bayou politics, Southern hospitality and a simmering past romance. Script commitment with penalty.

STRONG JUSTICE (Warner Bros. Television) — FBI drama by Wendy Calhoun (Empire, Nashville). Centers on FBI’s first-ever mother-daughter duo, Special Agents Etta and Memphis Strong, who strive to be exceptional investigators despite sexist and racist hurdles. Both women tackle dangerous cases and fight for equality over two time periods, but their individual pursuits reveal truths that threaten to ruin their role-model legacy.

TRUST (Universal Television) — Thriller family drama by Joan Rater & Tony Phelan (Doubt, Grey’s Anatomy). Follows psychology professor Michaela Murphy as she unexpectedly takes over her family’s banking business when her brother suspiciously falls into a coma. In order to save her brother’s life, the bank and her family’s legacy, Michaela must contend with her estranged family and in doing so begins to uncover a host of long-buried secrets.

UNTITLED BLEIWEISS & HARTHAN PROJECT (20th Century Fox Television) — Crime drama by Todd Harthan (The Resident, Rosewood) & Evan Bleiweiss. Centers on a recently widowed NYPD detective and an officer just promoted to the detective division who is dealing with her own personal challenges.

UNTITLED CHRISTINA KIM PROJECT (Warner Bros. Television) —  Drama soap by Christina Kim (Lost, Ghost Whisperer) & Martin Gero (Blindspot, The LA Complex). Revolves around three half-Korean women who grew up straddling two cultures and identities are forced to pick sides between their Korean mother and Caucasian father after the latter, the head of a global Asian food empire, is thrown in jail. The drama will uncover dark family secrets and follow the sisters as they step out of their father’s shadow to salvage their empire.

UNTITLED CHUCK ROSE PROJECT (Universal Television) —  Political murder mystery drama by Chuck Rose (The Art of More) & Julie Anne Robinson (The Middle, The Catch). When a series of murders are predicted on a radical conspiracy blog, it puts the blogger in the crosshairs of an astute NSA agent. But when they find that they may be the next target, an unlikely alliance forms as the blogger and the NSA agent team up to discover the truth, pulling them into a larger mystery than either of them could have imagined.

UNTITLED GRIMM SPIN-OFF (Universal Television) —  Fantasy drama by Melissa Glenn (Iron Fist, Zoo) & Sean Hayes. Builds off the mythology of the original series, featuring returning fan favorites while also introducing new characters, new dangers and new mysteries.

UNTITLED KEVIN O’HARE DRAMA (Universal Television/Keshet Studios) — Police drama by Dean Georgaris (The Brave). Based on police pilot programs in major U.S. cities, this drama follows an unlikely group of LAPD officers and detectives incentivized to live and become active members in the community they patrol, in hopes of changing perceptions and reducing violence.

UNTITLED LAVENDER & ULIN PROJECT (20th Century Fox Television) — Musical drama by Meredith Lavender (Nashville, The Gifted), Craig Brewer (Terriers, Empire) & Milo Ventimiglia. Gifted musician Madison fears her life in the music business is over after an epic breakdown on stage goes viral; with a new boldness she teams up with her musical prodigy sisters to form a band that might be more than what they bargained for. Script commitment with penalty.

UNTITLED POLICE WOMEN PROJECT (Universal Television) — Police drama by Liz Brixius (Nurse Jackie) & Debra Martin Chase. Explores the personal and professional lives of four LAPD women officers who have been best friends since the police academy.

ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST (Universal Television & Lionsgate Television) —  Musical dramedy by Paul Feig (Freaks & Geeks, Ghostbusters) & Austin Winberg (Gossip Girl, 9JKL). Described as What Women Want meets La La Land, follows a whip-smart, socially awkward girl in her late 20s who is suddenly given an extraordinary ability to know the deepest desires of the people around her through songs. Script commitment with penalty.

 

COMEDY PROJECTS

ALL FANCY (Universal Television) — Multicamera comedy by America Ferrera (Superstore) & Kevin Hart. The series is seen through the point of view of Veronica Jimenez, a newly successful 30-something Mexican-American woman who often goes against cultural and social expectations, creating chaos and comedy within her marriage, business and extended family. Starring Anjelah Johnson.

ALL TOGETHER NOW (20th Century FOX Television) —  Single-camera musical comedy by Jason Winer (Single Parents, Modern Family) & Bradley Whitford. About a rural church choir that gets the gift it never thought it needed when a salty, Ivy League professor becomes its director. Starring Bradley Whitford.

BROTHERLY LOVE (Warner Bros. Television) — Single-camera comedy by Kourtney Kang (Fresh Off the Boat) & Patrick Kang. Inspired by the life of Ben Simmons, series centers on a unique sibling relationship within a multi-ethnic family. Together, they pursue their dreams while navigating life in the spotlight in Philadelphia, a passionate city where sports is in your blood, and your blood is always boiling. Script commitment with penalty.

BUSINESS AS USUAL (20th Century FOX Television) — Single-camera comedy by Phil Lord & Chris Miller (Last Man On Earth, LEGO movie).  About everyday employees at a company in crisis, trying to keep their jobs and maintain their relationships as their workplace goes insane. Script commitment with penalty.

EXES IN LAW (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Niki Schwartz-Wright (Speechless) & Sean Hayes. Inspired by a real-life relationship, when Tess and Alex have an explosive break-up and vow never to see each other again, they’re horrified to discover that their younger siblings (and best friends) have been secretly dating and will soon be wed. Now, not only do they have to see each other again, they’re about to be family.

LIKE MAGIC (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Vicky Luu (Superstore, 90210), Bridget Kyle (Superstore, Family Guy), Julie Anne Robinson (The Middle), Matt Hubbard (30 Rock). About an optimistic young woman pursuing her dreams in the mysterious world of the Magic Palace.

MAN. WOMAN. CHILD. (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Vanessa McCarthy (Schooled), Sean Hayes (Hot in Cleveland, Grimm) & Will Packer. Centers around a single man in his 30’s who makes the calculated decision to start a family and have a baby via surrogacy. With loads of opinions and judgment from his friends and family, only one young woman – with her unique entrepreneurial goals and financial needs – would be the perfect match for this man and his approach to having a child.

ME & YOU (20th Century Fox Television) —  Single-camera comedy by Sarah Tapscott (New Girl, Single Parents). About a pair of late bloomers who start their first real relationship by impulsively moving in together after just two dates. Script commitment with penalty.

SAVE THE DELI (20th Century FOX Television) —  Multicamera comedy by Lauren Bachelis (Single By 30) & Milo Ventimiglia. A 30-year-old woman becomes the unexpected new owner of her Chicago family deli after her grandfather dies. Naturally, her very opinionated staff and family members make the job unbearable since they all have conflicting ideas of how to save the deli.

SAVING LARRY (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Jackie Clarke (Superstore, Happy Endings) & Lorne Michaels (SNL, 30 Rock) .  About a dad who, after his wife dies, has to be both mother and father to his kids. And he has to do it all with his father-in-law hovering over him. Starring Kenan Thompson. Pilot production commitment. 

SECRET SOCIETY (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Emily Heller (Barry, People of Earth) & Kay Cannon (GIRLBOSS). Centers on Beth, a struggling reporter who is tired of feeling invisible in her small town and recruits other women to help take over a dying branch of an all-male secret society.

THE EXCEPTIONAL (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Seth Meyers (AP Bio), Josh Meyers, Steven Cragg & Brian Baddle. The HOA board members of the Exceptional, a Los Angeles condo building, find themselves hopelessly deadlocked. That is, until a fellow resident, Justin (Josh Meyers), reluctantly agrees to join the board and, in his first meeting, stumbles into becoming its president. Now Justin has to leave his self-obsessed bubble and engage with his neighbors, finding himself knee deep not only in the issues of the building but also the personal problems of the condo’s diverse residents — an endeavor that offers both hilarious challenges and surprising benefits.

THE INN CROWD (Warner Bros. Television) — Multi-camera comedy by Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon) & David Holden (Young & Hungry). Centers around a gay couple who divide a small town when they open a very successful inn.

THE OBSOLESCENTS (Universal Television) —  Single-Camera comedy by Lorne Michaels & Andrew Gottlieb (Hope & Faith, Fuller House). Takes place in a New Jersey suburb where the facade of peace and civility is disrupted by the shocking death of a long-time Township Council member. Starring Meg Ryan.

UNINSURED (Sony Pictures Television) — Single-camera family comedy by Dan Levy & Doug Robinson (The Goldbergs). Around young uninsured parents Dave and Rebecca, who in addition to raising their two kids, end up taking care of Dave’s parents, Elliot and Linda, who have mishandled their finances and need their help to pay down a sizable debt.

UNTITLED KAL PENN COMEDY (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Kal Penn & Mike Schur (Parks And Rec, The Good Place). Centers on a disgraced New York City Councilman and former baseball wunderkind Garrett Shah who finds his calling when faced with six recent immigrants in search of the American Dream. Starring Kal Penn. Put pilot commitment. 

UNTITLED GOLDBERG & WILSON MUSICAL COMEDY (Universal Television) — Single-camera musical comedy by Sas Goldberg & Jake Wilson. It follows Sally who, newly jobless and single after a decade working abroad, returns to New York hoping to relive her college glory days with her friends, only to find the realities of adulthood have eclipsed the carefree days of their 20s.

UNTITLED JUSTIN NOBLE (Universal Television/Keshet Studios) — Single-camera comedy by Justin Noble (Brooklyn Nine-Nine). About seven residents who live in a modern, communal living space modeled after college dorm

UNTITLED SILBERMAN BROTHERS PROJECT (Universal Television) — Semi-autobiographical comedy by Jon & Josh Silberman. About a father and son who find themselves starting their midlife and quarter-life crises the same week and make the decision to move in together, so they can move on together

WHITES (Sony Pictures Television) — Single-camera comedy based on the UK format, by Matt Tarses (Alex Inc, Worst Week) & Will Arnett. Set in the fast-paced and hilarious kitchen at a beautiful restaurant in upstate New York. Roland White, a disgraced wunderkind of the New York culinary scene, has spent the past three years here in exile, and things are complicated when the owner hires Emily, a new pastry chef who is as gluten-free, farm-to-table and gender-neutral-pronoun-using as anyone on the planet.

WOMAN SCOUTS (Universal Television) — Single-camera comedy by Charlie Grandy (Champions) & Seth Meyers (AP Bio). Centers on a feminist who, after dropping out of grad school, pledges to kickstart the lives of a group of women by becoming an adult Girl Scout troop. There’s no limit to what life achievement badge they can conquer together, if they can just figure out the whole sisterhood thing first.

Jean-Maxime Renault is a TV addict based in Paris who writes about television and movies on AlloCiné (aka "the French IMDB"). In 2015 he created Season Zero, a website about television development and pilot season, which is now a part of Primetimer. Follow him on Twitter @SeasonZeroCom