NBC Expected to Pick Up Several Drama Pilots to Fill Leno Void

On Sunday, NBC is expected to announce its plans to greenlight orders for a bunch of drama pilots from a number of well-known television and film scribes.

According to HollywoodReporter.com:

“NBC refused to confirm any pickups, but also rumored to be getting pilot orders are remakes of iconic British crime series Prime Suspect and the classic U.S. PI drama The Rockford Files, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama The Chase and possibly The Event. They would join previously ordered hour-long pilots Rex Is Not Your Lawyer and J.J. Abrams' Undercovers. The [David E.] Kelley project, a legal drama, was written on spec by the Emmy-winning producer and was only recently quietly taken to the networks, sparking a bidding war.’”

Kelley’s drama from Warner Bros. TV, will be the Ally McBeal creator’s second consecutive pilot at NBC following last year's Legally Mad.

If Kelley’s drama gets picked up, that would give NBC two hopeful legal dramas for next season including the David Tennant-starring comedy Rex, which has Tennant portraying a lawyer who coaches clients who in turn represent themselves in court.

HollywoodReporter.com goes on to say:

“Prime Suspect, adapted by Without a Trace creator Hank Steinberg, Rockford Files, written by House creator David Shore and the Bruckheimer-produced Chase, penned by Cold Case executive producer Jennifer Johnson, had been considered very strong candidates for pilot orders as all had sizable commitments.”

NBC’s higher-ups have stated that they plan to order 10 drama pilots this season in an attempt to revitalize the genre which curtailed its customary drama-laden 10 p.m. hour to accommodate Jay Leno’s low-rated Monday-Friday talk show.