TNT to Add Three More Drama Pilots to Its Lineup
TNT is increasing the number of original drama pilots it already has in its stable by adding three more.
According to an article on HollywoodReporter.com, “The cable network on Thursday picked up to series all three of its pilots, the Steven Spielberg-produced alien invasion drama starring Noah Wyle; the George Clooney-produced Delta Blues, starring Jason Lee; and Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon. All three have received orders for nine episodes in addition to the pilot.”
These pickups were announced just after the network renewed two of its freshman dramas, Men of a Certain Age, which stars Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher, and the medical drama, Hawthorne, which stars Jada Pinkett Smith. TNT is also picking up the cancelled NBC cop drama series, Southland, which stars Regina King and Arija Bareikis, among others.
The HollywoodReporter.com article goes on to say, “The alien invasion project, written by Robert Rodat from an idea he conceived with Spielberg, is set shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population. Wyle plays the leader of a ragtag group of soldiers and civilians who struggle against the occupying alien force, with Moon Bloodgood, Jessy Schram, Seychelle Gabriel and Maxim Knight co-starring.”
DreamWorks TV will be producing the project with Spielberg, Rodat, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank all being its showrunners.
Delta Blues, the hour-long series from Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures and Warner Horizon, revolves around Memphis police officer Dwight Hendricks, who lives with his mother and moonlights as a tribute artist. Lee plays Hendricks and Celia Weston plays his mother. Weston starred opposite Cameron Diaz/James Marsden/Frank Langella in the 2009 thriller, The Box.
Liz M. Garcia and Joshua Harto wrote the pilot and Clark Johnson directed it. It also stars ex-ER cast member Abraham Benrubi and DJ Qualls, who starred opposite Sandra Bullock/Bradley Cooper in the 2009 comedy, All About Steve. Clooney, Heslov, Garcia and Johnson will all serve as Blues showrunners, with Henry Bronchtein and Abby Wolf-Weiss being its co-executive producers and Harto producing.
As for Warner Horizon’s Rizzoli & Isles, it is based on Tess Gerritsen's Jane Rizzoli mystery novels. It centers on the crime-fighting duo of Boston police detective Rizzoli, who is played by Angie Harmon, and medical examiner Maura Isles, who is played by Sasha Alexander. Ex-Sopranos star Lorraine Bracco is also part of the show’s cast.
Rizzoli was written by Janet Tamaro, who is also the project’s showrunner along with Bill Haber and The Closer’s showrunner Michael M. Robin, who directed the Rizzoli pilot.