UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers
First off, congratulations to all writers, producers, actors and agents who landed new series this week. I know it wasn’t easy. Here is Deadline’s annual list of those who excelled at the upfronts. I tried to be inclusive, but if I’ve missed anyone who’s had a banner week, let me know. I’ve also compiled a list of pods and independent producers with multiple broadcast series.
Cougar Town co-creator Bill Lawrence and his Doozer banner had three new series unveiled at the upfronts this week: comedies Undateable on NBC, Surviving Jack on Fox and Ground Floor on TBS. Also, TBS recently renewed Cougar Town for a fifth season.
Related: 2013-14 Schedule Grid & Top Face-Offs
J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot claimed one of the top new drama series last season with NBC’s Revolution and one of the hottest sophomore shows with CBS’ Person Of Interest. The company is keeping the momentum with two new series orders for next season: Almost Human at Fox and Believe at NBC.
Independent producer Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment received two new series orders from the broadcast networks: Back In The Game at ABC and Friends With Better Lives at CBS. Additionally, his freshman ABC comedy The Neighbors was renewed and his ABC pilot Bad Management is in serious contention for a series pickup. Kaplan also received two cable series orders in the past month, for Chasing Life on ABC Family and Instant Mom on NickMom, and also has comedy series Wendell & Vinnie on Nick at Nite and pilot HR at Lifetime.
Writer-producer Julie Plec also landed two new series this week, both at the CW: She wrote/executive produces the planted Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals and executive produces The Tomorrow People. Additionally, she executive produces TVD, giving her three series on the air next season. (Fellow Tomorrow People executive producer Greg Berlanti has two, including returning CW hit Arrow.)
Another drama writer-producer, former ER showrunner David Zabel, saw both of his pilots picked up. He is the writer/exec producer on ABC’s Betrayal and co-writer/exec producer on ABC’s Lucky 7.
Howard Gordon also is behind two shows unveiled at the upfronts: Fox’s limited series 24: Live Another Day and TNT series Legends. He also has series Homeland on Showtime and high-profile FX pilot Tyrant. The same goes for Imagine TV, which produces 24: Live Another Day and new Fox drama series Gang Related in addition to Parenthood on NBC, Those Who Kill on A&E and Arrested Development on Netflix. Alloy Entertainment added to returning TVD two new shows, TVD spinoff The Originals and The 100. John Davis and John Fox’s Davis Entertainment landed two new drama series at NBC, the much talked about Blacklist and Ironside. Alon Aranya (Red Widow) executive produces two new drama series, CBS’ Hostages and ABC’s Betrayal, the latter through Scripted World, his company with Rob Golenberg. The same week the Ben Silverman-produced The Office ended its run, he landed a new scripted series, Killer Women on ABC. His Electus also has new TNT reality series The Hero, which was highlighted at the Turner upfront, and summer NBC reality series Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls. Conan O’Brien’s Conaco also had shows at the ABC and Turner upfront, Super Fun Night and TBS’ The Midnight Show With Pete Holmes, respectively.
Comedy kings Chuck Lorre and Seth MacFarlane both added to their portfolio. Lorre is the co-writer/executive producer of CBS’ new comedy Mom and has the returning The Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men and Mike & Molly. MacFarlane executive produces Fox’s new comedy Dads, along with Family Guy and American Dad.
Expanding his footprint on the drama side is Dick Wolf, adding Chicago Fire spinoff Chicago PD to returning Law & Order: SVU and Chicago Fire. (Additionally, the company has comedy pilot Girlfriend In A Coma, which will be produced off-cycle.) Producers Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills also are shepherding three NBC series, new comedy Sean Saves The World starring Hayes, returning Grimm and summer reality series Hollywood Game Night in addition to TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland and The Soul Man. And Jerry Bruckheimer TV added new drama Hostages to returning CSI and The Amazing Race.
Set to juggle two broadcast series each next season are Jason Katims (Parenthood and new comedy About A Boy), Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis with Once Upon A Time and upcoming spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy and red-hot Scandal), Mike Schur (new Fox comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks & Recreation) and Kevin Williamson (The Following, TVD). Additionally, Greg Garcia is creator of new CBS series The Millers and Fox’s Raising Hope. Amblin/DreamWorks TV has fall ABC drama Lucky 7 and CBS’ summer series Under The Dome in addition to FX’s The Americans, Showtime’s The Borgias and TNT’s Falling Skies. Shane Brennan has new TNT series King & Maxwell, officially unveiled this week, and CBS’ NCIS: LA.
Director David Semel had three pilots picked up to series this upfront: He directed/executive produced CBS’ Intelligence and TNT’s Legends and executive produced NBC’s Ironside. James Burrows is once again the undisputed comedy pilot directing king. Three of the four multi-camera pilots he helmed this season went to series, NBC’s Sean Saves The World and CBS’ Friends With Better Lives and The Millers. That means that the pilots for 3 out of the 5 new comedy series for next season (or 60%) were directed by the veteran helmer (Fox’s Dads was picked up straight to series.)
3 Arts landed a series order for new Fox comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine and has another pilot in serious contention, NBC’s Craig Robinson. (The company also has returning series The Mindy Project and Parks And Recreation and 9 cable series.) Similarly, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky executive produce newly picked-up ABC comedy series Trophy Wife and CBS pilot Bad Teacher, which is pending a series pickup. (The duo also have upcoming HBO comedy series Hello Ladies). Additionally, Will Gluck’s Olive Bridge produces NBC’s Michael J. Fox Show and has CBS comedy pilot The McCarthys, which likely will be retooled; and Peter Tolan executive produces/runs new Fox drama Rake and co-wrote/exec produced another CBS comedy pilot that is being retooled, the Jim Gaffigan one. And Brillstein Entertainment is behind new ABC drama series Resurrection and NBC pilot Wonderland.
Related: PILOT SEASON 2013: The Overachievers
BY THE NUMBERS:
(Pods/Independent production companies with multiple shows on the broadcast nets next season + summer):
Bad Robot: 4 (Revolution, Person of Interest, Believe, Almost Human)
Chuck Lorre Prods.: 4 (Two And A Half Men, Mom, The Big Gang Theory, Mom)
3 Arts: 3 (The Mindy Project, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Kapital Entertainment: 3 (Neighbors, Back In The Game, Friends With better Lives)
Wolf Films: 3 (Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD)
Jerry Bruckheimer TV: 3 (CSI, Hostages, The Amazing Race)
Alloy Entertainment: 3 (Vampire Diaries, The Originals, The 100)
Imagine TV: 3 (Parenthood, Gang Related, 24: Live Another Day)
Hazy Mills: 3 (Sean Saves The World, Grimm, Hollywood Game Night)
Fake Empire: 2 (Hart Of Dixie, The Carrie Diaries)
Mark Gordon Co.: 2 (Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds)
Shondaland (Shonda Rhimes): 2 (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal)
Doozer: 2 (Undateable, Surviving Jack)
Davis Entertainment 2 (Blacklist, Ironside)
Berlanti Prods.: 2 (Tomorrow People, Arrow)
Timberman Beverly: 2 (Elementary, Unforgettable)
The Tannenbaum Co.: 2 (Two And A Half Men, We Are Men)
Amblin TV/DreamWorks TV: 2 (Lucky 7, Under The Dome)
True Jack Prods. (Jason Katims): 2 (About A Boy, Parenthood)
Wonderland Sound and Vision: 2 (Nikita, Supernatural)
BBC Worldwide Prods.: 2 (Us And Them, Dancing With The Stars)
Electus: 2 (Killer Women, Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls)
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