# Will these (TV)pilots fly or crash? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952 "2012-03-06T18:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/1 "2012-03-06T18:42:06Z")
[Here is a link to upcoming television pilots.](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-pilots-2012-complete-guide-287221) Just by seeing the descriptions, which ones do you think will make the grade, and which ones do you think will never see the light of day? ---
**Author:** ![Unix\_Geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unix_geek/32/19368_2.png) [@Unix\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unix_Geek)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/2 "2012-03-06T18:48:22Z")
The only one that I would be willing to sit down and watch is “Friday Night Dinner” and that’s just because I really like Tony Shaloub and Allison Janney. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/3 "2012-03-06T18:53:42Z")
I like that they are willing to try ideas that have never been tried before…like that one with Roseanne Barr and John Goodman playing a lower income couple in a half hour comedy-sheer genius! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/4 "2012-03-06T18:58:03Z")
_Untitled Martin Lawrence Project_ will not get a slot. I’m calling it now! ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/5 "2012-03-06T19:06:03Z")
Half of the shows seem to be adaptations of British series, and a bunch of the ones that aren’t are obviously inspired by recent British successes (Gilded Lily is American Downton Abbey, Elementary is American Sherlock). Second British invasion? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/6 "2012-03-06T19:10:56Z")
> [@Unix\_Geek](#): > > The only one that I would be willing to sit down and watch is “Friday Night Dinner” and that’s just because I really like Tony Shaloub and Allison Janney. Pretty much my reasoning for giving “Last Resort” a chance. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/7 "2012-03-06T19:13:40Z")
Here are the ones that I would give a chance to and why: The Selection - Sounds interesting and I like Aimee Teagarden Joey Dakota - Probably would suck, but I like time travel stuff Cult - Rockne O’Bannon with the Schwartz/Savage team, and T-Bag is in it? Wow… The Carrie Diaries - Schwartz/Savage again, and I like AnnaSophia Robb, hopefully it would be better than Sex in the City Beauty and the Beast (theres TWO with this title?) - I will watch Nicole Anderson in anything, Kristin Kreuk is pretty cool too Arrow - I would give it a shot, but I don’t put a lot of stock in TV superhero things – Willa Holland is in it, at least Untitled Karyn Usher Project - Sound interesting The Asset - Jamie Chung is great. Rebounding - Aly Michalka is great. Revolution - Could be good Midnight Sun - Well that sounds cool, and I wondered what had happened to Julia Stiles. Bad Girls - It might be good - I like Amy Smart too Save Me - It would probably be terrible, but I would check it out The New Normal - I give all of Ryan Murphy’s shows a shot, but I doubt I would really like it Isabel - The description would make me watch at least one episode Daddy’s Girls - Brenda Song is in it Elementary - The guy from Hackers and Lucy Liu!? Untitled Louis CK, Spike Feresten - Ashley Tisdale is in it Zero Hour - It sounds good Nashville - Hayden Panettiere as a country singer! Last Resort - I don’t know if this has a shot, but it’s my favourite on the list. It sounds really good, plus I like a lot of the cast Gotham - Sounds like it would be worth seeing Untitled Mandy Moore - I LOVE Mandy Moore ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/8 "2012-03-06T19:23:30Z")
The older I get, the more I think that descriptions like this aren’t all that important. Any of these shows (I haven’t read the whole list yet) could be great or could suck, depending on the execution. There’s some alchemy of actors and writers that sometimes rises above the setting. > [@Unix\_Geek](#): > > The only one that I would be willing to sit down and watch is “Friday Night Dinner” and that’s just because I really like Tony Shaloub and Allison Janney. They worked together in _Big Night_; that turned out okay. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/9 "2012-03-06T19:37:40Z")
Last Resort sounds fucking awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/10 "2012-03-06T19:38:06Z")
Living Loaded is the only one I’d give a chance simply because it has the guys from It’s Always Sunny on board. Although their cartoon show sucks. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/11 "2012-03-06T20:00:18Z")
A one-sentence summary isn’t much to go one, but most of them sound very familiar to me. And this description of J. J. Abrams’ “Revolution” has me scratching my head: “Follows a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where **all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist**.” (Bolding mine) What? I hope they come up with a better explanation in the actual pilot, because that makes no sense at all. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/12 "2012-03-06T20:39:10Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > A one-sentence summary isn’t much to go one, but most of them sound very familiar to me. And this description of J. J. Abrams’ “Revolution” has me scratching my head: > > “Follows a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where **all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist**.” > > (Bolding mine) What? I hope they come up with a better explanation in the actual pilot, because that makes no sense at all. Including kinetic? Because that would be a little difficult to pull off. ---
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/13 "2012-03-06T20:47:30Z")
A bunch of them seem like retreads of retreads, but the one that really made me go, “Oh come on now” was the one with Reba McIntyre. Didn’t she already basically make that show, except this time she moves away from the ex? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/14 "2012-03-06T20:47:53Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Including kinetic? Because that would be a little difficult to pull off. It’s a difficult premise, but it has potential. ---
**Author:** ![Unix\_Geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unix_geek/32/19368_2.png) [@Unix\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unix_Geek)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/15 "2012-03-06T21:01:53Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > A one-sentence summary isn’t much to go one, but most of them sound very familiar to me. And this description of J. J. Abrams’ “Revolution” has me scratching my head: > > “Follows a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where **all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist**.” > > (Bolding mine) What? I hope they come up with a better explanation in the actual pilot, because that makes no sense at all. Sounds like the Dies the Fire novels by S. M. Stirling. Basically the premise is that combustion no longer works. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/16 "2012-03-06T22:04:35Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It’s a difficult premise, but it has potential. That was horrible and you have shamed your family. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/17 "2012-03-06T22:22:38Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It’s a difficult premise, but it has potential. Shocking! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/18 "2012-03-06T22:30:17Z")
_Only Fools and Horses!_ What the hell? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/19 "2012-03-06T22:45:01Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It’s a difficult premise, but it has potential. DAMN YOU for stealing my joke! I’d find a better one but I just don’t have the…meh. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952/20 "2012-03-06T22:46:34Z")
> [@](#): > > 1600 Penn > Logline: What happens when you’re the most ordinary family in the world but your father is the president of the United States? A modern family-type of show set in the White House where all the kids are far from perfect. > Cast: Bill Pullman, Josh Gad, Brittany Snow, Andre Holland Bill Pullman as the president of the United States? It’s been done. > [@](#): > > Guilty > Logline: Centers on a smart and ethically questionable defense attorney who uses his unique methods to solve cases he’s been banned from handling after he’s stripped of his license to practice law after being falsely convicted of fraud. > Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Eva Amurri Martino, Julian Morris So it’s “Phoenix Wright: The Series”? > [@](#): > > The Selection > Logline: Based on the forthcoming series of books by Kiera Cass, The Selection is an epic romance set 300 years in the future which centers on a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads. > Cast: Aimee Teegarden, Ethan Peck, Sean Patrick Thomas That sounds awfully like Padme’s backstory from Star Wars Episode I. No good can come of this. > [@](#): > > Arrow > Logline: Based on the DC Comics title, published by DC Entertainment, this hourlong drama is a modern retelling of the legendary DC Comics character Green Arrow. > Cast: Stephen Amell, Paul Blackthorne (second position to ABC’s The River), Jamey Sheridan, David Ramsey, Colin Donnell, Susanna Thompson, Katie Cassidy, Willa Holland I’ve always wondered why there’s never been a screen version of Green Arrow. I’m cautiously optimistic about this, but it’ll probably suck. > [@](#): > > Logline: A partying blogger is forced to change career plans when he becomes a radio host. > Cast: Donald Sutherland, Mike Vogel (second position to Pan Am), Michael Friedman, Larry Wilmore, Anna Marie Horsford, Kaitlyn Black, Sugar Lyn Beard If they were looking for “hard-partying SOB”, they cast the wrong Sutherland. > [@](#): > > Do No Harm > Logline: A brilliant neurosurgeon wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and processional life. > Cast: Steven Pasquale, Phylicia Rashad, Alana De La Garza, Mousa Kraish, Michael Esper, Ruta Gedmintas A brilliant doctor with mental problems? There’s certainly _nothing_ like that on TV right now. > [@](#): > > Beautiful People > Logline: An imaginative and thematically rich ensemble “what-if” drama set 10 minutes in the future where families of mechanical human beings exist to service the human population – until some of the mechanicals begin to “awaken.” > Cast: James Murray, Patrick Heusinger, Frances Conroy, Andrea Parker, Jud Tylor, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Madisen Beatey, Cody Christian, David Conrad, Tovah Feldshuh, Ernie Hudson (r) Terminator, Blade Runner, Battlestar Galactica, Westworld, the Matrix, With Folded Hands. How “imaginative” can it be if I can name half a dozen works with the same plot right off the top of my head? > [@](#): > > Untitled Jimmy Fallon > Logline: Three thirtysomething guys who enjoy the adventures of parenting despite the fact that they haven’t grown up themselves. > Cast: Jesse Bradford, Anthony Anderson, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Zach Cregger “Arrested Development 2: Electric Boogaloo”. > [@](#): > > Susan 313 (previously the untitled Sarah Silverman project) > Logline: Revolves around a woman readjusting to single life following a decadelong live-in relationship. Loosely based on Silverman’s life. > Cast: Sarah Silverman, Jeff Goldblum, Harris Wittels, June Raphael, Tig Notaro, Ken Leung A single camera comedy starring Sarah Silverman and loosely based around her own life? We haven’t had one of those before. > [@](#): > > Animal Kingdom > Logline: An office comedy revolving around a House-like veterinarian who loves animals but typically hates their owners. > Cast: Justin Kirk, Tyler Labine, Bobby Lee, Amy Huberman So that’s two House ripoffs so far. > [@](#): > > Friend Me > Logline: Twentysomething best friends Evan and Rob move from their hometown of Bloomington, Ind., to L.A. to begin their new lives working at Groupon. Evan has trouble breaking his old slothful habits and rather than go out after work to explore L.A. and meet new people, prefers to play online poker with his friends back home. Rob has different plans and is determined to drag Evan, kicking and screaming, along with him. > Cast: Parvesh Cheena So it’s a half-hour commercial for Groupon? Did Hollywood learn _nothing_ from “Cavemen”? > [@](#): > > Zero Hour > Logline: A bizarre twist of fate pulls a man who’s spent 20 years as the editor of a skeptics magazine into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history. > Cast: Scott Michael Foster, Addison Timlin That’s basically just the first 50 pages of the Illuminatus! trilogy. > [@](#): > > Untitled Roland Emmerich drama > Logline: An astrophysics grad student in NYC learns that he is the chosen one to destroy the forces of evil. > Cast: Max Thieriot, Martin Landau, Yaya DaCosta, Gabriella Wilde, Linus Roache, Laila Robins, Monique Curnen It’s a Roland Emmerich drama. Of COURSE it’s set in NYC. It’s not as though Omaha has many notable landmarks to blow up with CGI. > [@](#): > > Untitled Roland Emmerich drama > Logline: An astrophysics grad student in NYC learns that he is the chosen one to destroy the forces of evil. > Cast: Max Thieriot, Martin Landau, Yaya DaCosta, Gabriella Wilde, Linus Roache, Laila Robins, Monique Curnen Unless he’s going to be driving around offering schoolchildren rides and free candy, I don’t think “white van man” has quite the connotations that the producers of this show think it has. > [@](#): > > Untitled Dan Fogelman project > Logline: Centers on a family that moves into a coveted New Jersey gated community only to discover that the entire neighborhood is comprised of aliens disguised as humans. > Cast: Lenny Venito, Jami Gertz, Simon Templeman, Toks Olagundoye, Tim Jo, Max Charles, Isabella Cramp, Clara Mamet, Ian Patrick I think that was the plot of a Goosebumps book, but the fact that Simon “Teyrn Loghain” Templeman is in it, presumably playing one of the aliens, makes me cautiously intrigued. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-these-tv-pilots-fly-or-crash/614952.md?page=2)