#notgoingforward

[pilotseason2019]

JANE THE NOVELA (rejected as series)

Envisioned as a soapy, telenovela-inspired anthology series in the tradition of Jane the Virgin, where each season is based on a different fictional novel “written by” Jane Villanueva and narrated by the author herself. The first installment takes place at a Napa Valley Vineyard, where family secrets (and family members) don’t stay buried for long.

Cast (thus far)

Jacqueline Grace Lopez (East Los High) as Estela, an up and coming art curator who has spent years playing it safe and coloring within the lines. But a shocking secret changes everything and forces her to live a double life. (Feb 27)

Remy Hii (Marco Polo) as Luen, Estela’s sweet, dependable, long-term boyfriend who is head of security at the vineyard. When the life he’s planned for himself and Estela is threatened by Felix, Luen will stop at nothing to win back the woman he loves. (Mar 18)

Hunter Parrish (Weeds) as Felix, Napa’s most eligible bachelor and heir apparent to his family’s winery. Although his future looks bright, Felix is tortured by the secrets of his past. (Mar 15)

Ivonne Coll (Jane the Virgin) as Camila, Estela’s adoptive mother. Camila would do anything to protect her daughter and the life they have built, even lie to her. (Mar 18)

Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) as Renata, Felix’s manipulative and glamorous mother who co-owns the winery with him, and who will stop at nothing to secure her son’s legacy, even if it means standing in the way of his happiness. (Mar 6)

Benito Martinez (The Shield) as Raul, the winery’s enigmatic riddler. Nobody knows Napa’s terroir like he does – he specializes in collecting dirt on everyone. (Mar 18)

Holland Roden (Teen Wolf) as Sienna, Felix’s not-so-regular sister who is determined to save the world, one endangered animal at a time; hopefully using her family’s moolah. (Mar 18)

Genre: Anthology Dramedy

Created by: Valentina Garza.

Directed by: Brad Silberling.

Produced by: Gina Rodriguez, Brad Silberling, Jennie Snyder Urman, Ben Silverman & Valentina Garza.

Studios: CBS Television Studios

Primetimer Pilot Preview

[pilotseason2019]

REPUBLIC OF SARAH (rejected as series)

A small New Hampshire town is thrust onto the world stage when the discovery of a valuable resource within its borders compels the residents to declare themselves an independent nation, thus setting the unlikely young mayor and her cabinet of inexperienced locals on the path of running a brand-new country.

Cast (thus far)

Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy) as Sarah Cooper, the titular beating heart of The Republic of Sarah. She’s a quintessential New Englander: sharply intelligent, fiercely loyal, and always willing to lend a hand. She’s hesitant to step into the spotlight at first, but her quiet strength and innate leadership begin to flourish after external forces threaten her community and her way of life. (Mar 5)

Daniel Ings (Instinct) as Danny. After enduring a difficult childhood at the hands of his mother, Danny returns to his hometown as the harbinger of its demise. A mining company lawyer tasked with negotiating the acquisition of Morrisville’s newly discovered mineral resource, Danny must confront the faces of his troubled past… including his sister, Sarah , and her best friend, Corinne… Danny’s “one that got away.” (Mar 13)

Annie Funke (Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders) as Corinne, Sarah’s devoted, bubbly best friend. Like Sarah, Corinne is a teacher in the town and possesses warmth, wit, and savvy. But Corinne is also the only person in town who truly understands the truth of Sarah’s relationship with her mother and the complicated past with Danny. (Mar 13)

Jonathan Slavin (Dr. Ken) as Eugene, a brilliant, bizarre librarian who is a resident of this small New Hampshire town. Eugene’s hummingbird energy and encyclopedic knowledge of sociopolitical minutiae make him an invaluable asset to Sarah and her team as the brand-new government of Morrisville gets up and running. (Mar 4)

Kimberly Guerrero (Longmire) as Mary, a self-reliant badass whose steady support has made her the strong maternal figure in Sarah’s life that Sarah always wished her own mother would be. When Morrisville declares its independence, Mary becomes part of the group that governs the new nation, which forces her to “play with others” in a way that’s both unfamiliar and uncomfortable for a lone wolf like her. (Mar 8)

Carlos Leal (Better Call Saul) as Luis, an artist who moved to Morrisville from Miami to find a quiet place to paint. He had settled into rural life nicely — before his world was turned upside down by the arrival of his 14-year-old daughter, Maya. Luis has a lot to learn when it comes to raising a teenage girl, but he gets plenty of help from Sarah along the way. (Mar 4)

Kirsten Nelson (Psych) as Francine, Morrisville’s sheriff. Unflappable and resolute, Francine lives her life according to old-school principals of honor and duty, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind when she feels those principals are being ignored. She is an important member of Sarah’s new government, but that position becomes imperiled when her illicit romance with a married Morrisville citizen goes public. (Mar 7)

James Lesure (Men at Work) as Tim, an aloof banker who splits his time between Wall Street and a rustic getaway in New Hampshire. Tim has always been the smartest and most powerful guy in any Morrisville room, until the town chooses – against his advice – to put its faith in Sarah and her plan for independence. Tim quickly becomes a thorn in Sarah’s side as he fights to stop her and her brand new nation. (Mar 7)

photos posted by Drew suggest that Christine Lahti, Nick Wechsler, John Finn, and Victoria Platt also had roles in this pilot (presumably with Lahti as Sarah’s mother Ellen)

Genre: Political Drama

Created by: Jeff King.

Directed by: Marc Webb.

Produced by: Leo Pearlman, Jeff Grosvenor, Jeff King, James Corden & Marc Webb.

Studios: CBS Television Studios & Fulwell 72.

Primetimer Pilot Preview

[pilotseason2019]

WOMAN UP (rejected as series)

Two former teen moms have worked their asses off to see their daughters all the way through high school graduation. Now, at 35, they’re ready to make up for the youth they never had.

Cast (thus far)

Mary-Elizabeth Ellis (The Grinder) as Liz. (Feb 26)

Tawny Newsome (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) as Phoebe. (Feb 26)

Tate Moore (newcomer) as young Liz. (Mar 15)

Bryce Charles (Black-ish) as young Phoebe. (Mar 15)

Abby Quinn (Good Girls Get High) will play Liz’s daughter Grace. (Feb 26)

Gabrielle Elyse (Snatchers) as Phoebe’s daughter Angela. (Feb 26)

Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry) as Phoebe’s mom Edna. (Feb 26)

Leon Thomas III (Victorious) as Jeff, Phoebee and Liz’s younger neighbor in their apartment building. (Mar 5)

Genre: Single-Camera Comedy

Created by: Zoe Lister-Jones.

Directed by: Zoe Lister-Jones.

Produced by: Zoe Lister-Jones, Jason Winer, Jon Radler & Liz Meriwether.

Studios: 20th Century Fox Television, Small Dog Picture Company, Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures & Lister Films.

[pilotseason2019]

UNTIL THE WEDDING (rejected as series)

The story of how one couple’s decision to get married can affect everyone in their lives. The show will explore the intimate relationships of a group of friends and family as they are forced to reckon with their own romantic lives and come to terms with the realities of love and marriage.

Cast (thus far)

Olivia Thirlby (Goliath) as Adrienne, the one all her friends go to first for advice. She’s super empathic and warm with a biting sense of humor. Idealistic, ambitious and really smart, Adrienne has an especially high IQ. She’s a highly skilled psychologist who’s sometimes better at taking care of other people than she is of herself. A trauma specialist, she’s still a little commitment-phobic after a terrible breakup with a fellow do-gooder she met in Kenya two years ago. She regrouped back home in New York and fell in love with a stable, menschy guy. When the fellow do-gooder makes an unexpected reappearance at the moment the mensch is about to propose, Adrienne is thrown for a loop and her world goes topsy turvy. (Feb 28)

E.J. Bonilla (Unforgettable) as Danny Garcia is a serious mensch, warm, funny, wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s not afraid to say what he thinks or express emotion. He’s the kind of guy who was born 40, and then had to shoulder a lot of responsibility growing up. Super-smart and tech savvy, Danny came from nothing. He built an online fraud detection company that’s about to go public, but he’s a family guy first. He’s a romantic, and madly in love with his girlfriend Adrienne. Things get complicated when Adrienne’s ex-boyfriend shows up on the weekend Danny plans to propose. (Mar 1)

Christian Borle (Smash) as Miles, Adrienne’s charming, highly accomplished brother and stay-at-home dad. (Mar 15)

Michael Benjamin Washington (30 Rock) as Sam, Miles’ husband. (Mar 11)

Britt Lower (Man Seeking Woman) as Naomi, Adrienne’s roommate and best friend. Defiantly single, defiant in general — there’s nothing Naomi loves more than a good fight. Smart, uncensored, very funny, Naomi’s an up- and-coming writer with a new book of essays that’s getting serious traction. Though Naomi would say anything to anyone, there are very few people she truly lets in. A fiercely loyal friend, Naomi would go to the end of Earth for the people she loves. (Mar 4)

Liza Colón-Zayas (Titans) as Nancy, Danny and Laura’s mother. (Mar 11)

Vered Blonstein (The Good Doctor) as Laura, Danny’s sister. (Mar 11)

Michael Stahl-David (The Deuce) as Will, Adrienne’s ex and an incredible surgeon. (Mar 11)

Christian Coulson (Nashville) as James, Will’s sexy international friend and plus-one at the wedding, who is an investor in Nick’s restaurant. (Mar 12)

Trent Garrett (Andi Mack) as Nick. (Mar 11)

Juani Feliz (Shades of Blue) as Isabel. (Mar 11)

Genre: Relationship Drama

Created by: Becky Mode.

Based on: an Israeli format.

Directed by: Susannah Grant.

Produced by: Becky Mode, Alon Aranya, Avi Zvi, Ami Amir, Carl Beverly & Sarah Timberman.

Studios: ABC Studios, Paper Plane Productions, Reshet Media & Timberman-Beverly Productions.

Primetimer Pilot Preview

[pilotseason2019]

HANNAH (rejected as series)

The story of Hannah and her Indian-American immigrant father Sid. They always have been close, but after she admits to herself that she’s in a dead-end job and he reveals his marriage is over, they’re starting over together and each finding a new path. This new chapter will either make them crazy close — or just crazy.

Cast (thus far)

Hannah Simone (New Girl) as Hannah. (Oct 31, 2018)

Art Malik (The Jewel in the Crown) as Sid, a newly retired and once-adventurous man who has fallen into a routine. But he is still enthusiastic and gung-ho for all things American and fond of Western wear. Sid had moved to the United States so that his family could have a better life, and he is bursting with pride at Hannah’s many accomplishments. However, all is not as it seems, and when Sid learns that Hannah is in pretty dire straits, he becomes razor-focused, calling on his keen organizational skills to make sure Hannah doesn’t fall down on the job. (Mar 25, Variety)

Jane Leeves (Frasier) as Caroline. She is New Age-y with a fondness for crystals and meditation, the type who “really wants to know your sign.” She is also effusive, warm, a bit batty and flamboyant, but well-meaning. She stuns her grown children by announcing she and Sid are divorced and she has fallen in love with someone new…herself. (Feb 26)

Deniz Akdeniz (Once Upon a Time) as Jack. Vain and manicured, yet hip-hop, Jack lives in a townhouse next door to his parents and drives a BMW. He looks up to his big sister Hannah but can’t believe she hasn’t figured out that success equals getting paid. (Mar 14)

Alanna Ubach (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce) as Susan, the family’s closest friend, filled with confidence and booze and always over-the-top. Susan can be counted on to say exactly the wrong thing at all times. (Feb 27)

Genre: Single-Camera Comedy

Created by: Matt Fusfeld, Alex Cuthbertson & Hannah Simon.

Directed by: Todd Holland.

Produced by: Matt Fusfeld, Alex Cuthbertson & Hannah Simon.

Studios: ABC Studios

[pilotseason2019]

NEW YORK UNDERCOVER (rejected at ABC, being shopped around)

Detectives Nat Gilmore and Melissa Ortiz investigate New York City’s most dangerous criminals from Harlem to Battery Park.

Cast (thus far)

Malik Yoba will reprise his role as J.C. Williams, now overseeing the NYC’s Fourth Precinct and the next generation of detectives. (Feb 22)

Luna Lauren Vélez will reprise her role as Nina Moreno. She has retired as a detective but still has ties to the unit. (Feb 26)

Otmara Marrero (StartUp) as Melissa Ortiz, a fiery young detective who blends well undercover. (Mar 12)

Toby Sandeman (The Royals) as Nat Gilmore, charismatic with an easy smile and a quick fuse. (Mar 12)

MC Lyte (Power) as Lt. April Freeman, a hard-driving boss with a genius IQ. (Mar 12)

Anna Enger (Chicago Med) as Lisa Kim an ambitious climber. (Mar 12)

Octavio Pizano (If Loving You Is Wrong) as Moses Hernandez, an eager beaver with a hero complex. (Mar 12)

Fat Joe (Night School) as Beto, a villainous gangster. (Mar 22, Variety)

Genre: Crime Drama

Created by: Dick Wolf & Ben Watkins.

Based on: the 1990s series.

Directed by: Anthony Hemingway.

Produced by: Arthur Forney, Peter Jankowski, Anthony Hemingway, Dick Wolf & Ben Watkins.

Studios: Universal Television, ABC Studios & Wolf Films.

Primetimer Pilot Preview

[pilotseason2019]

UNTITLED LESLIE ODOM, JR. PROJECT (rejected as series)

Omari and Hope are joint pastors at a young, hip, diverse church in Los Angeles. Through their services, online streams and books they are experts at uniting people across different races, genders, orientations and opinions. But when it comes to uniting the people in their blended family (they have a combined four children), they are way out of their comfort zone and as a result, the teachers often find themselves the pupils.

Cast (thus far)

Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) as Omari. (Oct 31, 2018)

Kelly Jenrette (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Hope. (Mar 7)

Alexis Fields (Moesha) as Nikkina. (Mar 11)

Hailey Kilgore (Once on this Island) as Lisa, Omari’s biological daughter. (Mar 12)

Lilah Richcreek (Grace & Frankie) as Angela, Hope’s spirited and flirtatious assistant. (Mar 18)

Genre: Multicamera Comedy

Created by: Saladin K. Patterson.

Directed by: Fred Savage.

Produced by: Kerry Washington, Saladin K. Patterson, Pilar Savone & Leslie Odom Jr.

Studios: ABC Studios & Simpson Street.

[pilotseason2019]

NANA (rejected as series)

After the death of his wife, an obsessive, overprotective dad is forced to invite his brash and bawdy mother-in-law into his home to help raise the two granddaughters she barely knows.

Cast (thus far)

Katey Sagal (Married... with Children) as Nana, Alex’s brash and bawdy mother-in-law. (Feb 4)

Ben Lawson (Designated Survivor) as Alex, a fire chief in Indianapolis who clearly is in over his head with the girls but is reluctant to hire help and can’t imagine letting a stranger look after his children. Overly protective and a bit controlling, the last thing he wants is to welcome his late wife’s chaotic, disruptive and inappropriate mother into the home. After seeing Nana interacting with the girls, he’s forced to reconsider his stance; she might be exactly what the family needs in the face of their recent loss. (Mar 15)

Josh Cooke (Grace and Frankie) was cast in the role on Feb 22, but was recast after the table read for the pilot 

Bill Bellamy (Def Comedy Jam) as Burke, Alex’s enthusiastic co-worker- this firefighter isn’t the brightest bulb but he’s a great pal and sounding board for Alex. He was so eager to rescue a cat in a tree and get a taste of some “real action” that he accidentally crashed into another engine at the scene. He has a crush on Audrey and is secretly sleeping with her, unbeknownst to Alex. (Mar 11)

Genre: Multicamera Hybrid Comedy

Created by: Lon Zimmet.

Directed by: Andy Ackerman.

Produced by: Lon Zimmet, Katey Sagal, Ted Melfi, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Laura Lancaster & Kimberly Quinn.

Studios: 20th Century FOX Television, ABC Studios, Goldenlight Films & Alcon Entertainment.