Pilot Season Lingo Guide (Including The 'Scary' Second Position), Plus A List Of Picked-Up Pilots

Pilot season is here, meaning the networks are taking stock of their needs for 2012-13 and getting the ball rolling toward filling any gaps.

With development season about to get really interesting — meaning it's time to start booking living, breathing actors for these wannabe series! — we thought it might help to define some of the lingo that gets tossed around.

Here are the basic terms you should know as pilot season forges on.

Also: Review Our Ongoing List of This Season's Pilots for ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC

PILOT | You really want get basic, eh? When a network orders (or "picks up") a pilot, they're asking its writers/producers/studio to cast and produce a very close facsimile of what their series' first episode will look like. Each pilot is reviewed by network brass, and then typically put into testing before a decision is made on whether it will land on the schedule (for fall or midseason).

PLANTED SPIN-OFF | Also called a "backdoor" pilot, this is an episode of an existing series that sets up a prospective offshoot. Last year, Bones introduced a pal of Booth's who went on to become The Finder. And if The Office this spring conspicuously centers an episode on the Schrute beet farm's bed and breakfast, that'd be a planted pilot for the Dwight-centric spin-off. Free History Lesson: That Brady Bunch episode with new neighbor Ken Berry adopting three orphans? That was a planted pilot, for a spin-off to be called Kelly's Kids that never took off. Same with that Las Vegas episode set at the Montecito's New Orleans outpost manned by Dennis Hopper.

DRAMA/COMEDY PRESENTATION | Occasionally, due to time or budget restraints, a network won't order a full-on pilot but rather a "presentation" offering a not-quite-complete drama or a taste of what a sitcom would look like. The CW's Hellcats was a recent instance of a lean drama presentation that earned a series order.

CAST-CONTINGENT/CAST CONTINGENCY | Sometimes a network will order a pilot with the caveat that production can't start until a suitable, usually "name" actor has been cast in the starring role. (A possible translation: "The premise is iffy, but a big star could really help sell it.") So you'll sometimes hear that with the casting of so-and-so, "the cast contingency has been lifted" on a pilot. (The sorta flip-side is an "if-come deal," meaning the major players are pre-signed and rarin' to go the instant the network OKs the pilot itself.)

SECOND POSITION | These are perhaps the two words that makes fans of "bubble" shows most nervous each spring, as stars from underperforming series start booking pilots (provided they get the OK from their current bosses). The term literally means that the pilot role is in second position (or priority), should their current show be renewed. For example, going back to 2010: CBS' Mad Love pilot was in second position for Tyler Labine, who at the time was (well, theoretically) waiting to hear on Sons of Tucson's fate. (Similarly, Sons of Tucson the year prior was in second position to Labine's Reaper.) More recently, Damon Wayans Jr. last spring booked a lead on Fox's New Girl, but when ABC granted Happy Endings a Season 2, New Girl had to replace his character. An actor booking a second position gig doesn't always mean his/her current show is doomed... though it often tends to. Variation: A "safe second" means the pilot's bosses have been discreetly all-but-assured that the actor in question will be available.

UPFRONTS | This is the week in mid-May when the networks take turns unveiling their schedules for next season — including the pilots that have been ordered to series. With rare exception (e.g. Fox's Breaking In), if your show doesn't make the cut here, it's (gulp) officially a goner.

And now, our running update of pilots ordered for the 2012-13 TV season, going network by network....

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Our running update of pilots ordered for the 2012-13 TV season, going network by network (EP = executive producer, W = writer, DIR = the pilot's director):

666 Park Ave (Warner Bros/Alloy)

W/EP: David Wilcox (Fringe)

EP: Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo

DIR: Alex Graves

CAST: Terry O'Quinn (Lost), Vanessa Williams (Desperate Housewives), Mercedes Masohn (The Finder), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters), Rachael Taylor (Grey's Anatomy),

Based on Alloy's book series by Gabriella Pierce, the show is set up at a historic apartment buildings in New York City and centers on a young couple who become its managers. They unwittingly begin to experience supernatural occurrences, which complicate and endanger the lives of everyone in the residence.

Americana (ABC Studios/Mark Gordon)

W/EP: Michael Seitzman (North Country)

EP: Mark Gordon, Nicholas Pepper

DIR: Phillip Noyce

CAST: Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace), Christine Adams (Terra Nova), David Alpay (The Borgias), Ashley Greene (Twilight), Emilie de Ravin (Lost), Annabeth Gish (Pretty Little Liars/The West Wing), Tiffany Hines (Nikita)

A soap set around a legendary fashion designer and his family and business.

Awesometown (20th Century Fox)

EP: Adam Sztykiel, Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone

CAST: Ben Rappaport (Outsourced), Nick Kocher (I Just Want My Pants Back), James Earl III (Glee), Dennis Miller (SNL)

Based on Sztykiel's own experiences in a long-distance relationship, the show follows a group of 24-year-old guys who move to a new city, one of them choosing to stay in relationship even though his girlfriend is now 2,000 miles away.

American Judy (ABC Studios)

W/EP: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont

EP: David Gardner, Peter Principato and Paul Young

CAST: Judy Greer (Producer), Ken Marino (Party Down), Mimi Kennedy (Dharma & Greg), Elaine Hendrix (Joan of Arcadia), Eric Ash

It centers on a cosmopolitan woman (Greer) who gets married and becomes a fish out of water in the suburbs having to juggle step-kids, her mother-in-law, and the ex-wife of her husband who also happens to be the town sheriff. The show is based on Judy's personal life.

 

Beauty and the Beast (ABC Studios)

W/EP: Jonathan E. Steinberg (Jericho)

EP: Gery Fleder, Mary Beth Basile

P: Gary Fleder

DIR: Yves Simoneau (V)

CAST: Ruth Bradley, Darius Campbell (as the Beast), Chris Egan (Kings), F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus), Wendy Crewson (ReGenesis, 24)

A period/fantastical reimagining of the classic fairy tale set in a mythical, dangerous world wherein a beautiful and tough Princess discovers an unlikely connection with a mysterious beast.

Counter Culture (Sony and ABC Studios)

W/EP: Stephnie Weir

EP: Claudia Lonow

CAST: Margo Martindale (A Gifted Man), Luis Guzman, Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond), Ken Howard (30 Rock)

The show revolves around three aging sisters running their family diner together in West Texas who find that sibling dynamics are always getting in the way of getting the job done.

 

Devious Maids (ABC Studios)

W/EP: Marc Cherry

EP: Paul Presburger, Sabrina Wind, Televisa's Michael Garcia and John Mass, Larry Shuman, David Lonner, Eva Longoria

DIR: Paul McGuigan

CAST: Dania Ramirez (Heroes), Judy Reyes (Scrubs), Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty), Rebecca Wisocky (American Horror Story), Roselyn Sanchez (Without A Trace), Brianna Brown (General Hospital), Susan Lucci (All My Children), Drew Van Acker (Pretty Little Liars), Brett Cullen (Damages), Grant Show (Swingtown), Mariana Klaveno (True Blood)

Based on the Mexican format, this soap follows four maids with ambition and dreams of their own while they work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills.

Gilded Lillys (ABC Studios)

W/EP: KJ Steinberg

EP: Shondaland (Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers)

CAST: Blythe Danner, Sarah Bolger (The Tudors) and Madeline Zima (Californication), Brian F. O'Byrne (Prime Suspect), John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood), Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights), Matt Long (Mad Men), Brigid Brannagh (Army Wives), Maury Sterling (Homeland)

Set in 1895, this epic love story follows the opening of the first grand luxury hotel in NY, against a backdrop of vicious family rivalries, scandalous secrets, and conflict and comingling of classes.

Gotham (20th Century TV)

EP: Michael Green, Erwin Stoff

DIR: Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend)

CAST: Megan Ketch, Lennie James (Jericho)

Centers on a female cop (Ketch) who, after pursuing a seemingly unsolvable case, discovers a magical world that exists within New York City.

How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life (20th/Imagine TV)

EP: Claudia Lonow (Accidentally on Purpose)

CAST: Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), Jon Dore, Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds), Rebecca Delgado Smith

An outrageous multi-camera comedy centering on Polly, a recently divorced, single mom, who moves in with her eccentric parents, Elaine and Max (Garrett), a couple who's full of life but knows no boundaries.

Last Resort (Sony Pictures TV)

EP/W: Shawn Ryan (The Shield)

W: Karl Gajdusek (The Shield)

DIR: Martin Campbell (Casino Royale)

CAST: Daniel Lissing, Andre Braugher (Homicide), Autumn Reeser (No Ordinary Family), Daisy Betts (Harry's Law), Scott Speedman (Felicity), Camille de Pazzis, Jessy Schram (Once Upon a Time), Max Adler (Glee), Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse), Bruce Davison (Covert Affairs)

A thriller set in the near future when the country is very fractured and revolves around the crew of a U.S. nuclear submarine who become hunted fugitives after ignoring an order to fire nuclear missiles.

Malibu Country (ABC Studios)

EP: Reba McEntire, Mindy Schultheis, Michael Hanel, Pam Williams, Dave Stewart and Narvel Blackstock

W: Kevin Abbott

CAST: Reba McEntire, Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect), Lily Tomlin

A recent divorcee moves her kids and mom from Nashville to Malibu, where she tries to reignite her singing career while keeping herself and her family kids from being corrupted by their materialistic new environs.

Nashville

W/EP: Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise)

DIR/EP: RJ Cutler (The September Issue)

CAST: Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson (General Hospital), Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), Eric Close (Without A Trace), Powers Boothe (Deadwood), Robert Wisdom (The Wire)

A family soap set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene that follows one star at her peak and one on the rise.

Only Fools And Horses (ABC Studios)

W: Steven Cragg, Brian Bradley

CAST: Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!). John Leguizamo, Dustin Ybarra, Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future)

Based on the British format. It follows the misadventures of two streetwise brothers who scrape by selling unreliable goods believing that at any moment they could become millionaires.

Penoza (ABC Studios, Endemol Studios)

EP: Melissa Rosenberg, Alon Aranya and Howard Klein

CAST: Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill), Lee Tergesen (Oz)

Based on the Dutch format. It centers on the widow (Mitchell) of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband's role in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family.

Prairie Dogs (ABC Studios)

W/EP: That '70s Show's Jackie and Jeff Filgo

CAST: Kal Penn (House), Michaela Watkins (SNL), Nick Zano (2 Broke Girls), Cary Elwes (Saw)

When an uncool cubicle worker is the victim of identity theft, he discovers the thief created a much more fulfilling life with his identity than he ever did — and thus  he engages the conman to help him change his life.

Scruples (Flame Ventures, WBTV)

W/EP: Bob Brush, Mel Harris

EP: Tony Krantz, Natalie Portman, Annette Savitch

DIR: Michael Sucsy (The Vow)

CAST: Claire Forlani (CSI: NY), Boris Kodjoe (Undercovers), Jessica McNamee, Karine Vanasse (Pan Am), Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill)

Based on the Judith Krantz novel, this sexy soap set in the late 1970s follows a socialite who, following the death of her husband, seeks to open a fashion forward boutique in the heart of Beverly Hills.

The Smart One

W/EP: Donald Todd (Samantha Who?)

EP: Ellen DeGeneres and Lauren Corrao (The Job)

CAST: Portia de Rossi, Malin Akerman, Jean Smart, David Arquette

A brilliant and successful woman begrudgingly goes to work for her less-brainy but more popular sister — a former beauty queen and weather girl who is now a big-city mayor.

 

Untitled Dan Fogelman Comedy

W/EP: Dan Fogelman

EP: Chris Koch and Aaron Kapan

DIR: Chris Koch

CAST: Jami Gertz (Still Standing), Simon Templeman, Toks Olagundoye, Tim Jo, Lenny Venito

Single-camera comedy pilot centered on a family who moves to an upscale New Jersey community only to discover their neighbors are actually aliens.

Untitled Mandy Moore Comedy (20th Century)

EP/DIR: Shawn Levy

EP: Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements

P: John Leshay

CAST: Mandy Moore, Majandra Delfino (Roswell), Stockard Channing (The West Wing), Kurt Fuller (Better With You), Eva La Rue (CSI: Miami), Nelson Franklin (Traffic Light), Erinn Hayes (Worst Week)

Centers on newlyweds who get the opportunity of a lifetime to run a hip, new restaurant in the wife's hometown, bringing her closer to her needy and high maintenance family.

Untitled Presidential Drama (Mark Gordon Co./ABC Studios)

EP: Mark Gordon

DIR: Roland Emmerich

W: Emmerich and Harald Kloser

CAST: Max Thieriot, Gabriella Wilde, Yaya DaCosta (Ugly Betty), Linus Roache (Law & Order), Martin Landau

The project is set in New York City against the backdrop of the Presidential race of 2012. It centers on a young astrophysics student who learns his destiny lies not in science but somewhere between Heaven and Hell.

White Van Man (ABC Studios/Mark Gordon Co.)

W: Bobby Bowman (My Name is Earl), Mark Gordon, Andrea Shay

DIR: Michael Fresco

CAST: JK Simmons, Danielle Nicolet (The Starter Wife), Kyle Bornheimer (Perfect Couples), Leah Remini (King of Queens), Edi Gathegi (House), Jonny Pemberton (Aim High)

Blue collar ensemble based on British series of the same name.

Zero Hour (ABC Studios)

EP: Paul Scheuring (Prison Break), Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Dan McDermott.

CAST: Scott Michael Foster (Greek), Carmen Ejogo (Kidnapped), Anthony Edwards (ER), Michael Nyqvist (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Jacinda Barrett, Carmen Ejogo

Centers on a man who, in a bizarre twist of fate, is pulled into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history after spending 20 years as the editor of a skeptics magazine.

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Our running update of pilots ordered for the 2012-13 TV season, going network by network (EP = executive producer, W = writer, DIR = the pilot's director):

Applebaum (CBS Television Studios)

EP/W: Ayelet Waldman (based on her series – Mommy Track Mysteries), Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper

EP: Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan

CAST: Rachelle Lefevre (A Gifted Man), Rhys Coiro (Entourage)

Centers on a former public defender who becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom.

Baby Big Shot (Sony Pictures TV, Fanfare, CBS Television Studios)

EP: Kevin Falls, Tarses, Julia Franz

W/EP: Dana Calvo (Franklin & Bash), co-exec prod

CAST: Toni Trucks (Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 2), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Janet Montgomery (Entourage), Felix Solis (The Good Wife), Erin Cummings (Spartacus: Blood and Sand)

Centers on a working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete with her more polished colleagues at a tony Manhattan law firm.

Elementary (CBS Television Studios, Timberman/Beverly Prods.)

DIR/EP: Michael Cuesta (Homeland)

EP/W: Rob Doherty (Medium)

EP: Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly

CAST: Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone) as Sherlock, Lucy Liu as Watson, Aidan Quinn (Prime Suspect),

Created by: Arthur Conan Doyle

Modern take on the cases of the pipe-smoking private eye with Sherlock now living in NYC.

Friend Me (CBS Television Studios and Tannebaum Co.)

EP: Alan Kirschenbaum, Ajay Sahgal,Kim and Eric Tannenbaum.

DIR: Pamela Fryman

Centers on twenty-something best friends, Evan and Rob, who move from their hometown of Bloomington, Indiana to Los Angeles to begin their exciting new lives working at Groupon.

Golden Boy (Warner Bros. TV)

EP/ Writer: Nicholas Wootton

EP: Greg Berlanti

EP/DIR: Richard Shepard

CAST: Kevin Alejandro (True Blood), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies), Stella Maeve (The Runaways), Theo James (Downton Abbey), Bonnie Somerville (Cashmere Mafia)

Show about the making of a man – tracks one cop's meteoric rise from officer to detective to Police Commissioner.

Partners

W/EP: Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick

DIR: James Burrows

CAST: David Krumholtz (Numb3rs), Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), Brandon Routh (Chuck), Elizabeth Regen, Lucy Davis (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip)

Architects Charlie and Louis' friendship has lasted longer than either of their romantic relationships and almost seems like a weird marriage. When Charlie decides to propose to his girlfriend, Louis' neurotic attempts to be supportive nearly result in the breakup of his own relationship.

Quean (Warner Bros. TV)

EP: Ilene Chaiken and Joel Silver

Centers on an edgy and independent Millennial hacker girl who teams up with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes. Scrapped.

Super Fun Night (Warner Bros. TV/Conaco)

W/Co-EP: Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids)

EP: Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger

CAST: Wilson, Kevin Bishop

Follows three nerdy female friends on their "funcomfortable" quest to have super fun every Friday night.

Trooper (Jerry Bruckheimer TV/Warner Bros. TV)

W/EP: Aron Eli Coleite (Heroes)

EP/DIR: Craig Gillespie (Fright Night)

EP: Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed co-exec prod

CAST: Mira Sorvino, Jay Hernandez (Six Degrees)

A character-based procedural drama centered on a common-sense mother-turned-New York state trooper.

Untitled Louis CK Comedy (BermanBraun/Universal TV/CBS Television Studios)

W/EP: Louis CK and Spike Ferestem

EP: Gene Stein, Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun

CAST: Dan Byrd (Cougar Town), Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical)

Resurrected 13-year-old project (Boomtown). Multi-camera comedy featuring an ensemble of young people trying to achieve their creative dreams in these tough financial times.

Untitled Malins/Berlanti Comedy

W/EP: Greg Malins and Greg Berlanti

DIR: James Burrows

CAST: JoAnna Garcia (Reba), Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Bryan Greenberg (How to Make it in America), Ryan Gaul

Centers on Nick who has a health scare and realizes Wendy, his best friend and business partner of 15 years, is 'the one'.

Untitled Martin Lawrence Comedy (CBS)

EP/W: Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger

EP: Michael Green, Sam Maydew

CAST: Martin Lawrence

Stars Lawrence as a widowed father of two teenagers who, after losing his job in construction, decides to go to the police academy and become a cop at the age of 46.

Untitled Melissa McCarthy Comedy (Warner Bros. TV)

W/EP: McCarthy and Ben Falcone

A woman in her mid-40s has a spectacular midlife crisis.

Untitled Melissa McCarthy Comedy (Warner Bros. TV)

EP/W: McCarthy will serve as co-executive producer, with Ben Falcone and Larry Dorf serving as supervising producers.

CAST: Ben Falcone (Bridesmaids), Rachael Harris (The Hangover), Emily Ruthefurd (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Judd Hirsch (Numb3rs), Andrea Martin (SCTV)

A single 37-year-old man loses everything he has in the real estate collapse and finds himself back home in the house he grew up in....with his parents.

Untitled Nick Stoller Comedy (20th Century/Chernin Entertainment)

W/DIR/EP: Nick Stoller (The Muppets)

EP: Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin

CAST: Brie Larson (United States Of Tara), Michael Angarano, Chris Smith, Randall Park, Adam Campbell, Amanda Lund

Single-camera comedy loosely based on Stoller's real-life experiences. It is a twentysomething ensemble comedy about a guy who gets his heart broken by his girlfriend and now has to work one cubicle away from her at an ad agency.

Untitled Ralph Lamb Project (CBS Television Studios)

W/EP: Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas) and Greg Walker (Without a Trace)

DIR/EP: James Mangold (Walk the Line)

EP: Cathy Konrad and Arthur Sarkissian (Rush Hour).

CAST: Carrie-Anne Moss, Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis (The Shield)

Set in the 1960s and is based on the true story of Ralph Lamb – rodeo cowboy turned longtime Sheriff of Las Vegas.

Widow Detective (CBS Television Studios/Mendelsohn)

W: David Hubbard

EP: Carol Mendelsohn (CSI), David Hubbard, Julie Weitz

CAST: John Corbett (United States of Tara), Jennifer Beals (The L Word), Paula Marshall (Gary Unmarried), Conor Leslie, Natalie Martinez

Centers on a decorated police detective who, after losing three partners in the line of duty, becomes surrogate husband, lover and father to their families.

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Our running update of pilots ordered for the 2012-13 TV season, going network by network (EP = executive producer, W = writer, DIR = the pilot's director):

Arrow (Berlanti Prods and Warner Bros. TV)

W/EP: Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13) and Marc Guggenheim based on a story by Greg Berlanti and Guggenheim

DIR: David Nutter

CAST: Stephen Amell (Hung), Susanna Thompson (Once & Again), Willa Holland (The OC), Katie Cassidy (Gossip Girl), Susanna Thompson (Dragonfly), Colin Donnell (Pan Am), Colin Salmon (Todd Margaret), Paul Blackthorne (The River), Jamey Sheridan (Law and Order: Criminal Intent)

A modern retelling of the story of DC Comics character Green Arrow.

Beauty and the Beast

W/EP: Jennifer Levin (Without A Trace) and Sherri Cooper (Bros & Sis) with creator of the original series Ron Koslow; Paul Junger Witt and C. Anthony Thomas of Witt/Thomas Prods, which co-produced the 1980s series; and Bill Haber.

DIR: Gary Fleder

CAST: Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Austin Basis (Life Unexpected), Jay Ryan (Terra Nova)

Loosely based on the 1980s CBS series starring Linda Hamilton, Beauty And The Beast is a modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist.

The Carrie Diaries (Fake Empire/Warner Bros. TV)

W/EP: Amy Harris (Gossip Girl)

EP/DIR: Miguel Arteta

EP: Candace Bushnell & Fake Empire (Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Len Goldstein)

CAST: AnnaSophia Robb, Matt Letscher (Eli Stone), Austin Butler (Life Unexpected), Chloe Bridges (90210)

Chronicles Carrie Bradshaw's coming of age in the 1980s when she asks her first questions about love, sex, friendship and family while exploring the worlds of high school and Manhattan.

Cult

EP: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein

W/EP: Rockne O'Bannon (V, Farscape)

CAST: Alona Tal (Supernatural), Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place), Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Matt Davis (The Vampire Diaries)

Centers on a series of mysterious disappearances that are linked to a TV series called Cult.

First Cut (CBS TV)

EP/W: Jennie Snyder Urman (90210)

EP: Dan Jinks

CAST: Michael Rady (Melrose Place, Greek), Kelly J. McCreary (White Collar), Mamie Gummer (Off The Map), Justin Hartley (Smallville), Jack Coleman (Heroes)

Centers on a brand new doctor who, glad to leave her nerdy past behind for a fresh start in the adult professional world, discovers that, sadly and comically, life at the hospital where she works is no different than high school.

Joey Dakota (CBS Television Studios, Harmon/Tannenbaum)

EP: Mark Harmon, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum, Martha Haight

W: Bert Royal

CAST: Craig Horner (Legend of the Seeker), Amber Stevens (Greek), Scott Wolf (Party of Five)

Based on the Israeli format Danny Hollywood. In this romantic-time-travel-musical, a documentary filmmaker travels back to the 1990s where she meets and falls in love with the rock star subject of her film. When she unexpectedly returns to present day, she must find her way back to the past to reunite with Joey and prevent his untimely death.

The Selection (Warner Bros. TV)

EP/W: Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain

DIR: Mark Piznarski

CAST: Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights), Leonor Varela (Blade II), Martin Donovan (Boss), Ethan Peck (10 Things I Hate About You), Sean Patrick Thomas (Ringer)

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.

Shelter (Bad Robot, Mastermind Lab, Warner Bros. TV)

EP/W: Mark Schwahn

EP: J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk

CAST: Elizabeth Henstridge, Malese Jow (The Vampire Diaries), Zachary Abel (Make It or Break It), Trent Ford (The Vampire Diaries), Eka Darville, Hannah New

Drama set at an historic New England summer resort where the new and returning staff attend to the practical, emotional and often comical needs of the guests while navigating friendships, rivalries and romances of their own.

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Our running update of pilots ordered for the 2012-13 TV season, going network by network (EP = executive producer, W = writer, DIR = the pilot's director):

The Asset

EP: Josh Friedman

DIR: Neil Burger

CAST: Ali Larter (Heroes), Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Jamie Chung (The Hangover Part II), Hamish Linklater (The New Adventures of Old Christine)

Female-centered action drama centered in the NY office of the CIA.

Ben Fox Is My Manny (Chernin Ent/20th Century Fox)

W: Dana Fox

DIR: Jake Kasdan

CAST: Maggie Jones, Echo Kellum, Nat Faxon

Centers on a single mom (Elliott) whose aimless brother (Faxon) moves in to help her raise her baby.

El Jefe (Sony Pictures TV)

EP: Moses Port and David Guarascio

DIR: Michael Patrick Jann

CAST: Ryan Hansen (Party Down, Veronica Mars)

About an upper-middle class 30-year-old guy who finally gets booted out of his dad and step-mom's house and moves in with his cleaning woman's family since he had nowhere else to go.

The Goodwin Games

W/EP: Carter Bays (HIMYM), Craig Thomas, Chris Harris

CAST: Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), Jake Lacy (Better With You), Scott Foley (Felicity)

High-concept family comedy about a father who leaves his fortune to his 3 children only if they agree to his terms.

Guilty 

W/EP: Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim

DIR: McG

CAST: Jay Harrington (Better Off Ted), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Sharon Leal (Hellcats), Eva Amurri Martino (Californication), Julian Harris (Pretty Little Liars)

Centers on a brilliant, morally questionable defense attorney (Gooding) who, after being falsely convicted of fraud and stripped of his legal license, uses his unorthodox methods to solve the cases he's been prohibited from handling and to ultimately exact revenge on the men who set him up.

Let It Go (Sony TV)

EP/W: DJ Nash (Traffic Light)

EP: Peter Tolan

CAST: Zachary Levi (Chuck), Kat Foster ('Til Death)

An ensemble comedy about a married couple, his best friend and her sister as they try to navigate, negotiate, and sometimes manipulate society's unspoken rules.

Like Father

W/DIR/EP: Bill Lawrence (Scrubs/Cougar Town)

EP: Jeff Ingold

CAST: Colin Ferguson (Eureka), Phill Lewis, Michael Martin, Robbie Amell (How I Met Your Mother), Colin Ferguson (Eureka)

Inspired by Lawrence's real-life experiences, it centers on a father-son relationship. Single-camera comedy.

Little Brother (20th TV, 21 Laps/Adelstein Prods. and Hat Trick)

EP/DIR: Shawn Levy

CAST: T.J. Miller, John Stamos, Gillian Vigman (The Hangover)

About a man who finds out that he has a half-brother (Miller) he never knew about who also happens to be an ex-con.

Living Loaded (FX Productions/RCG)

EP: Rob Rosell (It's Always Sunny), Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and 3 Arts' Nick Frenkel and Michael Rotenberg.

W: Rosell, McElhenney and Dunn

CAST: Mike Vogel (Pan Am), Michael Marc Friedman, Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money), Larry Wilmore

Based on the book of the same name by Dan Dunn, it centers on a loose partying blogger forced to change his career plans when he becomes a radio host.

Must Hire (Sony TV/Fanfare)

W/EP: Reed Agnew and Eli Jorne (Wilfred)

EP: Jamie Tarses, Julia Franz

DIR: Adam Bernstein

Centers on an uptight, young executive who hires his dad for an entry level position and is shocked to discover that his new hire is a disruptive office clown.

Prodigy Bully (Warner Bros. TV/John Wells Prods.)

EP: John Wells, Paris Barclay and Andrew Stearn, Mike O'Malley (W)

CAST: Missi Pyle (The Artist), Mike O'Malley (Glee)

Based on the Prodigy Bully one-minute movies by Hank Perlman, the comedy centers on a young boy genius who uses his brains and brawn to get whatever he wants.

Rebounding 

EP: Steve Levitan (Modern Family), Joe Port, Joe Wiseman

DIR: Jason Winer

CAST: Will Forte (Saturday Night Live), Malcolm Barrett (Better Off Ted), Hayes MacArthur (Perfect Couples), Matt Jones (Breaking Bad)

An uplifting comedy about a man recovering from the death of his fiance with the help of the idiots on his pick-up basketball team.

Untitled Berman/Wright Medical Drama (Sony Pictures TV)

EP: Josh Berman, Rob Wright

EP/DIR: Michael Dinner

CAST: Jordana Spiro (My Boys), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights), James Carpinello (The Good Wife), Jesse Lee Soffer (As The World Turns), Wiliam Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire), Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy)

A female doctor working for the mob in Chicago.

Untitled Karyn Usher Spy Drama (20th Century Fox TV )

EP: Mary Adelstein, Shawn Levy, Becky Clements

W/EP: Karyn Usher (The Playboy Club)

EP/DIR: Brett Ratner

CAST: Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck), Angela Bassett (ER), Saxon Sharbino, Rick Schroder (NYPD Blue)

The orphaned 14-year-old daughter (Saxon Sharbino) of a CIA operative encounters a mysterious rogue agent (McMahon) who serves as her surrogate father and professional mentor in the spy world.

Untitled Kevin Williamson Drama

EP/W: Kevin Williamson

Director: Marcos Siega (The Vampire Diaries)

CAST: Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy (Rome), Shawn Ashmore (X-Men), Valorie Curry, Adam Canto, Natalie Zea (Justified), Jeananne Goossen (Alcatraz), Maggie Grace (Lost)

An edge-of-the-seat thriller about a diabolical serial killer (Purefoy) who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers, and the FBI agent (Bacon) who finds himself in the middle of it.

Untitled Mindy Kaling Comedy (Universal TV)

EP: Howard Klein

W/EP/CAST: Mindy Kaling (The Office), Chris Messina (Damages), Anna Camp (The Good Wife)

Kailing stars as a young Bridget Jones-type Ob/Gyn doctor balancing personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small office.

Working Class Hero (20th Century Fox)

W/EP: Mike Barker (American Dad)

W/CO-EP: Brent Woods, Jordan Blum

CAST: Patton Oswalt (P)

The animated comedy is set in a world where superheroing is just another low-paid government job and centers on a dad (Oswalt) whose powers are no match for his misfit superhero co-workers and his demanding family.

PROCEED TO PAGE 6 (CLICK BELOW)

Our running update of pilots ordered for the 2012-13 TV season, going network by network (EP = executive producer, W = writer, DIR = the pilot's director):

1600 Penn (20th Century)

EP/W: Jason Winer, Jon Lovett

EP/W/Star: Josh Gad (Book of Mormon)

CAST: Amara Miller (The Descendants), Bill Pullman, Andre Holland (Friends With Benefits), Brittany Snow, Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg)

A dysfunctional family comedy where the out-of-control oldest son (Gad) returns home and becomes not only it's biggest liability but also the glue holding everyone together. The twist is that this family resides in the White House.

Animal Kingdom (Universal Television/American Work)

EP/W: Brian Gatewood and Alex Tanaka

EP: Scot Armstrong, Ravi Nandan

EP/DIR: Anthony and Joe Russo

CAST: Justin Kirk (Weeds), Tyler Labine (Reaper), Bobby Lee (MADtv)

A single-camera office comedy centered on a House-like veterinarian, who loves animals but usually hates their owners.

Bad Girls (Warner Bros. TV)

EP: John Wells, Andrew Stern

EP/W: Nancy Pimental

CAST: Amy Smart (Shameless), Karolina Wydra (House), Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights), Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends)

From the producers of Shameless, and adapted from the long-running UK hit series of the same name, Bad Girls follows the ins-and-outs of a group of unlikely women in a federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protégé and a host of inmates – some mothers, some friends—who struggle with loyalties to people on the inside and the outside.

Beautiful People

W/EP: Michael McDonald

EP: Robert M. Sertner

Co-EP: Kate Garwood

D/EP: Stephen Hopkins

CAST: Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), James Murray, Patrick Heusinger, Andrea Parker, Jud Tylor, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Madisen Beaty, Cody Christian, Ernie Hudson, David Conrad, Tovah Feldshuh

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 — that is until some of the mechanicals begin to "awaken."

Chicago Fire (Universal TV, Wolf Films)

EP/W: Derek Haas & Michael Brandt

EP: Dick Wolf, Danielle Gelber, Peter Jankowski

DIR: Jeffrey Nachmanoff

CAST: Eamonn Walker (Oz), Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries), Monica Raymund (The Good Wife), Lauren German (Hawaii Five-0), Jesse Spencer (House), David Eigenberg (Sex and the City), Merle Dandridge (Sons of Anarchy), Teri Reeves

From the writing team of 3:10 to Yuma comes this action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department.

County (Universal TV)

EP/W: Jason Katims

CAST: Jason Ritter (Parenthood), Aimee Garcia (Dexter), Michael B. Jordan (Friday Night Lights), Jess Weixler (Medium), Agam Darshi (Sanctuary), Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos)

The series takes us into the lives of a group of young doctors, nurses, and administrators, in a frenetic underfunded and morally compromising LA County Hospital.

Do No Harm (Univ. TV)

EP/W: David Schulner

EP: Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan.

Co-EP/Dir: Michael Mayer

CAST: Alana de la Garza (Law & Order), Mousa Kraish, Steven Pasquale, Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show)

A medical drama about a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life.

Downwardly Mobile (20th Century Fox)

EP/W: Eric Gilliland

W/EP: Roseanne Barr

EP: John Argent

DIR: Gail Mancuso

CAST: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Romy Rosemont (Glee), Mary Birdsong (Reno 911!)

A comedy set in a mobile home park in which Roseanne is the outspoken proprietor and den mother to an array of characters.

Friday Night Dinner (Howard Klein, Big Talk Television)

EP/DIR: Ken Kwapis

EP/W: Greg Daniels (The Office)

EP: Howard Klein

CAST: David Koechner, Allison Janney, Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Bigley, Gil Ozeri, Gary Anthony Williams (Boston Legal), Aya Cash

Based on the UK format/series, this single-camera about a quirky family that has dinner together every Friday night.

The Frontier (Prospect Park)

W/EP: Shaun Cassidy

EP/DIR: Thomas Schlamme

EP: Jeff Kwatinetz, Josh Barry

CAST: Jake McLaughlin (Crash), Bridget Regan (Legend of the Seeker), Al Weaver, Gina Bramhill (Being Human), Ethan Embry (Brotherhood), Megan Ferguson, Erik Jensen (CSI)

In an intense tale of survival a group of disparate travelers embark on an incredible cross-country adventure through the west where danger stalks them at every turn.

Go On (Universal TV)

EP/W: Scott Silveri

EP/DIR: Todd Holland

EP: Karey Burke

CAST: Matthew Perry (Friends), Laura Benanti (The Playboy Club), Allison Miller (Terra Nova), Julie White (Law & Order: SVU)

While an irreverent yet charming sportscaster tries to move on from loss, he reluctantly finds surprising solace from the members of his mandatory group therapy sessions.

Isabel (Kapital Entertainment and Universal TV)

EP/DIR: Todd Holland

W/EP: Howard Busgang and Tom Nursall

EP/D: Todd Holland

EP: Aaron Kaplan, Jocelyn Deshenes, Karey Burke

CAST: Kevin Nealon, Sophia Mitri Schloss, Marcia Gay Harden, Abigail Mavity (Zeke & Luther) and Skyler Gisondo (Psych)

Centers on an otherwise normal, angry middle-class family that wrestles with the challenges of everyday life while raising daughter Isabel (Sophia Mitri Schloss) who has magical qualities.

Lady Friends (Warner Bros. TV)

EP/W: Kari Lizer

DIR: Scott Ellis

CAST: Minnie Driver (The Riches), Andrea Anders (Better Off Ted), Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town), Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Danny Comden (Urban Legend),

What happens between two lifelong girlfriends when one of them gets married and there's now a new husband in the mix?

Midnight Sun

EP/W: Lisa Zwerling

EP: Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan, Alon Aranya, Efrat Shmayadron, Minit Toovi, Noah Stollman and Oded Davidoff (creators of the original Israeli series)

DIR: Brad Anderson

CAST: Titus Welliver (Lost), Michael Raymond-James (True Blood), Julia Stiles (Dexter), Emma Bell (The Walking Dead), Michael Raymond-James (Terriers)

Based on the Israeli series Timrot Ashan, aka Pillars of Smoke, the pilot is a thriller following the mysterious disappearance of a group living on a commune in Alaska. It centers on a female FBI cult specialist starts an investigation that uncovers a larger conspiracy. (Described as Twin Peaks meets Northern Exposure meets Lost.)

The New Normal (20th Century Fox/NBC talent)

EP/W: Ryan Murphy and Alison Adler (Glee), Dante Di Loreto

CAST: Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon), Ellen Barkin (The Normal Heart), Justin Bartha (The Hangover), Georgina King, NeNe Leakes (The Real Housewives of Atlanta)

A heartwarming comedy about a blended family of a gay couple and the woman who becomes a surrogate to help them start a family.

Next Caller Please (Lionsgate TV)

EP: Stephen Falk

DIR: Marc Buckland

CAST: Collette Wolfe (Cougar Town), Dane Cook

A single-camera gender comedy focusing on a brash alpha male DJ and his new, plucky, feminist co-host set in the offices of a satellite radio station.

Notorious (Univ. TV/BermanBraun)

W/EP: Liz Heldens

EP: Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein.

CAST: Victor Garber (Alias), Neil Jackson (Make It or Break It), Katherine LaNasa (Big Love), Meaghan Good (Californication), Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings)

An opulent soap in which a female detective returns undercover to the wealthy family she grew up in – as the maid's daughter – to solve the murder of the notorious heiress who was once her closest friend.

Revolution (Warner Bros. TV, Bad Robot)

W/EP: Eric Kripke

EP: J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk

DIR: Jon Favreau

CAST: Tim Guinee (The Good Wife), Billy Burke (24), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Tracy Spiradakos (Being Human),  Zak Orth (Nurse Jackie), Andrea Roth (Rescue Me) and JD Pardo (Drive)

A high-octane action drama that 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.

The Sarah Silverman Project

W/EP: Sarah Silverman, Dan Sterling and Jon Schroeder (co-exec producer)

EP: Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo

EP/DIR: Ken Kwapis

CAST: Sarah Silverman, Harris Wittels (a version of himself, in a role created for him), June Diane Raphael, Tig Notaro, Ken Leung (Lost)

Loosely based on Silverman's life and stars the comedian as Susan, a woman readjusting to the single life after a decade-long live-in relationship.

Save Me (Sony Pictures TV, Original Films)

EP: Neal Moritz, Vivian Cannon

EP/Dir: Scot Winant (Californication)

W/EP: John Scott Shepherd

CAST: Anne Heche (P), Michael Landes, Alexandra Breckenridge (American Horror Story), Heather Burns (Bored to Death), Lamon Rucker, Madison Davenport (Shameless)

The series centers on a woman (Heche) who, after an accident, starts to believe that she is channeling God.

Table for Three (20th/Kapital Entertainment)

EP/W: Dana Klein

EP: Aaron Kaplan

DIR: Pam Fryman

CAST: Christine Woods (FlashForward), Brenda Song (The Social Network), Nicky Whelan (Scrubs), Scott Bakula (Chuck)

A young woman returns home from overseas to find her father is seriously dating the "mean girl" from her high school.

Untitled Hilary Winston Comedy (Sony Pictures TV)

EP/W: Hilary Winston

EP: Jamie Tarses, Julia Franz

DIR: Adam Shankman

CAST: Sarah Wright (7th Heaven), Aubrey Dollar (Point Pleasant), Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Kyle Howard (My Boys), Freddie Prinze Jr. (24)

After being dumped by her fiance, a shy, focused woman leans on her co-workers to help her come out of her shell and plot her revenge.

Untitled Jimmy Fallon Project (Universal Television/Holiday Road)

EP: Jimmy Fallon, Amy Ozols

EP/W: Charlie Grandy

DIR: Scott Ellis

CAST: Zach Cregger (Friends with Benefits), Jesse Bradford (The West Wing), Anthony Anderson (Law & Order), Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos), Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show)

Three 30-something guys enjoy the adventures of parenting despite the fact they haven't grown up themselves.

Untitled Kari Lizer Project (Warner Bros. TV)

EP/W: Kari Lizer (Will & Grace)

CAST: Mary McCormack (In Plain Sight)

Multi-camera comedy centers on Hilary Pfeiffer-Dunne, a high-powered executive who, having dominated the corporate America for years, now faces the biggest challenge of her life when she finds herself unemployed and acting as a full-time mom to her two teenagers.