NBC is making lots of announcements today. All the Law & Order news, plus making Chuck's renewal officially official, officially and more. We haven't been staying on top of all the pick-ups, but since this one involves our old friend Summer Glau, NBC has picked up The Cape to series along with Outlaw, Harry's Law (FKA "Kindreds") and Friends with Benefits. Details from NBC:
NBC ADDS TO NEW SCRIPTED LINEUP WITH FOUR NEW SERIES -- 'The Cape,' 'OUTLAW,' 'HARRY'S LAW' AND 'FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS' - AND RENEWS 'Chuck' FOR FOURTH SEASON IN 2010-11
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 14, 2010 - NBC has issued pickups for four more new scripted series with dramas "The Cape," "Outlaw," "Harry's Law" and the comedy "Friends With Benefits" - while renewing the action-comedy series "Chuck" for a fourth season -- all for the 2010-11 season. The announcement was made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
"The addition of these four inventive series to our new scripted lineup demonstrates a wide spectrum of creative stories," said Bromstad. "We are featuring popular, top-flight stars along with a strong pedigree of successful writer-producers. Likewise, 'Chuck' has proven its enduring appeal and we love the new creative direction that Josh and Chris have taken the show."
The four new series join previously announced "LOLA' ("Law & Order: Los Angeles"), "Perfect Couples," "Chase," "Undercovers," "The Event," "Love Bites" and "Outsourced" as the new scripted series that NBC has revealed for its new season.
"The Cape" is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons ("ER") as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, "Life on Mars") and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, "Flash Forward"). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes "The Cape" his son's favorite comic book superhero -- and takes the law into his own hands. Rounding out the cast are James Frain ("The Tudors") as billionaire Peter Fleming - The Cape's nemesis - who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David ("Death at a Funeral") as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape; Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday.
"The Cape" is a Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun production from executive producer/creator Thomas Wheeler ("Empire"), executive producer/director Simon West ("Con Air"), the executive producing team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun ("Mercy") and executive producer Gene Stein ("Accidentally on Purpose").
Starring Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "West Wing"), "Outlaw" is a new drama from executive producer John Eisendrath ("Alias," "Felicity," "Playmakers"). Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position. A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed. Now that he's quit the bench and returned to Private Practice, he's determined to represent "the little guy" and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today's biggest legal cases. And he's making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way. Jesse Bradford ("West Wing"), Carly Pope ("24"), Ellen Woglom ("Californication") and David Ramsey ("Dexter") also star.
"Outlaw" is a Universal Media Studios production along with Conaco productions. Eisendrath is executive producer along with Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda," "Reservation Road"), Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger ("Andy Barker, P.I."). "Outlaw" is written by Eisendrath and directed by George.
Emmy Award-winning creator David E. Kelley ("The Practice," "Boston Legal") brings his unique storytelling to "Harry's Law," a series about fate and the people it brings together, starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates ("Misery," "About Schmidt").
Harriet (Bates), Matthew (Ben Chaplin, "Me and Orson Welles") and Malcolm (Aml Ameen, "Kidulthood") couldn't be any more different. Harriet is a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer who, having just been fired from her cushy job, is completely disillusioned with her success and looking for a fresh start. Her world unexpectedly collides with Malcolm's -- a young man trying to figure out life. When he finds out Harriet is a lawyer, he begs her to represent him in an upcoming criminal case. Matthew, a dreamer at heart and also recently fired from his job as a high school teacher, is introduced to Harriet through Malcolm, a previous student of his. When these three cross paths, they realize they're all looking for a fresh start. Now, the most unlikely of people are starting a law practice in the most unlikely of places -- a rundown shoe store. "Harry's Law" also stars Brittany Snow ("Hairspray") as Harriet's assistant, Jenna Backstrom and Beatrice Rosen ("Dark Knight") as Eve, a high school French teacher.
"Harry's Law" is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television. David E. Kelley ("Boston Legal," "The Practice") and Bill D'Elia ("Boston Legal," "The Practice") serve as executive producers. D'Elia also serves as director.
From Oscar and Emmy winner Brian Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind," "Arrested Development"), "Friends With Benefits" is a half-hour comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating. Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen, "Party Down") is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris, "One Tree Hill"), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz, "Dollhouse"), a romantic at heart, doesn't approve of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed Kesler) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas, "Cloverfield"), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations.
David Nevins ("Lie To Me," "Arrested Development") joins Grazer as executive producer for Imagine Television. Also serving as executive producers are David Dobkin ("Wedding Crashers"), who directs the pilot, writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ("(500) Days of Summer"), and Jeff Kleeman. "Friends With Benefits" is a production of 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Big Kid Pictures.
Now in its third season that concludes with a two-hour season finale on Monday, May 24 (8-10 p.m. ET), "Chuck" is averaging a 2.4 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 6.6 million viewers overall. "Chuck's" ratings increase significantly when all time-shifted viewing is added to its results, growing this season by an average of 22 percent in its 18-49 rating and more than 1.1 million persons in total viewers when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results from Nielsen Media Research.
Zachary Levi ("Less Than Perfect") stars in the title role as a regular guy working at a Buy More electronics store who becomes the government's most vital secret agent. This season, Chuck was transformed into the Intersect 2.0 after another data download into his brain. This time around, he not only knows government secrets, but he also is well equipped with deadly fight skills. Chuck has the potential to become a real agent and gets a helping hand from one of the CIA's top agents and his dream girl Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski, "Gone").
The ever stoic Colonel John Casey (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard," "Firefly") returns with an unlikely new partner, Chuck's best friend, Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez, "Without a Trace"). Also starring are: Sarah Lancaster ("What About Brian?") as Chuck's ever-supportive sister Ellie and Ryan McPartlin ("Living with Fran") as Devon Woodcomb (also known as "Captain Awesome"), Ellie's husband. Chuck's Buy More team consists of Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence, "The Pursuit of Happyness") and the Nerd Herd, which includes Lester (Vik Sahay, "Time Bomb") and Jeff (Scott Krinsky, "The O.C.").
"Chuck" is co-created by Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.," "Gossip Girl") and Chris Fedak, and is executive-produced by Schwartz, McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall"), Fedak, Allison Adler and Matthew Miller. "Chuck" is produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision, in association with Warner Bros. Television.
So I guess “The Cape” is our “Heroes” replacement? NBC is picking up a lot of shows… I'm struggling to figure out where Chuck is gonna fit into the schedule… I pray it is not on Fridays.
That makes 8 hour-longs and 3 comedies, right?
Undercovers, The Event, Love Bites, Chase, The Cape, LOLA, Harry's Law, Outlaw
Outsourced, Perfect Couples, Friends
Am I missing any?
I'm guessing Chuck = fall, and not on Fridays. NBC is picking up a lot of shows, but my guess is quite a few will be held as mid-season replacements. We won't have to wait long to find out the plans (Sunday).
Heroes and Chuck = Fall (I hope Heroes gets picked up). Or maybe Heroes serves as The Cape lead -in, and Chuck as Undercovers lead-in. Who knows?
I'm only are of those 11 (eleven!)
*Sigh* 11 new series and still no David Tennant
NBC only has room for, what, 5 new hours for Mon-Thu? All the LAs (LOLA, Harry's LAw, OutLAw) sound like they will show up at midseason, with the weakest comedy held as well.
Launching 3 law series at once at midseason seems like a bad idea.
is it just me or does the cape sound a whole lot like a “Renegade” remake with a new twist?
I can't disagree (though LOLA likely focuses on the police procedural more than the trial portion, given recent L&O flavors), but LOLA doesn't even have a cast, HL is thought by everyone to be midseason, and Outlaw has had a troubled genesis. Guess we'll find out in a couple days for sure though.
So is NBC holding back (offically) the Heroes cancellation (or renewal if you're still hopefull) till sunday to be its big bang surprise? That and its schedule. While I hope its renewed I think NBC looks a next season where it could launch some new hits that would make Heroes ratings pale in comparison, plus so many pick-ups it feels like theres no room for Heroes (unless I guess it gets fridays, especially considering NBC has said ?Minute To Win It? , TMR and Who Do You Think You Are? are mid-season).
NBC is rolling the dice with “The Cape.” Summer Glau is becoming “Lindsay Price-esque” in her ability to attach herself to ill-fated TV shows.
Conan O’Brien is an exec producer on NBC's Outlaw? Hm. That might bring some attention to the project.
The trend for Summer Glau is concerning, but she can hardly be held responsible for Dollhouse or 4400 and was only one of nine leads on Firefly. T:SCC is the only one of her shows where I think that she deserves some of the responsibility for it's fate.
And it takes but one good decision to break a pattern like that. Nathan Fillion had a similar, or worse, reputation for being involved in quickly canceled shows (Pasadena, Firefly, Miss Match, Drive) before he finally had success with Castle. Hopefully Summer Glau will be more successful here, though I'm not certain that this concept will have enough appeal to survive.
Indeed.
When are they finally going to tell us what is happening with Rex is Not Your Lawyer?
If it's not on the list on Sunday (which seems unlikely at this point), it's not happening.
“. . . Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape”. . .”
And this group of “Circus Bank Robbers” on The Cape. Exactly what is in it for them to train / mentor this hero?
Do they get 5 free robberies?
Now, now. Don't put words in my mouth. I said she was adept at attaching herself to ill-fated projects, not that she was in any way responsible for them.
I like Glau. Her characters on TSCC, Firefly, and Dollhouse were all very entertaining.
That, plus Robert's got that great picture of her.