day 3.98

pilot season

it's the most wonderful time of the year. well, at least i think it is. spring is the time of year when all the major networks start working on new fall shows. here's a breakdown of the major projects each of the networks are planning.

abc

for the past ... well, decade, basically, abc has had the strongest pilots, and therefore the best shot at a successful season. that pattern continues again this year. abc execs are working the show i'm most looking forward to, good christian bitches. based on the book of the same name, the series follows amanda, a recently divorced mother of two who returns to the dallas suburb where she grew up, hoping to start fresh. too bad all the girls she scorned in high school are out to get her. the pilot stars leslie bibb (from the wb's popular and the iron man movies) as amanda, while kristin chenoweth (cheno!) plays the ring leader of amanda's hate club. produced by the man responsible for the original 90210 and sex and the city, gcb (as it's being called) looks to have the most potential.

georgetown is abc's other promising series this season. centered on the young power players running washington, d.c., the show will star jimmy wolk (from this season's biggest upset, lone star) and katie cassidy (melrose place, gossip girl). georgetown comes from the team behind gossip girl and nbc's chuck, so georgetown has the potential to be as youthful and hip as the characters living in it.

abc's also rebooting charlie's angels. with part of the original creative team behind it, as well as drew barrymore's production company flower films (which produced the two feature films), there's a good chance we'll actually get to see these angels take flight. angels landed one of this season's most sought after actresses, minka kelly, so hopefully her burgeoning star power can bring some added buzz to the show. the another ladies aren't too bad either - here's one of the many pics of the cast on set in miami that his the internets this week.

nbc

after a merger with comcast and a nearly complete overhaul of its management team, nbc looks to be trying as hard as it can to pull itself from fourth place. most of nbc's shows are high concept and/or remake. the biggest risk at the peacock net? the wonder woman reboot. starring friday night light's adrianne palicki (who was also part of fox's failed lone star), the one thing wonder woman has going for it is the brain power of david e. kelley. kelley created the practice, ally mcbeal, boston legal, boston public and, most recently, harry's law. if anyone knows how to bring strong female characters to the small screen, it's kelley. plus, elizabeth hurley is set to co-star. but after i saw this picture of palicki in full wonder woman garb ... i'm more than worried.

nbc also has two period pieces in production. the first is called playboy, which - you guessed it - focuses on the playboy brand. the show will follow the start of hugh hefner's empire, centered on the playboy club in chicago. former csi: miami star (and liam rimes homewrecking partner in crime) eddie cibrian is set to star. the second, pan am, will follow the scandalous and scintillating era that launched the jet age. think mad men in the sky. the project will be christina ricci's first series gig if it gets picked up.

nbc got some star-driven comedies set to launch, too. are you there vodka? it's me chelsea is a small screen adaptation of chelsea handler's book. laura prepon (that 70's show) will take on the role of chelsea while hander will play, of all things, her own sister. it will be interesting to see how nbc plays this off, as the tv show's version of chelsea will be a waitress/bartender instead of a famous comedian. joining handler on the small screen will be christina applegate, who's returning to tv for the first time since becoming a mom. that real life experience will be some help in applegate's new role, in which she'll play a modern working mommy trying to please her stay at home husband and hovering parents. if nbc is able to get all these shows on the air, there's a good chance they could finally rebound. the peacock's been feeling the pinch since friends went off the air in 2004.

cbs

it looks like cbs hopes to maintain their number one spot, continuing to order their staple of comedies, dramedies and crime procedurals. the show i'm most excited for is the assistants. wizards of waverly place star david henrie landed the lead role of mike, one of four assistants to a celebrity power couple. the biggest draw here? heather locklear signed on to play the wife-half of the power couple. as for comedies, cbs landed two big names - michelle trachtenberg and mary lynn rajskub. trachtenberg will star in an as-yet-untitled workplace comedy, whil rajskub joins the cast of how to be a gentleman, about an uptight guy working to loosen up. entourage's kevin dillon is also attached to star.

cbs is also readying rookies, a cop drama following first year officers. while it sounds super similar to abc's summer flop rookie blue, the one thing cbs's rookies has going for it is its star - leelee sobieski. after virtually disappearing from the biz, i'm glad to see sobieski making a comeback. robert de niro is producing the show, so chances are good it'll get picked up.

those are the big three for now - i'll have my thoughts on fox and the cw's prospects later in the week.