With upfronts now less than a week away, expect news to start rolling in over the coming days. FOX was first with pilot pickups for dramas The Exorcist, Lethal Weapon, A.P.B., and Pitch as well as comedies Making History and The Mick. These join the already picked up 24: Legacy, Shots Fired, Star, Son of Zorn, and the Prison Break revival.
The Exorcist is a modern day update of the iconic movie of the same name. The horror show is reportedly quite scary, it will be interesting to see if it gets paired with the decidedly more campy Scream Queens. A fall debut seems somewhat likely if they want to tap into the Halloween time of year. The Exorcist stars Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels, and Geena Davis among others.
Lethal Weapon is also a reboot of a popular movie. Starring Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans Sr. in the iconic Mel Gibson/Danny Glover roles, it will be a modern day update. This seems like it could easily be another Rush Hour, which isn't a good thing, but we'll see. I thought it might be a high profile pass but it got picked up. Lethal Weapon also stars Keesha Sharp, Jordana Brewster, and Kevin Rahm.
A.P.B. was a pilot that got hot late in the process. Taking place in Chicago, it centers on a billionaire who takes over a precinct with privately employed police officers and a new way of doing things. The show got a new director showrunner through the pilot process who revamped the script. A.P.B. stars Justin Kirk, Natalie Martinez, Caitlin Stasey, and Taylor Handley. This seems like it might be a midseason option.
Pitch is a little off brand for FOX but has been a hot pilot throughout the process. It is a gentler drama about a gifted athlete who becomes the first woman to play Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres. With major tie-ins to baseball, I think this will definitely get a fall premiere that can take advantage of baseball's playoff season. Pitch stars Kylie Bunbury, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Ali Larter, Dan Lauria, and Mark Consuelos.
Making History is a comedy with a lot of different genres mixed into one. It is centered on a trio of friends who can time travel but also must deal with their day to day lives. It seems to be part buddy comedy, part sci-fi comedy and is an interesting premise. Making History stars Adam Pally, Leighton Meester, and Yassir Lester.
Finally, The Mick is about a blue collar hustler who suddenly has to start taking care of sister's rich and entitled children. This culture clash comedy has been a frontrunner the whole time alongside Making History. If I had to guess, I think this will be the one in the fall while Making History will be held for midseason. The Mick stars Kaitlin Olson, Sofia Black D'Elia, Carla Jimenez, and Thomas Barbusca.
With eight new dramas in the hopper, I think FOX will probably stick to one comedy hour outside of Sundays at most. It also appears that all other FOX pilots will not get a pick up, including Courteney Cox's Charity Case, Bill Bellamy's My White Wife and Kids, and the thriller Recon. No shocking passes from FOX.
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