Z's Pilot Preview: The best of the rest!

While I’d love to talk about every pilot on every major network in depth (or ANY of the comedy pilots) I don’t have THAT MUCH free time.  So, as we get one week closer to upfronts, a quick overview of the best of the rest, i.e. drama pilots that made a good first impression on me.  I think these all sound cool AND (maybe more importantly) are good fits for their respective networks.  To read the pilot loglines I'm going off of, check out Deadline's Pilot Panic.

Get ready for some shameless gushing and run on sentences...

ABC

Georgetown
This stars Lone Star’s super sexy James Wolk and Josh Schwartz doesn’t seem to do shows that get canned right away, so I’ll say this one will make it, though I feel it might be too young for ABC (2 words: Katie Cassidy)…I would have loved to have seen this on the CW (it’s being produced by WB so it’s not too late…go on and pass on it, ABC!).

Grace
I’m pretty psyched for this Glee effect musical show so it better make it AND be good!  I can’t see ABC passing up on a dancing show since DWTS is so popular.  Plus, Krista Vernoff is an awesome writer…and I dig Eric Roberts.  I really want this to be ABC's next breakout hit.

Damage Control
Yes, I was a die-hard Grey's Anatomy fan, so sue me if I'm excited for a new Shonda Rimes show.  Also, this has Desmond from Lost!

Once Upon A Time
While fantasyish shows like Witches of Eastwick have failed on ABC before, I think this could work.  Plus, a show about the goings-on of a mysterious town sounds a little Wisteria Lane/ABCish.  That, and the show’s concept sounds really cool and different, and there’s some cool cast members I like (like Big Love's Ginnifer Goodwin).

CBS

The Rememberer/Untitled Redlich Bellucci
This feels perfect for CBS…a crime procedural with a lead character who has a high concept talent (can remember everything) it actually reminds me a little of The Mentalist…and then there’s Poppy Montgomery as the lead who should be familiar to CBS viewers from her role on Without A Trace.  Looks good to me.

Rookies
A crime procedural with some heavy hitters working on it (Ken Sanzel, Richard Price, James Mangold, oh and De Niro).  I like the basic show concept and even if it’s not really the type of show I’d watch, I think it’s the type of show that will work on CBS…and I’m not the target audience anyway.

NBC

Smash
Of all the networks I feel like I understand what NBC wants the least, but I do see them trying to cash in on the Glee effect and pick this up...and hey, I like musicals too!  Also, this stars Debra Messing who was big for them in the past…seems like a fit.

Playboy
Sounds cool, sexy, glitzy and I mean, Las Vegas had a similar feel and that was a decent hit for the network a while back, so I can see this on NBC…Eddie Cibrian is even kinda Josh Duhamelish...plus, there’s the Mad Men effect as networks all seem to be looking for 1950s-60s period shows.

Prime Suspect
Has some big stars (Maria Bello, and Aidan Quinn) and sounds cool (hey, the original was good enough for Helen Mirren) plus it would be a good fit with any of the Law and Order-y shows NBC decides to keep on the air.  Oh, and the pilot is being directed by Peter Berg...not to shabby.

SILA
This has quite the pedigree (Oscar winner Stephen Gaghan) and it also fits with the Law and Order shows still on the network, so I can see it…though Boomtown, Southland and even Law and Order: LA didn't fair well on NBC and this feels…kinda similar...maybe this will break NBC's recent LA crime show curse.  Hey, NCIS: LA has done well...on CBS...

FOX

Alcatraz
Fox won’t pass up a chance at Lost meets Prison Break meets 24…plus, I like the actors and think this could be cool.  Overall, I’m intrigued and this sounds like an excellent fit for Fox.

The Finder
The Bones spinoff.  I have a little more to say about this since I watched the backdoor pilot ep (duh, it was on after Idol) and I thought it was pretty good...my only question is…who will be Walter’s big love interest?  Is it the Saffron Burrows bartender chick?   I think one big appeal of the “soft procedural” (i.e. character driven procedurals like The Mentalist, Bones, Castle, or House) is a “will they or won’t they” romantic story (Jane and Lisbon, Bones and Booth, Castle and Beckett, House and Cuddy).  The show implied that Walter's love life will come into play on the show...but I need to see that storyline!

THE CW

Hart of Dixie
I like this as a throwback to the small town CW shows I liked (Gilmore Girls and Everwood).  Plus, it’s Josh Schwartz again who seems to have the golden touch…and yeah, Rachel Bilson is cool and pretty and I really like Scott Porter.  So, Bilson isn’t a really convincing doctor, whatever, the show sounds cute.

Next week...The best of the rest of the rest...where I'll go over all the drama pilots I'm on the fence about.  And after that...the rest of the rest (my bold and potentially embarrassing declarations of what won't fly...only embarrassing if I'm waaaay wrong).  The upfronts are coming!  Stay tuned!