EXCLUSIVE: In a very competitive situation with all major broadcast networks pursuing, CBS has landed Chiefs, an hourlong drama from David Hudgins, Carol Mendelsohn and Sony Pictures TV Studios, where both are under overall deals. In one of the biggest buys so far this season, Chiefs has garnered a hefty pilot production commitment.
Written by Hudgins, Chiefs explores the professional and personal lives of three driven, successful, but very different women who are each Chiefs of Police of their own precincts in L.A. County. They band together to create a task force to catch a dangerous serial killer.
In real life, there are currently seven female police chiefs in Los Angeles County, an all-time high.
Hudgins is executive producing Chiefs with Carol Mendelsohn Prods.’ Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz. Sony Pictures TV Studios will co-produce with CBS TV Studios, which has come on board.
At Sony TV, Hudgins and Mendelsohn previously worked together on the drama Game Of Silence, which Hudgins also wrote. It went to series at NBC starring David Lyons.
Hudgins most recently served as executive producer/showrunner on the first season of the Hulu/Sony TV drama series Shut Eye starring Jeffrey Donovan. The former Parenthood and Friday Night Lights exec producer also recently sold drama project The Academy to Freeform, which he is executive producing with Jennifer Corbett writing.
This past season, former CSI maven Mendelsohn executive produced ABC thriller drama pilot Doomsday. While it didn’t go to series at the network, Sony TV in June extended the options on the cast with an idea to produce the show for global distribution based on oversees interest in the concept and auspices.
Hudgins and Mendelsohn are repped by WME.
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