For a second consecutive year, CBS is ordering two medical drama pilots. The network has greenlighted Sensory, an hourlong pilot from ER alum David Zabel, Scott Free Prods., CBS TV Studios and Sony TV’s TriStar Television. Written by Zabel, Sensory is inspired by the the true story of Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist…

PBS’s first original American drama in more than a decade, Mercy Street follows doctors, nurses, contraband laborers and Southern loyalists in Union-occupied Alexandria, VA in the early years of the Civil War,  but could not be more relevant, co-creator David Zabel told journalists at TCA this afternoon. “This show is…

PBS will add a Civil War hospital drama from Ridley Scott to its Sunday night lineup. The unnamed drama, slated for 2016, is based on true stories and set in Alexandria, VA. The drama, which has an initial six-episode order, follows two volunteer nurses on opposite sides of the war in the union hospital which is a…

Diane Haithman contributes to Deadline's TCA coverage. Producer David Zabel appeared on two TCA panels today for two new ABC series: Betrayal and Lucky 7 (based on Kay Mellor's British series The Syndicate), about a group of working class friends who win the lottery. (The show is set in multi-ethnic Queens, NY for the…

UPDATED: ABC has given green light to Lucky 7, a drama pilot based on Kay Mellor’s BBC series The Syndicate, which premiered last year and has been renewed for a second season. This is ABC’s 12th and last drama pilot pickup this season. David Zabel and Jason Richman wrote the U.S. version, which is produced by ABC…

EXCLUSIVE: With Red Widow landing on ABC’s schedule for next season, the network has put in development another drama project based on a Dutch format. Former ER showrunner David Zabel is set to write and executive produce Betrayal, a serialized drama based on the 2011 Dutch series Overspel, produced by and runs on…

EXCLUSIVE: Top literary managers David Lonner and Larry Shuman are in serious talks to merge their companies, Oasis Media Group and The Shuman Co, respectively. In the scenario being discussed, Shuman and Lonner and his Oasis partner John Mass would join forces under the Oasis umbrella, tied to an effort to secure…

EXCLUSIVE: After working together last season on the ABC/ABC Studios cop drama Detroit 1-8-7, series creator/executive producer Jason Richman and executive producer/showrunner David Zabel have teamed for a new ABC Studios drama project, which has sold to ABC. Richman and Zabel will co-write the project, titled Two Road…

Diane Haithman is contributing to Deadline’s TCA coverage: As a Detroit native, I can confirm that Detroit is an economically troubled, crime-ridden, racially polarized city that for decades hasn't seemed able to catch a break.  And at today’s TCA, it became clear that the fact ABC has set and is shooting its new…