Latest in Smothered

June 30 marked the deadline for TV studios to pick up the options on the casts of broadcast pilots and series whose fate was still in limbo. Good news for fans of Fox’s midseason comedy Breaking In: The options on the series’ actors have been picked up until Nov. 15. And, in a rare move, I hear the network, Fox, has…

Between the VIP section of newly picked up series and the pilot of rejected pilots is the no man’s land of pilots that are neither dead nor picked up yet. Here is a rundown on what is still alive and which dead pilots are looking for life elsewhere: EXIT STRATEGY: Fox passing on the Ethan Hawke-starring action drama…

With Fox done with its series orders and NBC pretty much done too, attention is focusing on ABC and CBS. ABC is expected to make its series pickups tomorrow. Here is the latest buzz on the two networks: ABC Assured to get series orders are early frontrunners GOOD CHRISTIAN BITCHES and CHARLIE’S ANGELS, along with the…

The marathon pilot screenings at the broadcast networks are in full force. While they are rarely the deciding factor in the networks’ final series pickup decisions, they help solidify early standouts’ frontrunner positions and sometimes breathe life into pilots that might have been written off too soon. Here are some…

Andrew J. West (Greek) is set as the lead in NBC’s untitled Dan Goor pilot. The multicamera comedy, from writer-exec producer Dan Goor, centers on Adam Foote (West), a young doctor who joins his parents' medical practice and spends as much time tending to his family as to his patients. Jean Smart was recently cast…

The Emmy-winning team of Anthony and Joe Russo have come on board to direct Fox’s comedy pilot The Council of Dads, from writer-executive producer Peter Tolan and Sony Pictures TV. Last year, the Sony TV-based directors who won an Emmy for directing the pilot of Arrested Development, helmed 2 pilots, ABC’s Happy Ending…

ABC has made its first comedy pilot pickups this season, ordering Man Up, from 100 Questions creator Chris Moynihan and an Smothered, from Friends alums Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. The ABC Studios/Tagline-produced Man Up stems from writer-actor Moynihan’s two-script deal with the studio. In addition to writing and…