ABC 2010 upfronts: Mid-season replacements


by Paul William Tenny

ABC network logoThis is the "mid-season replacements" post of a series on ABC's 2010 upfront presentation. These pilots were all ordred by ABC for consideration for the 2010 fall season (and summer replacement of canceled shows), and anything they announce at the upfronts next week will come from this pile.

  • The Bachelor Pad

    From: Jay Bienstock, Martin Hilton, and Mike Fleiss as producers. Bienstock is a reality producer, having worked on Eco Challenge Borno, Survivor, and The Apprentice. Fleiss has produced and written for television since the early 90s, as well as having worked on Hostel. Both Fleiss and Hilton produced together on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

    Synopsis: A spin-off of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette where 20 former contestants live together in a new house, where they will face challenges and evictions.

    Notes: Six episodes ordered.

  • Boston Med

    From: Carl Hansen, Rudy Bednar, Sedika Mojadidi, and Terence Wrong producing. Wrong is a producer for ABC News. Bednar worked with Wrong on Hopkins, an ABC News project which Boston Med is partly based on. Mojadidi produced for reality show Flip This House and a few other things. No data is available for Carl Hansen.

    Synopsis: An hour-long reality series that regularly visits the hallways of three Massachusetts hospitals.

    Notes: 8 episodes ordered. Would air Thursdays at 10PM.

  • Downfall

    From: Chris Ahearn, Graham Shaw, and Scott St. John producing. Ahearn and Shaw have produced a number of game shows together, including Gameshow Mountian, Million Dollar Password, and Let's Make a Deal.  St. John has produced for Deal or No Deal.

    Synopsis: Played atop a tall building in the middle of a metropolitan landscape, the game has contestants quickly answer a series of trivia questions against the clock. If they play the perfect game, they could leave with a million dollars in cash and prizes. But if not, they could just as easily see their hopes and dreams slip through their fingers and off the side building -- literally.

    Notes: 6 episodes ordered. Would air Tuesdays at 9PM.

  • The Gates

    From: Grant Scharbo and Richard Hatem as creators, Gina Matthews producing, with Terry McDonough directing the pilot. Scharbo produced several episodes of Jake 2.0 and wrote for The Mountain in 2005. Hatem mostly produced for Tru Calling, Supernatural, and The Dead Zone. Matthews produced and wrote for The Mountain with Scharbo. McDonough has directed for a number of TV shows since early 2000, but none really stand out other than Breaking Bad (2 episodes.)

    Synopsis: Nestled inside a private mountain community are The Gates. The image of perpetual suburban bliss, each street is lined with perfectly manicured homes protected by the massive iron gates, but a dark and delicious secret is buried just beneath the surface of this picturesque neighborhood..

    Notes: 13 episodes ordered. Would air Sundays at 10PM, a death slot.

  • Primetime

    From: David Sloan as executive producer. Sloan is a producer for ABC News.

    Synopsis: The newest of Primetime's collection of limited series, this five-episode series takes you into the darkest corners of the human mind and how it can be twisted - real cases where "reality" gives way to fantasy

    Notes: Apparently began airing in April or May on Fridays at 9PM; has a 20 episode order. Another ABC News production, meaning it's non-fiction and not "reality", either.

  • Rookie Blue

    From: Tassie Cameron as creator, David Wellington, Ilana Frank, John Morayniss, and Noreen Halpern producing. Cameron has written and produced for Flashpoint, and written for The Eleventh Hour, and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Wellington has directed for The Kids in the Hall, The Eleventh Hour, and Queer as Folk. Frank had produced and occasionally written for The Eleventh Hour and a number of feature films. Morayniss has produced extensively for television since 2001, and Halpern since 1995. Both worked together on Kenny vs. Spenny.

    Synopsis: A drama that follows the lives of five young, ambitious cops right out of the Academy

    Notes: 13 episodes ordered. Would air Thursdays at 9PM.

  • Scoundrels

    From: Lynnie Greene and Richard Levine as creators, Bruce Cervi, Francie Calfo, John Barnett, John Lansing, Michael Goldstein, and Michael Larkin producing. Greene was an actress until switching to producing and writing about ten years ago. A couple of freelance jobs until landing on the Nip/Tuck writing staff for seven years and moving up to executive producer. Levine also worked on Nip/Tuck. Lansing has written a few episodes for a few old shows like Swamp Thing and Renegade. Cervi has written for Magnum P.I., Renegade, Swamp Thing, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

    Larkin and Calfo are TV movie producers.

    Barnett produced for Mercy Peak and Outrageous Fortune.

    Synopsis: a one-hour comedy/drama .. that focuses on a family of small-time criminals who try to go straight after the father is sent to prison.

    Notes: 8 episodes ordered. Would air Sundays at 9PM. This show has too many producers, most of which have stalled careers for the past decade or don't do shows, only TV movies. Notable cast member is Virginia Madsen.

Also: ABC drama pilots, mid-season replacements, and the introduction post.

Update: I've posted ABC's full fall schedule

in Feature, Television

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