The birth of a television series begins with a pilot. The show's creative team puts together one sample episode of the series, shows that to the network execs, and hopes it gets picked up. That's basically what this column is today, only you, dear readers, are the network execs. I hope you relish the power.
Appropriately enough, this column goes to print the same time most pilots reach television screens. So as a preview of what's in store in this column, let's preview what's in store for the television scene with the five most promising shows of the season - all apologies to William Shatner, as ""$#*! My Dad Says"" didn't make the cut.
""Boardwalk Empire"" (premieres September 19 on HBO)
HBO must not like being dethroned. With the advent of ""Mad Men"" and ""Breaking Bad,"" AMC is now the place to go for marquee television. So how does HBO respond? By calling in former ""Sopranos"" writer Terence Winter as showrunner, a star studded cast featuring Steve Buscemi and a little known director named Martin Scorsese to tell the tale of Atlantic City's rise (or fall) to the East Coast's favorite den of sin in ""Boardwalk Empire."" It is one of the most ambitious projects HBO has ever greenlit, and with the pedigree gathered, ""Boardwalk Empire"" looks to give ""Mad Men"" a run for its money as the best show on television.
""Detroit 187"" (premieres September 21 on ABC)
""The Sopranos"" keeps sewing its seeds all over the television landscape. With Winter captaining ""Boardwalk Empire"" and Matthew Weiner churning out excellence every week on ""Mad Men,"" writers from the hit mob show are a hot commodity. ABC couldn't get one, so they hired one of the show's actors instead. Starring Michael Imperioli, ""Detroit 187"" appears to be a basic police procedural, but Imperioli's presence should go a long way. The bigger question is whether the dilapidated setting of Detroit will make the show feel like a poor man's version of ""The Wire,"" but hopefully Imperioli is talented enough to show us just how cold it is in the D.
""Running Wilde"" (premieres September 22 on Fox)
If ""The Sopranos"" had an equivalent in the comedy world, it would be the universally critically loved ""Arrested Development."" But unlike ""Sopranos,"" the creative team and cast of ""Arrested Development"" haven't proliferated across the airwaves much. Hopefully that will change with ""Running Wilde,"" the new brainchild from ""Arrested Development"" mastermind Mitch Hurwitz. Joining Hurwitz is Will Arnett as the titular Steven Wilde, a narcissistic rich manchild—basically, Steven Wilde is Gob Bluth all over again. Also imported from ""Arrested Development"" is the almost always hilarious David Cross playing Arnett's environmentalist rival, so the show is a lock for at least a few uncomfortable chuckles.
""Undercovers"" (premieres September 22 on NBC)
Now if you want to create a successful show and can't hire a writer from ""The Sopranos"" or Mitch Hurwitz, the next best option is to contact J.J. Abrams. After ""Lost"" and ""Fringe,"" Abrams' name has become its own brand signifying intrigue and mind-blowing convoluted plotlines. ""Undercovers"" sees the Abrams name draw back a bit from his recent science fiction efforts into a show more akin to ""Alias"" with a married couple. Featuring the little-known Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a husband and wife spy team, the show will likely be lighter than anything Abrams has done recently, both in its humorous tone and lack of clouded smoke monsters.
""The Walking Dead"" (premieres October 31 on AMC)
Zombies on television. As of now, I'm having trouble thinking up a three-word combination with more pop culture geek appeal than that. And based on the epic four-minute trailer for ""The Walking Dead"" released this summer, AMC doesn't plan to disappoint the zombie-loving faithful. Spearheaded by ""The Mist's"" Frank Darabont, ""The Walking Dead"" promises all of the blood, guts and post-apocalyptic settings of zombie classics like ""28 Days Later,"" only it will be on every week. Forget room for failure, this is the one surefire spectacular debut of this movie season. I bank my column's entire miniscule amount of credibility on it.
Think Todd is too elitist for not previewing the TV version of ""$#*! My Dad Says""? Think William Shatner will dominate? Insult him at ststevens@wisc.edu.
