ABC Orders Connie Britton Drama, Sarah Chalke Comedy and 7 More to Series
ABC has joined in on the pre-Upfronts presentations fray by ordering nine new series.
On the drama side, ABC has ordered Nashville, Last Resort, Red Widow, 666 Park Avenue and Zero Hour. For comedy, the network ordered How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life, Malibu Country, The Family Tools and The Neighbors. ABC has previously ordered Mistresses directly to series in February for a summer 2013 premiere, but word is it could end up on the schedule sooner.
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Nashville is a family soap set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene that follows two musicians, one who's already a star (Connie Britton) and the other who's on the rise (Hayden Panettiere). Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise) and RJ Cutler will write and executive-produce. Jonathan Jackson, Powers Boothe, Robert Wisdom, Eric Close, Clare Bowen, Charles Esten and Sam Palladio will also star.
In Last Resort, a renegade crew of a nuclear submarine, lead by Men of a Certain Age's Andre Braugher, go on the run after defying an order to fire nuclear missiles. They find sanctuary at a NATO base where they declare themselves the world's smallest nuclear nation. The Shield's Shawn Ryan will executive-produce the pilot, which he wrote with Karl Gajdusek (Dead Like Me). Autumn Reeser, Scott Speedman, Daisy Betts, Sahr Ngaujau, Dichen Lachman, Jessy Schram, Robert Patrick, Camille de Pazzis and Dan Lissing will also star.
Red Widow, formerly known as Penoza, follows the widow (Radha Mitchell) of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband's role in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family. Dexter's Melissa Rosenberg will write, based on the Dutch format, and executive-produce alongside The Office's Howard Klein. Lee Tergesen, Rade Sherbedzija, Wil Traval, Luke Goss, Suleka Mathew, Jaime Ray Newman, Sterling Beaumon, Jacob Salvati, Erin Moriarty and Mido Hamada will also star. Anson Mount will guest-star.
In 666 Park Avenue, an innocent Midwestern couple (Dave Annable and Rachael Taylor) get hired as resident managers of an Upper East Side apartment building in New York, with the owner played by Lost's Terry O'Quinn. Unbeknownst to them, the residents have all made deals with the Devil to have their desires fulfilled. David Wilcox will adapt Gabrielle Pierce's book series and executive-produce, alongside Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. Vanessa Williams, Mercedes Masohn, Helena Mattsson and Robert Buckley will also star. Erik Palladino will guest-star.
In Zero Hour, a skeptics magazine editor (Anthony Edwards) gets pulled into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history. Prison Break's Paul Scheuring wrote the pilot and executive-produces with Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Dan McDermott. Scott Michael Foster, Addison Timlin, Jacinda Barrett, Michael Nyqvist and Carmen Ejogo will star.
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In How to Live, Scrubs' Sarah Chalke stars as a newly divorced woman who ends up moving in with her over-the-top parents Elaine (Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (Brad Garrett). Accidentally on Purpose creator Claudia Lonow wrote the pilot based loosely on her own life. She executive-produces with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Francie Calfo. Jon Dore, Orlando Jones, Rebecca Delgado Smith and Rachel Eggleston will also star.
In Malibu Country, Reba McEntire stars as a broke divorcee who moves her family to Malibu where she attempts to revive her music career while keeping her children from being corrupted by the city. Reba's Kevin Abbott will write and executive-produce the pilot. Lily Tomlin, Sara Rue, Jai Rodriguez, Owen Teague, Juliette Angelo, Justin Prentice will also star.
Family Tools, formerly known as Red Van Man, follows a man (Worst Week's Kyle Bornheimer) who puts his dreams on hold in order to take over the family handyman business from his father (The Closer's J.K. Simmons). Bobby Bowman (My Name is Earl) will write and executive-produce alongside Mark Gordon and Andrea Shay. Leah Remini, Edi Gathegi, Danielle Nicolet and Johnny Pemberton will also star.
In The Neighbors, a family — Lenny Venito, Jami Gertz, Isabella Cramp, Clara Mamet and Max Charles — moves into a beautiful, surprisingly affordable gated community in New Jersey only to discover that all the neighbors are literally from another planet. Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love) will write and executive-produce. Simon Templeman, Toks Olagundoye, Tim Jo and Ian Patrick will also star.
Which series sound most interesting to you?
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