Both Deadline.com and New York Magazine are reporting that things look grim for NBC’s once-hyped Rockford Files update starring Dermot Mulroney.
It is possible that to appeal to developer David Chase and producer Steve Carell, both of whom are people NBC wants to do business with, that the Rockford project could be seriously re-worked. The NYMag piece suggests that poor direction was to blame, and that it “looked like it was shot in the seventies.” In which case, one could already pop in a DVD starring the real Rockford, James Garner…
Some editorializing here: If NBC is to give this one another try, and no offense to Dermot Mulroney, I hope they go for someone a little more… appealing. Fans on this very site were championing Joe Flanigan for the role, and some are now suggesting Josh Holloway of LOST after a recent flash-sideways on that series.
NBC will be announcing their new schedule in a few days. It’ll be curious to see where this goes. The Rockford Files might just be one of those concepts, like Columbo, where the idea of a revamp with a different lead just wouldn’t make sense, because it would be impossible to match up to the original.
James Hibberd’s The Live Feed has weighed in on the latest pilot buzz, and since we’ve been tracking a lot of the networks’ Fall 2010 pilots, we thought we’d share:
CBS Hawaii Five-O is still the “most likely drama” to be picked up as a series order. Chaos, Defenders, and Bleep My Dad Says all sound like top contenders. Hibberd notes that “nobody seems to like” the Criminal Minds spin-off but it will probably get picked up for mid-season anyway.
FOX
Drama series Breakout Kings, Midland, and Ride-Along are top contenders. The Spielberg dinosaur drama Terra Nova hasn’t had a script delivered yet. Comedies Keep Hope Alive and Traffic Light are “frontrunners.”
NBC
NBC picked up several pilots to series yesterday, but they’re not done yet. The Rockford Files and Chase are still “near-locks.” Hibberd notes (good news!) that even though it was said NBC was choosing between The Event and The Cape, The Cape is now “generating unexpected heat.”
ABC
ABC is eyeing an 8PM timeslot for No Ordinary Family. (They seriously should come up with a better name, though – I still keep getting it confused with Modern Family!) Detroit 187 and Shonda Rhimes’ Off The Map are still called “sure bets.” For comedies, Mr. Sunshine with Matthew Perry seems the strongest.
The CW Nikita is “practically on the schedule,” and Hibberd notes that the network is also excited about Betwixt (aka Changelings.) Hellcats is also “well liked.” Nomads and HMS are considered “long shots.”
Both THR and Deadline.com have posted updated tallies of how certain pilots are doing, including a few that are being covered here at KSiteTV.
At NBC, both say The Rockford Files has good chances, although Deadline says that the network has not seen the pilot yet. It sounds like J.J. Abrams’ Undercovers will definitely be on the air this Fall. Chances sound good for David E. Kelley’s pilot Kindreds, although there are some pilots NBC is more excited about.
THR says nothing about The Cape, but Deadline is saying that it seems like it’s between The Cape and The Event for a spot on the NBC schedule, with The Cape flying in slightly ahead right now.
David Tennant’s Rex Is Not Your Lawyer has had a reworked pilot which has “tested well” according to Deadline. THR didn’t mention it.
NBC also has some sitcoms that have been received well at the network. Those include This Little Piggy, Friends With Benefits, Perfect Couples, and Outsourced.
THR says the CBS Hawaii Five-O pilot screening “went great,” and the Jim Belushi drama The Defenders is also looking good. William Shatner apparently “nailed” the taping for the sitcom Bleep My Dad Says, and Chuck Lorre’s Mike & Molly apparently had a “great taping.”
Apparently FOX really likes the Texas con-man drama Midland, which is directed by future Spider-Man director Marc Webb. Terra Nova sounds like it’s a done deal for a 13-episode order. A new sitcom from My Name Is Earl creator Greg Garcia, titled Keep Hope Alive, is showing promise.
Deadline is listing most of ABC’s dramas as “looking good, sight unssen.” THR, however, calls No Ordinary Family a “stand out” and says 187 Detroit and Off The Map (the latter from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes) are looking strong.
The Matthew Perry-starring comedy Mr. Sunshine and Debra Messing’s Wright vs. Wrong seem to also be doing well.
Deadline says The CW’s Nikita and Hellcats are “very strong” and “very on-brand” which is interesting considering Hellcats isn’t even finished yet. They say Betwixt is “cooling off,” though what exactly it is cooling off from is vague. They also have good things to say about Nomads, though they worry it might not fit the network brand. Some early script reviews for Nomads have also come in very good.
THR, on the other hand, gives props to Nikita and says the network is “also excited” about Betwixt, without mentioning the other programs.
Here’s the current schedule for when we will know the networks’ Fall line-ups. Generally, though, the schedules often leak a day or two earlier:
Alex Fernandez, who appeared in the Human Target episode “Embassy Row,” has landed the role of Lt. Doug Chapman in NBC’s currently-filming Rockford Files pilot.
The role was played by James Luisi in the original series.
The pilot is up for a potential spot on NBC’s Fall 2010 schedule, and stars Dermot Mulroney in the role made famous by James Garner nearly 40 years ago.
Beau Bridges will be playing Jim Rockford’s dad “Rocky” in NBC’s upcoming Rockford Files re-do pilot.
A personal opinion: While Bridges is a good actor in himself, and comes from a family of very good actors, shouldn’t this one have gone to James Garner?
At least the original series is on DVD to enjoy… but this is the second casting for this pilot (the first being Dermot Mulroney) that I haven’t found particularly interesting. Maybe they’ll surprise us all.
Here at KSiteTV we’ve been covering the news of several pilots in contention for the networks’ Fall 2010 line-ups. Now it’s time to ask you what you’re looking forward to the most.
Please pick only one, and if your choice isn’t listed there, leave a comment. Have fun!
Firefly and V actor Alan Tudyk has joined the cast of NBC’s Rockford Files pilot.
EW‘s Michael Ausiello has revealed that Tudyk will be playing Dennis Becker, the LAPD sergeant originally played by Joe Santos.
Cast in the lead is Dermot Mulroney. Come on, NBC… is it too late to change your minds and hire Joe Flanigan? Of course, casting James Garner as Rockford’s dad “Rocky” might make us feel better… (the role of “Rocky” is still uncast)
This week’s Ask Ausiello column at EW.com featured a reader question about Joe Flanigan (Stargate Atlantis) being cast in the role of Jim Rockford in NBC’s Rockford Files update. At least for now, the answer is no; or at least “not yet.”
Question: There’s buzz that the talented Joe Flanigan will be cast as the lead in NBC’s Rockford Files remake. Is this true? —Joan
Ausiello: Definitely not true. I think that rumor got started in a Stargate chat room.
Hopefully a casting announcement will come soon. Dozens of commenters to the previous “Joe Rockford” post here at KSiteTV seem to think Joe Flanigan would be a perfect fit, so hopefully he’s at least had the chance to audition!
Alex Fernandez, who appeared in the Human Target episode “Embassy Row,” has landed the role of Lt. Doug Chapman in NBC’s currently-filming Rockford Files pilot.
The role of Jim Rockford in NBC’s Rockford Files pilot redux is cast… and sadly, it’s not Joe Flanigan who got it.
