In hindsight, maybe the broadcast networks should’ve always done as few as eight pilots a year. That’s how many NBC ordered this season — five dramas and three comedies — and the crop may have produced as many strong series contenders as the contingents of 20-25 pilots the networks used to pick up in a single year back in the day.
Going into internal screenings this week, there was solid buzz on virtually all eight NBC pilots. Not much has changed as the screenings did not seem to whittle down the batch of pilots significantly, so testing results may help break some ties.
NBC is now moving to the final stage of preparations for its May 11 upfront presentation, locking in the 2026-27 schedule, and the holes that need filling may be the deciding factor which pilots get ordered to series. Word is that the final pickup and cancellation decisions won’t come until late next week.
That said, the early NBC pilot frontrunners, the Dan Goor/Luke Del Tredici single-camera comedy starring Jake Johnson, now titled Sunset P.I., and The Rockford Files reboot starring David Boreanaz, have remained strong.
Sunset P.I., in particular, is considered the undisputed frontrunner of the entire pack, with its series order considered a formality as a potential companion for St. Denis Medical.
The field is wider on the drama side but The Rockford Files is believed to still be a sure bet, with Boreanaz getting a lot of props for his take on the classic PI, delivering the right mix of rugged charm and dry wit.
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NBC’s strategy of hiring established TV stars for its pilots seems to be paying off as the actors are winning over those who have seen the pilots. Emily Deschanel and Taylor Schilling are both getting high marks for their performances in Key Witness (fka untitled Dean Georgaris/John Fox) and What The Dead Know, respectively.
That could be one of the two ties that would need breaking. NBC is said to be keen on picking up a new female-led procedural that could be paired with the network’s stalwart, Law & Order: SVU. What The Dead Know, from SVU producer Wolf Entertainment, was developed with that compatibility in mind, I hear, but Key Witness has strong support too. I hear the two may be vying for one slot.
Also getting positive feedback and in the running for an order is drama In the Line of Fire (fka Protection, which is more serialized than the pure procedural pilots and has a strong family element. Peter Krause is the star, Hope Davis the female lead, with sources praising how good the two are together.
Puzzled, starring Damon Wayans Jr., has been, well, puzzling. It is — quiet intentionally — lighter and funnier than the other drama pilots, with Wayans Jr. cracking jokes as he solves crimes. That is not necessarily NBC’s drama brand; Puzzled is more in line with ABC’s current light procedural bent. While considered a longer shot for a series order than others, NBC brass are keeping Puzzled in play in case an hourlong drama is needed to follow a half-hour comedy on the schedule, I hear.
Another possible bake-off situation is emerging on the multi-camera comedy side where two pilots, Newlyweds, starring real-life married couple Tèa Leoni and Tim Daly (with some scene-stealing guest star action from the project’s executive producer Jamie Lee Curtis), and Jill & Ginger (fka untitled Kari Lizar), starring Katey Sagal and Jane Lynch, have come in at a similar level, with great chemistry between the two leads on both projects.
There is a small chance for both to go; the more likely scenario is for one to be picked up as a companion to Reba McEntire’s Happy’s Place.
NBC this afternoon made its first cancellations for 2026-27, single-camera comedy Stumble and drama Brilliant Minds. That is not helping much in cracking the pilot puzzle as those slots would easily be taken by Sunset P.I. and The Rockford Files.
Beyond that, NBC has a mix of four drama pilots and two bubble drama series, Law & Order and The Hunting Party, to work with. (On the comedy side, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is looking good for renewal, likely with another shorter order.)
The more pilots the network wants to pick up to series, the more bubble shows it will have to cancel as NBC’s primetime inventory is limited, with NBA basketball and NFL football accounting for a significant chunk of the real estate.
Peacock is a wild card. An NBC drama pilot could conceivably get picked up by the sibling streamer instead, though it is unclear how realistic that scenario is.
