Bryan Singer, Ilene Chaiken Drama Gets Series Order at ABC

ABC has picked up its eighth drama series for 2013-14.

The network on Friday added The Black Box, with a 13-episode straight to series order.

Black Box revolves around Elizabeth Black, a famed neuroscientist who seems to have with a job at the Center for Neurological Research and Treatment (otherwise known as The Cube) it all but struggles with mental illness -- one of many secrets she has from her fiancé and family.

The drama hails from Mystic Pizza and The Relic writer Amy Holden Jones, who will executive produce alongside The L Word's Ilene Chaiken and X-Men director Bryan Singer, 3 Arts' Oly Obst (The Invention of Lying) and Borgia's Anne Thomopoulos. The series marks the first for independent production company Bold Films (Legion), with Sierra Engine tackling international distribution.

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ABC is eyeing the drama for 2014, with a January date considered depending on how its freshman class fares. 

For Chaiken, who will serve as showrunner, the drama marks a reunion with ABC. The L Word creator was tapped to serve as showrunner on the Disney-owned network's soapy drama Westside, starring Jennifer Beals. The pilot about rival families in Venice, Calif., did not move forward. Singer, meanwhile, is prepping a reboot of The Twilight Zone for CBS Television Studios, which owns the rights to Rod Serling's original.

Black Box marks ABC's eighth drama series pickup -- up from five last year. It joins Betrayal, Mind Games, Killer Women, Lucky 7, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Resurrection and Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit

Lesley Goldberg