NBC Readying Dramas From Paul Haggis, Warren Leight and Gideon Raff

The announcements were made Tuesday at TCA. Jemal Countess/Getty Images; Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

The announcements were made Tuesday at TCA.

Paul Haggis is headed to NBC.

The network has given a pilot production commitment to a drama written and executive produced by the Oscar- winner and former Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight, NBC Entertainment president Jen Salke announced Tuesday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

The drama is described as follows: "Salvation begins on Fourth of July weekend. A summer storm unexpectedly intensifies and changes track to New York Harbor. Power goes out. Flood waters rise. Most Brooklyn hospitals are forced to evacuate. With few doctors on call, and without any warning, the recently downsized Our Lady of Salvation now becomes the borough’s last viable trauma center. Salvation, the first real-time hospital 'extreme event' drama, will capture the life-and-death choices nurses, PA’s and other front line caregivers make as they struggle to provide care and triage."

Haggis is set to direct the pilot, which hails from Sony Pictures Television. Leight left Law & Order: SVU at the end of season 17 for a multiyear overall deal with Sony Television. His other credits include the FX boxing drama Lights Out, HBO's In Treatment as well as another former NBC series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

For Haggis, this marks his directing gig since last year's HBO mini Show Me a Hero, written by David Simon. His most recent series directing gig was 2007's The Black Donnellys, which aired on NBC.

The network is also developing a drama from Gideon Raff (Homeland) based on the best-selling book Waking Lions.

Described as an "edge-of-your-seat thriller," the project centers on a Beverly Hills doctor who inadvertently hits and kills a pedestrian on his way home from work. He decides to flee the scene, and his life subsequently changes forever. The victim's wife finds the wallet at the scene, but instead of turning him in to authorities, decides to blackmail him. Making matters even more complicated: The doctor's wife becomes the lead investigator on the case.

Raff will exec produce with Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan. Universal Television will produce with Keshet.

For Raff, the project brings him back to the NBCUniversal fold, where he exec produced the USA drama Dig, which hailed from Universal Cable Production. His other credits include Prisoners of War, on which Homeland is based, and Tyrant.

The news comes ahead of the launch of NBC's 2016-17 season, which includes dramas Timeless, also from Sony TV, and This Is Us, which hails from outside studio 20th Century Fox. The network's midseason slate includes several in-house dramas such as Chicago Justice, Midnight, Texas and Taken as well as another Sony property, the Blacklist spinoff Redemption.

 

Pilot Season TV Development Television Critics Association

Kate Stanhope