CBS Orders Drama From ‘Homeland’ Creators, Robin Williams Comedy to Pilot
CBS is doubling down on the Homeland duo.
The Showtime sister network has ordered to pilot Anatomy of Violence from Homeland co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa as well as writer/EP Alex Cary. Joining it in the net’s pilot coffers is Robin Williams and David E. Kelley‘s comedy Crazy Ones and drama Intelligence from North Country’s Michael Seitzman.
Violence, which is inspired by Adrian Raine’s upcoming non-fiction title, The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime, is familiar territory for the Homeland trio. The hourlong entry will center on a criminal psychologist with an expertise in sociopaths partners with a young female detective with whom he shares a conflicted past.
If ultimately picked up to series, Gordon would serve as the Teakwood Lane and 20th Television series’ showrunner, with long-time writing partner — and Homeland showrunner — Gansa as well as Cary on board to executive produce and write alongside him.
For Gordon, Violence marks his second pilot order this season, joining TNT’s Sean Bean drama Legends.
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For its part, Crazy Ones stars the Good Will Hunting Oscar winner in a comedy the world of advertising and marks Williams’ return to the small-screen 30 years after he starred for four seasons on ABC’s Mork & Mindy. The single-camera comedy revolves around a father-daughter relationship at home and at work and comes after Williams’ recent guest starring roles on FX’s Louie and Wilfred.
Kelley penned the project and will executive produce for 20th Television. Bill D’Elia, who exec produced Kelley’s Harry‘s Law, Boston Legal, The Practice and Ally McBeal, is on board to exec produce the Williams vehicle as well, as are John Montgomery, Mark Teitelbaum and Jason Winer, who will direct. The comedy also marks Kelley’s return to the half-hour format decades after his second comedy, Doogie Howser, M.D.
The Williams comedy marks CBS’ second big-swing featuring a former ’80s star in as many days. On Tuesday, the network gave pilot orders to a Beverly Hills Cop follow-up from The Shield‘s Shawn Ryan and executive produced by Eddie Murphy. Kelley is repped by WME, Original Management and Gendler & Kelly. Williams is with WME and Manatt Phelps.
Intelligence, meanwhile, is centered at U.S. Cyber Command and focuses on a unit created around an agent with a microchip implanted in his brain that allows him to access the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The drama hails from Seitzman, who will pen the pilot and executive produce alongside David Semel (No Ordinary Family), who will also direct. Tripp Vinson is also on board to exec produce the ABC Studios entry.
The cyber drama marks the second off-network sale for ABC Studios this pilot season, joining its Charlize Theron-produced Hatfields & McCoys, which is set up at NBC.
Gordon and Gansa, who got their start together on such series as Spenser: For Hire, Beauty and the Beast and The X-Files before going their separate ways for nearly 15 years, are both repped by WME. For Seitzman, Intelligence marks his second pilot in as many years. Last year, he had fashion drama Americana set up at ABC. He’s repped by WME and Loeb & Loeb.
Monday’s pickups bring CBS’ drama haul to 10 so far this pilot season. The pair joins Beverly Hills Cop, Toni Collette-starrer Hostages and Shane Brennan’s NCIS: LA spinoff, among others. The network picked up eight drama pilots last year. On the comedy side, Crazy Ones becomes its ninth half-hour this year; CBS ordered eight last season.
