Pilot season has always had a special place in my heart, but recent years haven’t felt the same — until NBC suddenly reminded me what it used to be.
Networks rarely take risks and have zeroed in on canceling beloved shows in favor of lower-cost programming that doesn’t match the good storytelling of years’ past.
It’s rare nowadays that I find myself impressed by broadcast TV schedules because, frankly, there isn’t nearly enough programming that isn’t by the numbers.
That may be about to change, and it’s all thanks to NBC, a network I genuinely haven’t watched for a while after its poor treatment of Found and The Irrational.
I’ve had my fill of the One Chicago and Law & Order franchises.
At some point, longevity stops being a strength and starts feeling like inertia.
In the past week, a flurry of exciting announcements has given me hope that things are about to turn around for NBC.
Let’s dive into the biggest first because this one is huge. David Boreanaz is set to star on The Rockford Files reboot.
Whenever I hear the term “reboot,” I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
They rarely have any staying power because they tend to be front-loaded with fans of the original and those who didn’t watch the original but heard all about it and want to be a part of the moment.
But this feels different. Boreanaz has had the steadiest career of any actor for almost 30 years.
David Boreanaz Always Picks Successful Projects
Boreanaz doesn’t sign onto shows lightly. Three decades in, he doesn’t need the paycheck — he needs a story worth telling.
Boreanaz’s former Bones co-star, Emily Deschanel, is also putting down roots at NBC with the lead role in a pilot for a new crime drama based on the life of real-life profiler and author Dr. Ann Burgess.
It can’t be a coincidence that the network is bringing two stars of one of broadcast’s biggest series back to the small screen.
It’s not hard to imagine NBC quietly banking on the nostalgia factor of two Bones leads returning to broadcast prominence at the same time.
Aside from the Bones alums, NBC may also be giving 9-1-1 alum Peter Krause his first TV role since his character, Bobby Nash, was killed off during one of TV’s most controversial deaths.
There was no rhyme or reason to Bobby’s death from a storytelling standpoint, but there’s every reason to believe it was driven by the network’s desire to cut costs.
Long-running shows tend to take big risks when belt-tightening is on the horizon, but that show has been a shell of itself since Bobby’s demise.
Oh, well.
At least ABC’s loss could be NBC’s gain, if Protection nabs a series order!
NBC May Have Some Tough Calls to Make
The potential show would find Krause playing a former Secret Service agent turned Assistant Director of Intelligence.
Despite all three shows being pilots, I have this feeling that they’ll all make it onto NBC’s 2026-27 slate because these actors come with built-in fanbases that will follow them anywhere.
For all three shows to make it to the air, there would have to be some big swings at the network. NBC’s schedule feels overdue for a shake-up.
Unfortunately, Brilliant Minds does seem to be on life support, so that could be a potential cancellation right there.
The sophomore drama has lost the bulk of its audience this season and has been banished to later in the season to wrap up its run, which has got to be the end.
The jury is out on The Hunting Party, but hey, at least it hasn’t been placed on a random hiatus. Its fate will likely be determined by how well the above pilots are received.
I hate to say it for the fans of the One Chicago and Law & Order franchises, but I think we may see some of these shows given the boot.
Last season, the FBI franchise lost two shows due to the unjust cancellations of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted, suggesting that the Dick Wolf shows are definitely not safe from the chopping block.
For the first time in years, pilot season feels like it matters again — and that alone is worth paying attention to.
What about you, NBC Fanatics?
What’s your take on the state of pilot season? Do you think these three actors could help boost NBC?
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NBC’s pilots with Boreanaz, Deschanel, and Krause promise to revive the thrill of classic pilot season, and I’m happy about that!
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