ABC Picks Up ‘THE MAYOR’ & Three More Pilots
ABC has announced that they have picked up three pilots from ABC Studios: THE MAYOR, a comedy from executive producer Daveed Diggs and starring Lea Michelle; and dramas FOR THE PEOPLE from Shondaland, THE CROSSING starring Steve Zahn, and THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN lead by Jason Ritter.
In addition, the network has announced that they have picked up Sony TV’s The Good Doctor and Start Up.
Here’s the info on the new shows:
THE MAYOR
Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years, he’s toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century: Running for mayor of his hometown in California to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying for outcomes: an election victory. With the help of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown) and friends, including Valentina (Lea Michele), Courtney will have to overcome his hubris if he wants to transform the struggling city he loves.
From Tony winner Executive Producer Daveed Diggs, writer/executive producer Jeremy Bronson and executive producer Jamie Tarses. The series is from ABC Studios. The pilot is directed by Executive Producer James Griffiths.
Starring Brandon Micheal Hall as Courtney Rose, Lea Michele as Valentina, Bernard David Jones as Jermaine Hardaway, Marcel Spears as TK and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dina.
FOR THE PEOPLE
Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, aka “The Mother Court”, this new Shondaland drama follows brand-new lawyers working for both the defense and the prosecution handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country– all as their lives intersect in and out of the courtroom. The series is created by Shondaland’s Paul William Davies and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.
From ABC Studios, starring Britne Olford as Sandra Bell, Lyndon Smith as Allison Adams, Ben Rappaport as Seth Oliver, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, Regé-Jean Page as Leonard Knox, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Hope Davis as Jill Caplan, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Judge Nicholas Byrne and Anna Deavere Smith as Tina Krissman.
THE CROSSING
Refugees from a war-torn country seek asylum in a small American fishing town, only the country these people are from is America… and the war they are fleeing hasn’t happened yet. As the government tries to uncover the truth behind this mysterious migration only one thing is certain: The lives of the people here– both the townspeople and these newcomers– will never be the same.
Written by Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie executive produce with Jason Reed.
Starring Steve Zahn as Jude Miller, Natalie Martinez as Reece, Sandrine Holt as Emma Ren, Rick Gomez as Nestor, Jay Karnes as Craig Landauer, Marcuis Harris as Caleb, Simone Kessel as Rebecca, Kelly Missal as Hannah, Rob Campbell as Paul, Grant Harvey as Roy, Bailey Skodje as Leah, Jon D’Leo as Will, Luc Roderique as Bryce, and Tommy Bastow as Marshall. The pilot is directed by Rob Bowman.
Here’s an official teaser:
THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN
Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter), a cluelessly self-serving person, is on a dangerous path to despair. In a downward spiral, Kevin returns home to stay with his widowed twin sister (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) and niece. On his first night there, an unlikely celestial being named Yvette (Cristela Alonzo) appears to him and presents him with a mission– to save the world.
A light drama from executive producers Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters.
Starring Jason Ritter as Kevin Finn, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Amy, Cristela Alonzo as Yvette, J. August Richards as Nate, Chloe East as Reese, Dustin Ybarra as Tyler and India de Baufort as Kristin. The pilot is directed by Paul McGuigan.
Camara Oscura 