25 Intriguing Drama Pilots in Development for 2016-17

Premise: A sexy drama with a supernatural twist, It centers on Eva Sofia Valdez, a Cuban immigrant who rose from rags to riches and is a celebrated Miami entrepreneur and a champion for immigrant rights. But her success is fueled by an insatiable ambition that could destroy her family, a vendetta against the lover Blair Monroe who betrayed her, and ghosts from the past who threaten to reveal the dark sacrifices Eva Sofia made to attain the American Dream.

Why We're Interested: The stars are Gina Torres (yes, she will fade out of Suits to play the role) and Eric Close, and the idea of a supernatural side note piques us. The title seems a little over the top, but we also don't want them to mess with it too much, because that often spells disaster. But now...is she dead, alive...what does it MEAN?!

Premise: Set in present day, Cruel Intentions picks up more than 15 years after the movie left off. It follows the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey, the son of her brother, the late Sebastian Valmont, and Annette, Witherspoon’s character in the movie, played in the pilot by Kate Levering. Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined.

Why We're Interested: Sarah Michelle Gellar is reprising her original role from the movie. Is there really anything else we need to know? Probably, but we're stopping there. Because we love her.

Premise: It centers on three unlikely cohorts who inadvertently stumble upon an invention that challenges the very nature of quantum physics – a discovery which in turn puts their lives in grave danger.

Why We're Interested: Quantum physics are (is?) fascinating. And usually involves things like time travel (which is all the rage this year). Jack Davenport is one of the stars, and he's usually quite good. Syfy has really had some winners lately. Why would they stop now? And...Code de Pablo just jumped on board.

Premise: Using the 1979 novel by Karl Alexander and movie as a starting point, Time After Time will chronicle the epic adventures of young H.G. Wells.

Why We're Interested: Freddie Stroma knocked our socks off on UnREAL, and he's starring. It's coming from Kevin Williamson who tends to put together some pretty intense shows (The Vampire Diaries, Stalker, The Following) and...time travel! The book was great and so was the movie based on it, so good start already.

Premise: It centers on Raimy, a police detective in 2016 who discovers that she is able to speak via a ham radio with her estranged father, Frank Sullivan, a detective who died in 1996. They forge a new relationship while working together on an unsolved murder case, but unintended consequences of the “butterfly effect” wreak havoc in the present day.

Why We're Interested: The movie was fantastic. They've shaken things up so it's not an all boys club. Peyton List is the daughter and Riley Smith her dad. Devin Kelly will play her mom. Very important to note? Supernatural's Jeremy Carver is at the helm.

Premise: The project, from Sony Pictures TV and studio-based Davis Entertainment, is described as “Back To The Future meets Mission: Impossible.” It is a high-octane drama following an unlikely trio who travel through time to battle a master criminal intent on altering the fabric of human history with potentially catastrophic results. Vulnerable, damaged and oddly emotional, baddie Garcia Flynn is a dangerous man who’s recently stolen a time machine and traveled with his team of soldiers to the hours prior to the Hindenburg’s explosion. Flynn is guided by a strange journal from some other period of time, and while his full plan is still shrouded in mystery, it’s clear that he must be stopped.

Why We're Interested: We like the cast, Matt Lanter, Abigail Spencer, Malcolm Barrett and Goran Visnjic and can never seem to get enough of time travel.

Premise: Drew is described as a contemporary take on the character, with Nancy, now in her 30s, working as a detective for the NYPD where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.

Why We're Interested: Sarah Shahi will be playing the adult Nancy Drew, and she's a really good choice. Her characters are always loveable and engaging and tend to be whip smart, just as we'd expect Nancy to be. Anthony Edwards will be her dad, another good decision.

Premise: Four Stars centers on two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Florida who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security.

Why We're Interested: It sounds soapy, that's the first thing. We're in need of good evening soaps. Bruce Greenwood stars, and we can always use more of him. The guy is fantastic. It also stars Ashley Zuckerman (from Manhattan) and Wilmer Valderrama. It gives me an Army Wives vibe, but from the male perspective. That would work.

Premise: No Tomorrow centers on Evie, formerly Sarah, a risk-averse, straight arrow, female procurement manager at an Amazon-like distribution center who falls in love with a freewheeling man who lives life to the fullest because he believes the apocalypse is imminent, to comedic and poignant results as they embark on a quest together to fulfill their individual bucket lists.

Why We're Interested: The CW seems to be picking one of these telenovela type shows a year, and this might be it. It's a fun premise and a CBS Studios production, which means it has a leg up. The network apparently likes the lead, Tori Anderson.

Premise: The Jury examines “the ultimate social experiment” that happens thousands of times a day in the U.S.: A person’s fate is placed in the hands of 12 strangers. Described as “12 Angry Men meets the podcast Serial,” the series follows a single murder trial a season as seen through the eyes of the individual jurors, exploring the biases and experiences that influence the jurors’ judgment and how their preconceptions change along the way.

Why We're Interested: Juries are probably the one part of the system we haven't studied in depth through television, so it's a new concept. Let's do it. Archie Panjabi and Jeremy Sisto star, so that's not a bad jumping off point, either. It's Panjabi's turn to lead.

Premise: Set 15 years after the film left off, the TV show, written by Will Beall and directed by Danny Cannon, centers on an idealistic young African-American police officer, Kyle Craig, who is appointed to an elite squad of the LAPD where he is partnered with seasoned, morally ambiguous detective Frank Rourke.

Why We're Interested: It stars Lex Scott Davis, Bill Paxton (who is an interesting fellow), Katrina Law (who we will watch anywhere!), and Drew van Acker.

Premise: Conviction stars Atwell as Hayes, the brilliant but ne’er-do-well daughter of a former President who is blackmailed into taking a job as the head of Los Angeles’ newly created Conviction Integrity Unit. She, along with her team of lawyers, investigators and forensics experts, work together to examine cases where there’s credible suspicion that the wrong person may have been convicted of a crime.

Why We're Interested: Haley Atwell is one to watch. Joining her is Eddie Cahill, Shawn Ashmore, Merrin Dungey, Emily Kinney and Manny Montana. Wow?! Yes. Wow.

Premise: In the pilot, written by Matt Miller and directed by McG, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he is partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh, who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid stress in his life.

Why We're Interested: The movies were really good. Damon Wayons, Sr., is a good replacement for Danny Glover of the movies. Clayne Crawford was just cast as the Mel Gibson role Martin Riggs. You may know him from Rectify. His photos run the gamut on the net, from neat and clean to scruffy and beer guzzling, so he should be able to turn on the crazy like Mel did for the role. Jordana Brewster, Kevin Rahm and Golden Brooks also star.

Premise: Model Woman is set in the late 1970s during the notorious Model Wars and centers on Bertie Geiss – a tempestuous matriarch and uncompromising businesswoman at the helm of an internationally renowned modeling agency. Confident, powerful, cunning woman who rarely loses control, Bertie is at the top of her game – and she intends to stay there.

Why We're Interested: It's based on the book by real live Model Woman Eileen Ford. Juicy! It stars Andie MacDowell. Nicole Ari Parker, Caitlin Carver, and Madeline Blake costar. It's set in the 70s. Models, 70s, cool sets. We're in.

Premise: The project follows James Bell, a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists Walter Wallace, a veteran surgeon with a controversial past, in starting a hospital with a cutting-edge, “new school” approach to medicine.

Why We're Interested: It comes to us from Jason Katims, who tends to deliver shows we love. Especially if you were a fan of Roswell, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. Dermot Mulroney stars, as well as Agustus Prew and Aaron Jennings.

Premise: Broken follows the personal and professional life of Gemma, a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas, which begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister resurfaces, triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets.

Why We're Interested: The cast, mainly. Anna Paquin, TR Knight, Charity Wakefield and Blair Underwood star in this soapy drama brought to you by Reese Witherspoon.

Premise: The Exorcist is described as a modern reinvention of the book, previously adapted into William Friedkin’s classic horror movie. It is a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men — Father Tomas Ortega and Father Marcus Lang — tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession and confronting the face of true evil.

Why We're Interested: Geena Davis is set to star opposite Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels. More Geena Davis on TV? Yes. Plus, it's The Exorcist. Didn't you like the extended version of the movie simply because there was more of it? We know it took a lot longer than two hours to cure that girl. No exorcism is over in a jiffy. The lighter side of Lucifer is doing well for Fox. He's greased the wheels. Let's bring in the real hell!

Premise: Midnight, Texas is described as “Twin Peaks meets True Blood” in Midnight, Texas, a remote town where your neighbor could be a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, or even an angel. The show centers on traveling psychic Manfred Bernardo who, having grown tired of life on the road, takes the advice of his dead grandmother and decides to settle in the small Texas down of Midnight. Perfectly content with going about his business letting others think he’s a hack, Manfred soon realizes that he has much more in common with the locals than he originally thought. It would seem that he’s found more evil than he left, so he’ll have to bond with his supernatural neighbors to figure out what’s going on.

Why We're Interested: The phrase "vampire, a witch, a werewolf, or even an angel" kicks us up a notch, as always, even if it does worry us a bit being shopped to NBC. Dylan Bruce and François Arnaud are set to star. That's a mighty hunky cast so far.

Premise: Notorious is described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media. It follows the professional and personal relationship between charismatic attorney Jake Gregorian and powerhouse television producer Julia George as they attempt to control the media, the justice system and, ultimately, each other.

Why We're Interested: The leads are Piper Perabo and Daniel Sunjata, with Ryan Guzman and Sepideh Moafi set to costar. It's based on a real life relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and longtime Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker. Surely they have stories to tell!

Premise: Legion introduces the story of David Haller, based on the Marvel comics character Legion, the son of X-Men founder Charles Xavier. Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. A haunted man, David is getting tired of finding his way back to sanity and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams, a fellow patient, and is confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

Why We're Interested: Let us count the ways!! This Marvel series is Noah Hawley's baby. It stars Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart and it's going to be on FX? Win, win, win, WIN.

Premise: Based on the book by Melinda Taub, the period drama picks up where Romeo and Juliet left off, charting the treachery, palace intrigue and ill-fated romances of the Montagues and Capulets in the wake of the young lovers’ tragic fate.

Why We're Interested: It's from Shondaland, so that's easy. And we've kind of always wondered what happened to the families after Romeo and Juliet went all dramatic teens on them, you know? Also, Torrance Coombs is leaving Reign to give this a whirl. Also stars Wade Briggs and Ebonée Noel.

Premise: A reimagining of the 1985 james wan colorseries about a resourceful and ingenious agent who improvises his way out of sticky situations using everyday items like rubber bands, chewing gum and a Swiss Army knife. This version features twentysomething Angus MacGyver who is recruited into the clandestine organization from the original series where he uses his knack for solving problems in unconventional ways to help prevent disasters from happening.

Why We're Interested: Well, the show was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they have yet to cast the lead, so our interest may diminish once that happens. Or not. George Eads has been cast as a government employee with great compassion who just skirts being seen as a conspiracy nut. Lucas Till of X-Men fame has been tapped to play the young MacGyver. Does that work for you or not? Tell us!

Premise: The thriller follows an explorer team that arrives on Mars to join the first human colony on the planet, only to discover that their predecessors have vanished. Led by a woman whose husband is among the missing, the colonists are forced to change their mission from exploration and settlement to investigation and survival, while navigating the hostile planet and their own personal demons.

Why We're Interested: Because we always seem to have a fascination with Mars. Going from settlement and exploration to investigation and survival sounds like a decent thriller and one in which you could put all kinds of Martian (i.e., unknown) ideas into play. The cast are relatively unknown, so there are no predetermined expectations.

Premise: The Interestings is described as a grounded, character-driven drama based on Meg Wolitzer’s novel about a group of friends who meet at an arts camp when they’re 15 in 1974. The series chronicles their relationships throughout the next three decades dealing with the great expectations of youth juxtaposed with the realities life hands you as you get older.

Why We're Interested: The title says we should be. I've never seen so much information on an Amazon pilot. It sounds pretty cool. The cast so far is David Krumholtz, Lauren Ambrose and Jessica Pare, and there are young cast members for the summer camp selves.

Premise: Clark Patterson is a once-successful parapsychologist who is now just an attraction at local ghost conventions. But when he meets a mysterious young woman who seeks his help when she begins to experience paranormal phenomena, everything begins to change.

Why We're Interested: It's from Kevin Williamson and David Nutter is directing the pilot. Also, no offense to the fellow was originally cast because he was also great, but Matt Passmore is now starring as the pscyhologist. Score!