Almost Human Trailer

Fox officially announced their Fall 2013-2014 TV schedule and with it released trailers for their new shows including JJ Abrams' Almost Human series. The series is set to air on Mondays at 8/7c with Karl Urban playing a detective who is partnered with an android (Michael Ealy). The trailer, built entirely on the pilot episode, does show a lot of potential.

Abrams' Believe Picked Up By NBC

JJ Abrams is currently 2 for 2 in series with Believe being ordered by NBC for the 2013-2014 season. Yesterday Fox ordered Almost Human to series. Below is the description of the show.

Levitation, telekinesis, the ability to control nature, even predict the future… Since she was two years old, Bo has had gifts she could neither fully understand, nor control. Raised by a small group known as the “True Believers,” the orphaned girl has been safeguarded from harmful outsiders who would use her forces for personal gain. But now that she is 10, her powers have become stronger, and the threat has grown more dangerous. With her life and future now in jeopardy, the “Believers” turn to the only person they see fi t to be her full-time protector. That is, once they break him out of jail. Tate, a wrongfully imprisoned death row inmate who’s lost his will, is initially reluctant – until he witnesses one of her extraordinary abilities. Bo sees people for who they truly are… and who they may become. Tate and Bo begin their journey, one in which trust must be earned. Traveling from city to city, every place they stop and everyone they meet will be changed forever. But they’ll have to keep going to stay one step ahead of the sinister forces after Bo’s power… because it will take a miracle to keep them safe forever. The powers of a young girl may hold the fate of our world in Believe, from executive producer J.J. Abrams (Revolution, Star Trek: Into Darkness) and executive producer/writer/director Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men). From Warner Bros. Television & Bad Robot Productions. Executive Producer/Writer: Mark Friedman. Executive Producer: Bryan Burk.

Fox Picks up JJ Abrams' Almost Human to Series

TV Line is reporting that Almost Human has been picked up for the 2013-2014 season by Fox. The series, executive produced by JJ Abrams, stars Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, Lili Taylor, and Minka Kelly. The premise is "An action-packed buddy cop show set in the near future when all LAPD officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids." The exact number of episodes was not specified. Other series that Fox ordered is Rake (about self-destructive defense lawyer), Sleepy Hallow (modern take on the classic story), and Dads (to 30 something Dad's move in).

JJ Abrams Optioning King Novel for TV

Deadline is reporting that JJ Abrams' Bad Robot is in negotiations for the rights to Stephen King's 11/22/63 novel for use as either a TV series or miniseries to air on a cable channel. The story has school teacher Jake somehow going back to 1958 and deciding to use the time in between to prevent the assassination of President John F Kennedy on 11/22/1963. Right now in the "how much to buy this" phrase. After that its get a script, shop it to networks who will decide for series or miniseries and so forth so will be a while before major news on casting and the like.

Revolution Renews for Second Season

Today NBC announced they are renewing Revolution for a 22 episode second season for the 2013-2014 season. The show was renewed along with Parenthood, Grimm, Chicago Fire, and Law & Order SVU. The show is executive produced by JJ Abrams.

Revolution Returns Tonight, Webisodes Conclude, 8 Minute Preview

After a long 4 month break, tonight Revolution returns on NBC at 10pm EST. As a way to ease back in, the "Enemies of the State" webisodes conclude with parts 3-5 (part 1-2 here) as Neville hunts for others against the Monroe Republic. Those are below. After that is the 8 minute preview of the new episode that starts where the last left off - a now fully powered and armed military helicopter chasing the good guys.

Leads Cast for Abrams' Cop Drama (Updated)

It seems that JJ Abrams has found his leads for his Fox buddy cop pilot. Friday Night Lights and Charlie's Angels hottie Minka Kelly has been tapped to play Valerie Stalh, one of the cops that works with John Kennex and his android parnter who will be played by Michael Ealy (Common Law). I assume the character will provide that female/romance angle that all cop shows seem to require. All that remains is to find who will play John Kennex. The pilot episode will determine if Fox will order additional episodes for the 2013-2014 season. The show currently remains untitled.

Update: The final cast member has been hired for this project that might be titled "Human" (lets hope not). Karl Urban (Judge Dredd, Star Trek) has signed on to play the cop John Kennex that is partnered with an android. This is the first regular television role for the actor that has done movies for the last decade or so.

Revolution Webisodes Part 1 and 2, Preview

JJ Abrams' Revolution returns on NBC starting March 25 at 10pm EST and as a run up they have started posting a webisode series called "Enemies of the State" that acts as a kind of prequel as Neville begins his hunt for Miles who has just quit the Monroe Republic. The first two parts are below. In addition, Abrams himself introduces a sneak peak at the first minute of the return episode. The real question is can the series survive its six month hiatus, especially since NBC's ratings have achieved new record lows for network television? Are the kids, their behavior and response to circumstances still has childish and annoying as they have been for the first half of the season? Is a television shows capable of assuming that teenagers, much like adults, when faced with circumstances of life and death tend to be changed by those circumstances into something more mature and hardened rather then childish and reckless? Will the show begin answering questions instead of just adding new ones? I guess we will all start finding out in just a few short weeks.

Abrams' Believe Casts Co-Lead

JJ Abrams has found one of his leads for the pilot episode of Believe. Jake McLaughlin (Savages) has been cast as the protector of a young girl with powers who is being hunted by others. Assuming NBC likes the pilot, the show would get an order for the 2013-2014 season. I am curious to know how they plan on keeping what seems like a chase concept interesting over the long haul.

Two Pilot Orders for JJ Abrams

On top of the soon to be financial (and one hopes critical) windfall from becoming the next director of Star Wars, JJ Abrams can add two more potential shows to his to do list. NBC has ordered a pilot episode for "Believe" while Fox is producing the pilot episode for his future cop concept. The orders are only for the first episode of a potential series for the 2013-2014 season. From the pilot the networks will then decide if and how many episodes to order for the season. Believe is about the relationship between an ex-con who must protect a young girl who will develop unspecified super powers in seven years. The currently untitled cop show takes place in the future where a cop's partner is an android.

Fringe Series Finale Trailer

Sadly JJ Abrams' Fringe ends its run this Friday with its final two hours starting at 8PM. Check out the trailer below.

Abrams Believe Begins Casting

Deadline reports that one of JJ Abrams' TV pilots has begun the casting process. Announced back in September, the currently titled "Believe" is part of a partnership with Harry Potter director Alfonso Cuaron. The series is "about a girl in possession of a great gift/powers — which will come into their own in seven years — and the man who is sprung from prison to protect her from those trying to hunt her down." It seems the green light to pay and film the pilot is contingent on who is cast as the lead character of 10 year old Bo and an older adult male.

Revolution's Season So Far

Tonight at 10pm on NBC the mid-season finale of Revolution will air. The show will then take an extended hiatus, not returning until March 25, 2013. As a result this one is expected to have a whopper of a cliffhanger to keep you wanting to come back for more. In the video below, Executive Producers and co-creators JJ Abrams and Eric Kripke introduce a video that recaps the season so far and teases tonight's episode.

Abrams Sales Pitch for Revolution

It seems the sales pitch for NBC's hit TV show Revolution started simply enough with executive producer JJ Abrams asking NBC executives the question "...imagine right now that everything stopped." Before reaching that point though, it really started with co-creator Erick Kripke imaged a sword fight in a coffee shop, "I wanted to take everything I love about Lord of the Rings — swords and swashbuckling and quests and damsels in distress — put all that deep nerd fantasy stuff on the American highway." From that Kripke developed a story around a super virus killing most of the country with the focus on Charlie's quest to save her brother.

Abrams decided that a super virus was too much like Stephen King's The Stand and changed the concept to surviving a nationwide blackout based on another idea for Bad Robot to develop. Abrams liked the idea of no devices because, "[Characters] can communicate instantly, they can research things, they can jump on a plane and be anywhere. Writers contort themselves to eliminate cell phones from scenes. And one of the beautiful byproducts of Kripke’s idea is that there’s no longer that immediate access."

JJ Abrams Buys Rights to Beastlies

It looks like JJ Abrams is joining the children entertainment business with the television and movie rights purchase of "Beastlies". Beastlies are cute monster, hand made one of a kind statues created by Leslie Levings. They are made from polymer clay, sculpted and hand painted by the artist. So while they look like toys, they are not. At least for now. The cute designs are ideal for a children's television show or movie, with the Rugrats coming to mind as the marketing model to follow. The toy line, video games, book deals and more that is guaranteed to follow is going to make Abrams and Levings a ton of money.

Revolution's Map of the Ex-USA

In the 15 year future of JJ Abrams' Revolution where civilization was forced to pre-Industrial Revolution technology, the United States is no more. As a map released by NBC shows, the country has been split into six major regions. So far the story has been focused on the "Monroe Republic" but it turns out the South has become the Georgia Federation, Texas...remains Texas, the Midwest is now the Plains Nation, California has merged with Washington and the desert regions of Nevada, New Mexico and few others has become the "Wasteland". Wonder what that means. In short, it seems show creator Eric Kripke has a plan and its bigger in scope then we thought. Most show creators make the claim of some grander plan (see Lost, X-Files, 24 and a whole host of shows) and later prove that they were making it up script to script. That may not be the case here as Kripke successfully executed his five year plan for Supernatural. This isn't to say he has deep and very specific episode to episode plan, I just mean he has major goalposts in mind, specific themes he wants to explore and a general idea how to get there. It should be interesting to see how the now-fractured United States impacts events as the story progresses. Personally the potential political and military ramifications interest me far more then this silly sister rescuing brother nonsense that has been driving the story so far. (via EW)

Abrams Producing Electropolis for CW

Yep, JJ Abrams is adding yet another TV series to his slate of projects. I think this is series 8 or 9 but not really sure.  The series, called Electropolis, is for the CW and if ordered to series will put a JJ Abrams TV series on the 5 top prime time networks in the US. The series is an hour long drama around an undercover cop working the night shift in Los Angeles.  Abram's Alias partner, Ken Olin will executive produce the series and direct the pilot.

Abrams Producing New Comedy

JJ Abrams is adding yet another TV show to his production slate, this time a half hour comedy called "Adulting" for Fox. The series is from "The Vow" writers Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein based on the book "Adulting: How to Become A Grown-Up in 387 Easy(ish) Steps) by Kelly Williams Brown. The commitment is for the pilot episode and if Fox execs like it they may order it to series with Abrams as executive producer. The book is a humorous look at day to day things like talking politic, problems at works and so forth. Based on the vlog the book is based on, it almost seems New Girl like but probably without the huge dose of cutesy.

Revolution Gets Full Season Order

Only three episodes in and NBC has greenlit a full season order for JJ Abrams' Revolution. I am unclear what a "full season" means in this case as that number usually lands between 20-24 episodes. The initial order had been for 13 episodes of the show. The decision seems to be based on Revolution's viewership numbers of around 10 million, a number that few shows can get nowadays. The show also benefited from a huge 53% bump in viewership once DVR ratings are added (called Live+3 for air time plus three days after). Since most DVR users tend to be in the coveted 18-49 age range that advertisers love it scores the dual hit of strong ratings and happy advertisers.

Abrams Sells New Pilot with Potter Director Attached

JJ Abrams continues his slow march to be executive producer of all television shows as he has signed up Alfonso Cuaron to direct the pilot of his next potential NBC series. Cuaron is the director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and received Oscar nominations for writing Children of Men and Y Tu Mama Tambien. The untitled series is described as being "about a girl in possession of a great gift/powers — which will come into their own in seven years — and the man who is sprung from prison to protect her from those trying to hunt her down." The pilot episode will be used to show off a show's potential to entice a network to pay for an entire season of a show for the 2013-2014 season.