NBC Pilot Buzz: Tough Choices Ahead As Network Starts Piecing Together 2026-27 Schedule
NBC has narrowed its 2026-27 series decisions to eight pilot contenders, with strong buzz around both comedy and drama offerings. The Jake Johnson-led Sunset P.I. and the David Boreanaz-starring Rockford Files reboot are frontrunners, while several female-led procedurals are under serious consideration. Final decisions will hinge on scheduling needs and testing results, with announcements expected by late next week.
- ▪NBC ordered only eight pilots this season—five dramas and three comedies—marking a shift from past years' larger pilot batches.
- ▪Sunset P.I., starring Jake Johnson, is considered the strongest contender and likely to be paired with St. Denis Medical.
- ▪David Boreanaz's take on The Rockford Files has earned praise for its rugged charm and dry wit, making it a likely pick-up.
- ▪NBC is weighing two female-led procedurals—What The Dead Know and Key Witness—for a slot alongside Law & Order: SVU.
- ▪Multi-camera comedies Newlyweds and Jill & Ginger are in a close race, with strong chemistry noted in both.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
David Boreanaz and Jake Johnson Getty Images In hindsight, maybe the broadcast networks should’ve always done as few as eight pilots a year. That’s how many NBC ordered this season — five dramas and three comedies — and the crop may have produced as many strong series contenders as the contingents of 20-25 pilots the networks used to pick up in a single year back in the day. Going into internal screenings this week, there was solid buzz on virtually all eight NBC pilots. Not much has changed as the screenings did not seem to whittle down the batch of pilots significantly, so testing results may help break some ties.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Deadline.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Deadline
