Hits and Misses

LA Screenings is a back-achingly enjoyable week for international buyers as they check in with the Hollywood studios (with a few talent-heavy parties thrown in for good measure). However, once the week is over, it’s time for the acquisition execs to prove their worth by deciding which shows will work both in the United States and in their own territories. TBI analyses which shows will work and which shows won’t .

Hits:

Elementary (CBS)
The Sherlock Holmes reboot is as solid as pilots come; great script with well known talent in the shape of Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu. CBS knows how to launch procedurals and with a prime spot at 10pm Thursdays, Elementary looks like a certain hit.

The Following (Fox)
One of the most terrifying and jaw-dropping broadcast pilots ever seen by international buyers, The Following will perform well when its 15 episodes are launched in midseason. Kevin Bacon is the biggest star to head to broadcast TV this year.

Last Resort (ABC)
Likely to follow the success of NCIS, which is currently the biggest show on US network TV. Last Resort, produced by The Shield‘s Shawn Ryan, combines submarines and a strange island (a la Lost). It will be a big show across the male demographic.

The Carrie Diaries (The CW)
The Sex and The City prequel comes to The CW with a dedicated audience and will also pick up younger, more curious viewers. Pre-Sarah Jessica Parker Carrie Bradshaw, Anna Sophia Robb, will be on the cover of every teen magazine this fall.

The Neighbors (ABC)
A left-field choice; The Neighbors, written by Dan Fogelman (Cars and Crazy, Stupid, Love), it is funny in the same way as Alf and Third Rock From The Sun. It has both a Pixar style sensibility and the coveted post-Modern Family timeslot

Misses:

There are an alarming number of shows that never make it past a few episodes in the United States (and as such never travel). Think Lonestar. Think The Playboy Club. We look at some of the shows that may struggle to survive in difficult timeslots or to appeal to viewers.

Go On (NBC)
Matthew Perry has been searching for a hit TV series since Friends ended. He will, however, likely be looking for a while longer. Go On, in which Perry plays a troubled sports broadcaster, makes Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip look like 30 Rock (i.e. funny). It is likely to be cancelled within six episodes, despite having the post-Voice timeslot.

666 Park Avenue (ABC)
A complicated plot and unclear intentions, 666 Park Avenue looks like American Horror Story if it was made by the people in Standards and Practices. Despite featuring Lost‘s Terry O’Quinn and Vanessa Williams, the show will struggle its Sunday slot.

The Family Tools (ABC)
Just as the Will Mellor-fronted British show was cancelled, ABC announced its intentions to remake the family comedy. The fact that it will air midseason in a new comedy block slot between How To Live With Your Parents For The Rest Of Your Life and Happy Endings, makes it difficult to see past its initial order.