All aboard the hype train! The ultimate guide to TV pilot season 2018

Spring time means new beginnings and what better way to celebrate the opener to summer than by taking a look at all the awesome new shows we’re going to be treated to in the 2018-19 TV season? We’re buzzing about the sheer variety of broadcast pilots as they go through filming, editing, screenings, and testing. Here’s the ultimate guide to the most talked about pilots so far (which Deadline warns should be “taken with a grain of salt” – it is only April, after all.) Either way, looks like there’s going to be a lot of new content to enjoy when these pilots roll round – all aboard the hype train!

ABC

The Rookie

Starring Titus Makin Jr. (Pretty Little Liars), Alyssa Diaz (Red Dawn), and Nathan Fillion (Firefly), this show has been well-received so far, following John Nolan – a forty-year-old man who moves from his comfortable small town life to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of being a police officer for the LAPD. Of course, it’s no easy ride and he must navigate the dangerous, humorous, and unpredictable world of a “young” cop. The series premiered in 2018, reached eight seasons by 2026, earned a ninth-season renewal, and spawned the ordered spinoff The Rookie: North.

Get Christie Love

Written by Courtney Kemp Agboh (The Good Wife) and starring Kylie Bunbury (Game Night), Steven Weber (13 Reasons Why), and Camille Guaty (Crush), Get Christie Love is a reboot of the 70s blaxploitation thriller, centering on a charismatic CIA agent with the ability to adapt to different situations as she leads an elite ops unit. The project never advanced beyond the pilot stage.

Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel takes a look at the professional and personal lives of people working at a family-run hotel in Miami Beach. Written by Brian Tanen (Ugly Betty) and starring Roselyn Sanchez (Act of Valor), Anne Winters (Tyrant), and Demián Bichir (The Hateful Eight). The series aired one season in 2019 before cancellation.

A Million Little Things

This hour-long drama with comedy elements follows a group of friends who are all stuck in their lives for different reasons and in different ways. When one of them dies unexpectedly, it’s just the wake-up call the others need to finally start living. Written by David J. Nash and starring James Roday (Psych), Stephanie Szostak (Dinner for Schmucks), and David Giuntoli (13 Hours). The show ran five seasons from 2018 to 2023, with the final season framed as an explicit farewell.

For Love

In this epic love triangle story set against a grounded, secret world of magic in present day New Orleans, a woman grieving over the death of her fiance gets a mysterious phone from him. Written by Michael Cooney (Jack Frost) and starring Lex Scott Davis (Training Day), Rachel Skarsten (Reign), and Luke Arnold (Black Sails). The pilot did not move forward to series.

The Fix

An L.A. prosecutor moves to Oregon after losing a high-profile murder case. However, when the killer strikes again she must seek justice on her own terms. Written by Marcia Clark, Elizabeth Craft (666 Park Avenue), and Sarah Fain (Dollhouse) and starring Robin Tunney (The Craft), Breckin Meyer (Clueless), and Marc Blucas (Knight and Day). The series aired one season in 2019 before cancellation.

False Profits

Described as a comedic soap in the same vein as Desperate Housewives, False Profits is about three suburban women in Arizona who hatch a scheme to launch their own cosmetics business. Written by Kayla Alpert (Confessions of a Shopaholic) and starring Shelley Hennig (Unfriended), Bellamy Young (Scandal), and Vanessa Williams (Shaft). The project never advanced to series.

Salvage

In this mystery thriller written by Donald Todd (This Is Us), an ex-cop living in rural Florida is drawn into an investigation involving a sunken treasure. Starring Toby Kebbell (Dead Man's Shoes), Jim Belushi (Little Shop of Horrors), and Joelle Carter (Justified). The pilot remained unaired.

The Finest

The Finest is a cop family drama written by Pam Veasey (The Tomorrow People), in which five African-American sisters – all officers in the NYPD – face the challenges of their high-risk jobs while juggling the responsibilities of marriage, motherhood, and family. Starring Eric Balfour (Six Feet Under), Amirah Vann (Underground), and Robert John Burke (Tombstone). The project did not progress past the pilot stage.

Man of the House

Written by Vijal Patel (Black-ish) and Frank Pines (Baby Daddy) and inspired by Pines’s life, Man of the House revolves around two recently divorced sisters who decide to move in together to raise their kids under one roof. The oldest kid and only son is left to figure out what “manhood” means in a world where he’s now completely surrounded by females. Starring Alyson Hannigan (American Pie), Leslie Bibb (Iron Man), and Jake Short (Mighty Med). The pilot never became a series.

Most Likely To

Two women who went to high school together find themselves reunited as single moms living in the same house. Written by Diablo Cody (Young Adult) and starring Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Lesli Margherita (The Number 23), and Mia Allan (Jane the Virgin). The project stalled at the pilot phase.

The Greatest American Hero

A reboot of the classic 80s TV show with a female twist, The Greatest American Hero centers around Meera – a 30-year-old woman who loves tequila and karaoke and has spent her life searching (and failing) to find meaning. However, this all changes when an inexplicable event disrupts the course of Meera’s life and she is entrusted with a super suit to protect the planet. Written by Rachna Fruchbom (Parks and Recreation) and starring Hannah Simone (New Girl), George Wendt (Forever Young), and Ellie Reed (Girlboss). The reboot did not advance.

Single Parents

A group of single parents form their own support system as they raise their kids and struggle to start new relationships. Written by Elizabeth Meriwether (No Strings Attached) and J.J. Philbin (The O.C.) and starring Leighton Meester (The Roommate), Taran Killam (Killing Gunther), and Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond). The series aired two seasons from 2018 to 2020 before cancellation.

Untitled Justin Noble

Written by Justin Noble (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), the untitled project is based on the book and blog How May We Hate You? The workplace ensemble comedy centers on two guest services associates at a high-end resort and the co-workers & guests they’re stuck with for eight to sixteen hours a day. Starring Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett), Nicole Byer (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), and D.J. Pierce. The pilot did not move forward.

Untitled Bobby Bowman

The untitled Bobby Bowman (The Millers) project is inspired by Bowman’s childhood growing up with a father with mental illness. The uplifting comedy features a dysfunctional family that perseveres despite their differences and finds happiness in unexpected places. Starring Brooke Elliott (Drop Dead Diva), Lilla Crawford (Into the Woods), and Brenna D’Amico. The project remained unaired.

FOX

Mixtape

Written by Joshua Safran (Gossip Girl) and directed by Jesse Peretz (Our Idiot Brother), Mixtape is a romantic musical drama that looks at a disparate group of interconnected people in contemporary Los Angeles through the lens of the music that defines who they are. Starring Jenna Dewan Tatum (Step Up), Callie Hernandez (La La Land), and Madeleine Stowe (Twelve Monkeys). The pilot did not progress to series.

Untitled Danny Strong / David Elliot

Penned by David Elliot (Four Brothers), this show revolves around a legal team led by a fierce and fearless female lawyer with a hunger for justice. They reopen investigations, putting their own lives in danger to exonerate the innocent that were “proven” guilty. Starring Rachelle Lefevre (Barney's Version), Riley Smith (Not Another Teen Movie), and Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men). The project stalled after the pilot stage.

The Passage

The Passage is a post-apocalyptic story about a botched U.S. government experiment that turns a group of death row inmates into highly infectious vampires, following an orphan girl who might be the only person able to stop the ensuing crisis. Starring Brianne Howey (The Exorcist), Karen Valero (Orange Is the New Black), and Zach Appelman (Sleepy Hollow). The series aired one season in 2019 before cancellation.

Rel

Rel tells the story of a successful comic who tries to put his life back on track after his marriage falls apart. Written by Kevin Barnett (The Heartbreak Kid), LilRel Howery (Get Out), and Josh Rabinowitz (Broad City) and starring LilRel Howery, Jessica Moore (Wild 'N Out), and Jordan L. Jones (Future Man). The series ran one season in 2019 before cancellation.

Daddy Issues

In what is every daughter or son’s worst nightmare, Daddy Issues is about a single dad’s relationship with his adult daughters as it’s put to the test when he begins dating one of their best friends. Written by Erin Foster (Barely Famous) and starring Janina Gavankar (True Blood), Colleen Camp (Clue), and Don Johnson (Django Unchained). The pilot did not move forward.

Dan the Weatherman

After getting fired from his cushy job as a weatherman at the local TV station, a man named Dan finds it’s not enough to be a charming white man in this world and he reluctantly ends up at the neighboring Spanish TV station. Written by Steve Dildarian (The Life & Times of Tim). The project never advanced beyond the pilot.

The CW

Charmed

In this remake of the classic spellbinding 90s show, Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station), Madeleine Mantock (Into the Badlands), and Sarah Jeffery (Wayward Pines) will take on the roles of everyone’s favorite on-screen trio of witches. Written by Jessica O’Toole (Jane the Virgin), Amy Rardin (The Carrie Diaries), and Jessie Snyder Urman (Something Borrowed). The reboot aired four seasons from 2018 to 2022 before cancellation.

Roswell

The teen drama Roswell is getting a reboot, centering on the residents of Roswell, New Mexico where aliens live undercover among humans. Written by Carina Adly MacKenzie (The Originals) and starring Jeanine Mason (Grey's Anatomy), Nathan Parsons (Once Upon a Time), and Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars). The series titled Roswell, New Mexico ran four seasons from 2019 to 2022 before cancellation.

Spencer

When a star high school football player from South Central is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School, two separate worlds collide. Starring Jordan Belfi (Entourage), Bre-Z (Empire), and Cody Christian (Assassination Nation). The pilot did not advance to series.

Wayward Sisters

In Wayward Sisters, Kim Rhodes will star as her long-running Supernatural character – Sheriff Jody Mills – and will be joined by young female cohorts, each tragically orphaned by monster attacks. Also starring Kathryn Newton (Lady Bird) & Clark Backo (Letterkenny). The pilot remained unaired.

CBS

F.B.I.

Created by Dick Wolf (Law & Order) and starring Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), Jeremy Sisto (Wrong Turn), and Zeeko Zaki (Stuck in Love), this show will detail the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The series premiered in 2018, reached eight seasons by 2026, and continues as part of Dick Wolf’s expanding FBI universe.

Magnum P.I.

In this reboot of the classic 80s show, an ex-Navy Seal returns home from Afghanistan and uses his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii. Written by Eric Guggenheim (Miracle) and Peter M. Lenkov (Demolition Man) and starring Zachary Knighton (The Hitcher), Jay Hernandez (Hostel), and Perdita Weeks (As Above, So Below). The series ran four seasons on CBS from 2018 to 2022, was canceled by the network, then revived by NBC for a fifth and final season ending in 2024.

Murder

Written by Amanda Green and based on the BBC miniseries, this new take on the investigative drama explores crime through the unique and often conflicting perspectives of cops and killers, witnesses and victims, and friends and family. Shot like a true-crime documentary, the show invites the audience inside the emotional journey of an investigation, allowing them to discern the truth and judge the suspect’s guilt or innocence for themselves. Starring Michael Chiklis (Fantastic Four), Luna Lauren Velez (Dexter), and Teyonah Parris (Dear White People). The pilot did not move forward.

L.A. Confidential

Based on James Ellroy’s novel of the same name, the show will follow the paths of three homicide detectives, a female reporter, and a Hollywood actress as they cross paths in 50s Los Angeles. Written by Ellroy and Jordan Harper (Gotham) and starring Walton Goggins (Predators), Sarah Jones (Sons of Anarchy), and Mark Webber (The End of Love). The project never advanced to series.

God Friended Me

In this pilot, an atheist’s life is turned upside down when he is “friended” by God on Facebook. Written by Steven Lilian and Bryan Wynbrandt (Alcatraz) and starring Brandon Micheal Hall (Search Party), Joe Morton (Terminator 2), and Violett Beane (The Flash). The series ran two seasons from 2018 to 2020 before cancellation.

Red Line

Red Line is the story of a white cop mistakenly shooting a black doctor in Chicago and the resulting death’s impact on three families. Written by Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss (The View from Tall) and starring Noel Fisher (Shameless), Noah Wyle (Donnie Darko), and Emayatzy Corinealdi (Middle of Nowhere). The project aired as an eight-episode limited series in 2019 before ending.

History of Them

History of Them is a multi-cultural ensemble that revolves around two friends and how they fell in love, using the couple’s social media as a guide. Written by Gloria Calderon Kellett (One Day at a Time) and starring Miranda Cosgrove (School of Rock), Brett Dier (Bomb Girls), and Lisa Vidal (Mighty Aphrodite). The pilot did not advance.

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Created by Jim Reynolds (The Big Bang Theory), this show follows a friendly guy from the Midwest as he tries to fit in with a tough Los Angeles neighborhood. Starring Sheaun McKinney (Vice Principals) & Marcel Spears (The Mayor). The project remained unaired.

I Mom So Hard

Written by Michelle Nader and co-written by Kristin Hensley and Jennifer Smedley, I Mom So Hard focuses on two moms who show how their friendship gets them through being wives and mothers. The pilot did not move forward to series.

Untitled Austen Earl / Tim McAuliffe

The untitled show follows a young married couple whose evenings have become comfortable and routine. Their lives are completely upended when a young musician moves into their spare bedroom and brings with him the complications of being an up-and-coming mega popstar (and sometimes even the paparazzi.) Starring Damon Wayans Jr. (The Other Guys), Felix Mallard, and Chris Parnell (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy). The project stalled after the pilot.

Fam

This comedy follows a young woman named Clem who agrees to let her younger half-sister Shannon live with her and her fiancé to get away from their disaster of a dad. Written by Corinne Kingsbury (The Newsroom) and starring Nina Dobrev (The Final Girls), Odessa Adlon (Nashville), and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Moesha). The series aired one season in 2019 before cancellation.

Murphy Brown

Created by Diane English (The Women), this modern-day revival of the sitcom Murphy Brown is set to chronicle the personal and professional life of a woman working as a TV journalist. Starring Candice Bergen (Miss Congeniality), Nik Dodani (Atypical), and Faith Ford (The Pacifier). The revival ran one season in 2018-19 before cancellation due to low ratings.

NBC

Untitled Bad Boys spinoff

Starring Gabrielle Union (Bad Boys II), Jessica Alba (Sin City), Naphtali Devon Brooks, and Sarah Chaney (Insecure), the Bad Boys spinoff is set to be a big one. The show will focus on Syd Burnett from Bad Boys 2. In the show, she has left the DEA and now has a fresh start in her new job as an LAPD detective. Alba will play Nancy McKenna – Burnett’s partner – who joined the army out of high school and spent most of the 00s in Iraq and Afghanistan. McKenna is now a detective raising two preteen stepkids with her husband. The pilot did not advance to series.

In Between Lives

A mysterious young woman reluctantly uses her gift of clairvoyance to help a veteran LAPD detective and a damaged ex-FBI outsider solve the most unnerving and challenging cases the city encounters. This eerie ability also means she can see and talk to the dead, all of whom are seeking help for unresolved problems (whether she likes it or not.) Written by Moira Kirland (Castle) and starring Anne-Marie Johnson (Robot Jox), Chad James Buchanan (Inhumans), and Yusuf Gatewood (Wonder Boys). The project remained unaired.

The Village

Despite a difference in age, race, culture, and lifestyle, the residents of a Manhattan apartment building find the more their lives intertwine, the more complex and compelling their connections become. All under one roof, the show will introduce a recovering war vet, a pregnant teenage girl and her single mom, a cop with an unexpected love interest, a woman hiding a terrifying secret from her husband, and a Millennial lawyer who might find his grandfather is the best and worst roommate he ever could have hoped for. Written by Mike Daniels (Taken) and starring Michaela McManus (Aquarius), Moran Atias (Third Person), and Warren Christie (Apollo 18). The series aired one season in 2019 before cancellation.

Abby’s

In this comedy that’s bound to be LOL, a woman runs an unlicensed bar out of her backyard. Written by Josh Malmuth (Mad Love) and starring Natalie Morales (Girls), Neil Flynn (The Middle), and Nelson Franklin (The Office). The series aired one season in 2019 before cancellation.

Untitled Aseem Batra comedy

The untitled single-camera project shows one woman’s hilarious unfiltered take on the side effects of trying to have it all. Written by Orli Auslander and Aseem Batra (Scrubs) and starring Sarayu Blue (Sons of Tucson), Paul Adelstein (Land of the Lost), and Aisling Bea (Hard Sun). The pilot did not advance.

Bright Futures

Bright Futures follows a group of young friends as they stumble through the transition from immaturity to success. Written by Hale Rothstein and Isaac Schamis (Grown-ish) and starring Emily Ratajkowski (We Are Your Friends), Lisa Kudrow (Friends), and Jimmy Tatro (22 Jump Street). The project stalled at the pilot stage.

Like Family

A pair of young friends who’ve known each other since they were foster children try to make their way through adulthood in New York City. Written by Suzanne Martin (Frasier) and starring Rebecca Mader (The Devil Wears Prada), Brandon Mychal Smith (Dirty Grandpa), and Katie Wee (2 Broke Girls). The pilot did not move forward.

Pilot-to-Series Success Rate in 2018-19 Season

Of the dozens of broadcast pilots tracked in early 2018, only a handful reached the air. Projects such as Get Christie Love, False Profits, Man of the House, L.A. Confidential, and multiple untitled comedies never advanced past the pilot stage. In contrast, The Rookie and A Million Little Things became long-running series, underscoring how narrow the path from pilot to sustained success remains in network television.

The Dick Wolf FBI Franchise Legacy

F.B.I. emerged from the 2018 class as one of the strongest pilots. The series launched in 2018 and reached eight seasons by 2026 while expanding into a multi-show universe that included Most Wanted and International, later canceled. The longevity demonstrates how a single procedural pilot can anchor an entire franchise when ratings and network support align.

Reboot and Revival Trends from the 2018 Pilot Class

Reboots and revivals dominated the 2018 slate, including Charmed, Roswell, Magnum P.I., and Murphy Brown. Charmed and the Roswell reboot each lasted four seasons. Magnum P.I. ran four seasons on CBS before a one-season NBC revival concluded the run. The Murphy Brown revival lasted only one season, canceled amid low ratings. The outcomes reveal that nostalgia alone rarely guarantees longevity without fresh creative direction or audience appetite.

What Happened to the Unaired or Short-Lived 2018 Pilots

Many announced projects never made it past the pilot. Get Christie Love, False Profits, L.A. Confidential, Dan the Weatherman, and several untitled comedies remained unaired. Others such as The Passage, Rel, Grand Hotel, The Fix, The Village, Fam, and Abby’s aired briefly before quick cancellations. The 2018 pilot season delivered the usual mix of excitement and attrition, reminding industry watchers that the hype train often stops well short of a full schedule.