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ABC Announces 2012 Drama Series Development Guide

By: Mar. 29, 2012
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ABC details its 12 drama pilots under consideration for next season.

666 PARK AVENUE - 1 HOUR

If you could make one wish, what would it be? And what would you do to get it? At 666 Park Avenue, all of your dreams and burning desires can come true: wealth, sex, love, power, even revenge. But just be careful what you wish for, because the price you pay... could be your soul. Welcome to The Drake, the premiere apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Owned by the mysterious Gavin Doran (Terry O'Quinn - Lost) and his sexy wife Olivia (Vanessa Williams - Desperate Housewives), The Drake is home to dozens of residents who are unaware they're living in the dark embrace of supernatural forces. They think their dreams are all coming true, only to find they've been lured into making, what feels like, a deal with the Devil. When a young Mid-western couple - Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor - Charlie's Angels, Grey's Anatomy) and Henry Martin (DAVE ANNABLE - Brothers & Sisters) - is hired to manage The Drake, they soon discover that evil, obsession, and manipulation has a home. Allow yourself to be seduced by 666 PARK AVENUE, and unravel the mysteries of this devilish new drama from Alloy Entertainment (Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars) and executive producers David Wilcox (Fringe, Life on Mars), Leslie Morgenstein (Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries) and Gina Girolamo (The Secret Circle, The Lying Game).

CAST LISTING -
Terry O'Quinn
DAVE ANNABLE
Rachael Taylor
RoBert Buckley
Mercedes Masohn
Samantha Jade Logan
Helena Mattsson
Vanessa Williams
CREDITS LISTING -
Production Company
Warner Brothers Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER
David Wilcox
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Gina Girolamo
Leslie Morenstein

AMERICANA - 1 HOUR

It turns out clothes really do make the man. Legendary designer Robert Soulter (Anthony LaPaglia - Without a Trace) has transformed his fashion label "Americana" into a remarkable family dynasty. It's not just a billion dollar company, it's the most iconic brand in the world. At Americana, everyone works hard and plays even harder. The Soulter family lives in a modern day Oz and Robert Soulter is the Wizard. Beyond the glitz and glamour, the fashion business has a notorious dark side. This year, you're a genius. Next year, you're out. But one thing's for sure... you have to watch your back. And Robert had better watch his, because a power struggle is just beginning. It's the established powerbrokers versus the young and ambitious. After 30 years of being the king of his industry, someone wants Robert replaced. Shockingly, that someone might be his wife Sierra (Christine Adams - Terra Nova), his ex-wife Wendy (Natalie Mendoza - Hotel Babylon), or one of his own children, Jesse (David Alpay) and Francesca (Emilie de Ravin - Lost). Alice Garano (Ashley Greene - Twilight), an up-and-coming young designer who just graduated from a top New York fashion school, could be the next Marc Jacobs or Alexander Wang. Except she just made a deal to work for her father Martin Soulter (Ken Olin - Brothers and Sisters) at his garment factory. That deal becomes impossible to honor when she meets her estranged uncle, Robert Soulter for the first time. Though Alice knows how much her father resents his famous brother, no one has ever talked about their 25 year feud. Alice can't resist Robert's invitation to discuss her work and a potential future at Americana. As Robert lures Alice deeper into his web, she feels like all of her dreams are coming true. Though what she has yet to realize is the dream comes with a cost - a family secret that could shatter everything she wants and everyone she loves, if it's ever revealed. Executive producers Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds) and Michael Seitzman (North Country) and director Phillip Noyce (Revenge) take you inside a glittering world of catwalks and catfights, to reveal the deliciously ugly side of the beautiful people who work in fashion, and explore the lengths people will go to protect their secrets.

CAST LISTING -
Anthony LaPaglia
Ashley Greene
Ken Olin
Emilie de Ravin
David Alpay
Christine Adams
Annabeth Gish
Tiffany Hines
Natalie Mendoza
CREDITS LISTING -
Production Company
ABC Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER
Michael Seitzman
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Mark Gordon
Nick Pepper
Phillip Noyce

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - 1 HOUR

His eyes. His piercing blue eyes. Before Princess Grace (Ruth Bradley - Titanic mini-series) ever met Shiro (Darius Campbell), she dreamt of his unforgettable eyes and knew that, despite his beastly appearance, he held a powerful connection to her. From the studio that brought you Once Upon a Time, and executive producers Jon Steinberg (Human Target, Jericho) and Gary Fleder (Life Unexpected, Happy Town), comes an epic and achingly romantic re-imagining of the classic fairy tale Beauty and The Beast, set in a fantastically mythical and dangerous new world. In the capital city of Kendan, the kingdom is at war, and its leader Lord Dorian is laying on his deathbed. Grace, his beautiful and headstrong young daughter, is quietly ruling with guidance from Council leader Cyril (F. Murray Abraham). Grace soon discovers deceit and betrayal at the highest levels of the realm. A traitor, she learns, has poisoned her father. Leaving her fiancé Garrick (Chris Egan - Letters to Juliet) behind, Grace embarks on a treacherous journey to find a cure and save her father's life. Her adventure takes her across sweeping lands where she is taken captive by Shiro, a mysterious and tragically heroic beast. Shiro is intrigued by Grace, and despite his allegiance to the enemy, eventually allows her to return home to save her father. But their connection cannot be denied, nor can the idea that fate will bring them together again...

CAST LISTING -
F. Murray Abraham
Christopher Egan
Darius Campbell
Ruth Bradley
Meegan Warner
Karen LeBlanc
Alan Dale
Wendy Crewson

DARK HORSE - 1 HOUR

He thought his future was in an astrophysics lab. His true calling lies somewhere closer to the White House. During a rainy rugby game, undergrad Carter Henderson (Max Thieriot - Foreverland) is struck by a powerful bolt of lightning. At precisely the same moment thousands of miles away, Carter's father, a man he barely knew, is killed while trying to assassinate New York Senator Teras (Linus Roache - Law and Order). Carter will soon discover these two bizarre events are linked in an unimaginable and terrifying way. En route to the funeral, Carter is detained by FBI Agent Meyers (Monique Curnen - The Dark Knight). She wants to know why his dad, a respected neurosurgeon, would attempt to kill a charismatic and influential politician who's in line to become the next President of the United States. Good Question. Carter has no idea what the answer is, but he is determined to find out. Now, Carter's search to learn more about his father will take some dangerous and surprising turns, and ultimately lead him to Mr. Armin (Martin Landau) who represents a secret organization made up of the world's most powerful minds. Their purpose is to unravel one of mankind's darkest conspiracies, and figure out who's pulling the strings behind a plot for power that goes all the way to the Presidency. With the help of his girlfriend Wynter-Lee (Gabriella Wilde), and a beautiful young religious art historian (Yaya DaCosta - Tron: Legacy), Carter uncovers some startling family secrets and learns that his father died in an attempt not just to protect him, but to save all of humanity. From executive producers Roland Emmerich (2012, The Day After Tomorrow, 10000 BC, Independence Day) and Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds) comes this exhilarating thriller that combines chilling mythology, political intrigue, and heart-stopping adventure.

CAST LISTING -
Max Thieriot
Gabriella Wilde
Yaya DaCosta
Linus Roache
Martin Landau
Laila Robins
Monique Curnen
CREDITS LISTING -
Production Company
ABC Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/WRITERS
Roland Emmerich
Harald Kloser
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Mark Gordon
Nick Pepper

DEVIOUS MAIDS - 1 HOUR

They wash clothes they can't afford, polish silver they'll never dine with, and sometimes, they sleep with their employers' husbands. It's all in a days work for a Beverly Hills maid. They're constantly surrounded by wealth and privilege, yet they're never allowed to forget that they're just the help. Meet Rosie (Dania Ramirez - Entourage), Marisol (Ana Ortiz - Ugly Betty), Carmen (Roselyn Sanchez - Without a Trace), Valentina (Edy Ganem - Like Crazy), and Zoila (Judy Reyes - Scrubs). It's their job to clean up the messes left by the rock stars, filthy rich billionaires, and self-centered celebrities they work for. Even, if it means cleaning up a murder. But these ladies are anything but pushovers. They've all got their eyes on a bigger prize: a better life here in America. Whether it's immigrating their child from Mexico, or having a career in music, they'll do whatever it takes, including flirting with the bosses' son, blackmailing a philandering husband, or hiding an addict's drugs. And they're always there for each other. When their friend and fellow maid Flora is found brutally murdered, she took a shocking secret to her grave. Now, the Devious Maids will do anything to protect it. Between the spoiled-rotten "haves" and these beautiful "have not's," there's plenty of upstairs-downstairs intrigue. Marc Cherry, the creator of the Emmy-winning Desperate Housewives, takes you out of the burbs and into a whole new neighborhood: the palm tree-lined streets and mansions of Beverly Hills for a fun, soapy peek inside the sordid lifestyles of the rich and famous.

CAST LISTING -
Ana Ortiz
Dania Ramirez
Roselyn Sanchez
Judy Reyes
Angelique Cabral
Rebecca Wisocky
Edy Ganem
Brianna Brown
Brett Cullen
Drew Van Acker
Susan Lucci
Mariana Klaveno
Grant Show
Tom Irwin

GILDED LILYS - 1 HOUR

At The Lillian, New York's grandest hotel, forbidden love is checking in. After a year away in Paris, Violet Langton Lily (Sarah Bolger - The Tudors) - a beautiful young socialite from the renowned Lily family - gets blindsided by love on a New York-bound luxury liner. His name is John Kidd (MATT LONG - Mad Men, The Deep End), a handsome and mysterious man whom Violet's family definitely wouldn't approve of. Promised to the heir of a very prominent family, Violet was raised to find a man of acceptable class and stature. This sudden yet profound encounter, with working-class John Kidd, makes her question everything including her future. Ultimately, Violet will have to choose between what her heart wants, and what her family expects. Back in New York, Violet returns to discover her father, Edwin Lily (Brian O'Byrne - Prime Suspect, MildrEd Pierce), has sunk the family fortune into the construction of the City's first Luxury Hotel, The Lillian. Eager to get in on the action and attention, Edwin's brother, Julius (John Barrowman - Torchwood), offers to become equal partner and financier, much to Edwin's chagrin. Through years of reckless behavior, Julius has earned a reputation for being a playboy and lout. He's the Black Sheep, and this is his chance at familial redemption. And he's willing to get it no matter the cost. Meanwhile, the "downstairs" at The Lillian is awash in its own strife. Struggling against society's class limitations, Abigal, Violet's Maid (Madeline Zima - Californication) and Jasper, Foot Man to Julius (Maury Sterling - Homeland) are trying to break into high society. From Executive Producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal) and creator KJ Steinberg (Executive Producer of Gossip Girl) comes a fresh look at a golden world, full of glamorous galas, sibling rivalry, dangerous liaisons, and murder.

CAST LISTING -
Blythe Danner
Sarah Bolger
Madeline Zima
MATT LONG
Brian O'Byrne
Brigid Brannagh
Maury Sterling
Matt Lauria
John Barrowman

GOTHAM - 1 HOUR

Under our very noses exists a world most of us cannot see. A world where magic is behind every door, and danger lurks around every corner. New York City Homicide Detective Anne Travers (Megan Ketch) discovers this world when she's assigned a case that seems unsolvable. No clues, no suspects, no method. But Travers is a cop who refuses to become cynical - and often sees what others can't. Not willing to give up her investigation, she finds herself recruited into a secret magical division of the police force, by the mysterious Alderman and his rugged constable, Boyo (Barry Sloane). With both of them leading the way, Travers will discover a side of Manhattan that is both fascinating and frightening, one where Harry Potter and friends would feel right at home. Here, spells are real, charms can be bought, and unsolvable crimes have complicated solutions. If you can unlock the magic, you can solve the case. We quickly learn that the magical world needs Travers even more than the real one. And not just because her talent for law enforcement... but for reasons she doesn't even know yet. Executive produced by Michael Green (The River, Kings, Heroes), Francis Lawrence (I am Legend, Water for Elephants, Constantine) and Erwin Stoff (The Matrix, The Blindside) Gotham takes us inside a hidden world of magic... where nothing is what it seems... and where the fantastical happens everyday. You just have to be able to see it.

CAST LISTING -
Barry Sloane
Megan Ketch
Lennie James
Brian Cox

LAST RESORT - 1 HOUR

500 feet beneath the ocean's surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receives their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they're told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan. Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (SCOTT SPEEDMAN) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance, and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home. From executive producer/writer Shawn Ryan (The Shield, The Unit, The Chicago Code) and Executive producer/writer KARL GAJDUSEK comes this dramatic new international action-thriller about treachery, treason, and nuclear brinksmanship. LAST RESORT contemplates establishing of a new society in the modern world, and character becomes everything when unthinkable decisions must be made.

CAST LISTING -
Andre Braugher
DAISY BETTS
DANIEL LISSING
Autumn Reeser
SCOTT SPEEDMAN
CAMILLE DE PAZZIS
Sahr Ngaujau
DICHEN LACHMAN
Jessy Schram

NASHVILLE - 1 HOUR

What Hollywood is to the movie business, Nashville is to music. This is where today's music is being made and tomorrow's stars are being born. If you're Faith Hill or Carrie Underwood in-the-making, you want to be in Nashville. Chart-topping Rayna James (Connie Britton) is a country legend who's had a career any singer would envy, though lately her popularity is starting to wane. Fans still line-up to get her autograph, but she's not packing the arenas like she used to. Rayna's record label thinks a concert tour, opening for up-and-comer Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), the young and sexy future of country music, is just what Rayna needs. And scheming Juliette can't wait to steal Rayna's spotlight. But sharing a stage with that disrespectful, untalented, little vixen is the last thing Rayna wants to do, which sets up a power struggle for popularity. Could the undiscovered songwriting talent of Scarlett O'Connor (CLARE BOWEN) be the key to helping Rayna resurrect her career? Rayna's wealthy, but estranged, father Lamar Hampton (Powers Boothe) is a powerful force in business, Tennessee politics, and the lives of his two grown daughters. His drive for power results in a scheme to back Rayna's handsome husband Teddy, in a run for Mayor of Nashville, against Rayna's wishes. Set against the backdrop of Nashville's thriving contemporary music scene, and political world, executive producers CALLIE KHOURI (writer of Thelma & Louise) and RJ Cutler (The September Issue) take you inside the cutthroat world of country music, family, and politics... from the concert tours to the romantic entanglements, to the halls of power and old demons that threaten to derail a career.

CAST LISTING -
Sam Palladio
CLARE BOWEN
Jonathan Jackson
Powers Boothe
Robert Wisdom
Hayden Panettiere
Connie Britton
ERIC CLOSE
Charles Esten

PENOZA - 1 HOUR

Melissa Rosenberg (executive producer and head writer on "Dexter" and screenwriter of the Twilight franchise), Howard Klein (executive producer of "The Office," "Parks & Recreation") and Endemol Studios ("Hell On Wheels") join forces for a riveting new thriller that takes you inside the world of crime and intrigue and shows you just how far one woman will go to protect her family. Meet Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell - Melinda and Melinda) a suburban housewife who's living the good life in Northern California. She has a loving husband, a beautiful home overlooking Sausalito, and three amazing kids. But behind this perfect facade is a family of organized criminals. Marta's father, her brother, and husband Franklin all make their living through illegal means, and up until now, she has turned a blind eye to this fact. But when Franklin is murdered, Marta uncovers a tenacity she never knew she had. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge his death and keep her family alive. Even if it means filling her husband's shoes and joining the family business. As Marta digs into this dark underworld, she'll test her own strength, relying on her resourcefulness, determination and family ties like never before.

CAST LISTING -
Radha Mitchell
Lee Tergesen
Luke Goss
Rade Sherbedzija
Wil Traval
Jaime Ray Newman
Sterling Beaumon
Jakob Salvati
Suleka Mathew
Erin Moriarty
Mido Hamada

SCRUPLES - 1 HOUR

Wealth, sex, power, and palm trees... mixed with 24/7 sunshine and a carefree attitude. This is Beverly Hills when she was young. A land of beautiful homes and glamorous people, before reality stars and TMZ were ever heard of. Recently widowed socialite Billy Ikehorn - rich, soulful, and beautiful - is beginning a new chapter in her life. Armed with big dreams and a clear vision for her future, she sets about building an empire like nothing Southern California has ever seen. Welcome to Scruples. It's more than just a fashion emporium; it's an entrée to beautiful people, gorgeous models, famous photographers, up-and-coming designers, and the glamorous world of Hollywood. It's also the center of a powerful and compelling romantic drama that will sweep up Billy and her young protégés, Valentine O'Neill (Karinne Vanasse - Pan Am) and Spider Elliot, into a perfect storm of revenge, sex, scandal - even murder - on an international stage. Based on Judith Krantz's best-selling novel comes a deliciously soapy new drama. Executive produced by Oscar winner, Natalie Portman and Annette Savitch of Handsome Charlie Films. They produce alongside Krantz's son, Tony. The show is written and executive produced by Bob Brush (The Wonder Years) and Mel Harris (thirtysomething). The pilot will be directed by Michael Sucsy, whose credits include the hit film "The Vow" and HBO's Emmy Award-winning "Grey Gardens".

CAST LISTING -
Noot Seear
Claire Forlani
Boris Kodjoe
Jessica McNames
Chad Michael Murray
Gary Cole
Karin Vanasse

ZERO HOUR - 1 HOUR

Hank Foley (Anthony Edwards) is no stranger to adventure. But this one is a little more than he bargained for. As the publisher of Modern Skeptic magazine, Hank has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and solving conspiracies. A confessed paranormal junkie, his motto is "logic is the compass." But when his beautiful young wife (Jacinda Barrett) is abducted from her store, an antique clock shop, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries of human history, stretching around the world and back centuries. Contained in one of his wife's clocks is a treasure map, and what it leads to could be cataclysmic. Now it's up to Hank to decipher the symbols and unlock the secrets of the map, while ensuring the answers don't fall into the wrong hands. With his two young associates Rachel (Addison Timlin) and Arron (Scott Michael Foster) in tow, along with Deck a sexy FBI agent (Carmen Ejogo), Hank will lead them on a breathless race against the clock, to find his wife and save humanity. Executive produced by Lorenzo DiBonaventura (the Transformers and GI: Joe franchises, Salt, Red), Paul Scheuring (Prison Break) and Dan McDermott (Human Target) comes this fast-paced thriller that will take you on quest around the globe to reveal one of mankind's most riveting conspiracies, one that powerful forces have kept hidden for too long.

CAST LISTING -
Scott Michael Foster
Addison Timlin
Anthony Edwards
Jacinda Barrett
Carmen Ejogo
Michael Nyquist
CREDITS LISTING -
Production Company
ABC Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER
Paul Scheuring
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Lorenzo DiBonaventura
Dan McDermott



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