Spill

Even more fall pilot contenders

We’ve already covered the fall TV season’s major contenders, but here’s a look at some other interesting pilots floating around on The Futon Critic:

ABC

The Call: Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) and Danny Comden (Pretty Persuasion) star as two wacky paramedics — sounds like Scrubs with more action.

Cashmere Mafia: One of two new Sex and the City clones (the other is Lipstick Jungle with Brooke Shields), this one from Darren Star. Sounds like a bunch of “ambitious” (read: bitchy) women complaining about their problems. It stars Bonnie Somerville (Kitchen Confidential, Mona on Friends), Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park), and Lucy Liu, but that doesn’t really matter. I’ll only watch if the boys are hot.

Dirty Sexy Money: With this title, you’d think it was a reality show. Instead, it’s a drama from Greg Berlanti, billed as Dallas meets Dynasty — though the description sounds more like Arrested Development meets The Godfather. Peter Krause (Six Feet Under) stars as the family’s Michael Bluth. Donald Sutherland’s the patriarch, also with Billy Baldwin and Samaire Armstrong (The OC). Donald Sutherland seriously annoys me, but I’m willing to overlook it.

Eli Stone: Another Berlanti project. A cutthroat lawyer starts having visions, and he starts thinking he’s a prophet. As if you weren’t already convinced this dude is psycho, he starts working pro bono. Jonny Lee Miller (Aeon Flux, Mansfield Park, former Jolie spouse) stars as your Crazytown lawyer-prophet, also with Natasha Henstridge and Victor Garber. With a cast this good, I’ll at least watch the premiere. Maybe that means I’m crazy.

Football Wives: A remake of the British show Footballer$ Wive$. First alteration: no dollar signs! The Brit version is over-the-top hilarious (example plotline: a devious lady steals a baby then uses fake tanner to make the kid look half-Indian). But will US audiences embrace the outrageousness? ABC’s giving it the old college try, with Bryan Singer directing and a strong cast: Gabrielle Union (Bring It On), Eddie Cibrian (Invasion), Lucy Lawless, Ving Rhames, and James Van Der Beek. That’s right, I said JAMES VAN DER BEEK. I can’t miss Dawson’s triumphant return to the small screen, I just can’t.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith: A remake of the movie. These aren’t always bad — Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Friday Night Lights come to mind. Another strong cast here, with Martin Henderson (The Ring) taking over for Brad Pitt. Also with Jordana Brewster, Julia Ormond, and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (Billy Madison).

CBS

Law Dogs: Once upon a time, he stole my heart as Zack Morris. Now Mark Paul Gosselaar is a public defender, presumably saving the world from injustice and getting in all sorts of delicious romantic entanglements. Also starring Janeane Garofalo, who will presumably be in charge of the Sardonic Remarks department.

Los Duques: Family drama with an all-star cast: Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo, Rita Moreno, Nestor Carbonell (Suddenly Susan), and some very pretty guy named Eddie Matos. Also featuring Alona Tal (Meg from Veronica Mars) and Polly Walker (Atia from Rome).

Swingtown: Appears to be about swingers in the 1970s. Gross premise, but it has Grant Show (Melrose Place) and Jack Davenport (Coupling (UK), Pirates of the Caribbean). Jack Davenport’s tall, funny, and has a British accent, so I’ll watch him in anything.

NBC

Business Class: Another high concept single-camera comedy for NBC. Mark Valley (Boston Legal) plays a traveling soda salesmen with dubious ethics who’s showing fresh-faced innocent Horatio Sanz the ropes of the biz. That’s right, I said Horatio Sanz. Valley’s character sounds very Thank You For Smoking, while Sanz sounds a little Andy Barker, P.I. Definitely has potential.

Zip: Yet another high concept single camera comedy. This one’s got Rob Huebel, the Inconsiderate Cell Phone Man himself, playing a con artist who believes in the power of positive thinking. This sounds like a funnier version of The Riches minus the gypsies, and Rob Huebel is hilarious, so definitely looking forward to this.