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Exclusive: In a matter of days, one first-year ABC drama series has surpassed the other for the title of strongest series debut in two years among both the 18-49 demographic and total viewers.

Alaska Daily now holds the title, which was previously claimed by The Rookie: Feds. After 35 days of multi-platform viewing, the premiere episode of Alaska Daily has managed a 3.02 rating among the 18-49 demographic, which is a show-stopping 844% increase from its 0.32 live+same day rating.

The October episode also tallied 12.3M multi-platform viewers in the 35 days since its release. That’s another 8.7M people who have tuned in since the live broadcast.

Those numbers easily beat The Rookie: Feds, which had posted a 755% increase from its live+same day rating and an additional 7M total viewers.

Alaska Daily and The Rookie: Feds are now ABC’s two strongest MP35 gainers among all series debuts since November 2020’s premiere of Big Sky.

Hilary Swank is heading to ABC with a yet-to-be-titled newspaper drama from writer, director, and executive producer Tom McCarthy (Spotlight). At this time, the project has been given a pilot order with the potential for a season pickup. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show revolves around a star journalist (Swank) who moves to Alaska for a fresh start after a career-killing blunder. Searching for redemption, she finds it at a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage. (Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Nantucket Film Festival) The pilot being considered for the 2022-2023 television season by ABC’s Craig Erwich is executive produced by former Fox 21 president Bert Salke with McCarthy, Swank, and Melissa Wells. The Anchorage Daily News‘ Kyle Hopkins and Ryan Binkley are also attached to executive produce. This marks Swank’s first TV role since her short-lived run on Netflix’s since-canceled Away, in which she played astronaut Emma Green.

Hilary Swank is set to star in a drama from Tom McCarthy that has been ordered to pilot at ABC, Variety has learned.

In the untitled series, a star journalist (Swank) moves to Alaska for a fresh start after a career-killing misstep, and finds redemption personally and professionally joining a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage.

McCarthy is writing and directing the pilot in addition to serving as executive producer under his Slow Pony banner. Swank will executive produce in addition to starring. Bert Salke of Co-lab21, Melissa Wells of Slow Pony, and Kyle Hopkins and Ryan Binkley of the Anchorage Daily News will also executive produce. 20th Television is the studio.

Should the project go to series, it would not be the first time Swank has starred in an ABC series. She previously appeared in the short-lived ABC sitcom “Camp Wilder” early in her career. She also starred in Season...

Hilary Swank is to star in and exec produce a drama pilot for ABC that comes from Spotlight and Stillwater director Tom McCarthy.

The Away and Boy’s Don’t Cry star will play a star journalist who moves to Alaska for a fresh start after a career-killing misstep, and finds redemption personally and professionally joining a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage.

The Untitled Alaska Project, which is one of the most high-profile network drama development projects of the season, will be written, directed and exec produced by Tom McCarthy through his Slow Pony production company. McCarthy is coming off the back of Matt Damon-fronted feature Stillwater.

Former Fox 21 Television Studios boss Bert Salke, will exec produce through this Co-lab21 banner. McCarthy previously worked with Salke at Fox21, where he signed an overall deal in 2019.

20th Television is the studio.

The pilot marks McCarthy’s first broadcast network project.