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On the heels of ABC picking up drama pilot Gilded Lillys earlier today, the network just greenlighted a half-hour pilot, multi-camera comedy Counter Culture. Written and executive produced by writer-actress Stephnie Weir and executive produced by Claudia Lonow, Counter Culture revolves around three aging sisters running their family diner together in West Texas who find that sibling dynamics are always getting in the way of getting the job done. Weir won’t act in Counter Culture, which will be co-produced by Sony TV, where Weir has had a deal (she penned the 2010 ABC/Sony TV comedy pilot Wright Vs. Wrong starring Debra Messing), and ABC Studios. Lonow is expected to have a great pilot season. The Accidentally On Purpose creator has another comedy project at ABC through 20th TV and Imagine TV, which is very hot and already has a put pilot commitment, making a pilot order very likely. The...

Hitting the beach for some sun and fun, Debra Messing was spotted out in Malibu, California yesterday afternoon (July 4).

The “Will & Grace” actress looked to be enjoying her holiday by the sea, taking a nice long stroll while sporting a big white beach hat.

And it sounds like Debra will be joining the roster over at the ABC Network for this fall’s programming season.

Ms. Messing will be starring in “Wright Vs. Wrong,” her first gig since 2008’s “The Starter Wife.”...

Hitting the beach for some sun and fun, Debra Messing was spotted out in Malibu, California yesterday afternoon (July 4).

The “Will & Grace” actress looked to be enjoying her holiday by the sea, taking a nice long stroll while sporting a big white beach hat.

And it sounds like Debra will be joining the roster over at the ABC Network for this fall’s programming season.

Ms. Messing will be starring in “Wright Vs. Wrong,” her first gig since 2008’s “The Starter Wife.”...

Cast options have been picked up on a number of pilots, including CBS comedy Team Spitz and ABC show Wright Vs. Wrong. The news means that the pilots are still in with a chance of being commissioned as midseason replacements for the 2010-11 season. Deadline reports that both Wright Vs. Wrong - starring former Will & Grace actress Debra Messing - and fellow ABC comedy Awkward Situations For Men are now "expected to shoot (more)...

I hear another ABC comedy pilot, Wright Vs. Wrong, also is getting another chance. The network is ordering a new pilot from the Sony-produced single-camera project, which stars Debra Messing as a conservative commentator, eyed for midseason. I hear ABC loves Messing and creator Stephnie Weir as well as the voice of the show but wants to improve on the execution with the hire of a new showrunner. With Wright vs. Wrong and Awkward Situations For Men both getting new pilots, ABC may not order more new comedy series at this time. The network also is keeping an eye on the [...]...

I hear it’s over for ABC’s comedy pilot It Takes A Village. The network, which has so far picked up three comedy pilots, Better Together, Mr. Sunshine, and Happy Endings, is rumored to be picking up two more new comedy series. Wright Vs. Wrong had been considered the leading contender, possibly competing for a spot with It Takes A Village. The Debra Messing-starring Wright Vs. Wrong is still actively searching for a showrunner. It didn’t get an order along with the two new ABC dramas that were picked up today, Body of Proof and Off The Map. There is speculation [...]...

Pilot season is a wonderful time in TV Land; countless fledgling writers and would-be stars compete for the few slots available on the fall network lineup, where the survival rate of new shows making it to a second season is 31%! Recently, both The Live Feed and Deadline put together a report on the series that have risen through the ranks and stand a good chance of making it to air.

After the jump, you’ll find a breakdown of the hottest pilots at Fox, NBC, CBS, and ABC, including projects from producers J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and Brett Ratner as well as stars Kathy Bates, Forest Whitaker, and William Shatner.

Thanks to The Futon Critic for all the plot synopses and cast information.

Fox: Looking for 3-5 dramas and 3 comedies

Breakout Kings

Plot: “Drama about ex-fugitives who are recruited to work as Us marshals.”

Cast/Crew: created by Nick Santora...

Rough cuts of pilots in contention for next season are starting to trickle into the broadcast networks, and some very early front-runners are emerging.

Such pole position titles are often replaced a few times during the weeding-out process as more footage comes into the networks. At this stage, name-recognition titles like CBS' "Hawaii Five-o" and NBC's "Rockford Files" continue to enjoy a halo effect, but some fresh titles are also turning heads.

Starting with NBC, the network is looking to pick up as many as six dramas to plug its holes in the schedule and has plenty of A-list producers in contention. A remake of "Rockford Files" from "House" showrunner David Shore is considered a near-lock. Same with J.J. Abrams' spy drama "Undercovers," whose completed pilot is getting rave reviews ("looks great, with gorgeous leads").

David E. Kelley's latest legal drama "Kindrids" is very hot, and executives like...