Not content to let FOX hog the pre-upfronts series order merry-go-round, NBC started its 2013-2014 series pickups on Tuesday (May 6) afternoon.
Thus far, NBC has given series orders to the comedy “Marry Me” and the dramas “Odyssey,” “Allegiance” and “State of Affairs,” starring Katherine Heigl.
“Marry Me” comes from “Happy Endings” veteran David Caspe and was directed by Seth Gordon (“The Goldbergs”). It comes from Sony Pictures Television.
Casey Wilson and Ken Marino topline “Marry Me” as a couple who have been together for six years. After a botched attempt at a wedding proposal, they decide to hold off until they can get it right. Hilarity may ensue.
“Marry Me” also stars Sarah Wright, John Gemberling, Tymberlee Hill and Tim Meadows.
“Allegiance” was created and directed by George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau”), who will executive produce along with Avi Nir (“Homeland”), Ron Leshem, Amit Cohen, Yona Wisenthal and Giyora Yahalom. Based on those names, you're probably assuming this is based on an Israeli format. You're not wrong.
Formerly titled “Coercion,” “Allegiance” stars Gavin Stenhouse as an idealistic CIA analyst who discovers that his parents (played by Scott Cohen and Hope Davis) are deactivated Soviet spies. Before you can say “The Americans!” the parents are reactivated with one last mission: Turn the son into a Russian asset.
Margarita Levieva, Morgan Spector, Annie Ilonzeh, Alexandra Peters and Kenneth Choi co-star.
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In “State of Affairs,” Katherine Heigl plays a top CIA analyst — Yes, NBC has a thing for CIA analysts this season — entrusted with assembling the President's Daily Briefing. In addition, Heigl's character was engaged to the president's son, before he was killed in a terrorist attack. Now she's serving the president (Alfre Woodard) and trying to get to the bottom of her fiancé's murder.
“The Blacklist” pilot director Joe Carnahan helmed the “State of Affairs” pilot, which also stars Adam Kaufman, Sheila Vand, Cliff Chamberlain, Tommy Savas and Leslie Odom, Jr.
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And, last but not least (unless it is, because NBC had to do these announcements in SOME order), “Odyssey” is an international thriller about the unexpected collision between a female soldier (Anna Friel) a corporate attorney (Peter Facinelli) and a political activist (Jake Robinson) in the aftermath of the murder of a key Al Qaeda operative in an operation in Northern Africa.
Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster created “Odyssey,” with a pilot directed by Peter Horton. Jim True-Frost, Treat Williams, Nate Mooney, Elena Kampouris, Daniella Pineda, Sadie Sink, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Omar Ghazaoui co-star.
NBC also announced on Tuesday that the network's Tina Fey/Robert Carlock comedy most recently called “Tooken” — the Ellie Kemper cult thing — is now “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” We'll see if that one sticks.
The NBC pickups followed FOX's series orders for “Empire” and “Red Band Society” on Tuesday and Monday's order for “Gotham.”
Any of these sound interesting?