Pilots for “The Hurt Unit,” “Public Defenders,” “Judgement” and “Keeping It Together” (which was formerly titled “Drop-Off”) are no longer moving forward at ABC.
The news comes amid the ongoing writers strike taking hold of Hollywood. The Writers Guild of America decided to strike on May 2 after failing to reach an agreement on issues like wages and protections against AI.
The medical procedural drama was ordered in December and starred Ben McKenzie. Per the official logline, the show is “a cutting-edge medical drama about a highly skilled team of trauma surgeons and nurses who race into the field to treat the patients who won’t make it to the hospital in time. When the sick and the injured can’t get to the ER, the Hurt Unit (Hospital Urgent Response Team) brings the ER to them.”
Matt Lopez and John Glenn co-wrote the pilot for “The Hurt Unit,” with both serving as executive producers. Marc Webb will direct the pilot and executive produce via Black Lamb. ABC Signature is the studio.
ABC ordered the “Public Defenders” pilot from Eddie Quintana in January. The pilot followed four inexperienced public defenders as they worked to keep their clients out of jail and learned how to navigate their first defendants, the court system and their ordinary office problems. Quintana was the writer and executive producer behind the pilot, which marked his second pilot ordered by ABC in the past two seasons. Mary Viola and Corey Marsh of Wonderland Sound and Vision also served as executive producers.
Written by Joey Falco, “Judgement” was ordered in December as well. Per the official logline, the show is “a high-stakes legal soap that redefines the genre by playing out over two timelines. Fifteen years from now, a woman being vetted for a Supreme Court seat recounts her experience at a prominent D.C. law firm in 2023, where the only thing more controversial than the cases was her messy love life, caught between two feuding brothers. Now, with a Supreme Court seat on the line, all of her darkest secrets are at risk of coming out, threatening her nomination, her reputation, and her marriage.”
Falco served as the writer and executive producer of the pilot. Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan executive produced via The Detective Agency. Jordan Cerf of Mosaic also executive produced.
“Drop-Off” was a later addition to ABC’s slate and didn’t receive a pilot order until March. Ellie Kemper both starred and executive produced the pilot, which served as the American adaptation of the British comedy “Motherland.”
Sharon Horgan, Clelia Mountford, Stacy Greenberg, Kira Carstensen executive produced for Merman Television. Paul Feig, Dan Magnante served as executive producers through Feigco Entertainment. Holly Walsh and Helen Serafinowicz also executive produced. Michael Showalter was also attached as an executive producer and director. Julieanne Smolinski penned the script and executive produced. Lionsgate and ABC Signature are the studios behind the production.
Sources share that “The Hurt Unit,” “Public Defenders” and “Judgement” will be shopped around. “The Hurt Unit” came out of ABC Signature. The latter shows were produced by 20th Television.
Decisions on renewals for “The Good Lawyer,” “Home Economics,” and “The Rookie: Feds” will be announced at a later date.
