3 - TELEVISION NEWS
The Runway – NBC Upfronts: What Got Picked Up, What Didn’t, And Why
It was a weird pilot season. No network embodied that statement more than NBC. The craziness in a nutshell: the most coveted timeslot in all of television, between Will & Grace and This is Us, is going to sophomore series Great News, whose renewal was iffy as recently as two weeks ago.
Last year’s crop of CBS pilots were lackluster, and of those ordered to series, only Bull and MacGyver have been renewed so far. With Doubt already canceled, and Training Day and Pure Genius unlikely to be renewed, CBS has plenty of room on its fall schedule. 
ABC’s three major drama pickups last year — Notorious, Conviction, and Time After Time — failed to connect with audiences and critics alike. Channing Dungey must really be feeling the pressure to deliver.
Last year, Fox was all about IP and filling a gaping, American Idol-sized hole. Its development was all over the place. This year, much like NBC, Fox seems to have found its groove as well. 
As the happy home of critical and Nielsen darling This is Us, NBC marches towards the upfronts with its head held high. Clearly happy about the show’s success, Bob Greenblatt has been quite forthcoming this past year about NBC’s emphasis on positivity on all fronts, be it in the office or on screen. 
The Tracking Board presents the 4th annual edition of The Runway! The premise is simple: we read, review and prognosticate on the future of every single network show picked up to pilot. So fasten your seatbelts, because pilot season is about to take off.
