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For Sale Apr 20, 2026 at 5:02 PM

NBC has ordered several drama pilots for the 2026 pilot season, focusing heavily on crime & procedurals all produced by Universal Television.

Posted by swoonyaboutclooney

'The Hunting Party', 'Law & Order', 'Brilliant Minds', 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins', and 'Stumble' are all on the chopping block if NBC wants a chance on some of these pilots, all these shows could be cancelled. These are the pilots NBC might go with: 1. Puzzled: written by Joey Falco, this drama follows "a once promising college athlete Mike Brink who is transformed by a traumatic brain injury that gives him the unique ability to see the world in puzzles." 2. What the Dead Know: Based on the memoir by former NYPD medical examiner Barbara Butcher, the drama follows " a death investigator who teams up with the NYPD to solve tough cases." 3. The Rockford Files reboot. 4. Protection: a crime drama focused on the fedural witness protection program. 5. An untitled crime focused drama from producers Dean Georgaris & John Fox.
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Kyuubee Apr 20, 2026 +99
Reggie Dinkins isn't going anywhere. It pulled the best numbers NBC has had for a comedy in the past three years. Plus, Robert Carlock and Tina Fey have a ton of goodwill with the network.
99
yinkadoubledare Apr 20, 2026 +52
not only will Reggie Dinkins be renewed but they'll actually make FDNY Chicago
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Corohr Apr 21, 2026 +13
Hey! I’m walking here….in Chicago!
13
chopsuey612 Apr 20, 2026 +6
Chicago Dinkins
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Frostymagnum Apr 21, 2026 +2
I laughed way too hard at that joke when it popped up
2
hooplehead69 Apr 20, 2026 +7
I hope not, this show is hysterical 
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MattAaron2112 Apr 21, 2026 +5
And it's *very* funny already, so not letting it continue to find its footing as most sitcoms do with a second season would be a huge mistake. 
5
GoldAcanthisitta7777 Apr 20, 2026 +9
that show is so so so good
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Aratak Apr 20, 2026 +300
Man, I am so sick of crime shows & procedurals. That's apparently all they know how to do.
300
brb1006 Apr 20, 2026 +64
I swear D*** Wolf has been everywhere these past 20 years. I'm so sick of his crime shows!
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Aratak Apr 20, 2026 +17
I'm not so sure it's just him. Tons of Euro and British procedurals as well - all with the same tired tropes as ours.
17
Hanifsefu Apr 21, 2026 +4
Easy to make and super c**** to write while requiring nothing of the audience, not even their attention span.
4
ludicrous_copulator Apr 21, 2026 +3
This is why I gave up on Britbox. 99% is procedurals just with different characters
3
kayl_breinhar Apr 20, 2026 +19
Subservience to the state. Law enforcement is infallible. Obey. Submit. Sleep. Oh, and never ask for/demand a lawyer, just spill your guts as soon as you're pressured in an interrogation room. Seems to be the chief hallmark of most of D*** Wolf's oeuvre, and how he fits them into a 60 minute time block with commercials. (sigh)
19
QuasiJudicialBoofer Apr 20, 2026 +6
Don't forget "oh you thought this was cut and dry in the 1st 15 min? We've got 45 min left to pull a twist out of the hat"
6
kayl_breinhar Apr 20, 2026 +1
More like 25 when you factor in all the pill commercials.
1
bros402 Apr 20, 2026 +2
nah, most network shows are 40 minutes now. They used to be 42, I even saw a show that was 39 minutes recently
2
Bored_Worldhopper Apr 20, 2026 +11
“Ooo here comes that scummy defense attorney who only defends yucky criminals and doesn’t let cops get away with doing whatever they want!”
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Diarygirl Apr 20, 2026 +5
Law and Order has some really annoying and despicable defense attorneys.
5
Bored_Worldhopper Apr 20, 2026 +7
Copaganda doesn’t work if the defense attorneys are defending the innocent
7
MacDoesReddit Apr 20, 2026 +7
Oh and Internal Affairs is always evil because they actually try to hold officers accountable for all the illegal shit they do
7
mpking828 Apr 21, 2026 +1
Watch enough crime shows, you learn you can tell if they are a bad guy very quickly. If they ask for a lawyer, they are innocent.
1
ludicrous_copulator Apr 21, 2026
I refer to it as bootlicker tv
0
Infamous-Lab-8136 Apr 20, 2026 +17
I think it's about all networks can do, other than sitcoms and medical shows Even shows like Law and Order SVU that I think of as reliable performers keep getting budget cuts from NBC Any good mystery box program has been relegated to streaming where they get a higher budget, fewer episodes, and a lack of networks wanting them to stretch a story out to keep a hit on the air. They seem to need c**** sets and formulaic scripts they can churn out to make TV c**** enough to run on air and be worth it
17
myassholealt Apr 20, 2026 +5
Yeah, thinking back to my childhood where I didn't have cable in the 90s and network TV was all I watched, except if a cable show came to syndication on local channels, the bulk of the shows we watched back then fell into one of those three categories. Plus family dramas like 7th Heaven and other shows from the WB lineups. It's not a new trend. It's what it's always been for as long as I've been watching TV.
5
Infamous-Lab-8136 Apr 20, 2026 +5
I do understand genre fiction fans frustrations. We used to have a show like Heroes or Lost that was the weekly mystery box that slowly unfolded kind of series, and those are pretty much completely moved to streaming and cable where episode counts are a lot lower. That said personally I prefer only 8 or so episodes of something like Paradise rather than stretching the same number of meaningful reveals into two or three times as many episodes
5
SwagginsYolo420 Apr 21, 2026
> Any good mystery box program has been relegated to streaming Mystery box - good? It's just as braindead of a formula as the network procedurals. These are pretty much a flashy high-concept premise, with no actual story or resolution. Enough for an intriguing start and maybe a first season before the whole thing begins to collapse under its own weight. And to fill time they just add more and more mystery without solving anything until the whole thing collapses. It was a neat parlor trick formula at first simply because it was new. But now its just another tired old formula but with the guarantee the series won't end well, won't resolve much if anything.
0
Sapmatic Apr 21, 2026 +6
Its such a simple and c**** formula for them to follow. I think its easy to see why they are unwilling to take chances when most of the high quality shows are being eaten by streamers. Procedural shows have a built in fan base who aren't going to complain when they have more to watch.
6
ford7885 Apr 20, 2026 +5
Well... it beats mindless "reality" bullshit at least. But it doesn't make a lot of sense to cancel "The Hunting Party" or the original "Law & Order" if they're looking for more crime procedurals. Maybe somebody in the Comcast head offices is tired of D*** Wolf, considering they alrready cancelled the L&O Organized Crime spinoff, which had already been downgraded to "Peacock only" last season. CBS already cancelled 2/3 of his FBI franchise last year. Though he replaced one of them with a CIA show which has as many FBI agents as it does CIA, so it might as well be part of that franchise.
5
mike10dude Apr 20, 2026 +7
shows usually cost more the longer that they run
7
bros402 Apr 20, 2026 +4
CIA was originally called FBI: CIA
4
mpking828 Apr 21, 2026 +1
It's cheaper to start a new show with people getting paid nothing per episode, vs someone that has been on the air for over 10-15 year, and has a salary that reflects that.
1
the100broken Apr 21, 2026
Def doesn’t beat reality tv. Would easily prefer more shows like Survivor and The Traitors over this bullshit. The new Fear Factor: House of Fear was decent too
0
AshIsGroovy Apr 20, 2026 +2
They're c**** to crank out and do okay ratings. I want more sci-fi on tv. Or more anthology horror. Would love a Twilight zone Faustian horror type show. I know Rick and Morty made fun of the premise with a curio shop that sells cursed items but I enjoy those types of stories
2
nighthawk_md Apr 20, 2026 +2
Well, do you even have cable or an antenna? Do ever watch the big 4 for any reason other than sports or big events (eg, the Oscars or the Olympics)? You are probably not the target audience...
2
AgentElman Apr 20, 2026 +4
They don't make them because they want to. They make them because they have huge audiences.
4
rex_we_can Apr 21, 2026 +1
The capitalism diagram of white sedans, but with crime procedurals.
1
bookshopdemon Apr 21, 2026 +1
They must be c**** to produce. My husband watches them a lot and I swear 90% of them is people standing around looking at monitors and saying sarcastic things to each other, or chases through empty warehouses.
1
WilliamEmmerson Apr 23, 2026 +1
They get the most consistent ratings
1
SwagginsYolo420 Apr 21, 2026
That shit was boring decades ago. Insane they are still cranking out this rubbish.
0
dont_shoot_jr Apr 20, 2026 +24
Puzzled sounds like an American version of Ludwig
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thewholebottle Apr 20, 2026 +7
It does! I just finished enjoying Ludwig. But I also enjoy High Potential, which is similar, but more energetic.
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dont_shoot_jr Apr 20, 2026 +4
I like the focus on problem solving and puzzles High potential sometimes seems like other Sherlock Holmes style shows in which a detective outside knowledge plays a critical component 
4
RueTheQuais Apr 20, 2026 +4
There's a show called The Puzzle Lady on PBS that's about a woman who creates puzzles solving mysteries using those puzzle skills.
4
captainhaddock Apr 21, 2026 +3
Another good mystery show is Jonathan Creek, about a stage magic consultant who uses his knowledge of tricks and misdirection to solve mysteries.
3
kool_kats_rule Apr 20, 2026 +8
Exactly the same thought.
8
brickiex2 Apr 20, 2026 +104
Stumble is a good silly fun show Who the hell wants another law show, cop show, medical show
104
floridorito Apr 20, 2026 +31
In an effort to help save Stumble, I wrote a letter to both NBC's Chair and President of scripted content. (Just to at least be able to say I did something.) I checked their bios before writing, and they both have more of a background in drama than in comedy. So this weirdly doesn't shock me.
31
Pool_Shark Apr 21, 2026
How long have they had those jobs?
0
Omatzus Apr 20, 2026 +10
Audiences, apparently
10
brickiex2 Apr 20, 2026 +2
Apparently
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NoTitleChamp Apr 20, 2026 +12
"Who the hell wants another law show, cop show, medical show" Going by ratings, millions of people.
12
brickiex2 Apr 20, 2026 +1
You're right about that
1
kayl_breinhar Apr 20, 2026 +2
There's so many of them to draw upon, that I'd imagine they've fed all the scripts of every one into an LLM and can just churn new ones out at will.
2
Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 +1
OK, I'll admit it, I'd like more law shows.
1
brickiex2 Apr 20, 2026 +3
Law & Order: Poughkeepsie 911: Mayo Clinic District Attorney: Clearwater
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Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 +2
Bring 'em on!
2
mtwwtm Apr 20, 2026 +63
Leave my Reggie Dinkins alone!
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NeedsToShutUp Apr 20, 2026 +35
This is some Jerry Basmati shit.
35
All_Lightning879 Apr 20, 2026 +30
Rockford Files is definitely happening on Monday and Protection for Thursday. Brilliant Minds and The Hunting Party are goners, I can definitely see Reggie Dinkins returning, and Stumble is a true coin toss.
30
kazh_9742 Apr 20, 2026 +26
I can't think of any reason that makes sense to cancel Reggie Dinkins, unless some studio or network heads want to poach what quickly became a top tier cast for other projects or something.
26
All_Lightning879 Apr 20, 2026 +8
Especially when it’s in serious Emmys contention this year, I suggest keeping the momentum going and a Netflix boost.
8
rainyhawk Apr 20, 2026 +9
They shouldn’t try a Rockford remake…you can’t duplicate that casting.
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All_Lightning879 Apr 20, 2026 +6
True, but hey? People will still eat up David Boreanaz no matter what he does.
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DoubleDownAgain54 Apr 20, 2026 +6
Damn. I’d rather an unknown than a retread. James Garner made that show, I don’t think Boreanaz had the gravitas to play the role. Plus I predict it won’t have the same tone, think it will lean into cheesy comedy.
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Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 +2
Wasn't James Garner a retread?
2
DoubleDownAgain54 Apr 20, 2026 +1
How so?
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Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 +4
His movie career was winding down and he'd already done over 150 episodes of television before the Rockford Files.
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DoubleDownAgain54 Apr 21, 2026 +1
But he had a much bigger career than Boreanza at that point. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
1
Horny_GoatWeed Apr 21, 2026 +2
Doesn't that make him more of a retread? He was a known quantity.
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DoubleDownAgain54 Apr 21, 2026 +1
To be honest, I don’t know. I was a kid when it came out, wasn’t aware of his level of fame but so have never thought of him as being a retread. It was also a vastly different time in the entertainment industry. I think he still had name recognition way more than Boreanaz ever had.
1
rainyhawk Apr 21, 2026 +1
That doesn’t make the show a retread. Lots r new tv shows star well known actors…not sure what the point is? And yes, he’d already had one very successful western series and was very well known.
1
All_Lightning879 Apr 20, 2026 +1
A bit “campish”, I predict, but not too much.
1
dancepartyusofa Apr 21, 2026 +3
Always bet on Boreanaz
3
Diarygirl Apr 20, 2026 +6
I'm going to miss Brilliant Minds. Zachary Quinto is, well, brilliant.
6
loyal_achades Apr 20, 2026 +4
Second season has been a bit off the rails, but yeah Quinto and Sears are both amazing and have fantastic chemistry. Also, them playing romantically across from each other as a spiritual season to the first season of American Horror Story is funny.
4
QuirkyGrapefruit5336 Apr 20, 2026 +3
I am really hoping that Protection gets picked up, that sounds like a different spin from the rest plus I adore Peter Krause.
3
All_Lightning879 Apr 20, 2026 +2
It sounds sound intriguing
2
sanjoseboardgamer Apr 20, 2026 +5
The Hunting Party just seems like such a dumb premise to me. I tried watching a couple episodes and could not get into it at all.
5
VinTheHater Apr 20, 2026 +12
> 4. Protection: a crime drama focused on the fedural witness protection program. If this stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and they were to rename it “Eraser”, I’m 100% sold.
12
Digitalon Apr 20, 2026 +2
Wasn't there an Eraser reboot or remake planned years ago? Did that ever happen?
2
VinTheHater Apr 21, 2026 +1
There was a straight to VOD sequel a few years ago. No Arnold.
1
Tight-Principle-743 Apr 20, 2026 +27
Stumble can’t die for this - more crime procedural dramas.
27
Infamous-Lab-8136 Apr 20, 2026 +11
I feel like this article is a bit misleading because they ordered several comedy pilots too NBC is trying a return to pilots, albeit in a smaller number than before They have 3 or 4 comedy pilots ordered as well, those are much bigger threats to Stumble IMO
11
AllTheThingsSheSays Apr 20, 2026 +8
What's the point in cancelling the Law & Order revival to just replace it with either a reboot, or shows that have been done a million times before?
8
SwagginsYolo420 Apr 21, 2026 +2
Likely financial, so they don't have to renew actor and show-runner contracts and deal with pay increases. The same people that make up the bulk of audience for such pablum will just as happily consume the same thing over again with a different name. So it's probably more cost effective just to start over.
2
Venixflytrap Apr 20, 2026 +6
My mother is going to be eating good she damn only exclusively watches crime shows
6
ghostaly Apr 20, 2026 +7
Stumble and Reggie Dinkins are both fantastic, so of course, NBC is interested in canceling them.
7
goddamnitwhalen Apr 20, 2026 +6
Recession indicator.
6
RegularGuy815 Apr 21, 2026 +4
> the drama follows "a death investigator who teams up with the NYPD to solve tough cases." Quite possibly the most generic description I've ever seen.
4
SpaceCampDropOut Apr 20, 2026 +4
Surprised it’s not ten new shows with “Chicago” in the title.
4
ex0thermist Apr 20, 2026 +5
They haven't attempted a new Chicago show in a decade. The audience decided 3 was enough because "Chicago Justice" failed out of the gate.
5
JamStan1978 Apr 20, 2026 +5
wheres all the dramas and teen dramas and supernatural drama, etc.??
5
Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 +3
Streaming
3
JamStan1978 Apr 20, 2026 +5
i dont want them streaming. They are overproduced, 8 episodes and release every other year if youre lucky. Bring back low budget 20 episode seasons.
5
Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 -1
There's plenty of them streaming, too, there's just not new episodes being made. Have you seen all of them?
-1
Substantial-Bet-3876 Apr 20, 2026 +3
You mean the show with the nice people who want to ask just a few questions and I don’t need a silly lawyer?
3
Awatts2222 Apr 20, 2026 +26
Copaganda has played a prominent role in the rise of fascism over the past 30 years but appears that Copaganda will become even more popular now that fascism has taken root.
26
ADifferentMachine Apr 20, 2026 +3
The *Lucifer (TV Series)* to Nazi bootlicker pipeline is really something that needs to be studied.
3
tehsober Apr 21, 2026 +1
Serious question but is it specifically that show or did you just randomly pick any cop x consultant show? Cause from my reading when watching that show it seemed quite the opposite of it. It's literally about the devil becoming a better person. The show sometimes is not very subtle about it.
1
ObviousAnswerGuy Apr 20, 2026 +3
If they cancel Reggie Dinkins I'm rioting
3
rainshowers_5_peace Apr 20, 2026 +3
>What the Dead Know: Based on the memoir by former NYPD medical examiner Barbara Butcher, Amazing book >The Rockford Files reboot. Keep the theme, it's the best chance you have.
3
Firesky54 Apr 21, 2026 +3
And I see Listnook keep living in a bubble. You can’t blame them NBC for focusing on crime and procedurals when people still likes them.
3
teh_hasay Apr 21, 2026 +3
⁠”Puzzled: written by Joey Falco, this drama follows "a once promising college athlete Mike Brink who is transformed by a traumatic brain injury that gives him the unique ability to see the world in puzzles."” This genuinely sounds like it could have been a throwaway bit from bojack horseman.
3
Pariell Apr 20, 2026 +6
Please give me a procedural about an IT department. 
6
Ill1458 Apr 20, 2026 +5
19 minutes into the episode… “We figured out the problem…the user has been trying to charge their laptop with the phone charger.”
5
MightyMorph Apr 21, 2026 +3
mid-season finale: 25 mins into the episode "The pc had no problems, the user just forgot to turn on the screen."
3
Garden-Mirror Apr 22, 2026 +1
How about a farming procedural? "We need to figure out what's wrong with these crops before they all die out."
1
fitzysbuna Apr 21, 2026 +2
I really want another season of The Hunting Party! What the Dead Know sounds ok and i might give the Reboot of Rockford files a go ! but i will take any of these shows over any "reality" program as i hate them all !
2
tooshpright Apr 21, 2026 +2
Medical examiner called Butcher??!
2
Allcyon Apr 20, 2026 +4
Actual police state goes up, copoganda goes up. That's the way of it.
4
acroneatlast Apr 20, 2026 +3
Yes, let's normalize the idea of the cop who breaks the rules because he *knows* who's guilty. Bonus points if he's unstable.
3
Underwater_Karma Apr 21, 2026 +2
I have to constantly read articles gassing about "superhero fatigue", but we've got 7 CSI shows in one franchise.
2
Benji0088 Apr 21, 2026 +1
I must have missed that CSI spinoff centered on Melinda Clarke
1
DRF19 Apr 21, 2026 +4
Star Trek can’t get a measly 10 episodes a season on a streamer, but sure here’s 30 seasons of another cop acronym show on every mainline network
4
soonerfreak Apr 20, 2026 +3
Is Puzzled just a High Potential knock off? Quirky person solves crimes in a way only they can.
3
Horny_GoatWeed Apr 20, 2026 +10
Sure, the same way High Potential is just a Monk/Psych/Mentalist/Castle knockoff.
10
soonerfreak Apr 20, 2026 +1
I only watched the Mentalist but he was definitely a normal person who was just observant. A grifter whose grift got his wife killed.
1
untitledmanuscript Apr 20, 2026 +1
i wish the execs at the network stations realized that more people might watch network if it had concepts for the shows on streaming. you don’t need a big budget to make a great show
1
pittura_infamante Apr 20, 2026 +1
Who watches this garbage? See the world in puzzles? It's a rejected Key and Peele sketch...
1
rockinrobin219 Apr 21, 2026 +1
Still waiting for the return of 'Celebrity Beat-Off' https://youtu.be/iuIZCJEu9a4?si=CttpopK1qsrPrUkF
1
ciabattaroll Apr 20, 2026 +1
These types of shows are state propaganda so it doesn't surprise me as all the entertainment companies are taken over by republican activists.
1
StarChild413 Apr 21, 2026 +1
[#SaveBrilliantMinds](https://www.tumblr.com/thewickedbohemian/807672365716766720/just-pinning-both-my-brilliant-minds-petitions?source=share)
1
Habay12 Apr 21, 2026
Boomer tv.
0
brb1006 Apr 20, 2026 -7
When did crime and procedure shows become this popular? I don't remember seeing D*** Wolf (or anything D*** Wolf inspired) being this dominant in the past.
-7
Mo0 Apr 20, 2026 +10
They've been popular for a long time. Hell, at one brief point there were four Law & Orders being made simultaneously.
10
iggy1112 Apr 20, 2026 +7
Are you on the younger side? I'm pretty sure, all at the same time across different networks there were 3-4 different CSIs, at least 3 NCISs, at least 2 but definitely more Law & Orders and thats just the BIG ones. There were more! Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Cold Case. This was all early 2000s.
7
TheFuzzBuzz Apr 20, 2026 +2
Early 00’s had 3 Law and Orders, the original, SVU and Criminal Intent, a fourth Trial and Jury aired in 2005 but it didn’t even last a full season.
2
iggy1112 Apr 20, 2026 +2
Don't know how I forgot Criminal Intent, that was the one I actually liked!
2
spike021 Apr 20, 2026 +5
you don't remember CSI 20 years ago? 
5
OppositeRun6503 Apr 23, 2026 +1
It won't last because NBC has lost the drama and sitcom audience when they adopted the fad of scripted fake reality shows and game shows during prime time decades ago. Also they have developed a habit of canceling these programs mid season when viewership numbers fail to meet expectations simply because for people who hate the scripted fake reality trash TV fad like me we simply avoid watching NBC and the other broadcast networks. NBC stands for Nothing But C***!!
1
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