The CW Orders Six New Pilots, Including Roswell Reboot

Deadline reports that the CW has ordered six new pilots for its 2018 season, which include a Roswell reboot. They joined the previously announced Charmed reboot and the supernatural drama Dead Inside, as well as the backdoor pilot for the Supernatural spin-off Wayward Sisters for a total of nine, a new record. The network typically picks up 4-6 pilots per season. It split the pilots between Warner Bros. TV and CBS TV Studios for production.

The CW has made the second batch of its 2018 pilot orders with six pickups: a Roswell reboot with an immigration twist, from writer Carina Adly MacKenzie, Amblin TV and Bender Brown Prods.; In the Dark, from writer Corinne Kingsbury and Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films; Skinny Dip. from writers Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner and Keshet Studios; Playing Dead, from writers Rina Mimoun and Josh Reims and Intrigue Entertainment; The End of the World As We Know It, from writers Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker and producer Rob Thomas; as well as Spencer, from writer April Blair and Greg Berlati’s Berlanti Prods.

UNTITLED ROSWELL: The series previously aired on the WB and UPN, which The CW is a successor of. It will be based on the Roswell High book series by Melinda Metz. It is written and executive produced by Carina Adly MacKenzie. Kevin Kelly Brown will return as an executive producer, joined by Brown and Lawrence Bender of Bender Brown Prods., as well as Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of Amblin TV.

The original series was developed and executive produced by Jason Katims. It starred Katherine Heigl, Shiri Appleby, Colin Hanks, Jason Behr, Brendan Fehr, Emilie de Ravin, Majandra Delfino, Nick Wechsler and Adam Rodriguez.

Here’s a synopsis: The new Roswell reflects the realities of its location in a state bordering Mexico. After reluctantly returning to her tourist-trap hometown of Roswell, NM, the daughter of undocumented immigrants discovers a shocking truth about her teenage crush who is now a police officer: He’s an alien who has kept his unearthly abilities hidden his entire life. She protects his secret as the two reconnect and begin to investigate his origins, but when a violent attack and long-standing government cover-up point to a greater alien presence on Earth, the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose him and destroy their deepening romance.

IN THE DARK: This series was written by Corrine Kingsbury, who executive produces with Red Hour Films’ Ben Stiller, Jackie Cohn and Nicky Weinstock.

Here’s a synopsis: The project centers on a flawed and irreverent young woman who just happens to be blind and is the only “witness” to the murder of her drug-dealing friend. When the police dismiss her story, she sets out with her dog, Pretzel, to find the killer while also managing her colorful dating life and the job she hates at Breaking Blind- the guide dog school owned by her overprotective parents.

THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: This is a comedic drama, written by Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, based on the book of the same name by Iva-Marie Palmer. Palmer and Schumacker will produce through Sheugadee Productions with Rob Thomas, Danielle Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge through Spondoolie Productions and Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo.

Here’s a synopsis: When a prison spaceship carrying the universe’s most deadly aliens crashes in Southern California, two millennial women with bigger dreams than working at a kids’ pizza place in The Valley are recruited by a space cop to hunt down the escaped criminals, who have camouflaged themselves as eccentric Angelenos.

PLAYING DEAD: This series was written by Rina Mimoun and Josh Reims, who executive produce with Intrigue’s Tariq Jalil and Lucas Carter.

Here’s a synopsis: The project is a dysfunctional family dramedy about a mortician and his son whose lives are turned upside down when the woman who abandoned them 15 years ago returns and asks them to fake her death.

SPENCER: This was written by April Blair, who executive produces with Greg Berlanti, LA Galaxy soccer player Robbie Rogers and Sarah Schechter, with Dane Morck as a consultant.

Here’s a synopsis: Spencer is inspired by the life of pro football player Spencer Paysinger. It centers on a rising high school football player from South Central L.A. When he is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High, the wins, losses and struggles of two families from vastly different worlds — Compton and Beverly Hills — begin to collide.

SKINNY DIP: This was written by Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner, based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen. Friend and Lerner will executive produce with Keshet Studios’ Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan.

Here’s a synopsis: After her husband tries to kill her on what she thought was a romantic cruise to celebrate their second wedding anniversary, a woman teams with a jaded ex-cop to exact her own twisted brand of revenge on her cheating spouse, and winds up uncovering a wider conspiracy in the process.