NBC Backs Off 'Backyards'

Zap2It.com | December 19, 2007

Kristin Lehman

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Drama pilot falls by the wayside

Despite the very real possibility that the writers' strike will wreak havoc on the TV development season, NBC has passed on one of the pilots it had already in hand.

The network has decided not to go forward with "Backyards & Bullets," which according to The Hollywood Reporter had already finished filming its pilot. That doesn't necessarily mean it's dead, however: The trade paper also says producer Sony Pictures TV is considering extending the options for its cast and taking the show to another network.

NBC made a point to announce the development of the pilot, also known as "The Watch," at last summer's press tour. Written by Ed Decter and John Strauss ("There's Something About Mary") and directed by Charles McDougall ("Desperate Housewives," "The Office"), the show centers on a neighborhood watch group that takes its job a little too seriously.

The show's cast includes Billy Burke ("Ladder 49"), Kristin Lehman ("Drive"), Mathew St. Patrick ("Six Feet Under"), Lou Diamond Phillips ("Numb3rs"), Jessalyn Gilsig ("Nip/Tuck," "Friday Night Lights") and Richard Ruccolo ("Two Guys and a Girl").

NBC still has a few development projects that can pick up quickly after a strike settlement, including three projects that have been ordered to series: a drama from "Homicide's" Tom Fontana called "The Philanthropist," an anthology show called "Fear Itself" and an adaptation of the classic novel "Robinson Crusoe."