AMC has ordered two scripted pilots at once today, a result of what the network likes to call its “bake-off” – a yearly event in which pilot scripts are showcased. It’s the first time they’ve ever ordered two pilots at the same time, a possible sign that they’ll be looking to increase their scripted programming even more in the future.
According to Deadline, AMC has given the greenlight to both an untitled legal drama/thriller and a project based on a British mini-series called Low Winter Sun.
The U.S. adaptation of Low Winter Sun, written by Criminal Minds’ Chris Mundy is a drama that tells the story of a detective who pulls off what appears to be the perfect crime – the murder of another cop. The crime changes his life and drags him down into Detroit’s underworld, which seems about right for what might happen if a cop killed another cop and somehow got away with it. It’s based on the 2006 British mini-series of the same name, which starred Mark Strong. The project comes from the same company as AMC’s Hell on Wheels, recently picked up for a second season.
The second pilot pickup is as yet untitled and comes from LaGravenese & Goldwyn. It’s described as a legal thriller about a D.A. who reopens a sensational murder case when new evidence comes to light, and will explore the moral grey areas we all must contend with in life. Joel Sitllerman, AMC’s executive vice president of original programming, says the project “transcends the legal genre.” Sounds like some serious stuff over at AMC, but that does seem to be what they do best.
