Priyanka Chopra showcased both her comedic and musical sides Tuesday afternoon in ABC’s upfront opening, when the network also elected to somewhat weirdly shoehorn in a Prince tribute.
The sentiment of throwing in a few seconds of the deceased musician’s hit song “Kiss” and some purple effects was sweet, we suppose — but it totally lacked context. The moment came towards the end of Chopra dancing and lip-syncing to an ABC-centric parody of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” and there was no real bridge from one to the other.
The whole Lincoln Center, New York, event kicked off with a not-particularly-successful attempt at comedy, in which “Quantico” stars Chopra and Jake McLaughlin interrogated a bunch of other ABC talent. It was all a setup for new tagline, “It all begins with ABC.”
After the pre-taped portion, Chopra danced down the audience aisles and mouthed along to the original tune, which boasted a hook of “ABC, You Must Watch.” Then the Prince thing happened, with “Black-ish” kid Miles Brown doing his best impression of the “Little Red Corvette” singer.
At some point, one of the “Goldbergs” kids tried his hand at rapping as on-screen alter-ego Big Tasty. We’re not saying it was a lame opener overall, but TheWrap is pretty comfortable with the opinion that Jimmy Fallon still owns the top kickoff to a 2016 upfront. Read about that one here.
As for the actual business at hand, check out ABC’s 2016-2017 fall schedule here.
Passed Over: 8 Promising 2016 TV Pilots That Didn't Make It to Series (Photos)
"Crunch Time" (Universal TV)
Writer(s): Betsy Thomas Producer(s): Phil Gurin, David Janollari Logline: A hybrid game show/comedy that intercuts between a real game show and the scripted workplace that centers on an up-and-coming producer trying to wrangle the volatile host. (Multi-camera) Cast: Craig Ferguson, Andrea Anders, Kellee Stewart, Kyle Howard
Writer(s): Charlie Grandy Producer(s): Amy Poehler, Brooke Posch, Dave Becky Director: Amy Poehler Logline: After years of partying that earned him the “black sheep” label, Karl returns home to compete with his brother for the family throne. (Single-camera) Cast: Nico Evers-Swindell, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon, Tim Baltz, Jessie Ennis, Tiya Sircar, Patrick Gallagher
Hannah Kasulka
"Cruel Intentions" (Sony Pictures TV, Original Film)
Writer(s): Roger Kumble, Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin Producer(s): Neil Moritz, Pavun Shetty Director: Roger Kumble Logline: Picking up over 15 years after the end of the 1999 movie, it follows the beautiful and cunning Kathryn Merteuil as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey, the son of her brother, who was the late Sebastian Valmont, and Annette Hargrove. Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined. Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kate Levering, Taylor John Smith (American Crime), Samantha Logan, Sophina Brown, Nathalie Kelley
Columbia Pictures
"Toast" (ABC Studios) Writer(s): Scott Foley, Greg Grunberg Producer(s): Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers Director: Gail Mancuso Logline: Over the course of Max and Page’s wedding rehearsal dinner, their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal the toasts don’t always get it right, as the comedy explores the real story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage. (Hybrid) Cast: Jerrika Hinton, Jono Kenyon, Punam Patel, Tessa Ferrer
ABC
"Marvel's Most Wanted" (Marvel TV) Writer(s): Paul Zbyszewski Producer(s): Jeffrey Bell, Jeph Loeb Logline: “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” spinoff following the characters of Bobbi Morse (aka Mockingbird) and Lance Hunter. Cast: Adrianne Palicki, Nick Blood, Delroy Lindo
ABC
"Presence" (ABC Studios) Writer(s): John Ridley Producer(s): Michael McDonald Logline: Follows former Army veteran Presence Foster, who finds herself interacting with a widely divergent and highly colorful cross-section of Los Angeles as she unintentionally begins a career as an unlicensed private investigator. Cast: Stephanie Sigman, Marcus Anderson, Rick Gonzalez, Colin Woodell
Getty Images
"Drew" (CBS TV Studios) Writer(s): Joan Rater, Tony Phelan Producer(s): Dan Jinks Logline: A contemporary take on the character from the iconic Nancy Drew book series. Now in her 30s, Nancy is a detective for the NYPD who solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world. Cast: Sarah Shahi, Anthony Edwards, Felix Solis, Vanessa Ferlito, Steve Kazee
Grosset & Dunlap
"My Time/YourTime" (Sony Pictures TV, CBS TV Studios) Writer(s): Hilary Winston Producer(s): Carter Bays, Craig Thomas (pictured) Director: Pam Fryman Logline: Chronicles the relationship of a young couple as they begin dating long distance. Based on the web series 7P/10E” by Avital Ash. (Hybrid) Cast: Jane Levy, Nicholas Braun, Utkarsh Ambudkar
Getty Images
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NBC swears that ”Cruel Intentions“ may still be coming, but it’s not looking good for these other picked-over pilots that once seemed to have such potential
"Crunch Time" (Universal TV)
Writer(s): Betsy Thomas Producer(s): Phil Gurin, David Janollari Logline: A hybrid game show/comedy that intercuts between a real game show and the scripted workplace that centers on an up-and-coming producer trying to wrangle the volatile host. (Multi-camera) Cast: Craig Ferguson, Andrea Anders, Kellee Stewart, Kyle Howard
Worldwide Pants
Hannah Kasulka
