First pilot order by CBS

CBS has made its first order of the 2022 pilot season. The network has handed a pilot pickup to a mother-and-son legal drama from Scott Prendergast and Dr. Phil McGraw. The untitled drama, which comes from CBS Studios, is written and executive produced by Prendergast and exec produced by McGraw, Jay McGraw and Julia Eisenman via their Stage 29 Productions banner.

The series follows a talented but directionless P.I. who is the black sheep of his family and, despite their opposing personalities, agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother, a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.

The pilot order comes as CBS’ Bull, which is exec produced by Dr. Phil and based on his experiences, is coming to an end with its sixth season.



Prendergast previously teamed up with Dr. Phil (photo) on Melanie, which was in development at CBS during the 2018-19 cycle but didn’t go to pilot. It centered on a scattered but astute criminal defense attorney who uses her seemingly inept methods to disarm judges, charm juries and win cases and returns home to join her brother’s white-shoe law firm and help her family of outsiders get back on their feet.

While this is the first order of the “traditional” pilot season for CBS, the network also has an off-cycle pilot, drama True Lies, which is in contention. Other buzzy development projects include Justin Hartley-starring The Never Game, which has a big pilot production commitment; Cal Fire, which has been looking at directors; as well as Echo, East New York and NYPD dramas, Hood, Locksley and Post 12.


Scott Prendergast