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Sneak Peek new key art supporting the upcoming 'serio-comedic' legal drama, "The Defenders", set to air on CBS during the 2010-11 television season.

Set in Las Vegas, Nevada, the show "...involves a pair of defense attorneys who go all out to help their clients, while keeping their personal lives in order..."

Created by Kevin Kennedy and Niels Mueller, the pilot episode was directed by Davis Guggenheim, starring Gillian Vigman, Jerry O'Connell, Jim Belushi, Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fischer.

Executive producers are Harry Gantz, Joe Gantz, Kevin Kennedy, Niels Mueller and Carol Mendelsohn.

Produced by CBS Television Studios, "The Defenders" debuts Wednesday, September 22, 2010.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Defenders"...

Filed under: TV News, Fall TV

Just when you thought that there wasn't room for another legal drama on prime-time, along comes 'The Defenders,' a new hour-long procedural set in Las Vegas. Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell are defense attorneys based on a couple of real-life Vegas lawyers, who were joined on the panel by co-stars Jurnee Smollett and Tanya Fisher, exec-producers Harry Gantz, Joe Gantz, Carol Mendelsohn, Kevin Kennedy and Niels Muller, and showrunner Greg Walker.

Since the show hasn't started shooting yet, there wasn't much in the way of dirt from filming, but Jim Belushi kept the panel lively despite some truly dire questions from attending critics. A rundown of highlights follows after the jump.

 

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With the release of CBS’s 2010-11 schedule comes a whole bunch of preview clips to promote the network’s new shows. Here we have short promos for freshman shows $#*! My Dad Says, Mike & Molly, Hawaii Five-0, The Defenders, and Blue Bloods. You can see that CBS is working in their wheelhouse here (three-camera sitcoms and procedural dramas), resulting in a slate with a good chance of success in the fall. Check out the clips for yourself, as well as full synopses for each show, after the jump.

$#*! My Dad Says

Based on the popular Twitter feed by Justin Halpern, Emmy Award winner William Shatner stars as Ed Goodson, a forthright and opinionated dad who relishes expressing his unsolicited and often wildly politically incorrect observations to anyone within earshot. Nobody is immune from Ed’s rants, including his sons, Henry, a struggling writer-turned-unpaid blogger; and Vince (Will Sasso), the meek...

CBS announces full 2010-2011 schedule CBS announced today its new 2010-2011 primetime schedule and the addition of five new series, including three dramas and two comedies, and key scheduling moves to enhance America's most watched lineup.

The new series includes an updated take on the classic series Hawaii Five-o; comedic drama The Defenders starring James Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as colorful Las Vegas defense attorneys; drama Blue Bloods about a family of NYPD cops starring Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg; a Twitter-inspired comedy, $#*! My Dad Says, starring William Shatner as a father who spouts politically incorrect observations on daily life; and the romantic comedy Mike & Molly, starring Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as a cop and teacher who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.

"We believe television's #1 network just got stronger," said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. "New series will be launched behind proven hits and key scheduling moves will help grow nights.

CBS network recently gave the green light go-ahead to four hour-long dramas and two comedies for the 2010 season. It isn’t clear yet if everything will start this fall or if some shows may be mid season replacements, as the great “Eye” will have to do some reshuffling of the deck with its schedule. Hawaii Five-o (TV) starring the fan-favorite Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Cahn and Daniel Dae Kim (formally of Lost (TV)) was the sure-bet. This remake of the 1970s drama is produced by Fringe (TV)’s dynamic duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. You can bet with the casting and the location shots, this show will be overflowing with "pretty." Next up to bat will be Defenders (TV), a legal drama about some hot-shot Las Vegas defense attorneys, starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell. The pilot was penned by Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy, and will have executive...

Chicago – CBS announced their fall schedule today. While fans of canceled “Accidentally on Purpose,” “Cold Case,” “Gary Unmarried,” “Numb3rs,” “The Ghost Whisperer,” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” may disagree, the big TV news of the week is that several of the top network’s biggest shows are moving. “Survivor” jumps to Wednesday nights, “The Big Bang Theory” moves to Thursdays, “CSI: NY” slides to Fridays, and “CSI: Miami” now goes down on Sundays.

As far as on-the-bubble renewals are concerned, CBS saved “Rules of Engagement” and “Medium”. The rest of their renewals were pretty obvious choices as the network continues to air many of the biggest hits on TV including the #1 drama (“NCIS”), #1 comedy (“Two and a Half Men”), #1 new series (“Undercover Boss”), #1 news magazine (“60 Minutes”), #1 new drama (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), and #1 scripted series for the 18-49 and 25-54 demos (“The Big Bang Theory”).

Of course, all of those shows are returning,...

CBS officially released their fall schedule today, and they certainly didn’t play it safe. New sitcom Mike & Molly earns a prime berth in the dominant Monday comedy block, with Hawaii Five-0 taking over for CSI: Miami at 10:00. Tuesdays continue with the NCIS franchise and The Good Wife. Perennial Thursday victor Survivor is headed for Wednesdays, followed by Criminal Minds and new legal drama The Defenders. CBS throws down the gauntlet to NBC’s comedies on Thursday, counterprogramming with #1 sitcom The Big Bang Theory and high-profile new laffer S#*! My Dad Says. On Fridays, Medium moves to 8:00, followed by CSI: NY in a new timeslot and new hourlong Blue Bloods at 10:00. Saturdays are the same crime extravaganza as always. Sundays 7:00-10:00 maintain a three hour block of unscripted television, while a displaced CSI: Miami closes out the night. Check out the full schedule after the jump.

Welcome to the third installment of the ongoing series of articles showing of the future fruits of network television labor. We’ve already covered ABC and NBC, and in this article we’ll be focusing on pilots coming out of the CBS network. So kick back and visualize yourself reading a “3-D Television” guide in the year 2011; the year best known for affordable jetpacks… Hopefully.

Hawaii Five-o (Drama)

Executive Producer: Peter Lenkov, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman

Cast Includes: Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, Taryn Manning

Synopsis: An updated take on the original series centered around an elite branch of the Hawaiian Police Department’s crime unit.

Chaos (Drama)

Executive Producer: Tom Spezialy, Brett Ratner

Cast Includes: Freddy Rodriguez

Synopsis: Ragtag group of CIA operatives ensnared by backstabbing and beaucratic snafus.

The Odds (Drama/Comedy)

Executive Producer: Jeff Wadlow

Cast Includes: To Be Announced

Synopsis: A buddy cop show in...

The corpse of "According to Jim" hasn't even been in the ground for a year, but Jim Belushi is reportedly ready to return to series television.   According to The Hollywood Reporter, Belushi has landed one of the lead roles in "Defenders," an hour-long drama pilot for CBS.   Written by Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy, "Defenders" focuses on a pair of Las Vegas defense attorneys, with Belushi set to play Nick Mancini, an alcoholic with marital problems.   David Guggenheim ("Melrose Place") will direct the "Defenders" pilot.   Belushi's most recent television credit is the 181 episode run of "According...

Pilot season may have had its busiest casting day yet on Monday (Feb. 22), with actors ranging from Emmy winner Jane Kaczmarek to Jim Belushi to Olivia Munn landing roles.

Among the other names on the casting sheets: Adam Arkin, Leah Remini, Zeljko Ivanek, Romany Malco and Wayne Knight. Here's a rundown:

- Former "According to Jim" star Belushi is switching to drama in the CBS pilot "Defenders." He'll play one of a pair of larger-than-life defense attorneys in Las Vegas, the showbiz trade papers report. Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy ("The Assassination of Richard Nixon") wrote the script and will executive produce with director Davis Guggenheim, "CSI" exec producer Carol Mendelsohn and Joe and Harry Gantz.

- Kaczmarek ("Raising the Bar," "Malcolm in the Middle") and Arkin, late of "Sons of Anarchy," will star in ABC's comedy "Who Gets the Parents?," according to The Hollywood Reporter. They'll play a long-married couple who decide to split,...

The actor will star as a passionate defense attorney in the CBS pilot It seems a new CBS pilot has found one of its title characters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jim Belushi has signed on to star in the pilot Defenders.

Belushi will play one of two Las Vegas defense attorneys who both passionately defend their clients. Belushi's character, Nick Mancini, also has a marriage on the rocks at home and issues with alcohol abuse as well.

Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy wrote the pilot script, which Davis Guggenheim will direct. Belushi most recently starred on the ABC comedy According to Jim, which ended its eight-season run last year.

Jim Belushi is returning to series television, this time on the drama side.

Belushi has been tapped to star in CBS' hourlong pilot "Defenders."

The project, from CBS Studios, centers on two charismatic and fiery Las Vegas defense attorneys who go to the mat for their clients.

Belushi will play one of them, Nick Mancini, who has marital troubles and loves to drink his sorrows away.

"Saturday Night Live" alum Belushi most recently toplined ABC's family sitcom "According to Jim."

He has ventured into dramatic series before, most recently on the ABC series "Total Security," created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee and David Milch.

Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy wrote the script for "Defenders" and are executive producing with Joe and Harry Gantz, "CSI" maven Carol Mendelsohn and the pilot's director Davis Guggenheim.

It’s no secret we love TV. We watch it, talk about it, review it and generally spend a lot of time with it. So, it should come as no surprise we’re very interested in what new shows may potentially be coming to the networks in the near future.

Fortunately, we don’t have to do a lot of work to find out, and you have to do even less, because the guys and gals at EW have gathered together lists of all of the 2010-2011 season pilot orders for ABC, CBS and NBC. Wasn’t that nice of them? Yes, yes it was.

Just between these three networks (we’ll bring you Fox and the others, including cable, later), 31 dramas and 29 comedies are being considered. What shows will make it to the Fall schedule is still anyone’s guess, and we’ll have to wait until May to find out,...

CBS may have created two of the most popular new series this season - NCIS: La and The Good Wife - but the network still has some bare spots to contend with (we hardly knew ye, Three Rivers!) Not one to stray from its bread and butter shows, the network's got a Criminal Minds spinoff in the works plus a new project from CSI honcho Carol Mendelsohn, but all eyes are on its redux of Hawaii Five-o starring Lost's Daniel Dae Kim. And don't think CBS is resting on its laurels with the (unfathomable) success of Gary, Unmarried...