NBC communes to plow ahead with drama pilots orders while the other nets are still mulling their choices. The peacock network has given a formal pilot green light to an untitled Bad Boys spinoff TV series starring Gabrielle Union. The project, from Sony Pictures TV, Bad Boys movies’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Doug Belgrad, Primary Wave Entertainment and Sony Pictures TV, had a pilot production commitment.
The untitled project centers on the Special Agent Syd Burnett character played by Union in 2003’s Bad Boys II. Last seen in Miami taking down a drug cartel, she is making a cross-country move from Miami to Los Angeles.
In the untitled drama, written by The Blacklist writers-producers Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier, the free-spirited former DEA agent Burnett has a fresh start in her new job as an LAPD detective. She’s partnered with Nancy McKenna, a working mom who can’t help but look at Syd’s freedom with some grass-is-greener envy. These two have totally different lifestyles and approaches, but they both are at the top of their fields in this action-packed, character-driven procedural.
In the Bad Boys universe, Burnett is the sister of Detective Lieutenant Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and was romantically involved with Marcus’ partner, Detective Lieutenant Mike Lowrey (Will Smith).
The Gabrielle Union project hails from Bruckheimer’s Jerry Bruckheimer TV, Belgrad’s 2.0 Entertainment, Primary Wave and Sony TV, whose movie sibling is behind the Bad Boys feature franchise.
Margolis and Sonnier executive produce with Union, Belgrad, Jerry Bruckheimer TV’s Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed, as well as Primary Wave’s Jeff Gaspin, in his return to NBC, which he once ran, and Jeff Morrone.
Union most recently starred in BET’s popular series Being Mary Jane which will end next year with a two-hour series finale movie.
Belgrad worked on Bad Boys during his 25-year career as a Sony movie executive. He was the creative executive on the 1995 original movie, which established Lawrence and Smith as feature stars. As he segued into producing with the launch of 2.0 Entertainment last fall, one of the Sony features he set out to co-finance was the long-gestating Bad Boys 3.
Because it is based on existing Bruckheimer IP, the Bad Boys spinoff does not fall under Jerry Bruckheimer TV’s overall deal at CBS TV Studios.
This marks the fourth NBC drama pilot order, joining The Village, In Between Livesand untitled Bellevue.