CBS Developing New Legal Drama Pilot From Dr. Phil and Scott Prendergast

Silicon Valley star Scott Prendergast and television host Dr. Phil McGraw are set to executive produce a new mother-and-son legal drama pilot for CBS.

As reported by Variety, the eye network has picked up the pilot for the 2022 development season. The story revolves around a talented but directionless private investigator who is the black sheep of his family. Despite a strained relationship, the troubled P.I. agrees to work as the in-house investigator for his overbearing mother, a successful attorney reeling from the recent dissolution of her marriage.

Prendergast, perhaps best known for playing Scott in the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley, wrote, directed, and starred in the 2007 film Kabluey, starring Lisa Kudrow. He also has a writing credit on the FX comedy, Wilfred. In addition to executive producing, Prendergast will serve as writer on the currently untitled pilot.

This marks the second time Prendergast has teamed up with Dr. Phil on a legal drama pilot for CBS. The pair previously worked on Melanie, about an astute criminal defense attorney who uses her seemingly inept methods to win cases and returns home to join her brother’s white-shoe law firm. The show was in development during the 2018-19 cycle but wasn’t given a pilot order.

Dr. Phil’s son, the writer and producer Jay McGraw, is also on board as an executive producer on the upcoming pilot. McGraw will produce under his company Stage 29 Productions alongside Julia Eisenmann.

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This is the first official CBS pilot order of the traditional 2022 season; however, an off-cycle pilot, True Lies, based on the 1994 James Cameron film of the same name, is known to be in development. Justin Hartley (This Is Us) is also working with CBS on a television adaptation of The Never Game, based on Jeffrey Deaver’s bestselling novel.