‘The Never Game’: CBS Gives Pilot Order to Justin Hartley Drama

After receiving a pilot production commitment in September 2021, the Justin Hartley-fronted drama The Never Game has finally been given a pilot order at CBS.

According to Deadline, the pilot had been targeted for the off-season due to Hartley’s commitment to the final season of This Is Us. The project, which is based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel, was sold last fall with Michael Cooney attached as writer. However, as Deadline reported, Cooney was recently replaced by author Ben Winters, who delivered his script to CBS last week and saw the project put on a fast track for a pilot pickup.

The Never Game revolves around Hartley’s Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who travels the country as a “reward seeker,” using his expert tracking skills to help citizens and law enforcement to solve all manner of mysteries and crimes. At the same time, Shaw has to deal with his own fractured family.

This Is Us alum Ken Olin is on board as director, while Hartley will executive produce alongside Winters. Julianna LaRosa and Roxy Olin also serve as co-executive producers. 20th Television is the studio.

“I couldn’t be happier that The Never Game is coming to CBS and that Colter Shaw will be brought to life on screen soon,” Hartley said previously. “When I read the book, I was immediately drawn to the character and the story; developing this project with Ken has been a true labor of love. Colter is going to kick some serious ass, and I can’t wait for audiences to meet him.”

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Hartley starred as Kevin Pearson on all six seasons of the hit NBC drama This Is Us. He’s also known for his roles as Fox Crane on the NBC soap opera Passions, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on The CW’s Smallville, and Adam Newman on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless.

The Never Game, TBA, CBS