NBC Orders Drama Pilot ‘La Brea’ From ‘Enemy Within’ Team

By Joe Otterson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – NBC has announced its second drama pilot pickup of the 2020-2021 season.

The broadcaster has given out a pilot order for the drama “La Brea,” which hails from writer and executive producer David Appelbaum.

In the series, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother and son from father and daughter. When part of the family find themselves in an unexplainable primeval world, alongside a disparate group of strangers, they must work to survive and uncover the mystery of where they are and if there is a way back home.

Along with Applebaum, Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, and Rachel Kaplan of Keshet Studios will executive produce as will Ken Woodruff. Universal Television will produce.

Appelbaum and Woodruff previously collaborated on the drama series “Enemy Within,” which Woodruff created and Appelbaum served on as a writer and co-executive producer. The pair also crossed paths on “The Mentalist” prior to that. Appelbaum’s other credits include shows such as “Wisdom of the Crowd” and “NCIS: New Orleans.”

Last week, NBC ordered the drama pilot “Debris,” while the network also has the multi-cam comedy pilot “Night School” in the works, which is based on the Universal Pictures film of the same name. Kevin Hart, who starred in the film, is executive producing the pilot, as is the film’s director Malcolm D. Lee.

NBC also announced a scripted single-camera comedy series based on the childhood of Dwayne Johnson that hails from “Fresh Off the Boat” creator Nahnatchka Khan. That show has received an 11-episode straight-to-series order at the broadcaster, with Johnson set to appear in every episode. NBC had previously ordered a series from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock with Ted Danson attached to star.