Touched By an Angel: Eye Focuses on "Twilight"

Ah, pilot season. That time of year when your desk tends to overflow with more scripts than you know what to do with (and you've got the rather unenviable job of having to read and report back on every single one).

And when you're reading and sifting through several dozen pilots at the same time, you begin to see some patterns emerging and it's not all that uncommon to experience that odd sensation of deja vu.

Case in point: CBS has ordered a pilot of drama Twilight from Ron Koslow (Beauty and the Beast), Trevor Munson, and Joel Silver (Veronica Mars). The pilot, from studio Warner Bros TV, centers on a vampire who works as a private investigator who just happens to have a thing for a mortal woman.

Wait, whah? Wasn't that a little series (and Televisionary addiction) called Angel?

You know, vampire takes over a private investigation firm, falls for living, breathing woman. All that.

Meanwhile, FOX has ordered a pilot for drama New Amsterdam, a supernatural/police drama set in New York City (formerly known as New Amsterdam).

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Wimbledon) has been cast as the lead, an immortal man who works as a police detective whose "curse" (or "blessing") of immortality was placed on him, unwillingly, by some indigenous people (Native Americans, in this case). Said curse can only be lifted by finding his one, true love. (As in perfect happiness, maybe?)

Hmmm, I'm not too sure why all these vampires and immortals (not to mention wizards, as evidenced by The Dresden Files) seem to drift into law enforcement and private eye work, of all professions, but apparently we're seeing a real trend developing here. (Maybe preternatural sight, strength, and/or magic are handy for more than just maiming, blood-sucking, and arcane rituals.)

But, regardless of any similarities (intentional or otherwise), all that these pilots have done is remind me of how much I miss Angel, which went off the air in a blaze of glory (and fighting a vast horde of violent demony things).

Those long-promised Angel TV movies, intended to wrap up the series, never did materialize after all and now I'm seriously pining for the gang at Angel Investigations.

Sniffle.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Gilmore Girls (CW); America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC); American Idol (FOX); Wicked Wicked Games (MyNet)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Veronica Mars (CW); Big Day/Knights of Prosperity (ABC); House (FOX); Watch Over Me (MyNet)

10 pm: 48 Hours Mystery (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: American Idol.

Simon, Randy, and Crazy--I mean, Paula Abdul--continue their search for the next great American Idol, but first the show's producers want them to sit through some truly ear-splinteringly bad auditions, starting tonight. Tune in for the music, stay for the humiliation.

8 pm: Gilmore Girls.

Le sigh. I'm not sure why I am still watching this, as it's just so damn depressing to watch this once-great series continue to fall off the tracks. On tonight's episode ("To Whom It May Concern"), Lorelai forced Jackson to reveal the rationale behind Sookie's odd behavior, Luke and Anna attend a custody hearing, and Paris helps Rory mend things between her and Lucy. All in favor of ending this once great show, say aye.

9 pm: Veronica Mars.

YAY! Veronica *finally* returns (at least for a few weeks, before the dreaded Pussycat Dolls reality show knocks it off the schedule again) with new episodes. On tonight's installment ("Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves"), Veronica tracks down that blonde girl Logan slept with and discovers she's not exactly who or what she claimed to be (cough, hooker, cough), Keith continues to investigate Dean O'Dell's death, and Veronica and Logan's reunion might be cut short already.