The CW is the latest network this season to order a pilot spotlighting America’s military heroes.
The CW has greenlighted Valor, a serialized military drama/conspiracy thriller written by writer-musician Kyle Jarrow. In Valor, the boundaries between military discipline and human desire are tested on a U.S. Army base that houses an elite unit of helicopter pilots trained to perform clandestine international and domestic missions. The drama unfolds in the present as well as in flashbacks to a failed mission involving one of the first female pilots in the unit, ultimately uncovering layers of personal and government/military secrets and leading to a season-long plan to rescue a group of MIA soldiers.
Jarrow executive produces with Beauty and the Beast executive producer Bill Haber for CBS TV Studios.
There has been a post-election shift toward more patriotic fare spotlighting America’s heroes in the military, which has manifested in a major way this pilot season.
Fox has pilot Behind Enemy Lines, a military soap thriller billed as a “distinctly patriotic series.” NBC has For God and Country, described as “a look into the complex world of our bravest military heroes who make personal sacrifices while executing the most challenging and dangerous missions behind enemy lines.” And the CW sister network CBS has an untitled SEAL drama that “follows the lives of the elite Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask.”
Additionally, ABC has comedy pilot Charlie Foxtrot, about a military family.
The CW president Mark Pedowitz has been looking to launch a military-themed series on the network. Three years ago, the CW picked up Navy base pilot Norfolk (aka Company Town). And while running ABC Studios, Pedowitz shepherded drama series Army Wives for Lifetime.
