The cancellation of CBS’ freshman drama Unforgettable was one of the closest calls this upfront season. Now the procedural starring Poppy Montgomery and Dylan Walsh is exploring a move to cable. I’ve learned that producers Sony Pictures TV and CBS TV Studios have had preliminary conversations with TNT and Lifetime about potentially picking up the series. Unforgettable, which centers on Carrie Wells (Montgomery), a New York detective with the ability to visually remember everything, would make sense for both TNT and Lifetime. TNT has had a lot of success with female-lead cop procedurals with The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles. Lifetime has tried hard to launch one with two recent series, The Protector and Against The Wall, both of which were cancelled after one season. Turner has been the most open to rescuing broadcast series with NBC’s Southland going to TNT and most recently Cougar Town moving to TBS.
When asked what went wrong for Unforgettable to warrant the cancellation after a relatively solid first-season run, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said the question is not “what went wrong with Unforgettable but what went right with the new pilots.” Unforgettable averaged 12 million viewers and a 2.5 among adults 18-49.
