AMC is doubling down on development: The network just announced that it’s green-lit production on a pair of murder-mystery pilots, with both projects in contention for a 2013 debut. One project comes from writer Richard LaGravenese (Water for Elephants) and producer Tony Goldwyn (Justified), while the other, called Low Winter Sun, is based on a 2006 British miniseries, with writer Chris Mundy (Criminal Minds) adapting for the U.S. This is the first time AMC has announced two pilot orders at once.
As for the details of the two projects, the untitled LaGravenese and Goldwyn hour is described by AMC as “a legal thriller with major political, personal and ethical stakes. It centers on a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. The series is an exploration of personal morality.†Goldwyn will direct the pilot, which is being produced in-house at AMC. As for Low Winter Sun, the network calls it a “contemporary story of murder, deception, revenge and corruption in a world where the line between cops and criminals is blurred.†It’ll be set in Detroit and follow the murder of a cop by one of his colleagues. AMC is producing the show in conjunction with Endemol Studios, with Mundy writing and serving as showrunner. While skeptics might suggest that AMC is adding two murder-dramas to its roster in anticipation of The Killing going away, it’s also quite possible the network could pair one of the new projects with a third season of The Killing.