Genre Drama Country of origin United States | Created by Marco Pennette Original language(s) English | |
Starring Lucy Lawless
Kiele Sanchez
Gabrielle Union
Brian J. White
Ving Rhames
Holly Robinson-Peete Executive producer(s) Maureen Chadwick
Eileen Gallagher
Marco Pennette
Bert Salke | ||
Football Wives is a television pilot developed for U.S. television network ABC, which would have aired in the fall 2007 season had it been picked up for a series order. The show is based on the successful British television series Footballers' Wives (though it features American football rather than the British original's association football), and follows the dramatic private lives of the players from the fictional NFL team the Orlando Stingrays. The pilot was written by Marco Pennette and directed by Bryan Singer.
Contents
Though ABC did not pick up Football Wives when the network announced its 2007-2008 line-up on May 15, 2007, a June 28, 2007 article in the The Hollywood Reporter reported that production company ABC Studios had extended its options on the show's cast, and suggested the possibility that the network might have still been interested in the series. The Reporter also speculated that Football Wives had a chance for pickup by another network, with NBC and FOX reportedly interested. Football Wives was one of at least six pilots turned down by ABC, and reportedly "tested very well with women and only so so for the men."
NFL controversy
A number of websites, including the British media website Digital Spy, speculated that Football Wives was not picked up due to potential conflicts with the National Football League. ABC's sister network ESPN carries Monday Night Football, and itself dropped a similar series called Playmakers after an 11-episode run in 2003.
Cast and characters
The pilot's cast includes: