Overview
- HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television have greenlit one-hour pilots American Blue and How to Survive Without Me as part of a new volume-focused strategy.
- American Blue follows Brian “Milk” Milkovich returning to Joliet, Illinois, to help a beleaguered police force; Jeremy Carver writes and executive produces, with Brian Udovich also attached as an EP.
- How to Survive Without Me is a Los Angeles family drama from Greg Berlanti and Bash Doran, with story by Berlanti, Doran and Robbie Rogers; Rogers, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman executive produce via Berlanti Productions.
- The pilot orders are designed for a pipeline of 15-episode seasons produced on modest budgets and released annually, mirroring The Pitt’s production template.
- HBO executive Sarah Aubrey cites a market gap for network-style series that return yearly, while industry reporting places The Pitt’s costs around $4–5 million per episode for roughly 15 episodes each year.