ABC has picked up drama pilot Will Trent (working title) to series for a midseason launch. Will Trent, starring Ramón Rodríguez, is one of four 2022 ABC drama pilots whose production was targeted for off-cycle and the first of the bunch to land a series order.

Will Trent emerged as an early front-runner in what ABC calls “second cycle” as part of its year-round development strategy. There was a small hiccup in the final stretch, which I hear was over the nature of storytelling, but the pilot remained on track for a pickup. In anticipation of a series order, writers have been working on scripts for the past three weeks. Decision on ABC’s other strong second cycle drama contender, The Company You Keep starring Milo Ventimiglia, has not been made yet. The network last month passed on the untitled therapist drama pilot written by Kay Oyegun.

Based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling “Will Trent” series, the series stars Rodriguez as Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), who was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. But now, determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was, Will Trent has the highest clearance rate in the GBI.

2022 ABC Pilots & Series Orders

The series is expected to be a procedural. I hear the creators wanted to go for a more serialized storytelling featuring plots that play out over multi-episode arcs, but ABC pushed for stand-alone episodes.

Will Trent stars Rodríguez as Will Trent, Erika Christensen as Angie Polaski, Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell, Jake McLaughlin as Michael Ormewood and Sonja Sohn as Amanda Wagner. Liz Heldens, Dan Thomsen, Karin Slaughter and Oly Obst executive produce. The pilot episode is written by Liz Heldens and Dan Thomsen, and directed and executive produced by Paul McGuigan.