NBC is moving to redevelop What the Dead Know after passing on the original pilot, keeping Taylor Schilling attached as the lead and extending her option while a new writer is sought. The crime procedural, from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, centers on Schilling as a death investigator and is based on former New York City medical examiner Barbara Butcher’s memoir. Although the pilot did not earn a series order in its current form, NBC and Universal remain confident in the concept and Schilling’s performance, which reportedly received strong marks during pilot screenings.
The project is now being reworked with the same star but a fresh creative approach. Universal Television has extended Schilling’s option, which was close to expiring, giving the studio time to find a new writer and reshape the drama. Depending on how the redevelopment progresses, the series could still be considered for a straight-to-series order. The move suggests NBC sees enough potential in the premise and talent combination to give the show another chance rather than let it end with the pilot rejection.
What the Dead Know had been developed as a possible companion to another NBC crime series from Wolf Entertainment, Law & Order: SVU, with both shows featuring female-led investigations. The original pilot script was written by Beth Rinehart. Executive producers include Dick Wolf, Tom Thayer, Peter Jankowski, Anastasia Puglisi, Kevin Plunkett, and Rebecca McGill.
The decision comes as NBC continues to finalize its 2026 programming slate. The network has already picked up four of its eight pilots to series: the dramas The Rockford Files, starring David Boreanaz, and Line of Fire, starring Peter Krause; and the comedies Sunset P.I., headlined by Jake Johnson, and Newlyweds, starring Téa Leoni and Tim Daly.
For Schilling, the redevelopment keeps her in play at NBC after the network’s enthusiasm for her performance became a key factor in the project’s survival. The former Orange Is the New Black star remains central to the show’s future, and the next version of the series will likely be shaped around preserving what worked in her portrayal while fixing the elements NBC felt needed improvement.
With a new writer being searched for and the option extended, What the Dead Know is not dead at all — it is being rebuilt, and NBC is still leaving the door open for it to become a series.
