ABC Shelves Summer Paranormal Drama 'Weird Desk'

Less than one week after greenlighting a new series to join scripted soap Mistresses on the summer schedule, ABC has shelved paranormal drama Weird Desk, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

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ABC Gives Series Order to Paranormal Drama 'Weird Desk' for Summer

It is believed that the decision to halt Weird Desk was due to the inability to fast-track the series to begin production in time for a summer launch and at a lower cost, a significant point for an original show airing in the summer months.

The 13-episode hourlong investigative series hailed from Stargate's Carl Binder and The Librarian's David Titcher, with Tom Mazza and Maggie Murphy also executive producing. Weird Desk comes from Shaftesbury and is distributed by ABC Studios.

The drama followed a clandestine organization whose members work above the levels of top-secret and above the office of the president and is the destination for mysterious intelligence from the CIA and NSA. Tasked with investigating and solving occurrences of the paranormal, supernatural and sometimes extra-terrestrial, Weird Desk is led by Morgan, an obstinate, socially inept and brilliant man who would now be dead if it weren't for his special forces trained partner, Rosetta.

Weird Desk would have joined Mistresses on the summer slate as the broadcast networks are betting on scripted originals this summer, the latest being CBS' high-concept Stephen King adaptation Under the Dome.

E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
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