Will Arnett scores CBS pilot, makes ‘Up All Night’s’ future even more unclear

We reported this past week that “Up All Night” is facing a pretty uncertain future, and we also said that Will Arnett was starting to thus become a hot commodity given the sentiment in the industry that this show is done for.

Well, it didn’t take too long at all for the “Saturday Night Live” alum to lock into something new. Sources are confirming that the actor has signed on to join Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl,” “Raising Hope”) for a new pilot over at CBS, where he would be playing a recently-divorced man whose parents decide to move in with him.  It’s not the most original idea, but with the right execution it could still work.

We will be honest here, though, when we say that Arnett’s pilot seems to us to be a longshot at getting picked up. The Robin Williams-headlined series “Crazy Ones” with David E. Kelley should be a lock considering the talent attached, and with Chuck Lorre being such a huge ratings draw, how could “Mom” with Anna Faris be anything other than a likely success? These two shows alone will make up at least half of the comedies the network likely picks up, and we personally also love Garcia’s pilot starring Rupert Grint about a fast food worker and wannabe superhero.

Arnett may have a great pedigree behind him, but it has not always translated into ratings success. “Up All Night” was never a smash hit, and before that his Fox series “Running Wilde” was pulled after only a handful of episodes.

What do you think about the idea behind this show, and are you glad to see Arnett getting another chance? If you want to see some more news on Maya Rudolph’s pregnancy and the implications when it comes to it, be sure to visit the link here.

Photo: CBS