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CBS has ordered its first pilot of the 2026-27 development cycle, a comedy about a would-be stage actress — that comes with a bit of a twist.
The network has picked up Hilda! (In Lights!) to pilot after initially ordering three scripts to develop. It was one of a few projects CBS put into development in the spring, along with Flint, a cop show starring Matt LeBlanc, and a forensic drama called I Know Who You Are.
Created by Abbey Caldwell (Laid, Fresh Off the Boat), the single-camera Hilda! (In Lights!) is described as “one of those classic shows about a plucky small-town optimist who moves to the big city to pursue her life-long dream of starring on Broadway. There’s just one teeny, tiny, totally inconsequential difference — our hero Hilda is a 70-year-old woman from Nebraska with absolutely no experience.”
Should the pilot make it to series, it would become part of a growing crop of TV and streaming series centered on older characters. CBS’ Matlock, NBC’s upcoming Newlyweds (about a “later in life” marriage), and Netflix’s A Man on the Inside and one-and-done series The Boroughs all feature lead characters who are 60 or older, once a rarity on TV.
