TUESDAY
8:00 NEW AMSTERDAM
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

Net isn't confirming, but pilots given the series go-ahead Friday included

"K-Ville," "New Amsterdam" and "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," while sitcoms yukking it up all the way to the airwaves include "Back to You," "Return of Jezebel James" and "Rules for Starting Over."

[...]

"New Amsterdam," from Regency TV, centers on a homicide cop who harbors a secret: He's old. Really old. Like hundreds of years old. He's looking for a way to end that, while solving crimes along the way.

Exec producers include Lasse Hallstrom, Michael Hausman, Leslie Holleran, Allan Loeb, David Manson, Steven Pearl and Christian Taylor.

In 1642, JOHN AMSTERDAM (Nikolaj Coster Waldau, "Kingdom of Heaven"), then a Dutch solider in the colony of New Amsterdam later to become New York City stepped in front of a sword intended for a Native Indian girl during a massacre of her indigenous tribe. The girl in turn rescued Amsterdam, weaving an ancient spell that conferred immortality upon him. Amsterdam will not age, she told him, until he finds his one true love. Only then will he become whole and ready for mortality.

But Amsterdam has found this to be a mixed blessing. Over the course of three centuries, he's experienced endless adventure and honed his many talents. But everyone Amsterdam meets must leave him in time; lovers and children die while he remains young. His sole confidante and lifelong friend is the sage jazz club owner OMAR (Stephen Henderson, "Law & Order: SVU"), the keeper of Amsterdam's secret, as well as a few of his own. As the exhilaration of eternal life has given way to emotional isolation and bitter loneliness, Amsterdam discovers the blessing has become a curse.

Having witnessed its entire history, from colonial outpost to mega-metropolis, John Amsterdam is the living embodiment of New York City. He and the island of Manhattan are now part and parcel of each other. Bringing to bear the unorthodox techniques and unique knowledge gained from his vast life experience, Amsterdam today is one of the NYPD's best homicide detectives, sparring with his vibrant, strong-willed partner EVA MARQUEZ (Zuleikha Robinson, "Rome," "The Lone Gunmen") as they solve difficult murder cases. But when Amsterdam suffers and then recovers from what appears to be a massive heart attack while chasing a suspect, and Dr. SARA DILLANE (Alexie Gilmore, "Find Love") pronounces him dead in the ER, he realizes that the Indian girl's prophesy may have come true he felt the pain in his heart that she had foretold so long ago. His soul mate must have been nearby. As he works to find a killer on the streets of New York, Amsterdam understands that his own life and possibly his death have changed forever.

At the same time Hallstrom - another Miramax mainstay known for more upscale fare - saw his particular take on the 1970s, witty literary-scandal biopic "The Hoax," average $6,167 from 235 play dates in urban locales. Its first-weekend take was $1.5 million. The film got very good reviews, especially for Richard Gere's turn as conniving author Clifford Irving.

"I think we nailed it," said Elliot Slutzky, Miramax's executive vice president of general sales. "We figured the best way to platform it was to go into the upper-scale areas where it would do best. It's being seen as an upscale 'Catch Me If You Can' with Gere playing a lovable rogue. We attracted the same (older) audience that went to 'The Queen.'"

Miramax will add 150 screens this weekend and then go wider on April 20.