Kevin Costner’s ‘National Parks Investigation’ Series Gets Bad News

Kevin Costner will have a little more time on his hands to focus on Yellowstone now that ABC has passed on National Parks Investigation. The network did not pick up the pilot for the 2021-2022 midseason. ABC also passed on Triage, which starred The Sopranos‘ Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Dark Horse. ABC only has one new drama for the 2021-2022 TV season so far, Queens.

National Parks Investigation had been in development since at least December 2019, when it was announced that Costner would executive produce the project and co-write with showrunner Aaron Helbing. The project was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, and it was not until February 2021 that ABC gave the show a pilot order. When ABC announced its fall 2021 schedule though, National Parks Investigation was nowhere to be found. The show could have aired during midseason, but Variety confirmed on Thursday it will not air on ABC at all. A+E Studios, the lead producer on National Parks Investigation, is shopping the project to other networks, reports Deadline.

Costner’s series was a crime procedural following the elite National Parks Service agents who solve crimes and protect the National Parks. Billy Campbell, Angel Parker, Guillermo Diaz, Tiffany Dupont, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, Blu Hunt, and Gerardo Celasco starred in the pilot. Jon Baird wrote with Costner and Helbing, while Anthony Hemingway directed the pilot. 20th Television was also a studio on the project.

Triage was a new medical drama that dated back to the 2020 pilot season and focused on surgeon Finley Briar, who worked at one hospital for three decades. Jon M. Chu directed the pilot, which was produced by 20th Television. Aside from Sigler, the cast included Michael Ealy, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Gabriel Sloyer, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Andrew Richardson, Bex Taylor-Klaus, and Kathleen Robertson. It was written by David Cornue.

Dark Horse was passed before even being filmed. The project was based on an Australian show about an Indigenous woman who works in politics. Universal Television was the lead studio on the project and is reportedly shopping it to other outlets. Two other pilots – Epic and Promised Land – are still in contention while their production teams work on the final cuts.

While National Parks Investigation isn’t hitting television, Costner will be seen in the upcoming fourth season of Yellowstone for Paramount Network. The network released the first teaser for the new season earlier this week. It will debut this fall.