'Hawaii Five-0,' 'Event' set for Comic-Con

'Sons of Anarchy,' 'No Ordinary Family' also confirmed
By James Hibberd

June 8, 2010, 08:55 PM ET

Check out the full list of shows headed to Comic-Con at The Live Feed
Can a CBS crime procedural make a big splash at a fanboy convention?

The network is bringing its new police drama "Hawaii Five-0" to the July 22-25 Comic-Con, just one of several cop shows and offbeat choices invading the increasingly broad-based fan event.

In addition to "Five-0," ABC is touting crime show "Castle" and FX will field a panel for outlaw biker drama "Sons of Anarchy" -- both for the first time.

The additions come after Fox and USA Network helped trailblaze Comic-Con for procedurals last year with panels for "Bones," "Burn Notice" and "Psych." All three drew a large enough crowd to earn a return performance this year, plus USA is adding a panel for "White Collar."

Though the dramas play in more grounded genres than such Comic-Con TV pioneers as ABC's "Lost" and Syfy's "Battlestar Galactica," each choice needs to present a compelling case to be included in the lineup. Comic-Con picks are debated by networks and studios and discussed with Comic-Con organizers -- who veto shows from participating if they're too off-brand.

All agree it's not in anybody's best interest for a show to go to the event if fans ridicule its inclusion or fail to pack its ballroom. (Networks declined to comment for this report since Comic-Con organizers prefer to announce the event schedule).

In the case of "Five-0," there are a few factors that make the show more Comic-Con friendly than one might expect. It's a remake of a 1970s series, it's CBS' tentpole new title for the fall and it boasts heavy amounts of action. But what best lures Comic-Con fans to a new show is the panelists, and "Five-0" has former "Battlestar" veteran Grace Park and ex-"Lost" co-star Daniel Dae Kim, not to mention "Star Trek" producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Networks are using similar logic behind including "Sons" and "Castle." "Sons" stars "Hellboy" lead Ron Perlman and "Futurama" co-star Katey Sagal, while "Castle" has "Firefly" and "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" star Nathan Fillion.

Some other new shows making their Comic-Con debut include NBC thriller "The Event" and superhero drama "The Cape"; ABC superhero family drama "No Ordinary Family"; AMC zombie drama "The Walking Dead"; and the CW's action-series "Nikita." Fox's new animated show "Bob's Burgers" will be there, as will Steven Spielberg's new dino-drama "Terra Nova."

TBS hasn't had conversations with Conan O'Brien about attending Comic-Con, but having its new late-night host make an appearance would seem to be a smart play.

The San Diego event also will host a slew of returning shows, including Fox's "Glee," "Fringe" and "Human Target," ABC's "V," Starz' "Spartacus," the CW's "Vampire Diaries" and NBC's "Chuck."

The list will continue to fill out as Comic-Con gets closer.
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