Currently ranked fourth among major television networks, NBC is hoping to find ratings gold in a new batch of pilots they recently ordered. Among them are the comedy Downwardly Mobile, which will mark the return of Roseanne Barr to a television series and additional comedies from writer Scott Silveri (Friends) and writer Scot Armstrong (The Hangover 2). Barr’s project with Eric Gilliland (Roseanne), which she will also write and executive produce, stars the comedienne as an owner of a mobile home park who becomes a surrogate mother to her hard-luck tenants. So far, the network has also ordered the drama County by writer/producer Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) and the Dick Wolf (Law & Order) action drama, Chicago Fire. Hit the jump for more on each project.

His series White Collar has found a comfortable home at USA with a decent audience following on the cable network, and now Deadline Jeff Eastin has lined up the pilot for a new one-hour drama series. The currently untitled series is likely to have the same blend of comedy and drama as White Collar as it follows agents from various federal and local agencies (DEA, FBI, LAPD) who all live at an undercover house in Southern California. Likely the dynamic of the agencies working together and living under one roof will be the source of the lighter side of the series with the drama coming from the various cases they’re working on. If it’s half as successful as White Collar, which already has a fourth season order, then USA will keep their track record going strong.

Last week, I put together a look at the various pilots that are fighting for a spot on the network schedules in the fall.  Of course, the networks cannot achieve their “in with the new” objective without first taking care of the first half of that saying: “Out with the old . . .”  A number of shows currently on the air–even series that are near and dear to your heart–must die a horrible and bloody death to make room for such potential hits as the J.J. Abrams spy drama Undercovers.

After the jump, we’ll distinguish between survivor and sacrificial lamb for such network series as Chuck, Heroes, FlashForward, V, Human Target, Numb3rs, and One Tree Hill.

Pilot season is a wonderful time in TV Land; countless fledgling writers and would-be stars compete for the few slots available on the fall network lineup, where the survival rate of new shows making it to a second season is 31%!  Recently, both The Live Feed and Deadline put together a report on the series that have risen through the ranks and stand a good chance of making it to air.

After the jump, you’ll find a breakdown of the hottest pilots at FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC, including projects from producers J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and Brett Ratner as well as stars Kathy Bates, Forest Whitaker, and William Shatner.

Thanks to The Futon Critic for all the plot synopses and cast information.