Tuning In

More drama at ESPN

ESPN will risk further blitzes from critics and athletes alike by producing more scripted dramas.

The cable sports network, which took heavy criticism from the National Football League over its controversial series “Playmakers,” has commissioned a pilot script for a series set in the worlds of gambling and college football, sources told Reuters News Agency.

Titled “The Fix,” the script will be written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, whose film credits include this year’s “Runaway Jury” and “Rounders” (1998).

The original concept came out of discussions between reality producer Bruce Nash (“Meet My Folks”) and ESPN executives. Mr. Nash still would serve as an executive producer on the show, sources said.

It remains to be seen how the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which partners with ESPN on the programing of a wide variety of sports, including football, will react to such a show. The NFL publicly criticized “Playmakers” for its unflattering depiction of professional football, even though it was a fictional series.

Mark Shapiro, executive vice president for programming and production, said “Fix” is one of dozens of scripts he’s reviewing for a shot at becoming ESPN’s second original-series effort.

ESPN hasn’t yet decided whether to renew the attention-grabbing “Playmakers.” The network says it will give a thumbs up or down on a possible second season before March.

Bonus ‘CSI’

CBS looks to extend its dominance over the pack by airing an extra installment of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” tonight.

The new episode, airing at 8, finds the CSI team investigating a double homicide in which one victim bears a strong resemblance to Sara (Jorja Fox).

The CSI team, originally tracking the culprit behind a single murder, finds the remains of that crime’s prime suspect along the way, turning a murder into a double homicide. “CSI,” which stars Marg Helgenberger and William Peterson, also airs tomorrow at 9 p.m. in its regular time slot.

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