'Lost' Meets 'The Dark Knight': CBS Signs on for Pilot from J.J. Abrams and Batman Scribe Jonathan Nolan

In what amounts to the easiest move CBS, or any network, ever pulled, the J.J. Abrams-produced, Jonathan Nolan-developed series "Person of Interest" is heading for pilot.

Abrams and his Bad Robot production company have long been juggernauts in television, developing smart shows that also become huge hits. While they've seen their share of misses, it's hard to argue with a track record that includes "Felicity," "Alias," and "Lost."

Nolan, for his part, co-wrote "The Dark Knight," "The Prestige," and the upcoming "The Dark Knight Rises" with his brother, current cinematic god Christopher Nolan. He also wrote the short story "Memento Mori," which Christopher Nolan adapted into "Memento," his breakthrough film. If ever there were two creative names that could sell a series, J.J. Abrams and "the co-writer of 'The Dark Knight'" would be those names.

The series, which Deadline describes as "a crime drama centered on a CIA agent, presumed dead, who is recruited by a reclusive billionaire to wage war against violent criminals in New York City," automatically calls to mind the enduring cultural legacy of the caped crusader. Entertainment Weekly adds that the two will work to prevent crimes before they happen. So now it's...Batman in "Minority Report"?

Keep hope alive, true believers. Christopher Nolan has high regard for his brother, and Nolan's strongest screenplays are all ones Jonathan has had a hand in. In interviews he comes across extremely bright, and it obviously shows in his work.

CBS, meanwhile, has never had a problem getting ratings, with such shows as "CSI" and its spin-offs, "NCIS," "Two and a Half Men," and "How I Met Your Mother," ending the last two television seasons as the top-rated network, but they've yet to have a show with much cache in the critical community.

Their police procedurals are very good examples of how to make a formula work in a modern show, and "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Big Bang Theory" have seen their share of accolades despite familiar trends, but they've yet to aim for the emotional and logistical complexity of critically-acclaimed shows like "Lost," "Mad Men," or "Breaking Bad."

A show like this could put them in a whole new league.