By Jeff Sherman OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer Published Jul 12, 2007 at 12:19 PM

NBC is quietly shooting scenes for a pilot television show in Milwaukee. And, the show, is said to be to entirely set in the greater Milwaukee area.

Titled "The Watch," it's a one-hour drama pilot episode, from Sony Pictures Television, that according to Variety "revolves around a group of neighborhood watch volunteers willing to do anything -- including murder -- to keep their tree-lined suburban paradise safe."

Producers recently contacted several Historic Third Ward businesses seeking approval to shoot "city scenes" from rooftops.

According to industry sources, this new show, slated for this upcoming season, comes from writers Ed Decter and John J. Strauss ("There's Something About Mary"). Charles McDougall, who directed the pilots of next season's ABC drama called "Big Shots," as well as "The Tudors" (Showtime) and "Desperate Housewives," has been hired to oversee the show.

Early buzz on the show is mixed, but regardless, if the network picks up "The Watch," more scenes could eventually be shot in town and not on Hollywood sets.  

Stay tuned for more on this OnMilwaukee.com exclusive and developing story.   

Jeff Sherman OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer

A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.

He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.

Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.  He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.  

He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.

He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.