Here's a look at upcoming TV pilots

First, the bad news: UPN has abandoned ”The Tranny,” a proposed sitcom starring RuPaul as a flamboyant nanny. Now the good news: UPN has abandoned ”The Tranny.” It’s all part of that annual ritual when the TV networks produce 100 plus pilots but select only a few dozen of them for their fall slates. Still, who wants to wait until May for schedule announcements? Let’s peer inside the development vats to see what’s brewing.

The diciest trend this fall? Try the ”Things You Wouldn’t Think Could Talk But Can” genre. On Fox’s ”Greg the Bunny,” it’s a rabbit puppet. On CBS’ ”Baby Bob,” it’s an infant. On ABC’s ”Speak.,” it’s a dog. On the plus side there’s always the possiblity of a strike.

To think we were worried that those thespians from ”Melrose Place” and ”Beverly Hills, 90210” wouldn’t find much work post- Spelling: At least seven cast members appear in pilots, including Dan Cortese, Brooke Langton, Tiffani Thiessen, Brian Austin Green, and Courtney Thorne-Smith. And psst — keep this on the down low, but Grant Show is in an NBC drama about an LAPD undercover unit, while Jennie Garth is playing a twentysomething PI in NBC’s ”Spygirl.” Her first mission: Find Joe E. Tata’s career.

The British are coming…down the TV development pipeline. Fox drama ”Emma Brody” features an American woman working in the U.S. embassy in London. ABC has imported John Cleese into hospital sitcom ”HMO,” and CBS boasts Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn in the New England inn set ”The Seven Roses.” Need more culture clash hilarity? The WB is developing a sitcom about an American youth rooming with a charming Brit. Our suggested catchphrase: Cheeri ? d’oh!

Do you like the Food Network? Enough to watch it on other channels? NBC is warming up a sitcom about the behind the scenes action at a cooking show starring — bam! — Emeril Lagasse. An ABC comedy puts Larry Sanders vet Jeffrey Tambor in a similar saucy setting, Fox is prepping a serial drama set in a trendy New York eatery, and CBS is whipping up a sitcom starring ”NYPD Blue”’s Nicholas Turturro as a New York restaurant owner. We’re getting a gut feeling that there are too many cooks in this kitchen.