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[10/10/12 - 11:05 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 10
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:

Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!

20-NOTHINGS (CBS, New!) - Lauren Bachelis's Hollywood Assistants blog is being developed as a potential comedy at the Eye. Fred Savage ("2 Broke Girls") is attached to direct and executive produce the CBS Television Studios-based half-hour, about "five over-educated 20-nothings living in Los Angeles who do whatever it takes to achieve their Hollywood dreams." Bachelis will pen the script and serve as a supervising producer. (Deadline.com)

BONNIE & CLYDE (History/Lifetime) - Miley Cyrus has bowed out of talks to star in the mini-series, about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Oscar-nominee Bruce Beresford ("Tender Mercies") nevertheless has signed on to direct the project from a script by John Rice and Joe Batteer. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's Sony Pictures Television-based Storyline Entertainment is producing. (Deadline.com, TVLine.com)

BOOM (A.K.A. THE BAKKEN) (USA) - Josh Pate and Rodes Fishburne's drama - about a North Dakota town where a huge oil reserve has been discovered, turning poor farmers into multimillionaires overnight - has found a new home at USA. ABC Studios is behind the hour, which was originally developed by ABC last season. Flame Ventures' Tony Krantz and Reece Pearson are also executive producing and co-executive producing, respectively. (Deadline.com)

CUBA (NBC, New!) - Jorge Zamacona ("Wanted") is finalizing a deal with the Peacock for a new drama which "tells the story of American and Cuban families at the dawn of post-Castro Cuba with an entire nation up for grabs." CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria and former CNN President Jonathan Klein also serve as executive producers project, from Universal Television and Flame Ventures. The latter's Tony Krantz and Reece Pearson are executive producing and co-executive producing, respectively. (Deadline.com)

THE HAUNTED HATHAWAYS (Nickelodeon) - Chico Benymon ("Hollywood Heights") has booked the male lead on the comedy pilot, about siblings who move into a house occupied by a family of ghosts in New Orleans. He'll play Ray Preston, "the father of two boys, one of whom is a ghost." Robert Peacock is behind the project. (THR.com)

JAMES PATTERSON'S BENNETT (ABC, New!) - Ildy Modrovich ("Necessary Roughness") is spearheading a potential drama at the Alphabet based on author James Patterson's character Michael Bennett from his top-selling detective series inspired by the brave heroes of the NYPD. Said hour is set up at Gaumont International Television with an eye towards a straight-to-series commitment. The company's Katie O'Connell will presumably executive produce alongside Modrovich. (Deadline.com)

THE LAST SHIP (TNT) - Eric Dane ("Grey's Anatomy") has booked the lead role on the drama pilot, in which a global catastrophe nearly obliterates the earth's population, forcing the crew of a naval destroyer to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the only survivors. He's set as Captain Tom Chandler, "a career Navy man - authoritative, decisive, fair, courageous and a born leader, respected and loved by men and women in his command - and a loving father and husband who's never home as much as he'd like to be." Michaela McManus, Charles Parnell, Travis Van Winkle, Christina Elmore and Sam Spruell also star in the Michael Bay-produced hour, from director Jonathan Mostow, writers Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane and based on the novel by William Brinkley. (Deadline.com)

KING AND MAXWELL (TNT) - Jon Tenney ("The Closer") has scored one of the title roles on the drama pilot, about Sean King (Tenney) and Michelle Maxwell, a pair of secret service agents-turned-private investigators whose unique skill set often gives them a leg up on suspects and conventional law enforcement. CBS Television Studios is behind the hour, which is based on characters created by bestselling author David Baldacci. Shane Brennan is writing and executive producing with Karen Spiegel and Grant Anderson producing. (Deadline.com)

KINGS OF MIDNIGHT (Showtime, New!) - Wallace Stroby's book series - "a dark and atmospheric story of professional criminals led by a female criminal" - is being developed as a drama at the pay channel. Oscar-winner Ted Talley ("Silence Of The Lambs") is spearheading the adaptation with Stroby and Tony Krantz also serving as executive producers. Flame Ventures' Reece Pearson also serves as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY (FOX, New!) - Sam Wolfson ("Jewtopia") has booked a potential new comedy at the network which tells the story of a local comedy theatre group in the middle of the country. Cooper's Town Productions' Philip Seymour Hoffman and Emily Ziff and Flame Ventures' Tony Krantz are executive producing the half-hour for 20th Century Fox Television. Reece Pearson also serves as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)

RISING SUNS (FOX, New!)/UNTITLED ED BRUBAKER PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Ed Brubaker (Crackle's "Angel of Death") has set up a pair of dramas at the broadcast networks. At FOX is "Rising Suns," about "an American Yakuza underboss fighting for his life as he becomes involved with the female FBI agent hunting him." And over at NBC is an untitled hour about "a young female agent-in-training who is part of her agency's cleanup crew, shadowing a more famous agent erasing all traces of his missions." 20th Century Fox Television and the Universal Television-based TBD Productions are behind the respective offerings with Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan also serving as executive producers on the latter. (Deadline.com)

THE SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES (NBC) - Jesse L. Martin ("Law & Order") and James Tupper ("Revenge") have both been cast in the drama pilot, a soap that centers on a murder and the secrets and lies within a tightly woven group of three suburban couples and their families exposed in its aftermath. Martin will play Greg Cooke, "a perpetual frat boy and former hedge fund manager whose faltering finances force him into partnering with an unsavory business associate"; with Tupper as Richard Deaver, "a likable and fun guy who moves to town with his wife and daughter to open a real estate business, but underneath his nice exterior is a troubled and dangerous personality." Perrey Reeves, Nicole Ari Parker and Martin Henderson also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Mark Pellington, writer Sascha Penn and based on the book by Josie Brown. (Deadline.com, THR.com)

THE SECRET LIVES OF WIVES (Lifetime) - Kim Raver ("Grey's Anatomy") has booked the remaining lead role on the drama pilot, which will explore the unvarnished truth behind the marriages of four different women - Michelle (Raver), Reed (Salli Richardson), Keaton (Amber Clayton) and Jessie (Lauren Bittner), breaking down the creative ways each close friend nurtures, maintains and endures what many see as an impossible convention of modern life. Raver's Michelle is billed as "a naturally elegant, generous and grounded woman who is the rock of her small circle of best friends." Jill Gordon is behind the Warner Horizon Television-based hour, which inspired by the book by Iris Krasnow. (Deadline.com)

STRANGE CALLS (ABC, New!) - Donick Cary ("New Girl") has received a put pilot commitment from the Alphabet for a new comedy about Toby Banks, "a good-hearted, bumbling Boston cop, who is exiled to night duty on Nantucket island, where - alongside eccentric lighthouse keeper/local paranormal authority Gregor - he investigates the strange, unexplainable occurrences that have become the norm there." Said half-hour is based on Daley Pearson's upcoming Australian series of the same name. 20th Century Fox Television is behind the U.S. take with Ruben Fleischer, Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan and Hoodlum's Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield also among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)

TERMINALES (ABC Family) - Mary Page Keller ("Hart of Dixie") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, which follows a young woman's (Italia Ricci) life after she is diagnosed with a terminal illness. She'll play Sara - the widowed mother to April (Ricci) and her 14-year-old sister, Brenna - described as "being charmingly neurotic and typically incapable of finishing a sentence who, thanks to April's advice, begins to re-enter the dating world despite the fact that her own mother lives with them." Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz are behind the hour, which is set up at Lionsgate Television. (THR.com)

UNTITLED BURRELL BROTHERS PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Ty Burrell ("Modern Family") has sold a single-camera to the Alphabet about "two city families who buy the only store in a tiny rural community in Oregon." Burrell and his younger brother Duncan are co-writing the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which has a penalty attached. They'll likewise serve as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)

UNTITLED SIDELINE REPORTER PROJECT (TBS, New!) - Tom Brady ("Good Vibes") has sold a new comedy the cable channel about "the life and times of a local cable sports network." NFL Network's Rich Eisen, writer/director Ron Shelton and sports reporter Suzy Shuster are executive prodcing alongside Brady and Flame Ventures' Tony Krantz. Reece Pearson also serves as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)

WENDELL & VINNIE (Nickelodeon) - Natalie Dreyfuss ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager") has joined the cast of the upcoming comedy, about Vinnie (Jerry Trainor), a lovable, goofball uncle who becomes the guardian to his buttoned-up 12-year-old nephew Wendell (Buddy Handleson). She'll take over for Hayley Strode as their neighbor Taryn, a divorced woman who bonds with them. Nicole Sullivan also stars in the project, from creator Jay Kogen and fellow executive producer Aaron Kaplan. (THR.com)

WIRED (The CW, New!) - Sandy Isaac ("Drop Dead Diva") has sold a new drama to the netlet billed as "a fictional story set in the 70s about the birth of the computer industry." Twitter founder Biz Stone and Flame Ventures' Tony Krantz are also on board as executive producers with Reece Pearson co-executive producing. (Deadline.com)

AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Hamish Linklater is bound for "The Good Wife" as "an employee of the Department of Justice who has a twinkle in his eye" (TVLine.com); Seth MacFarlane will drop by the November 2 episode of "Shark Tank" (TVLine.com); Johnny Depp, Tom Fontana and Yellow Bird Productions are developing a scripted series based on the plays of William Shakespeare (Deadline.com); Matt Bomer will guest on "The New Normal" as Bryan's (Andrew Rannells) sexy ex-boyfriend, while Ian McShane will turn up on "American Horror Story" (@MrRPMurphy); Christie Brinkley has been cast as Jerry's (Jim O'Heir) oft-referenced-yet-never-seen-before spouse on "Parks & Recreation" (EW.com);

Jessica Szohr and Marsha Thomason will both guest on the new season of "Men at Work" (EW.com, TVLine.com); Kelen Coleman will visit "The Mindy Project" playing a gal pal of Mindy and Gwen's (TVLine.com); Joshua Leonard is set to guest on "The Mob Doctor" as "a man who is badly injured after attempting dangerous stunts to cross off of his bucket list" (TVLine.com); Paul Scheer is bound for "Modern Family" as a manager at Costco, who interacts with both Julie Bowen's Claire and Sofia Vergara's Gloria (THR.com); Neve Campbell will recur on "Grey's Anatomy" as one of Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) four sisters (TVLine.com); and Molly Shannon has nabbed a top-secret guest role in NBC's "Hannibal" (TVLine.com).




  [october 2012]  
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· 2 BROKE GIRLS (CBS)
· 20-NOTHINGS (CBS)
· AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
· BLOOD & OIL (ABC)
· BONNIE & CLYDE (A AND E)
· CHASING LIFE (ABC FAMILY)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· CUBA (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DROP DEAD DIVA (LIFETIME)
· GOOD VIBES (MTV)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HANNIBAL (NBC)
· HART OF DIXIE (CW)
· HAUNTED HATHAWAYS, THE (NICKELODEON)
· HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS (TEEN NICK)
· KING & MAXWELL (TNT)
· KINGS OF MIDNIGHT (SHOWTIME)
· LAST SHIP, THE (TNT)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· MEN AT WORK (TBS)
· MICHAEL BENNETT (ABC)
· MINDY PROJECT, THE (HULU)
· MOB DOCTOR, THE (FOX)
· MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
· NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (USA)
· NEW GIRL (FOX)
· NEW NORMAL, THE (NBC)
· PERFORMANCE ANXIETY (FOX)
· REVENGE (ABC)
· RISING SUNS (FOX)
· SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES, THE (NBC)
· SECRET LIVES OF WIVES, THE (LIFETIME)
· SHARK TANK (ABC)
· STRANGE CALLS (NBC)
· UNTITLED BURRELL BROTHERS PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED ED BRUBAKER PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED SIDELINE REPORTER PROJECT (TBS)
· WANTED (TNT)
· WENDELL & VINNIE (NICKELODEON)
· WIRED (CW)




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