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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!
CARPOOLERS (ABC) - Emmy-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") have signed on to direct the comedy pilot, about a group of suburban guys who carpool to work together.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: Bruce McCulloch
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Executive Producers: Bruce McCulloch, Darryl Frank (DreamWorks Television), David Miner (3 Arts Entertainment), Justin Falvey (DreamWorks Television)
Studio: Touchstone Television
I'M WITH STUPID (NBC) - Kevin Daniels ("Smallville"), Christopher Thornton ("Alias") and Darryl "Chill" Mitchell ("Ed") have all been cast in the comedy pilot, about a down-and-out guy (Daniels) who befriends a wheelchair-bound young man (Thornton) and winds up moving into his assisted living facility. Daniels and Thornton will play said lead roles - Sheldon and Paul, respectively - while Mitchell is set as Syd, a cool and charismatic paraplegic.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Christopher Thornton (Paul), Darryl "Chill" Mitchell (Syd), Kevin Daniels (Sheldon)
Writer: Wil Calhoun
Director: Peter Farrelly
Executive Producers: Ben Silverman (Reveille), Bobby Farrelly (Conundrum Entertainment), Bradley Thomas (Conundrum Entertainment), Kenton Allen (BBC Worldwide Productions), Peter Farrelly (Conundrum Entertainment), Wil Calhoun
Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio
LIPSTICK JUNGLE (NBC) - Brooke Shields ("Nip/Tuck") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, based on Candace Bushnell's novel about three rich, power-hungry professional women in New York. She'll play Wendy Healy, who's detailed in the casting notice as: "38-42, female. President of a movie studio, Wendy is driven, sexy, loud, dramatic, messy, too honest, great with children (she has three of them), funny, a little over-the-top, and always desperately trying to balance home life with her highly stressful job."
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Brooke Shields (Wendy Healy)
Writers: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler
Director: Gary Winick
Executive Producers: Candace Bushnell, DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler
Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio
PAIGE ARMSTRONG (A.K.A. CAPITAL CITY) (The CW) - The netlet has given a pilot presentation order to its revived version of the 2004 ABC pilot "Capital City." Now dubbed "Paige Armstrong," the project revolves around a naive but incredibly bright 27-year-old female congressional aide who becomes so infuriated by her boss' political maneuvering that she decides to run against him. Lurie penned the script and will direct the presentation as well as executive produce alongside his producing partner Marc Frydman and DreamWorks Television's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot (14-20 minute presentation)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Rod Lurie
Director: Rod Lurie
Executive Producers: Darryl Frank (DreamWorks Television), Justin Falvey (DreamWorks Television), Marc Frydman (Battle Plan Productions), Rod Lurie (Battle Plan Productions)
Studio: Touchstone Television
PLAYING CHICKEN (FOX) - Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz has snagged one of the lead roles in the comedy pilot, about Jake (Butz), a loudmouthed conservative, and his brother Tim, an intellectual lefty, who are forced to live together after an accident leaves Jake wheelchair-bound.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Norbert Leo Butz (Jake)
Writers: John Morris, Sean Anders
Director: John Pasquin
Executive Producers: Eric Gold (Werner-Gold-Miller), Jimmy Miller (Werner-Gold-Miller), Tom Werner (Werner-Gold-Miller)
Co-Executive Producers: John Morris, Sean Anders
Studio: Warner Bros. Television
PROTECT & SERVE (CBS) - Eric Balfour ("24") has been tapped for the lead role in the pilot, a drama which follows the lives of street cops in suburban Los Angeles. He'll play one of them, an intense and emotional police officer.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Eric Balfour
Writers: Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Gary Scott Thompson, Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin
Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio
SUPREME COURTSHIPS (FOX) - Leslie Odom, Jr. is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about the personal and professional lives of six Supreme Court clerks and their supervisors. He'll play of said clerks in the project.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Leslie Odom, Jr.
Writer: Gary Tieche
Director: Ion Toynton
Executive Producers: Gary Tieche, Marty Adelstein (Adelstein Productions), Michael Thorn (Adelstein Productions)
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television
SWINGTOWN (CBS) - Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest") and Grant Show ("Dirt") are the first to sign onto the pilot, a period drama about married couples in 1970s suburbia who explore partner-swapping and open marriages. Show will play Tom Decker, a handsome airplane pilot who has an open marriage with his wife, while Davenport is set as Bruce Miller, a successful businessman happily married to his high school sweetheart.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Grant Show (Tom Decker), Jack Davenport (Bruce Miller)
Writer: Mike Kelley
Director: Alan Poul
Executive Producers: 21 Laps Entertainment
Studio: CBS Paramount Network Television
UFC WIRED (Syndication) - Trifecta Entertainment & Media has cleared the syndie newcomer on nine FOX owned-and-operated stations - WWOR New York, KCOP Los Angeles, KDFI Dallas/Ft. Worth, WDCA Washington, KTXH Houston, KUTP Phoenix, WFTC Minneapolis/St. Paul, WRBW Orlando/Daytona Beach and WUTB Baltimore. The company is offering all 22 hourlong episodes of the series for the 2007-08 season on an all-barter basis.
Commitment: Ordered to series (22 episodes)
Cast: Joe Rogan (Host)
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: TBA
Studio: Trifecta Entertainment & Media
UNTITLED DAVID SHORE/PETER BLAKE PROJECT (NBC) - "24" alum Xander Berkeley has joined the cast of the pilot, an ensemble dramedy about police officers with a female cop (Famke Janssen) at the center. He'll play the boss of Janssen's character.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Famke Janssen, Xander Berkeley
Writers: David Shore, Peter Blake
Director: Tony Goldwyn
Executive Producers: David Shore (Shore Z Productions), Peter Blake
Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio
THE VIRGIN OF AKRON, OHIO (Lifetime) - Jill Latiano, Brian Kerwin, Chelah Horsdal, Landon Liboiron, Matthew John Armstrong and Shawn Roberts have all joined the cast of the cable channel's pilot, about a young model in Manhattan who, after a stint in rehab, is sent back to her Ohio town to do community service and live with her dysfunctional family but becomes a local celebrity after published reports say that a vision of Virgin Mary came down to bless her after she had a car crash on her way home. Latiano will play Raleigh, the title character, while Kerwin is set as Raleigh's father, a caring, intelligent judge, with Horsdal as her older, overworked, jealous sister and Liboiron as her clean-cut kid brother. Rounding out the group is Armstrong as a former cop who befriends Raleigh, while Roberts is set as the handsome, athletic "big catch" in Akron.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Brian Kerwin, Chelah Horsdal, Jill Latiano (Raleigh), Landon Liboiron, Laurie Metcalf (Lydia), Matthew John Armstrong, Shawn Roberts
Writer: Jordan Budde
Director: Randy Zisk
Executive Producers: Cary Brokaw, Jordan Budde
Co-Executive Producers: Aaron Geller
Studio: Fox Television Studios
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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