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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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ARE WE THERE YET? (TBS) - Essence Atkins ("Half & Half") has scored the female lead in the upcoming comedy series, based on Ice Cube's 2005 feature of the same name. She'll play Suzanne Kingston who, along with her two children, move in with her new husband Nick Persons (Terry Crews). Ali LeRoi is behind the project, which is executive produced by Ice Cube, Joe Roth and Matt Alvarez. TBS made a blind 10-episode commitment, with the option for 90 more installments, back in July.
CHEER (The CW, New!) - Kevin Murphy ("Reaper") and actor Tom Welling ("Smallville") are developing a small screen take on Kate Torgovnick's book, subtitled "Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders," for the netlet. Said effort "followed teams from Stephen F. Austin U., Southern U. and the U. of Memphis as they went from tryouts to the national championships." Murphy will presumably pen the Warner Bros. Television-based hour and executive produce alongside Welling and his Tom Welling Productions chief A.J. Marcantonio. Murphy currently serves as a co-executive producer on the upcoming Syfy drama "Caprica."
HAWAII FIVE-O (CBS) - The Eye has given a pilot order to its update of Leonard Freeman's classic cop series, about the fictional Hawaiian state police department led by Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord in the original series). Peter Lenkov ("CSI: NY") and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ("Fringe") are behind the hour where they'll take over for the previously attached Ed Bernero ("Criminal Minds"). Lenkov, Kurtzman & Orci then will co-write the story with Lenkov penning the finished script for CBS Television Studios. Details about the new incarnation however weren't released.
STITCH N' BITCH (HBO, New!) - "Whip It" co-stars Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat and Sean Tillmann are set to team for a potential new single-camera comedy at the pay channel. Said half-hour, which the trio will write and executive produce, follows "two painfully cool hipster girls as they relocate from Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood to Los Angeles' Silver Lake enclave in hopes of becoming artists - of any kind." Shawkat and Tillmann could potentially star in the project, however no casting decisions have been made. No other details were given.
UNTITLED CLARK ROCKEFELLER PROJECT (Lifetime) - Sherry Stringfield ("ER") has been tapped to star opposite Eric McCormack in the original movie, based on the true story of the con artist known as Clark Rockefeller. She'll play Sandra Boss, "a millionaire with a Harvard MBA and a partner at the prestigious business consulting firm McKinsey & Co." Boss and Rockefeller (McCormack), born Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, were married and had a daughter together only to have Rockefeller's true identity exposed during their subsequent divorce when Rockefeller kidnapped the girl during a supervised visit last year. The girl was eventually recovered and Rockefeller was brought to justice. Mikael Salomon is directing the Sony Pictures Television-based film from a script by Edithe Swensen.
U.S. ATTORNEY (CBS) - "Brotherhood" alum Jason Clarke, who toplined said drama pilot this past development season, has inked a talent holding deal with the network. The pact calls for the Eye to develop a new series project for the actor or cast him in one of their existing properties.
VELVET HAMMER (USA, New!) - Gail Gilchriest has booked a script order from the cable channel for a new drama about "a female FBI agent who juggles her work and home life." Kevin Murphy ("Reaper") will supervise Gilchriest for CBS Television Studios. No other specifics were given.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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