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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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HAVEN (Syfy) - Emily Rose ("ER") has been tapped for the lead role in the upcoming drama, about a female FBI agent "who investigates a murder in the small town of Haven, Maine and finds herself caught up in a web of supernatural activity among its citizens." She'll play said woman, Audrey Parker, in the project, which is based on Stephen King's novella "The Colorado Kid." Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn penned the pilot, which is executive produced by Scott Shepherd, Lloyd Segan, Shawn Piller and E1 Entertainment's John Morayniss and Noreen Halpern. The international co-production will begin filming this spring for a launch later this year.
RUBICON (AMC) - Creator Jason Horwitch has departed the long-in-the-works drama, about "an analyst (James Badge Dale) at a national think tank who discovers his employers are not who they seem to be." With his exit, believed to be for creative reasons, fellow executive producer Henry Bromell ("Brotherhood") will assume full showrunning duties. "Rubicon" was ordered to series last summer however production won't begin until next month for a summer premiere. Allen Coulter helmed the pilot for Warner Horizon Television.
TRUE BLOOD (HBO) - Brit Morgan ("The Middleman") is the 15th addition to the show's upcoming third season. She'll play Debbie Pelt, "Alcide's (Joe Mangiello) ex-girlfriend who doesn't like Sookie (Anna Paquin) much." Alfre Woodard, Cooper Huckabee, Denis O'Hare, Grant Bowler, Gregg Daniel, J. Smith-Cameron, James Frain, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Alejandro, Lindsay Pulsipher, Marshall Allman, Natasha Alam, Shannon Lucio and Theo Alexander also landed roles on the new season, due this summer.
UNCLE NIGEL (TBS) - Gary Cole ("Entourage") has snagged the title role on the drama pilot, about "a veteran Philadelphia homicide detective who takes on his inexperienced, incompetent nephew as a partner." His casting as Nigel Wells lifts said contingency off the pilot's production. Andy Breckman penned the hour and is executive producing.
WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS) - Time Warner was taken "a $104 million write-off on losses stemming from the off-network syndication run of 'Without a Trace' on TNT," The Hollywood Reporter reports. The cable channel paid $1.35 million an episode for the show's off-network rights in 2003, a record number for the channel at the time. "Trace" subsequently bombed as a nightly strip, averaging 1.73 million viewers for its launch in June of 2006. Even worse, 60% of its viewers were older than 50 as it underperformed "Law & Order," the show it replaced at 7:00/6:00c, in not only total viewers but adults 18-34, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. Said rights have since expired and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution is looking for a new home.
WRIGHT VS. WRONG (ABC, New!) - Stephanie Weir ("MADtv") has scored a pilot commitment from the Alphabet for a new comedy about "a female Republican pundit." The single-camera project is set up at the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount with the company's Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum and Mitch Hurwitz executive producing. Weir penned the half-hour and will serve as a co-executive producer.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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