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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS (NBC) - Jessica Lucas ("Melrose Place") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, which is described as a dissection of the mating habits of today's young adults. She'll round out the show's central quintet. Details about her character however weren't specified. Lucas's involvement is presumably in second position to the CW soap, which isn't expected to return. Danneel Harris, Fran Kranz, Ian Reed Kessler and Patrick J. Adams also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which David Dobkin is helming off a script by Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter.
MY PARENTS ARE GONNA LOVE YOU (FOX, New!) - Chris Cowan and Jean Michel Michenaud ("Joe Millionaire") are developing a new reality project at the network in which "participants will tell their folks about a wonderful new significant other who turns out to be a famous face - and utterly obnoxious." The effort, which is based on a Banijay Entertainment format, is reportedly nearing a pilot commitment. It's understood Cowan and Michenaud, who are executive producing via their Angel City Factory banner, hope to add a competitive element along the lines of earning more money the longer they maintain the ruse.
THE PINK HOUSE (NBC) - Ashley Madekwe ("Secret Diary of a Call Girl") has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about the friendship between two guys who take a risk and move out to Los Angeles to begin the next chapter of their post-college lives. She'll play Jamie ("tall, thin and beautiful"), one of the guys' neighbors, who moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta "to meet a super rich guy, marry him and have his babies." Katharine McPhee and Michael Cassidy co-star in the Universal Media Studios-based hour, which comes from co-creators Rick Weiner and Kenny Schwartz. Michael Lembeck is directing.
THIS LITTLE PIGGY (NBC) - Nick D'Agosto ("Heroes") has landed the final principal role on the comedy pilot, about two adult siblings who move in with their eldest brother Henry (Ben Koldyke) after he inherits his parents' large, rambling Portland, Oregon house. He'll play Eric, Henry's materialistic brother, who - along with his wife Tina (Vanessa Minnillo) - lost everything and needs a place to stay. Jeff Davis originated the role in the comedy's ABC incarnation. Brooke Bloom and Erinn Hayes also star in the project, which is set up at ABC Studios. Ted Wass is helming off a script by co-creators Brian Bradley and Steven Cragg.
TRUE LOVE (CBS) - Tyler Labine ("Sons of Tucson") has signed onto the comedy pilot, about "four friends in New York, two falling in love, the other two not so much." He's on board as Larry Meyer ("chubby, bearded, and looking miserable"), Henry's (Jason Biggs) best-friend and co-worker. Labine, whose involvement is in second position to the FOX comedy, replaces Dan Fogler who was previously cast in the role. Ashley Austin Morris, Hal Williams, Minka Kelly and Sarah Wright also star. CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television are co-producing while Pamela Fryman is directing from a script by Matt Tarses.
UNTITLED JON HEDER PROJECT (Comedy Central) - Jon Heder has reportedly dropped out of the series, a comedy about "a young man (Heder) who won't let anything get in the way of his big dreams, even if it means losing his job and having to move back in with his parents and sleep on their couch." Said development comes just two days before the show was to begin production. Comedy Central commissioned 10 episodes of the project to air sometime later this year. It's not clear how Heder's departure - due to creative reasons - will affect the show's status. Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz were tapped to co-star earlier this month with Lew Morton serving as showrunner. Debmar-Mercury and Gary Sanchez Productions are co-producing.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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