[10/18/10 - 06:37 PM] Development Update: Monday, October 18 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!
CROSS ROADS (CBS, New!) - The Eye is developing a new medical drama from Elle Johnson about "three doctors who went to medical school together who return to their alma mater to work at the university hospital." The project is set up at the CBS Television Studios-based Apostle with the company's Denis Leary and Jim Serpico executive producing alongside Johnson. No other details were given.
HAIL MARY (CBS, New!)/RUSH (The CW, New!) - Jeff Wadlow ("Never Back Down") has sold a pair of drama scripts: "Hail Mary," about "a female P.I. in the South who partners with her murdered son's best friend" at CBS; and "Rush," about "undercover cops working the New York nightclub scene," at The CW. He'll write and executive produce both hours for Warner Bros. Television and Silver Pictures. The latter's Joel Silver then will likewise executive produce with Wadlow also likely directing.
THE LYING GAME (ABC Family) - Mark Piznarski ("Gossip Girl") has signed on to direct the drama pilot, about "two identical twin sisters separated at birth, one going through the foster system and one adopted by wealthy parents who suddenly goes missing." Charles Pratt, Jr. penned the hour, which is based on Sara Shepard's upcoming novel of the same name. Alloy Entertainment's Gina Girolamo and Leslie Morgenstein also serve as executive producers for Warner Horizon Television.
MIND GAMES (CBS, New!) - Roger Wolfson ("Saving Grace") has snagged a script order from the Eye for a new drama about "an impassioned female psychologist specializing in memory who teams up with a tough-as-nails police detective to solve crimes." He'll presumably write and executive produce the hour for CBS Television Studios alongside Apostle's Denis Leary and Jim Serpico.
MODERN FAMILY (ABC) - Twentieth Television has cleared the show's off-network run on the Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Baltimore. Said run, set to begin in the fall of 2013, is set to air concurrent with USA's cable package. The latter pact is reportedly valued at $1.4 million per episode.
OUTNUMBERED (FOX) - Larry Charles ("Borat") has been tapped to helm the off-cycle comedy pilot, about two parents who are overwhelmed by their three kids. He'll work from a script by co-creators Barbara Wallace and Thomas R. Wolfe. Jimmy Mulville, Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin are also attached as executive producers for 20th Century Television, Chernin Entertainment and Hat Trick Productions.
THE SPELLMAN FILES (ABC, New!) - Newcomer Katie Lovejoy and "House" executive producer Greg Yaitanes are developing a new crime drama at the Alphabet about 28-year-old Isabel Spellman, "who comes from an eccentric family of private investigators." Said hour is based on Lisa Lutz's 2007 novel of the same name with Lovejoy penning the adaptation and Yaitanes directing. The latter then will serve as an executive producer with Lovejoy as a supervising producer. Lutz, who's since penned four sequels, is attached as a consultant.
TOUGH ENOUGH (USA) - The cable channel is reportedly looking to revive the former MTV staple. Said offering, in which aspiring wrestlers compete for a contract with the WWE, would more than likely be paired with USA's current Monday staple "WWE Raw." In addition to its three seasons on MTV from 2001-2003, "Tough Enough" made a brief return in 2004 as part of UPN's "WWE Smackdown" franchise.
TRIGGER (The CW, New!) - Playwright Kyle Jarrow has booked a script at the netlet for a potential cop drama about "four twenty-something cops/adrenaline junkies who get fast-tracked into the elite Street Crimes Unit when its previous members are all busted for corruption." Said hour is set up at Denis Leary and Jim Serpico's Apostle banner with the duo executive producing alongside Jarrow for CBS Television Studios.
THE UNSEEN (A&E, New!) - Charles Murray ("V") is developing a new drama at the cable channel about "a cop and a psychology professor who case paranormal activity - believing that the events are being caused by something that originated during the time of the 13 original colonies." Said hour is set up at Junction Entertainment with the company's Jon Turteltaub, Dan Shotz and Karim Zreik executive producing alongside Murray for CBS Television Studios.
UNTITLED DEMETRI MARTIN PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Actor/comedian Demetri Martin has inked a blind script deal with the Eye. Said pact calls for Martin to develop a new comedy project for the network, which he'll presumably star in. Martin previously toplined "Important Things With Demetri Martin," which won't be returning for a third season on Comedy Central.
V (ABC) - The Alphabet has reportedly rolled back its second season commitment to the series from 13 to 10 episodes. As previously announced, "V" will kick off its sophomore run on Tuesday, January 4 at 9:00/8:00c. The drama will keep said time period warm for "Dancing With the Stars," which is widely expected to return for its spring cycle the week of March 29.
