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[01/05/11 - 06:25 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, January 5
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!


COMBAT HOSPITAL (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has acquired the broadcast rights to the upcoming Canadian drama, about a military-medical hospital in Afghanistan. Said hour "focuses on the doctors and nurses who often have to put their own lives at risk to help save the lives of others." 13 episodes were commissioned by Canwest (now Shaw Media) back in July. Douglas Steinberg and Jinder Chalmers created the hour, which was further developed by Steve Lightfoot. Executive producers are Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny for Sienna Films, Gub Neal, Justin Thompson-Glover, Patrick Irwin for Artists Studios and Simon Vaughan for Look Out Point with Daniel Petrie Jr. serving as showrunner.


JERSEYLICIOUS (Style) - The cable channel has ordered a third 20-episode cycle of the reality series, which follows "the staff of one of New Jersey's premiere salons where business is hot and the 'ex'-tensions are hotter." Endemol USA is behind the project, which wraps its sophomore run on Sunday, January 30. Season three then will roll out later this year.


MUSCLE (HBO, New!) - Filmmaker Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine") is developing a potential single-camera comedy at the pay channel about "the subculture of contemporary professional bodybuilding." Said half-hour is based on Sam Fussell's memoir of the same name, subtitled "Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder." The pair will co-write the script and co-executive produce with Cianfrance attached to direct. Jamie Patricof, John Lesher and Adam Kassan are the executive producers.


PLAYBOY (NBC) - The Chad Hodge-penned project, "a period drama about Playboy bunnies in the New York club in the 1960s," has been ordered to pilot by the Peacock. 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television are co-producing with the latter's Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo executive producing alongside Hodge.


SHREDD: THE JON JOHNSENSON STORY (Adult Swim) - Molly Sims ("Las Vegas"), Faizon Love ("Couples Retreat"), Malcolm David Kelley ("Lost") and Kevin Pollak ("Million Dollar Money Drop") have all landed roles on the comedy pilot, about a teenage skateboarding champ (Jason Lee") who lapses into a 25-year coma following an accident. Kelley and Love will play the man's best friend Nate as a boy and adult, respectively, with Sims as his high school sweetheart. No details were given about Pollak's character. Lee is directing the pilot from a script he co-wrote with Luke Watson.


TORCHWOOD (Starz) - Alexa Havins ("All My Children") is the latest addition to the show's upcoming fourth season. She'll play Esther Katusi, "a CIA Watch Analyst who possesses an unshakable faith in human nature and a monster crush on colleague Rex (Mekhi Phifer)." In addition, Dichen Lachman ("Dollhouse") has been tapped to guest star in the season premiere as an unspecified character at the CIA.






  [january 2011]  
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· COMBAT HOSPITAL (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOLLHOUSE (FOX)
· JERSEYLICIOUS (STYLE)
· LAS VEGAS (NBC)
· LOST (ABC)
· MILLION DOLLAR MONEY DROP (FOX)
· MUSCLE (HBO)
· PLAYBOY CLUB, THE (NBC)
· SHREDD: THE JON JOHNSONSEN STORY (ADULT SWIM)
· TORCHWOOD (STARZ)





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