[09/22/11 - 10:35 PM] Development Update: Thursday, September 22 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!
40 (HBO) - Michael Imperioli ("The Sopranos") and Adrian Pasdar ("Heroes") have joined the cast of Doug Ellin's single-camera comedy pilot, about "four lifelong friends who help each other navigate life at 40, which isn't all they expected it to be." They'll round out a quartet that includes Ed Burns and Michael Rapaport. Imperioli will play "a single guy, a hustler who is shameless when it comes to self-promotion," while Pasdar is set as "a Wall Street millionaire." Susan Misner ("Person of Interest") has also been cast as the wife of Burns's character. Julian Farino is directing from a script by Ellin. (Deadline.com)HELP (ABC, New!) - David Kohan and Max Mutchnick ("Will & Grace") have snagged a put pilot commitment from the Alphabet for a new comedy about "a young man - trained at the country's leading culinary school - who lands a job as the personal chef for the dysfunctional owners of a family-run fashion empire." They'll write and executive produce the half-hour via their Warner Bros. Television-based KoMut Entertainment banner. (Deadline.com)NEMESIS (A.K.A. MORTON) (Cinemax, New!) - Melissa George ("Alias") has been tapped to star in the BBC One series, which will air domestically here on the pay channel. Frank Spotnitz ("Strike Back") is behind the eight-episode project, which "centers on a highly skilled operative (George) for an elite private intelligence firm who survives an attempt on her life that might have been orchestrated by members of her own team." Kudos Film and Television's Stephen Garrett, Jane Featherstone and Alison Jackson are executive producing alongside Spotnitz via his Big Light banner. S.J. Clarkson is on board to helm the show's first two installments, production of which begins this fall in Europe and North Africa. (Deadline.com)THE RAIDING PARTY (FOX, New!) - Nick Santora ("Breakout Kings") has snagged a new drama at the network about "three brothers, overseen by their dominant mother, who carry on the successful family business that was founded by their grandfather and bequeathed to them by their dad... and that business happens to be robbing banks." DreamWorks Television and Sony Pictures Television are co-producing the hour, which reportedly has a penalty attached. The former's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank will presumably executive produce alongside Santora via his Blackjack Films banner. (Deadline.com)UNTITLED DAVID KOHAN/MAX MUTCHNICK PROJECT (CBS, New!) - David Kohan and Max Mutchnick ("Will & Grace") have also booked a new comedy at the Eye about "two male best friends - one gay, one straight - who both are in serious relationships." The news marks the duo's latest incarnation of the concept: Brian Austin Green and Jay Mohr toplined on such effort for CBS in 2007 while Alan Tudyk and Josh Cooke starred in another for ABC in 2008. Warner Bros. Television is behind the project, which has a put pilot commitment with Kohan and Mutchnick executive producing via their KoMut Entertainment banner. (Deadline.com)UNTITLED WILL GLUCK PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Will Gluck ("Easy A") has booked a new single-camera comedy at the Alphabet about "an angel expelled from heaven who is sentenced to live in New York City." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour, which has a penalty attached. Gluck, who's also shepherding ABC's "Walk of Shame" and NBC's "The Yard," will write and executive produce. (Deadline.com)AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Courtney Ford ("True Blood") will stop by "The Big Bang Theory" as Alice, "a cute, cool and artsy 'downtown girl' who is something of a comic book aficionado" (TVLine.com); Wes Brown has been tapped as a veterinarian from Mobile, Alabama/possible interest for Rachel Bilson's Zoe on The CW's "Hart of Dixie"(Variety.com); Catherine Dent will recur as an assertive FBI agent assisting with the "Red John" case on "The Mentalist" beginning November 3 (EW.com); plus Billy Zane is bound for NBC's "The Playboy Club" as "the cool-headed but ruthless younger brother" of Chicago Mafia boss Bruno Bianchi, who was killed in the pilot by Amber Heard's Maureen (TVGuide.com).
[06/19/13 - 01:39 PM] TNT Bumps Newcomer "72 Hours" to Friday Nights The reality competition series, which had been airing on Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c, will relocate to Fridays effective immediately.
[06/19/13 - 12:17 PM] ESPN to Present World Series of Poker Main Event To kick off ESPN's WSOP coverage, the inaugural World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific Main Event Final Table will air on Tuesday, July 23.
