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[02/14/12 - 11:03 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, February 14
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!


ANGER MANAGEMENT (FX) - Michael Arden and Daniela Bobadilla have booked the remaining roles on the upcoming Charlie Sheen-led comedy, about a former baseball player with anger issues who winds up as an unconventional anger management therapist. He's on board as Patrick, one of the members of his therapy group, while she's set as Charlie's 13-year-old daughter. Selma Blair, Shawnee Smith and Noureen DeWulf also star in the project, which has a 10-episode order. (Deadline.com)


ANTICHRIST (ABC) - Yaya DaCosta ("Ugly Betty") has been cast in the drama pilot, about Carter (Max Thieriot), "an astrophysics grad student in NYC who learns that he is the chosen one to destroy the forces of evil." She's on board as a member of "The Council of the Third AntiChrist" who befriends Carter, well aware of his unique calling. Gabriella Wilde also stars in the ABC Studios-based hour, from co-creators Harald Kloser and Roland Emmerich. (Deadline.com)


ARROW (The CW) - Susanna Thompson ("Kings") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, which stars Stephen Amell as DC Comics hero Oliver Queen a.k.a. Green Arrow. She'll play his mother, Moira, whom Oliver returns home to find married to his late father's friend Walter Steele. David Ramsey also stars in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, to be directed by David Nutter. Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim co-wrote the script and executive produce alongside Nutter. (Deadline.com)


BE THE BOSS (UNTITLED STUDIO LAMBERT PROJECT) (A&E) - The reality project, which features a weekly competition between two employees of a franchise-based company, has found a home at the cable channel, which has commissioned seven episodes. CBS originally ordered a pilot from Studio Lambert back in August of 2010, envisioning it as a thematic spin-off of "Undercover Boss." Stephen Lambert and Eli Holzman are executive producing the hour, which has the "employees think they're vying for a promotion, but in fact the winner will be handed the keys to a franchise or new branch of their own." David McKillop, Drew Tappon and Nicole Reed will oversee the project for A&E. (Variety.com)


BEN FOX IS MY MANNY (FOX) - Newcomer Echo Kellum has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about Kate, a single mother whose brother Ben moves in with her to help raise her young daughter (Maggie Jones). He's on board as Tommy, "Ben's longtime friend and partner in crime in all things ridiculous who has fallen hard for Kate but she doesn't return the sentiment." 20th Century Fox Television is behind the single-camera project, from director Jake Kasdan and writer Dana Fox. (Deadline.com)


COUNTY (NBC) - Jess Weixler ("Lumpy") and Agam Darshi ("Sanctuary") have booked two of the remaining principal roles on the drama pilot, about the lives of young doctors, nurses, and administrators in a frenetic underfunded and morally compromising Los Angeles County Hospital. They'll play fellow interns Erica ("too pretty for this place, she tends to let her emotions guide her, for better or worse") and Talaikha ("Indian, 95 pounds, stoic, and maddeningly unemotional under any circumstance"), respectively, alongside the previously cast Aimee Garcia, Jason Ritter and Michael B. Jordan. Universal Television is producing the Jason Katims-penned hour. (Deadline.com)


ELEMENTARY (CBS) - Jonny Lee Miller ("Eli Stone") has booked the lead role on the drama pilot, a modern day take on Arthur Conan Doyle's literary hero Sherlock Holmes, now a former Scotland Yard consultant who solves crimes for the NYPD alongside Joan Watson, his personal recovery assistant. He'll play said role in the CBS Television Studios-based hour, from director Michael Cuesta and writer Robert Doherty. (Deadline.com)


HANNIBAL (NBC) - Bryan Fuller's small screen take on Hannibal Lecter has been given a 13-episode order by the Peacock. Gaumont International Television is behind the project, which Martha DeLaurentiis will executive produce alongside Fuller. Said hour, based on the classic characters from Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon," tracks the relationship between FBI agent Will Graham and his mentor Dr. Hannibal Lecter. (Deadline.com)


LITTLE BROTHER (FOX) - Gillian Vigman ("New Girl") has been cast in the comedy pilot, about Tim (John Stamos) - a former rocker now running a music store with his wife - who is stunned to learn that he's got a half-brother (T.J. Miller) who happens to be a career criminal out on parole and ready to move in. She'll play Tim's wife, Katie ("an optimistic sort who has possibly worked here one day too many") in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which also stars Rosa Salazar. Shawn Levy is directing from a script by Mike Royce. (Deadline.com)


NASHVILLE (ABC) - British actor Sam Palladio ("The Hour") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, "a family soap set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene revolving around one star at her peak and another on the rise." He'll presumably play Gunnar Scott ("handsome in a clean cut way"). R.J. Cutler is directing the project from a script by Callie Khouri for ABC Studios and Lionsgate Television. (Deadline.com)


NOTORIOUS (NBC, New!) - Liz Heldens ("Prime Suspect") has booked a new drama at the Peacock about "a female detective returns undercover to the wealthy family she grew up in - as the maid's daughter - to solve the murder of the notorious heiress who was once her closest friend." Universal Television is behind the hour, which has a pilot commitment. BermanBraun's Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein will executive produce alongside Heldens. (Deadline.com)


PARTNERS (CBS) - Sophia Bush ("One Tree Hill") has booked the female lead on the comedy pilot, about two male architects - one straight, Charlie; one gay, Louis - whose relationship itself resembles a marriage. She'll play Ali Landau, Charlie's girlfriend, the owner of a small jewelry boutique. David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based project, to be directed by James Burrows. (Variety.com)


PRAIRIE DOGS (ABC) - Michaela Watkins ("Saturday Night Live") is the first to be cast in the comedy pilot, about Neil, "an uncool cubicle worker who, after becoming the victim of identity theft, discovers that the thief has created a much more fulfilling life with his identity than he ever has and engages the charismatic conman to help him change his life." She's set as Imogene ("late thirties and trying hard to pull off the whole powerful female executive vibe"), Neil's supervisor who rules his department with an iron fist. Jackie and Jeff Filgo are behind the half-hour, which is set up at ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


SCRUPLES (ABC) - Feature helmer Michael Sucsy ("The Vow") has been tapped to direct the drama pilot, based on Judith Krantz's novel about a rich and powerful clothing designer in a world of sex, revenge and scandal. He'll work from a script by Bob Brush and Mel Harris, who are executive producing alongside Tony Krantz, Natalie Portman and Annette Savitch for Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)


THE SMART ONE (ABC) - Michael Fresco ("Better Off Ted") has been tapped to direct the Portia de Rossi-led comedy, about "a brilliant and successful woman (de Rossi) who begrudgingly goes to work for her less-brainy but more popular sister -- a former beauty queen, weather girl and now big-city mayor." He'll work from a script by Don Todd, who's executive producing alongside Ellen DeGeneres and Lauren Corrao for Warner Bros. Television. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" contributor John Hodgman is set to guest on "Community" (THR.com); Katy Perry will appear in an upcoming episode of "Raising Hope" (@maskedscheduler on Twitter.com); "The River" executive producer Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions have inked a first-look deal with Lionsgate Television (Deadline.com); Jeff Fahey and Kevin Tighe will both guest star on USA's upcoming drama "Common Law" (EW.com); Allison Janney is bound for "The Big C" as a successful Hollywood producer who wants to buy Cathy (Laura Linney) and Paul's (Oliver Platt) life rights to adapt their story into a feature film" (THR.com); and Henry Winkler will drop by "Up All Night" as "a children's book author who's adored by a generation of readers" (THR.com).






  [february 2012]  
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M
T
W
T
F
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· ANGER MANAGEMENT (FX)
· ARROW (CW)
· BE THE BOSS (A AND E)
· BEN & KATE (FOX)
· BETTER OFF TED (ABC)
· BIG C, THE (SHOWTIME)
· COMMON LAW (USA)
· COUNTY (NBC)
· DARK HORSE (ABC)
· DECEPTION (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ELEMENTARY (CBS)
· ELI STONE (ABC)
· HANNIBAL (NBC)
· HOUR (BBC AMERICA)
· KINGS (NBC)
· LITTLE BROTHER (FOX)
· NASHVILLE (CMT)
· NEW GIRL (FOX)
· ONE TREE HILL (CW)
· PARTNERS (CBS)
· PRAIRIE DOGS (ABC)
· PRIME SUSPECT (NBC)
· RAISING HOPE (FOX)
· RIVER, THE (ABC)
· SANCTUARY (SYFY)
· SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (NBC)
· SCRUPLES (ABC)
· SMART ONE, THE (ABC)
· UGLY BETTY (ABC)
· UNDERCOVER BOSS (CBS)
· UP ALL NIGHT (NBC)





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