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[03/21/12 - 11:25 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, March 21
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
666 PARK AVENUE (ABC) - Helena Mattsson ("Nikita") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about a young couple (Rachael Taylor, Dave Annable) who accept an offer to manage one of the most historic apartment buildings in New York City where they begin to experience supernatural occurrences. She'll play Alexis Blume, the sexy neighbor of married playwright Brian Leonard (Robert Buckley) whom he spies on from his home office. Mercedes Masohn, Terry O'Quinn and Vanessa Williams also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which Alex Graves is directing from a script by David Wilcox. (Variety.com)
THE FAMILY TRAP (ABC) - Newcomer Mike Castle has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about newlyweds (Mandy Moore, Nelson Franklin) who get the opportunity of a lifetime to run a hip, new restaurant in her hometown but at the cost of bringing her closer to her needy and high maintenance parents (Stockard Channing, Kurt Fuller). He'll take over for James Pumphrey as Annie's (Moore) younger brother Zach, a change that was made following the table read. Erinn Hayes, Majandra Delfino and Ravi Patel co-star in the project, from director Shawn Levy and co-writers Bob Fisher and Stacy Traub. 20th Century Fox Television is producing. (Deadline.com)
FIRST CUT (The CW) - Jack Coleman ("Heroes") has booked the remaining principal role on the drama pilot, about Emily Barnes (Mamie Gummer), a medical student who discovers that working as an intern at a big hospital is a lot like being in high school. He's set as intern Tyra (Kelly McCreary)'s father Tim Granger, Denver Memorial Hospital's intimidating Chief of Staff. Writer Jennie Snyder Urman and director Bharat Nalluri are behind the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which also stars Aja Naomi King, Justin Hartley, Michael Rady and Necar Zadegan. (Deadline.com)
MIDNIGHT SUN (NBC) - British actor Lucien Laviscount ("Waterloo Road") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about the FBI's investigation into the disappearance of a remote cult in Dugan, Alaska - led by Bennett Maxwell (Titus Welliver) - which taps into a grander political conspiracy. He'll play Charlie Watson - Vanessa's (Lucia Walters) teenage son and Miranda's (Alexia Fast) boyfriend - who is among the missing. Connor O'Farrell, Daniella Pineda, David Harbour, Emma Bell, Julia Stiles, Michael Raymond-James and Oz Zehavi co-star in the project, from Universal Television, director Brad Anderson and writer Lisa Zwerling. (Variety.com)
NED FOX IS MY MANNY (FOX) - Austin Stowell ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager") has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about Kate (formerly played by Abby Elliott), an uptight single mom whose aimless brother (Nat Faxon) moves in to help her raise her five-year-old daughter (Maggie Jones). He'll guest as Ryan ("luxurious, bouncing hair"), Kate's high school crush with whom she reunites for a disastrous date. Echo Kellum and Lucy Punch also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, from writer Dana Fox and director Jake Kasdan. (THR.com)
NEXT CALLER PLEASE (NBC) - Ryan Devlin ("Cougar Town") is the latest to be cast in the comedy pilot, about a mismatched duo - Cam (Dane Cook) and Stella (Collette Wolfe) - who host a relationship call-in show in New York City. He'll guest star as Mason, a Ryan Seacrest-esque top-40 DJ-slash-TV host, whom Cam routinely harasses. Stephen Falk is behind the Lionsgate Television-based half-hour, to be directed by Marc Buckland. Joy Osmanski also stars. (TVLine.com)
NOTORIOUS (NBC) - Meagan Good ("Californication") has booked the lead role on the drama pilot, about a police detective who returns undercover to the wealthy family she grew up in - as the maid's daughter - to solve the murder of Vivian Lawson, the notorious heiress who was once her closest friend. She'll play said cop, Joanna Locasto ("tomboy pretty"), in the Universal Television-based hour, from writer Liz Heldens. Katherine LaNasa, Neil Jackson, Tate Donovan and Victor Garber also star. (Deadline.com)
REBOUNDING (FOX) - Aly Michalka has departed the comedy pilot, about Danny Markle (Will Forte), a man recovering from the death of his fiance with help from friends on his pick-up basketball team (Hayes MacArthur, Malcolm Barrett and Matt L. Jones). She was set to play Taryn ("27, smoking hot, super secure, a female Teller"), the girlfriend of Hayes MacArthur's character, Dave Teller. Said role is being reconceived following the table read. Andrea Savage also stars in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, from director Jason Winer and co-creators Joe Port and Joe Wiseman. (Deadline.com)
ROGUE (DirecTV, New!) - Thandie Newton is in talks to star in an original series at the satcaster about an undercover cop who takes on a gangster after her young son is killed in a drive-by shooting. Matthew Parkhill ("The Caller") is behind the Entertainment One-produced hour, which has a 10-episode commitment. Momentum Entertainment's Nick Hamm is also on board to executive produce alongside Parkhill. (Deadline.com)
SINGLE BLACK FEMALE (BET) - Aaron D. Spears and Richard Roundtree have both been cast in the Gabrielle Union-led drama pilot, which chronicles the work and family life of a popular Atlanta talk show host. Roundtree will play Mary Jane's (Union) father with Spears as Mark Bradley, her charismatic co-anchor and close friend. Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil are behind the project. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT (FOX) - Maggie Grace ("Lost") has booked a key role on the drama pilot, about Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), a former FBI agent who leads the search to catch diabolical serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) who has created a cult of serial killers. She's set as Dr. Sarah Fuller ("a determined woman; bright and cheerful"), Carroll's only surviving victim and presumed first target after he escapes from prison. Marcos Siega is helming the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which also stars Adan Canto, Jeananne Goossen, Natalie Zea, Nico Tortorella, Shawn Ashmore and Valorie Curry. (EW.com)
UNTITLED MINDY KALING PROJECT (FOX) - Ed Helms, Bill Hader and Richard Schiff have all been tapped to guest star on the comedy pilot, about Mira Kaviraya (Mindy Kaling), a young doctor trying to navigate both her personal and professional lives. Schiff will play Marc Shulman ("a distinguished doctor who has a yarmulke and a Brooklyn accent"), one of her partners at Shulman Womens Health Associates; with Helms as Dennis, a successful Wall Street analyst who goes on a blind date with Mira; and Hader as Tom, her orthodontist ex who recently got married. Anna Camp, Chris Messina, Dana DeLorenzo, Ed Weeks and Zoe Jarman also star in the Universal Television-based half-hour, to be directed by Charles McDougall. (EW.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Syfy has passed on its long-in-the-works drama "Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome," set between the events of "Caprica" and "Battlestar Galactica," however the 90-minute pilot will be broadcast on the network at a future date (Blastr.com); "The Office" showrunner Paul Lieberstein will depart the series after its current season to focus on the proposed Rainn Wilson-led spin-off "The Farm" (Deadline.com); Jere Burns's Anson and Kristanna Loken's Rebecca will continue to recur on "Burn Notice" when it returns for its sixth season this summer (EW.com); and Ted Mann has signed on as a co-executive producer on "Magic City's" recently ordered second season (Variety.com).
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