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[10/09/12 - 11:21 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, October 9
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!


ADULTING (FOX, New!) - Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein ("The Vow") have scored a put pilot commitment from the network for a single-camera comedy based on Kelly Williams Brown's blog/upcoming book of the same name, subtitled "How to Become a Grown-Up in 387 Easy(ish) Steps." Warner Bros. Television-based Bad Robot is behind the half-hour - exact details of which weren't given - with J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk also serving as executive producers, Kathy Lingg as a co-executive producer and Athena Wickham as a producer. (Deadline.com)


THE BRIDGE (FX) - Thomas M. Wright ("Top of the Lake") has scored a role on the drama pilot, which centers on two detectives from the United States and Mexico (Diane Kruger, Demián Bichir) who must work together to hunt down a serial killer operating on both sides of the American-Mexican border. He's set as Steven Linder, "who works at a local women's shelter but leads a mysterious double life." Director Gerardo Naranjo and writers Elwood Reid and Meredith Stiehm are all behind the hour, which also stars Annabeth Gish and Ted Levine. (Deadline.com)


DIRTY BLONDES (FOX, New!) - Rachael Harris ("New Girl") and Angela Kinsey ("The Office") are set to star in a potential single-camera comedy at the network about two women who've been friends for 16 years that are brought closer together by their respective divorces. Stacy Traub ("Glee") is behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, inspired by the real life long-time friendship of Kinsey and Harris, which has a put pilot commitment. Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland") is also on board to direct and executive produce with Harris and Kinsey also serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)


DIVORCE HOTEL (FOX, New!) - A. Smith & Co. Productions and BASE Productions have landed a pilot order for a new series which "offers warring couples an immediate end to their marriage." Said effort is based on a Dutch business which has "an estranged husband and wife check into a luxury hotel for a weekend of lawyers, counseling and mediation in an attempt to streamline their final separation." Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, Mickey Stern and John Brenkus are the executive producers. (Deadline.com)


THE LAST SHIP (TNT) - Michaela McManus, Charles Parnell, Travis Van Winkle, Christina Elmore and Sam Spruell are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, in which a global catastrophe nearly obliterates the earth's population, forcing the crew of a naval destroyer to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the only survivors. McManus will play Lt. Jackie Makena, "a crew member who runs the Combat Information Center and is in charge of missile deployment"; with Parnell as Hugh Jeter, "Command Master Chief aboard the USS Nathan James"; Van Winkle as Danny Green, "the leader of a small crew of SEALS aboard the Nathan James"; Elmore as Lt. Alisha Granderson "who co-steers the ship"; and Spruell as Quincy, a paleomicrobiologist. Jonathan Mostow is directing the Michael Bay-produced hour from a script by Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane, based on the novel by William Brinkley. (Deadline.com)


LEGACY (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has commissioned its own modern-day take on Charles Dickens's classic "Great Expectations" from feature producer Debra Martin Chase ("Sparkle"). Jeremy Anderson and Patrick Moss ("The Unit") are penning the ABC Studio-based hour and will serve as co-executive producers. No specifics were given about the project other than it is "a sexy soap." Chase then will executive produce via her studio-based Martin Chase Productions. (Deadline.com)


THE SECRET LIVES OF WIVES (Lifetime) - Lauren Bittner ("Paranormal Activity 3") has booked one of the principal roles on the drama pilot, which will explore the unvarnished truth behind the marriages of four different women, breaking down the creative ways each close friend nurtures, maintains and endures what many see as an impossible convention of modern life. She'll play one of said quartet, Jessie, "a smart and attractive 32-year-old lawyer married to a handsome minister." Amber Clayton and Salli Richardson-Whitfield co-star in the Warner Horizon Television-based hour, which is inspired by the book by Iris Krasnow. (Deadline.com)


TERMINALES (ABC Family) - Italia Ricci ("Unnatural History") has booked the lead role on the drama pilot, which follows a young woman's life after she is diagnosed with a terminal illness. She'll play said woman, April, "an aspiring young journalist who is trying to impress her unimpressable editor." Lionsgate Television is behind the hour, from writers Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz and based on the Mexican television format by Miguel Angel Fox. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED LAGRAVENESE & GOLDWYN PROJECT (AMC) - Clarke Peters ("Treme") is the latest to board the drama pilot, about Adam Page (Damon Gupton), a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. He'll play his father, Isaiah Page, "a retired cop and former police commissioner for Philadelphia." Aunjanue Ellis, Joe Anderson, Marin Ireland, Paul Schneider and Seth Gilliam also star in the hour, from writer Richard LaGravenese and director Tony Goldwyn. (Deadline.com)


WITCHES OF EAST END (Lifetime) - Madchen Amick and Glenne Headly have both scored roles on the drama pilot, which centers on the adventures of a mother (Julia Ormond) and her two adult daughters (Jenna Dewan, Rachel Boston) - both of whom unknowingly are their family's next generation of witches - who lead seemingly quiet, uneventful modern day lives in Long Island's secluded seaside town of North Hampton. Amick will guest star as Wendy, Joanna's (Ormond) sister, "a beautiful and funny witch who takes the form of a cat"; with Headly as Dash (Patrick Heusinger) and Killian Gardiner's (Daniel Ditomasso) mother, Penelope. Maggie Friedman is behind the Fox 21-produced hour, which is based on Melissa de la Cruz's best-selling novel. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - FX has pushed the return of "Louie" until Spring 2014 to give the ever-busy Louis CK more time to work on the show's fourth season (FXNetworks.com); Alex Wallace will take over for Rome Hartman as executive producer on NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams" (Deadline.com); Chris Diamantopoulos is set to appear in at least three episodes of Netflix's "Arrested Development" revival as well as turn up on "Community" later this season in unspecified roles (Deadline.com); Kris Jenner is in discussions to topline her own syndicated talk show from Twentieth Television (Deadline.com);

"Malibu Country" showrunner Kevin Abbott has checked himself into a rehab facility leaving day-to-day duties to the show's senior writing staff (Deadline.com); Eric Stoltz is bound for "Made in Jersey" as "the mysterious and controlling leader of Wheaton Farms in upstate New York" (EW.com); Megan Mullally will reprise her role as Tammy 2 later this year on "Parks & Recreation" (TVGuide.com); and Adam Goldberg will appear as himself on "Animal Practice" as the star of a fictional legal drama - complete with simian sidekick - to which Angela (Betsy Sodaro) and Rizzo are addicted (TVLine.com).






  [october 2012]  
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· ADULTING (FOX)
· ANIMAL PRACTICE (NBC)
· ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (NETFLIX)
· BRIDGE, THE (FX)
· CHASING LIFE (ABC FAMILY)
· COMMUNITY (YAHOO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIRTY BLONDES (FOX)
· DIVIDE, THE (WE)
· DIVORCE HOTEL (FOX)
· GLEE (FOX)
· LAST SHIP, THE (TNT)
· LEGACY (ABC)
· LOUIE (FX)
· MADE IN JERSEY (CBS)
· MALIBU COUNTRY (ABC)
· NEW GIRL (FOX)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· ROCK CENTER WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS (NBC)
· SECRET LIVES OF WIVES, THE (LIFETIME)
· TOP OF THE LAKE (SUNDANCE)
· TREME (HBO)
· UNIT, THE (CBS)
· UNNATURAL HISTORY (CARTOON)
· WITCHES OF EAST END (LIFETIME)





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