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[09/27/13 - 11:34 PM]
Development Update: Friday, September 27
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!


MAN/CHILD (FOX, New!) - Writers Reed Agnew and Eli Jorne ("Wilfred") are set to team with director Jason Winer ("The Crazy Ones") and actor Damon Wayans, Jr. ("Happy Endings") for a potential comedy at the network about "two single dads - one of them possibly played by Wayans Jr - who move in together and struggle to find the balance between being responsible parents and debaucherous bachelors." Winer's 20th Century Fox Television-based Small Dog Picture Company is behind the single-camera project, which has a pilot production commitment. Michael Lasker and Christie Smith also serve as executive producers alongside the aforementioned group. (Deadline.com)


MAYBE IT'S ME (NBC, New!) - Chris Case ("Retired at 35") has sold a multi-camera comedy to the Peacock inspired by his own experiences as "a father of two juggling three strong women - his current girlfriend, his work wife, and his ex-wife." Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan is also executive producing alongside Case for 20th Century Fox Television. (Deadline.com)


MODERN FAMILY (ABC) - The Alphabet and producer 20th Century Fox Television are reportedly mulling a spin-off of the Emmy-winning comedy featuring Rob Riggle's Gil Thorpe character, "Southern California's most successful real estate agent and rival of Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) who briefly employed Phil's wife Claire (Julie Bowen)." Executive producers Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh are understood to be spearheading the project with co-creator Steve Levitan likely having some involvement. (Deadline.com)


THE ROYALS (E!/Lionsgate; W: Mark Schwahn; D: TBA) - Haley Lu Richardson and Alexandra Park have both been cast in the drama pilot, a contemporary family ensemble steeped in all of the regal opulence of the British Monarchy and framed by Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The former will play Ophelia, "the daughter of the royal family's head of security who is studying art history and dance and who helps Prince Liam (William Moseley) cope with the loss of his brother and his new position as the next King of England." Park then is set as Princess Eleanor, Queen Helena's (Elizabeth Hurley) daughter and Liam's sister, "the sexy princess with a party hard lifestyle." Tom Austen also stars. (Deadline.com)


SISTERLAND (ABC, New!) - Rina Mimoun ("Mistresses") is developing a small screen take on Curtis Sittenfeld's novel - about "identical twin sisters born with paranormal abilities and how those abilities shape their very different lives" - at the Alphabet. ABC Studios is behind the hour with Fake Empire's Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein executive producing alongside Mimoun. (Deadline.com)


SIX MONTHS, THREE DAYS (NBC, New!) - Charlie Jane Anders's Hugo Award winning novelette is being developed as a drama by the Peacock. Eric Garcia (Matchstick Men) is spearheading the project, which tracks "a mismatched pair of San Francisco private investigators - an upbeat, free-spirited idealist and a swoon-worthy, brooding fatalist - both of whom can see the future. Forced to team up, the pair knows their relationship is destined to grow from antagonistic rivalry into fairy-tale true love... but only if they can stop him from being killed in six months and three days." David Janollari Entertainment's David Janollari and Silent Machine Entertainment's Krysten Ritter and Lindsey Liberatore also serve as executive producers for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)


THIS CAN'T END WELL (FOX, New!) - Jordan Young and Elijah Aron ("Raising Hope") have set up a semi-autobiographical comedy at the network about "a romantic guy raised by a world famous professor of love and romance, who faces an impossible challenge when he falls for a super cynical woman who was raised by a family of scumbags." 20th Century Fox Television is behind the single-camera project, which they'll write and executive produce. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED ALBERT KIM PROJECT (The CW, New!) - Albert Kim ("Nikita") has sold a potential drama to the netlet about "a woman imprisoned for a double murder she didn't commit who earns her law degree while behind bars, then wins her freedom and joins the high-powered law firm that she believes is at the center of the conspiracy that framed her." Warner Bros. Television is behind the hour with UnbeliEVAble Entertainment's Eva Longoria and Ben Spector likewise serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED SANJAY SHAH PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Sanjay Shah ("1600 Penn") is developing a semi-autobiographical comedy at the Peacock which "follows two very different brothers and their immigrant parents all trying to run a fast-food franchise together in a sketchy Sacramento neighborhood." The single-camera project is set up at Universal Television. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED TIM MCAULIFFE PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Tim McAuliffe (CTV's "Satisfaction") has likewise booked a semi-autobiographical comedy at the network about "three roommates - Tim, Pete and Pete's girlfriend. After Pete and his girlfriend break up, Tim is left to live with his best friend's dramatic ex-girlfriend." The multi-camera project comes from 20th Century Fox Television with Jonathan Berry and Greg Walter of 3 Arts Entertainment also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


WORK WITH JERKS (ABC, New!) - Lizzie and Wendy Molyneux ("Bob's Burgers") have sold a new comedy to the Alphabet about "an ambitious yet often misguided woman whose role models are Hillary Clinton and Marissa Mayer but realizes she may have to rethink her professional strategy when she joins a company working with all male employees." Jenny Bicks ("The Big C") is also on board to executive produce the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which has a penalty attached. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Archie Kao has joined the cast of NBC's "Chicago PD" as Jin, "who's in charge of tech and surveillance at the CPD Intelligence Unit" (Deadline.com); Genevieve Angelson will recur on "House of Lies" as "a young, naive, Ivy League-educated consultant and is a new love interest for Doug (Josh Lawson)" (Deadline.com); British actor Joel Fry has been tapped to play Hizdahr zo Loraq, the "young scion of an ancient Meereenese family who crosses paths with Daenerys Targaryen" on "Game of Thrones" (EW.com); Scott Wolf will visit four episodes of NBC's "The Night Shift" as "a day-shift trauma surgeon who's engaged to interim chief Dr. Jordan Alexander (Jill Flint)" (EW.com); John Barrowman's Malcolm Merlyn will return to "Arrow" for at least two episodes in a yet-to-be-revealed capacity (TVLine.com); and indie folk-pop band The Head and the Heart will visit "Hart of Dixie's" third episode this season (THR.com).






  [september 2013]  
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· 1600 PENN (NBC)
· ARROW (CW)
· BIG C, THE (SHOWTIME)
· BOB'S BURGERS (FOX)
· CHICAGO PD (NBC)
· CRAZY ONES, THE (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· HART OF DIXIE (CW)
· HOUSE OF LIES (SHOWTIME)
· MAN/CHILD (FOX)
· MAYBE IT'S ME (NBC)
· MISTRESSES (ABC)
· MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
· NIGHT SHIFT, THE (NBC)
· NIKITA (CW)
· RAISING HOPE (FOX)
· RETIRED AT 35 (TV LAND)
· ROYALS, THE (E)
· SISTERLAND (ABC)
· SIX MONTHS, THREE DAYS (NBC)
· THIS CAN'T END WELL (FOX)
· UNTITLED ALBERT KIM PROJECT (CW)
· UNTITLED MODERN FAMILY SPIN-OFF PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED SANJAY SHAH PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED TIM MCAULIFFE PROJECT (FOX)
· WILFRED (FXX)
· WORK WITH JERKS (ABC)





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