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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!
BATTLE CREEK (CBS/Sony; W: David Shore & Vince Gilligan; D: TBA) - Kal Penn ("House") is the first actor cast in the drama pilot, about a detective and an FBI agent with very different world views who are teamed up to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Michigan. He'll play "another local detective who initially has reservations about the newly arrived FBI agent." (Deadline.com)
CHOKING GAME, THE (Lifetime, New!) - Freya Tingley and Peri Gilpin are set to star in a small screen take on Diana Lopez's novel "Choke," about "a teenager who flirts with disaster after being introduced to the 'game' of intentionally cutting off oxygen to the brain to get high." Tingley plays Taryn, "who is just starting her senior year when a charismatic new girl claims her as a 'breath sister' as they take 'flights' together"; with Gilpin as her mom, "who tries to help after sensing that something is seriously wrong with her daughter." Lane Shefter Bishop is directing from a script by Jen Klein with Jonathan Eskenas, Marilyn R. Atlas and Orly Adelson executive producing for Orly Adelson Productions. (Deadline.com)
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS) - Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn and Ann Donahue are spearheading a potential new spin-off of the veteran drama, about Avery Ryan, "Special Agent in Charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI in Quantico, VA, who is tasked with solving major crimes that start in the mind, live online, and play out into the real world." The project is inspired by the work of Irish cyberpsychologist Mary Aiken, who will serve as a producer. Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman then will executive produce the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which will be set up via a backdoor pilot episode later this season. (Deadline.com)
DAMAGED GOODS (ABC/Warner Bros.; W: Lauren Iungerich; D: Declan Lowney) - Declan Lowney (Alan Partridge) has been tapped to direct the comedy pilot, about three damaged women and two damaged men who explore the minutiae of love and relationships. Lauren Iungerich is behind the single-camera project. (Deadline.com)
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION (TNT; W: Dee Johnson & Marcia Clark; D: Nelson McCormick) - Neve Campbell has pulled out as the lead of the drama pilot, about Rachel Knight, a gutsy Deputy District Attorney in the Special Trials Unit of the D.A.'s office for L.A. County. She works closely with a tough-as-nails female LAPD detective named Bailey Keller (Elisabeth Rohm) and a stylish female prosecutor named Toni LaCollette (Rose Rollins), both of whom routinely crash at Rachel's place. The report indicates said decision was over the "feeling she wasn't ready to jump back into series TV." (Deadline.com)
HERE'S YOUR DAMN FAMILY (FOX/Warner Bros.; W: Ricky Blitt; D: TBA) - Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about Richard Gordon, a stunted, set-in-his-ways thirtysomething man living with his mom, Carol (Jane Kaczmarek), who finds his perfectly organized world upended when she gets married - and her new husband, Mike Baldwin (David James Elliott), plus his three teenage children (Peter DaCunha, Brendan Meyer and TBA) move in. He'll play the aforementioned Richard in the multi-camera project. (Deadline.com)
HIEROGLYPH (FOX/20th; W: Travis Beacham; D: Miguel Sapochnik) - Caroline Ford and Antony Bunsee have both landed roles on the ancient Egypt series, about a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah (Reece Ritchie), navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers. She'll play Peshet, a member of the thief's crew; while he's set as Rawser, Captain of the Pharoah's Guard. Kelsey Chow and Condola Rashad also star. (Deadline.com)
MANHATTAN (WGN America/Lionsgate; W: Sam Shaw; D: Thomas Schlamme) - Olivia Williams ("Dollhouse") is the latest to be cast in the upcoming drama, which follows the brilliant but flawed scientists - on mission to build the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico - and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives. She's on board as Liza Winter, "a brilliant botanist with a complicated past who begins to notice unsettling changes to the environment when she accompanies her husband Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey) to the secret birthplace of the atomic bomb." Also starring are Ashley Zukerman, Christopher Denham, Daniel Stern, Harry Lloyd, Katja Herbers and Rachel Brosnahan. (Deadline.com)
MISSION CONTROL (NBC/Universal; W: David Hornsby; D: TBA) - "Better Off Ted" alums Malcolm Barrett and Jonathan Slavin have both scored roles on the comedy pilot, which examines what happens when Mary (yet to be cast), a strong woman, butts heads with Tom (also yet to be cast), a macho astronaut, in the race to land on the moon in 1962. Barrett will play Arthur, an engineer who is dry as he is smart; while Jonathan is set as Kriegel, the weirdo genius on the team. (Deadline.com)
NCIS (CBS) - Paige Turco ("The 100") has been tapped for a potentially recurring role on the proposed spin-off, about the NCIS New Orleans office, which handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. She'll play Linda, the wife of NCIS Special Agent Pride (Scott Bakula). Lucas Black, Zoe McLellan and CCH Pounder also star in the project, which will be set up via two backdoor pilot episodes later this season. (Deadline.com)
OLD SOUL (NBC/Universal; W: Amy Poehler, Jon Fener & Josh Bycel; D: David Wain) - Greta Lee ("Girls") has joined the cast of the single-camera comedy pilot, about Nadia (Natasha Lyonne), a young woman who's trying to find herself, but in the meantime she's working as the aide to a group of elderly people. She's on board as her pal Alix, who is smart, trendy, direct and will not fail at anything. Also starring is Rita Moreno. (Deadline.com)
PROOF (TNT; W: Rob Bragin; D: Alex Graves) - Edi Gathegi and Caroline Rose Kaplan have both boarded the drama pilot, about Katherine Russo (yet to be cast), a skeptical, hard science, female surgeon who is persuaded to investigate cases of reincarnation, out-of-body experiences, hauntings to find verifiable proof whether death truly is the end. He's set as Zed, a former refugee from the Sudan with a gentle soul in an intimidatingly tall and lanky frame; while she'll play Janel Flynn, the annoyingly young, smart and cute in a nerdy way assistant to billionaire Ivan Turing. (Deadline.com)
RED BAND SOCIETY (FOX/ABC Studios; W: Margaret Nagle; D: TBA) - Charlie Rowe, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Zoe Levin have all landed roles on the drama pilot, about a group of teenagers who meet as patients in the children's wing of a hospital and become unlikely allies and friends. Rowe will play Leo, "the leader of sorts of the group of teens who has osteosarcoma"; with Levin as "another teen, the beautiful and smart but mean Kara, a head cheerleader who finds herself in the hospital pediatrics ward after she passes out during a practice"; and Rittenhouse as Nurse Brittany, "a new hire on the pediatric ward." Griffin Gluck and Octavia Spencer also star. (Deadline.com)
RED ZONE (CBS/CTS/Universal; W: Nikki Toscano; D: James Foley) - James Foley ("House of Cards") is set to direct the drama pilot, about a retired CIA operative who, when a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C., is pulled back into action, forced to investigate closer to home where the next generation of terrorists are being bred. He'll work from a script by creator Toscano. (Deadline.com)
SELFIE (ABC/Warner Bros.; W: Emily Kapnek; D: Julie Anne Robinson) - Karen Gillan ("Doctor Who") is set to star while Julie Anne Robinson ("How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)") has been tapped to direct the comedy pilot, about Eliza Dooley, a self-obsessed 20-something woman who enlists the help of Henry Higenbottam (yet to be cast), a marketing expert at her company to help repair her tarnished image after she becomes the subject of a viral video. She'll play the aforementioned Eliza while Robinson will work from a script by Kapnek. (Deadline.com)
SOBER COMPANION (FOX/CTS; W: David S. Rosenthal & Jennie Snyder Urman; D: Don Scardino) - Don Scardino (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone) is set to helm the comedy pilot, about Robert Lang (yet to be cast), a charming, but self-destructive attorney finds his world turned upside down when Jeremy Brummel (also yet to be cast), a court-appointed, and highly unconventional, sober companion takes control of his life. He'll work from a script by David S. Rosenthal and Jennie Snyder Urman. (Deadline.com)
TOOKEN (NBC/Universal; W: Robert Carlock & Tina Fey; D: Tristram Shapeero) - "Community" mainstay Tristram Shapeero has signed on to direct the comedy pilot, about Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York City. The project was picked up directly to series back in October. (Deadline.com)
TRIBECA (TBS; W: Nancy Carell & Steve Carell; D: Steve Carell) - Deon Cole ("Deon Cole's Black Box") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime, reveal way too much personal information about themselves and refuse to rest until justice has been served. He'll play DJ Tanner, head of the K-9 unit. Andrée Vermeulen, Jere Burns and Rashida Jones also star. (Deadline.com)
TWO TO GO (NBC/Universal; W: Bryan Shukoff & Kevin Chesley; D: Craig Zisk) - Christine Woods ("Hello Ladies") has booked the female lead while Craig Zisk ("Bent") has signed on to direct the comedy pilot, about longtime best friends Kurt and Laura, who grapple with the challenges of modern-day dating while their group of friends try and prove that they are destined to be together. She'll play the aforementioned Laura, who's billed as tough, smart, successful, just coming out of a bad breakup. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT (CBS/Warner Bros.; W: Kevin Williamson; D: Liz Friedlander) - Liz Friedlander ("The Secret Circle") is set to helm the drama pilot, a psychological thriller centering around a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD. She'll work from a script by creator Williamson. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED KZK PROJECT (Netflix/Sony; W: Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman & Glenn Kessler; D: Johan Renck) - Jacinda Barrett ("Zero Hour") has scored a role on the upcoming drama, about a family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep brother returns home. She's set as Diana Rayburn, John's (Kyle Chandler) wife. Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie McShane, Linda Cardellini and Sissy Spacek also star. In addition, Johan Renck (Downloading Nancy) has been tapped to helm the debut installment. (Deadline.com)
VISITORS, THE (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Soo Hugh; D: Mark Romanek) - Derek Webster ("Revolution") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, billed as a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world by using the Earth's most precious resource: children. He'll play Jessup Rollins, "an FBI agent with two disciplinary reprimands on his record and a past of difficult behavior." (Deadline.com)
WARRIORS (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Chris Keyser; D: Martin Campbell) - Australian actor Don Hany has been tapped as the male lead on the drama pilot, about the best and brightest active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine. He'll play trauma surgeon George Mann, "who can't stop taking care of these men, though it nearly breaks his heart, every day." Courtney B. Vance and Eloise Mumford also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - HBO has finalized a six-episode order for a second season of "Getting On" (Deadline.com); Marilu Henner has been cast as Sydney's self-absorbed mom (Sarah Michelle Gellar) who makes Simon (Robin Williams) look like Father of the Year on "The Crazy Ones" (TVGuide.com); and Rose McIver will succeed Kiernan Shipka as Cathy on Lifetime's "Flowers in the Attic" sequel, "Petals on the Wind," while Dylan Bruce will return as Bart Winslow (THR.com).
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