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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!
Here are the latest projects being picked up to series for the 2016-17 season (via press release):
IMAGINARY MARY (ABC)
When Alice (Jenna Elfman) was a little girl her family life was... downright crappy. Growing up in a broken home
with no siblings, five-year-old Alice was on her own until the day she dreamed up her very own imaginary friend,
Mary, a snuggly, fiercely loyal, foul-mouthed creature who would give Alice the love and support she needed.
With Mary's help, shy little Alice grew into a kickass woman who rocks a karaoke mic, runs her own PR firm
repping famous athletes and avoids relationships and commitments at all costs. No family life, pudgy husband or
mom jeans for Alice, thank you very much. At least that was the plan Mary and Alice had agreed on many years
ago, which is why Mary "disappeared" from Alice's life. But like any imaginary friend, Mary has been lurking in the
back of Alice's mind. And Mary has decided it's time to come back, because suddenly... the plan is blowing up.
If you ask Mary, Alice is now about to throw away EVERYTHING because she has "stupidly" fallen in love with Ben
(Stephen Schneider), a good-looking, adorable, quick-witted divorced dad of three: Andy, 16, a kind hearted,
outgoing neurotic whose biggest obstacle is himself; Dora, 14, a fan-girl super geek and the toughest nut to crack;
and Bunny, 6, sweet and adorable but obsessed with life's darkest mysteries. So when Alice agrees to finally meet
the kids, Mary returns to convince Alice to "dump the chump" and his "annoying" kids - she's a cuddly badass on a
mission. Of course, even though Mary's looking out for Alice, she's also giving voice to Alice's deepest fears that
were formed in her less-than-perfect childhood -- she won't be able to make a serious relationship last, she lacks
the maternal instincts to be a "mom type person" to Ben's kids, families only end in disaster. According to Mary,
there's only one option: run!
But it doesn't look like Mary's misguided efforts, Alice's lack of mothering experience, or even Ben's kids can break
apart true love. With Ben's help and the realization that there may be something special - maybe even joyous -
about family life after all, Alice is ready to take small steps toward the next stage of her life. But since there is no
guarantee that things will work out, Mary has decided she'll stick around so she can "help" Alice through this
transition. And so in series Mary will give voice to the unfiltered, uncensored thoughts we all have about family life
from time to time, while we root for Alice and this evolving family to find their way.
CAST LISTING
Cast
Jenna Elfman
Stephen Schneider
Jillian Bell
Nicholas Coombe
Matreya Scarrwener
Erica Tremblay
CREDITS LISTING
Writers
David Guarascio
Adam Goldberg
Executive Producers
David Guarascio
Adam Goldberg
Patrick Osborne
Doug Robinson
Shawn Levy
Production Company
Sony Pictures Television
ABC Studios
NOTORIOUS (ABC)
Notorious is about control, ego, and power -- how a charismatic attorney and a powerhouse TV producer attempt
to control the media, the justice system, and ultimately each other. Living at the intersection of law and media, the
series explores the boundaries of professional integrity and how far our national tastemakers will go for ratings,
notoriety, and the last word.
Julia George is the Executive Producer of Louise Herrick Live, the nation's number one news program hosted by
Louise Herrick, a consummate professional when she's on air and a party girl in her off hours. As the nation's top
news producer, Julia decides what our country cares about. She creates heroes and monsters, victims and
villains. With the help of her associate producer, Megan Byrd, Julia tells the world when to pay attention and what
really matters. Recently, against her wishes, Julia's been assigned a new PA, Ryan Mills, the son of the network
president. Ryan is as ambitious as his father and in a hurry to step out of his shadow. He'll do anything to prove his
worth to Julia.
Jake Gregorian is the nation's top defense attorney. Handsome and charismatic, he boasts a roaster of celebrity
clients and will win at any cost. He often overshadows his brother, Bradley, an equal partner at Gregorian &
Gregorian, the firm created by their father. Jake and Bradley recently hired a new associate Ella Benjamin, a
protégé of Jake. Ella appears naive but that's a facade. Her father was arrested for a series of post office
bombings, and she became a lawyer to help get her father out of prison and off death row.
The heart of the series is the relationship between Julia and Jake. As respective leaders in their fields, they are in a
unique position to trade information and "access to the airwaves" for better stories and the upper hand. While they
are often at odds in public, behind the scenes they are in cahoots, using each other to advance their own agendas.
Jake and Julia rule their professional domains, but their personal lives are complicated. Jake is in love with a
client's wife and Julia just discovered that her boyfriend, a recently appointed Federal Judge, has been cheating on
her with high priced escorts.
Inspired by the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy
Walker, Notorious is a provocative look at the unique, sexy, and dangerous interplay of criminal law and the media.
CAST LISTING
Cast
Piper Perabo
Daniel Sunjata
Sepideh Moafi
Kate Jennings Grant
Ryan Guzman
Kevin Zegers
J. August Richards
Aimee Teegarden
CREDITS LISTING
Writers
Josh Berman
Allie Hagan
Executive Producers
Josh Berman
Allie Hagan
Mark Geragos
Wendy Walker
Kenny Meiselas
Jeff Kwatinetz
Josh Barry
Production Company
Sony Pictures Television
ABC Studios
THIS IS US (F.K.A. THIRTY-SIX) (NBC)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER: Dan Fogelman
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Charlie Gogolak, Jess Rosenthal
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
AUSPICES: 20th Century Fox Television
CAST: Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Ron Cephas Jones, Sterling K. Brown, Susan Kelechi Watson
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