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[02/10/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: February 10
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:

Looking to keep track of all the various pilots and other projects in development? Be sure to check out our detailed production chart listings by clicking here.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Felicity Huffman ("Sports Night," "Out of Order") has been added to the ensemble cast of the drama pilot, a darkly humorous look at the secretive lives of four women living in an Anytown, USA, cul-de-sac. She'll play one of the wives, a former corporate lawyer turned stay-at-home mom. Huffman joins the previously cast Eva Longoria ("L.A. Dragnet") in the project, which comes from Touchstone Television and executive producers Marc Cherry and Chuck Pratt.

DOING IT (ABC) - D.B. Sweeney ("Strange Luck"), Lisa Darr ("Popular") and Jessica Lucas ("Edgemont") have joined the cast of drama pilot, a coming-of-age drama about the sexual antics of three teen boys in Seattle. Sweeney and Darr wil play parents to Sean Faris' character while Lucas will join Kelly Osbourne and Missi Pergrym as the teen female leads. Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah are behind the project, which comes from Touchstone Television.

HARRY GREEN AND EUGENE (ABC) - Jason Segel ("Freaks & Geeks") will star opposite Mark Valley in the drama pilot, which comes the "Keen Eddie" team of Joel Wyman, Simon West, Warren Littlefield and Paramount Network Television. Segel will play the inept brother of Mark Valley's character, a private investigator in Los Angeles.

HAWAII (NBC) - Michael Madsen ("Vengeance Unlimited") has come aboard the drama pilot, which comes from NBC Studios. He'll play a talented cop and devoted father on the project, an ensemble drama about the Oahu police department. Madsen joins the previously cast Sharif Atkins, Ivan Sergei and Eric Balfour. Jon Avnet ("Boomtown") is directing the pilot from a script by Jeff Eastin ("Shasta McNasty").

OAHU (A.K.A. THE BIG ISLAND) (FOX) - Kristoffer Polaha ("Tru Calling") has landed a lead role in the drama pilot, which now features the title "Oahu." He'll play the manager of the hotel in the project, an "Upstairs, Downstairs"-esque drama about the guests and staff at a luxury hotel in Hawaii. Polaha's involvement is the result of a talent deal the actor signed with FOX back in August (read the story). Peter Elkoff ("Mr. Beautiful") and Kevin Falls ("The West Wing") are behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based pilot, which is being directed by Peyton Reed ("Bring It On").

NEVER MIND NIRVANA (NBC, New!) - Writer/producer Ajay Sahgal has landed a cast-contigent pilot pick-up for a new comedy about what happens when an Indian-American doctor's immigrant parents move in with him and his Caucasian wife. Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke and their NBC Studios-based The Untitled Burke/Tarses Project is behind the project, which will be executive produced by the duo along with Sahgal.

PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (Syndication) - The syndicated series has been cleared on Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago for a fall 2004 launch. The news means the Sony Pictures Television-distributed series is now a go in 18 of the top 20 markets in the country, including stations in the Viacom, Tribune, Raycom, Scripps Howard, Lin, Belo, Young Broadcasting, Clear Channel, Media General, ACME and Weigel groups.

UNTITLED JASON KATIMS/DAVID E. KELLY PROJECT (ABC) - Michael Dinner ("Karen Sisco," "The Street") is set to direct the romantic drama pilot, which centers on three sisters who are wedding planners. The project is set up at David E. Kelley Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.

THE WEBSTER REPORT (CBS) - Emmy winner Stanley Tucci ("Winchell," "Murder One") has signed on for the lead role in the pilot, a drama about an offbeat New York private investigator. Tucci's involvement lifts the cast-contingency on the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, 25C Productions and CBS Productions. Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men In Black") is on board to direct the pilot from a script by Theresa Rebeck ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent").

WEEKENDS (NBC, New!) - Writer/producer Craig Doyle has landed a pilot commitment from the Peacock for a new half-hour comedy about an Orange County couple with a kid who still long for the carefree days of their youth. No other details were released about the project, other than it is set up at NBC Studios.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2004]  
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· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· DEMARCO AFFAIRS (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· FREAKS & GEEKS (NBC)
· HARRY GREEN & EUGENE (ABC)
· HAWAII (NBC)
· KAREN SISCO (ABC)
· KEEN EDDIE (FOX)
· LA DRAGNET (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (USA)
· LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (ABC)
· NEARLY NIRVANA (NBC)
· NORTH SHORE (FOX)
· OUT OF ORDER (SHOWTIME)
· PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (SYNDICATION)
· POPULAR (WB)
· SHASTA (UPN)
· SPORTS NIGHT (ABC)
· STREET, THE (FOX)
· TRU CALLING (FOX)
· WEBSTER REPORT, THE (CBS)
· WEEKENDS (NBC)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





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