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[01/24/07 - 12:49 AM]
Development Update: Wednesday, January 24
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!


THE CALL (ABC) - Dave Hemingson's single-camera comedy has officially been ordered to pilot. The 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour revolves around a pair of gifted yet unconventional Los Angeles paramedics who save people's lives while screwing up one another's - all in real time. Hemingson wrote the script and is executive producing alongside Real Time's Joel Surnow, Bob Cochran and Howard Gordon.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously blind six-episode commitment)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Dave Hemingson
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bob Cochran (Real Time Productions), Dave Hemingson, Howard Gordon (Real Time Productions), Joel Surnow (Real Time Productions)
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television


CARPOOLERS (ABC) - The Alphabet has ordered Bruce McCulloch's comedy project, about a group of suburban guys who carpool to work together, to pilot. Touchstone Television is behind the half-hour, which McCulloch wrote and is executive producing alongside 3 Arts Entertainment's David Miner and DreamWorks Television's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously script)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Bruce McCulloch
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bruce McCulloch, Darryl Frank (DreamWorks Television), David Miner (3 Arts Entertainment), Justin Falvey (DreamWorks Television)
Studio: Touchstone Television


DEEPLY IRRESPONSIBLE (A.K.A. UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT) (FOX) - Victor Fresco's comedy project, which now features the working title of "Deeply Irresponsible," has been given a pilot commitment. The multi-camera half-hour revolves around an uptight family that is turned upside-down when their freewheeling grandfather comes to live with them. Fresco penned the pilot script and will executive produce the project, which is based at 20th Century Fox Television.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously put pilot)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Victor Fresco
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Victor Fresco
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television


ELI STONE (ABC) - "Justice" alum Victor Garber has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a brilliant attorney (Jonny Lee Miller) at the top law firm in San Francisco who finds out he might be a prophet. Garber will play the senior partner at the firm, the most respected attorney in town who happens to be the father of Stone's fiancee.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone), Loretta Devine, Victor Garber
Writers: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Greg Berlanti (Berlanti Television), Marc Guggenheim
Studio: Touchstone Television


FAMILY OF THE YEAR (ABC, New!) - Erica Rivinoja ("Grounded for Life") has scored a pilot order from the Alphabet for a new comedy about the Holloways, 10-time Tatum, New Mexico, "Family of the Year" winners, who are thrown for a loop when a local - and possibly more deserving - family starts encroaching on their territory. Rivinoja penned the script is executive producing alongside Pam Brady ("The Loop") for 20th Century Fox Television.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: Erica Rivinoja
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Erica Rivinoja, Pam Brady
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television


THE LIFE & TIMES OF TIM (FOX, New!) - FOX has committed to a pilot presentation for a new animated comedy from indie filmmaker Steve Dildarian ("Angry Unpaid Hooker"). Warner Bros. Television is behind the project, which revolves around the life of a twentysomething guy. Cheri Oteri ("Saturday Night Live"), Kurtwood Smith ("That '70s Show") and Matt Johnson are already on board to voice the presentation, which Dildarian write, direct and executive produce alongside Tom Werner, Eric Gold and Jimmy Miller.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (7-10 minute presentation)
Cast: Cheri Oteri, Kurtwood Smith, Matt Johnson
Writer: Steve Dildarian
Director: Steve Dildarian
Executive Producers: Eric Gold (Werner-Gold-Miller), Jimmy Miller (Werner-Gold-Miller), Steve Dildarian, Tom Werner (Werner-Gold-Miller)
Studio: Warner Bros. Television


THE MASTERSONS OF MANHATTAN (NBC) - Natasha Richardson ("Maid in Manhattan") has been tapped as one of the lead roles in the comedy pilot, a serialized comedic soap opera revolving around two sisters, one of them played by Richardson, in a socially prominent family in New York. In addition, sitcom veteran James Burrows ("Will & Grace") has come aboard to direct the half-hour from a script by creator Gary Janetti.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Natasha Richardson
Writer: Gary Janetti
Director: James Burrows
Executive Producers: Gary Janetti
Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio


THE MIDDLE (ABC) - Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline's single-camera comedy, about the lives of a middle class, Midwestern family as told through the eyes of the mother, has been given a pilot order by the network. The pair penned the pilot script and will executive produce for Warner Bros. Television.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously script)
Cast: TBA
Writers: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler
Studio: Warner Bros. Television


SAM I AM (A.K.A. THE MEMORY TRACE) (ABC) - The Alphabet has given a pilot order to the project, a single-camera comedy about a woman who wakes up from a coma with amnesia and has to rediscover her life, her relationships and herself. Novelist Cecelia Ahern ("PS, I Love You") and writer/producer Don Todd are behind the Touchstone Television-based half-hour, which Todd wrote from a story by Ahern. Todd will also executive produce alongside Brillstein Grey Entertainment's Peter Traugott with Ahern serving as a producer.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously script)
Cast: TBA
Writers: Cecelia Ahern, Don Todd
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Don Todd, Peter Traugott (Brillstein-Grey Entertainment)
Producer: Cecelia Ahern
Studio: Touchstone Television


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2007]  
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M
T
W
T
F
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· CALL, THE (ABC)
· CARPOOLERS (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ELI STONE (ABC)
· FAMILY OF THE YEAR (ABC)
· GROUNDED FOR LIFE (WB)
· JUSTICE (FOX)
· LIFE & TIMES OF TIM, THE (HBO)
· LOOP, THE (FOX)
· MASTERSONS OF MANHATTAN, THE (NBC)
· MIDDLE, THE (2007 VERSION) (ABC)
· SAMANTHA WHO? (ABC)
· THAT '70S SHOW (FOX)
· UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (FOX)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)





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