LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Alexandra Cunningham, a supervising producer on the series, has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with series producer ABC Studios. The pact calls for the writer/producer to be upped to co-executive producer for "Housewives'" fourth season as well as develop new series projects for the studio.
KYLE XY (ABC Family) - The cable channel has quietly extended the show's second season to 23 episodes. The 10 extra installments then will air sometime in early 2008. Look for its 13-episode summer run to begin Monday, June 11 at 8:00/7:00c.
LAW & ORDER (NBC) - TNT has reportedly made an offer to potentially pick up the long running drama should it not make the cut on NBC's schedule next week. The move, widely considered a longshot, would call for executive producer Dick Wolf and producer NBC Universal Television to dramatically reduce the show's costs, license fee and production cycle (13 episodes instead of 22) in order to be viable for the cable channel. The news marks the second time TNT has made a play for the "Law & Order" franchise - the first being in 2005 when it offered to pick up failed spin-off "Trial by Jury" to no avail.
RAPPING WITH THE STARS (MTV, New!) - MTV is hoping to develop a new "Dancing With the Stars"-esque reality competition series in which celebrities pair with hip-hop pros. No specifics have been released about the project, other than it would feature a panel hip-hop experts as judges. It's understood E's Giuliana DePandi, RickMill Productions' Kimber Rickabaugh and Paul Miller as well as 3 Arts Entertainment are all involved in the project's negotiations, which could be greenlighted as early as next month.
SIX FEET UNDER (HBO) - Producer-turned-executive David Janollari is making the switch once again, inking a two-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television and Warner Horizon Television. The pact will set up his newly launched production company at the studio where he'll develop new series projects. Janollari is most recently known on the network side as the head of the WB in its final years and on the producing side for his work with Robert Greenblatt, with whom he developed HBO's "Six Feet Under," UPN's "Eve" and "One on One."
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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