[10/15/09 - 06:21 PM] Development Update: Thursday, October 15 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!
BITCHES IN BRITCHES (THE CW, New!) - Bob Brush and Mel Harris are developing a new family soap at the netlet set in the equestrian world of Millbrook, New York. Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment are behind the hour, which will be executive produced by the duo, designer Zac Posen and Ish's Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper.
THE BRADLEYS (FOX, New!) - Peter Bagge's graphic novels are set to be the focus of a potential new animated series at the network. Bagge himself and Matthew Lawton ("Crank Yankers") are co-writing the script to the project, which will revolves around a dysfunctional suburban family, as seen through the eyes of teen Buddy Bradley. The pair will also executive produce the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which has a script commitment, alongside Barry Katz, Brian Volk-Weiss and Michael Pelmont.
CONFESSIONS OF A BACKUP DANCER (THE CW, New!) - Alloy Entertainment ("Gossip Girl," "The Vampire Diaries") is looking to bring yet another young adult book series to the small screen. Ilene Chaiken ("The L Word") is set to adapt "Confessions of a Backup Dancer," about "a woman who scores a gig as a backup dancer for a major pop star." She'll also executive produce alongside Alloy's Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy for Warner Bros. Television.
THE GATES (ABC, New!) - Fox Television Studios ("Defying Gravity') has landed another international co-production at the Alphabet, this time for a drama about "a cop who gives up his job in a major city to be chief of police in a planned suburban community, where he discovers there's more to the residents than meets the eye." Richard Hatem and Grant Scharbo are behind the hour, which has a 13-episode order contingent on the studio's foreign financing coming through for the production. Hatem and Scharbo then will executive produce alongside the former's Little Engine partner Gina Matthews. Production is set to begin in early to mid-2010, with South America among the locations being considered.
THE MARCH SISTERS (THE CW, New!) - Jill Gordon ("90210") has set up a drama script at the netlet about "working-class siblings trying to make it in the wealthy, glamorous world of Park Avenue." The project, which is being billed as "Little Women" meets "Sex and the City," comes from CBS Television Studios. Gordon will pen the script and executive produce with Meryl Poster.
NASHVILLE/SPY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS (THE CW, New!) - "One Tree Hill" creator Mark Schwahn has sold a pair of scripts to the network from CBS Television Studios. First up is "Nashville," about "a young female singer destined for stardom and a young male songwriter whose career path is uncertain." Neal Dodson and Matt Bomer ("White Collar") penned the script on spec and are executive producing alongside Schwahn and country music star Brad Paisley, who plans to write songs for the show and appear as himself. Then there's "Spy School for Girls," about "female spy trainees at a CIA facility." Schwahn is penning the hour based on a book in the works by former spy Larry Kolb. The pair will then also serve as executive producers.
PLYMOUTH ROCK (THE CW, New!) - "Party Down" executive producers Rob Thomas, Danielle Stokdyk, Jennifer Gwartz and Dan Etheridge are set to reteam for a new drama at the netlet about "young people on a ship traveling to a distant planet in order to colonize and save the human race." Thomas will write the hour executive produce alongside his "Party Down" partners for Warner Bros. Television.
UNTITLED JONAH HILL PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Jonah Hill ("Superbad") has booked a pilot presentation order from the network for a new animated comedy about "a 7-year-old socialite who acts and talks like an adult - and finds himself out of his element when forced to attend public school." Hill will voice the lead character as well as co-write the script alongside Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul ("Yes Man"). The project is set up at the 20th Century Fox Television-based the Chernin Co. with the company's Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope executive producing alongside the trio.
UNTITLED JULIE MARTIN PROJECT (THE CW, New!) - Julie Martin has scored a script commitment form the netlet for a new drama "based on the life of socialite Sloan Barnett and set in Manhattan's Early Case Assessment Bureau, where she worked." The project is set up at CBS Television Studios and Tribeca Entertainment with Martin writing and executive producing alongside Tribeca's Robert De Niro's and Jane Rosenthal.
[06/19/13 - 01:39 PM] TNT Bumps Newcomer "72 Hours" to Friday Nights The reality competition series, which had been airing on Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c, will relocate to Fridays effective immediately.
[06/19/13 - 12:17 PM] ESPN to Present World Series of Poker Main Event To kick off ESPN's WSOP coverage, the inaugural World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific Main Event Final Table will air on Tuesday, July 23.
