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[10/08/10 - 06:33 PM]
Development Update: Friday, October 8
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!


ECHELON (NBC, New!) - Feature writer Michael Gordon ("300") has booked a new drama at the Peacock about "the controversial U.S electronic eavesdropping apparatus ECHELON, a program that supposedly captures virtually all data signals for analysis at a central hub in West Virginia." Said hour, which comes from Imagine Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television, then would revolve around the Global Hierarchical Observation Strategy Taskforce (G.H.O.S.T.), whose assignment it is to investigate paranormal data captured by the system. Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo then will executive produce alongside Gordon, who's penning the script.


NURSE JACKIE (Showtime) - "Kyle XY" alum Jaimie Alexander is set for a four-episode arc on the show's upcoming third season. She'll play Kevin's (Dominic Fumusa) never-before-seen younger sibling. No other specifics were given.


SUBURGATORY (ABC, New!) - Emily Kapnek ("Hung") has booked a new single-camera comedy at the Alphabet about "a teenage girl who is moved from the big city to her version of hell -- the suburbs." Warner Bros. Television is behind the half-hour, which Kapnek will write and executive producer.


TRUE DETECTIVES/ZITS (CBS, New!) - "Samantha Who?" co-creator Donald Todd has set up a pair of projects at the Eye. Drama "True Detectives" is based on Jonathan Kellerman's novel of the same name, about "two estranged half-brothers, one a homicide cop and the other a private eye, solving crimes in Los Angeles." "Zits" then is a family comedy based on Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott's newspaper strip "that explores the sardonic wit and hormonal angst of 16-year-old Jeremy Duncan." Both efforts come from Warner Bros. Television where Todd has a multi-script deal. Jerry Bruckheimer Television is co-producing "Zits" with Bruckheimer, Scott and Borgman executive producing alongside Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed. "Detectives" is likewise executive produced by Greer Shephard, Michael Robin, David Salzman and Kellerman for the former's Shephard/Robin Co.


TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS) - TMZ.com reports co-star Angus T. Jones has inked a new contract with Warner Bros. Television valued at $300,000 per episode. The two-year deal is valued at $14.4 million, plus a $500,000 signing bonus, making him the highest-paid child TV star. That's a $50,000 per episode raise from his previous salary, $250,000 per episode.


UNTITLED PETER KNIGHT PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Peter Knight ("Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire") has snagged a put pilot order from the Eye for a new comedy about "a suburban dad of a blended family who has strong opinions about the way of doing things." Sony Pictures Television is behind the multi-camera half-hour, which Knight will executive produce alongside Happy Madison's Doug Robinson and Jack Giarraputo.


UNTITLED PHIL SPECTOR PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Al Pacino is reportedly set to topline yet another telefilm at the pay channel, this time a biopic of iconic record producer Phil Spector, who was sent to jail last year for a minimum of 19 years for the murder of Lana Clarkson. Pacino took home an Emmy for his portrayal of Jack Kevorkian in HBO's "You Don't Know Jack" earlier this year. David Mamet is on board to write and direct the project, which is still in the development stage, with Barry Levinson executive producing.






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· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ECHELON (NBC)
· HUNG (HBO)
· KROD MANDOON & THE FLAMING SWORD OF FIRE (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· KYLE XY (ABC FAMILY)
· NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
· PHIL SPECTOR (HBO)
· SAMANTHA WHO? (ABC)
· SUBURGATORY (ABC)
· TRUE DETECTIVES (CBS)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
· UNTITLED PETER KNIGHT PROJECT (CBS)
· YOU DON'T KNOW JACK (HBO)
· ZITS (CBS)





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