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[12/08/10 - 06:42 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, December 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!


ALL SIGNS OF DEATH (HBO) - The pay channel has passed on the drama pilot, about "a slacker-turned-crime scene cleaner (Ben Whishaw) who gets entangled in a murder mystery." No specific reason was given. Alan Ball helmed and executive produced the hour off a script by Charlie Huston, whose novel served as the show's basis. Clayne Crawford, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Kelsey Ford, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Mercedes Masohn and Ron Yuan also starred.


AWAKE (USA, New!) - Feature writer Aaron Guzikowski ("Contraband") has booked a potential drama at the cable channel about "a NYC detective stricken with permanent insomnia." Madhouse Entertainment's Adam Kolbrenner and Robyn Meisinger are also on board as producers.


BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS (The CW, New!) - Dan Thompsen ("Melrose Place") has snagged a script order from the netlet for a new drama about "two young thieves who given a second chance as informants for a new FBI division." Rob Thomas is supervising the hour, which is set up at CBS Television Studios and FishBowl Worldwide Media. The latter's Vin Di Bona and Bruce Gersh will executive produce alongside Thomas and Jennifer Gwartz.


BRAIN TRUST (TBS) - Kadeem Hardison has booked a role on the drama pilot, about Detective Billy Doyle (D.B Sweeney), "whose career and life have hit rock bottom after he accidentally ends his partner's career. Doyle's life gets turned around, however, when a recent murder case gets unexpected and unconventional help from three hyper-smart geniuses from a private think tank." No details were given about his character. Jed Rees, Lindy Booth and Michael Urie also star while Dean Devlin and Marco Schnabel executive produce.


COMMON LAW (USA) - Warren Kole ("Mental") has scored a lead role on the drama pilot, in which "couples therapy works wonders for two cops who just can't get along." He'll play Wes Mitchell, one of the aforementioned detectives, alongside the previously cast Michael Ealy. His casting lifts said contingency off the 90-minute pilot's production. Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley are behind the project, which is set up at CBS Television Studios and Jon Turteltaub's Junction Entertainment.


CONSULTING ADULTS (NBC, New!) - Victoria Strouse ("October Road") has landed a script order from the Peacock for a new drama about "a team of corporate consultants who advise people on how to fix their companies, even though their personal lives are quite dysfunctional." 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment are behind the hour, with Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin executive producing alongside Strouse.


THE DANGER LIST (FOX, New!) - Stephen Gallagher ("Eleventh Hour") has booked a potential drama at the network about "a doctor with a complicated past investigates medical abuses, crimes and conspiracies." FishBowl Worldwide Media's Vin Di Bona and Bruce Gersh are executive producing alongside Gallagher and Susan Levison. It's unclear if a studio is attached.


DESCENDANTS (HBO, New!) - Aaron Guzikowski ("Contraband") likewise is in talks to land a new drama at the pay channel about "a sheriff struggling to police two clashing communities: the small town where he grew up and the neighboring Ramapo Mountains, home of the mysterious Ramapo Mountain Indians." Sarah Condon is on board to executive produce the hour alongside Guzikowski.


FORD COUNTY (NBC, New!) - Author John Grisham and "Brothers & Sisters" creator Jon Robin Baitz are set to team for a potential drama based on the former's short story collection of the same name, about the inhabitants of the Mississippi region and their foibles. Universal Media Studios and Working Title are co-producing the hour which Grisham and Baitz will executive produce alongside Shelley McCrory, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Grisham's production partner, David Gernert. Baitz then will pen the script.


GO TIME! (CBS, New!) - Ian Roberts and Jay Martel (Spike TV's "Players") are developing a new comedy at the Eye about "a gung-ho ex-Marine who turns his brother's family upside down when he moves into their garage." Sony Pictures Television is the studio attached.


THE INBETWEENERS (MTV) - Relative newcomers Joey Pollari, Bubba Lewis, Zack Pearlman and Mark L. Young have booked the principal roles on the comedy pilot, about "four high school boys who are not the most cool and popular but not geeky enough to be branded uncool." In addition, Taika Waititi ("Flight of the Concords") has been tapped to direct the pilot, which was penned by Brad Copeland. Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, creators of the original U.K. series are executive producing alongside Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan.


NOT NORMAL (Comedy Central, New!) - Ian Roberts and Jay Martel (Spike TV's "Players") likewise have scored a potential comedy at the cable channel about "about five friends who investigate paranormal activity in suburbia under the name Not Normal Investigations." Roberts is attached to star in the half-hour, with Martel directing. Each will presumably executive produce.


THE PACKAGED DEAL (ABC, New!) - David I. Stern ("Open Season 2") is set to team with Ed Decter and John Strauss ("In Plain Sight") for a potential comedy about "the idea that when you marry a person, you don't just bring your spouse into your life, you bring their entire family." Sony Pictures Television is behind the project, which is based on Stern's family.


UNTITLED JASON ALEXANDER PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Jason Alexander is looking to transition to drama as the actor has landed a potential hour at the Eye about "a former TV star (Alexander) who's down on his luck and winds up joining his ex-wife's detective agency. Once there, the character reinvents himself as an investigator with a penchant for disguise." Simon Barry is penning the untitled drama and will serve as a co-executive producer. Alexander will executive produce for CBS Television Studios with Carol Yumkas producing.


UNTITLED BRENT BOLTHOUSE/VANESSA REISEN PROJECT (Starz, New!) - Brent Bolthouse ("The Hills") is getting into the producing game, landing a potential series at the pay channel about "the lives of several people whose paths cross in Los Angeles, with each episode taking place over the course of one night." Vanessa Reisen ("Californication") is penning the project and will executive produce alongside Bolthouse.






  [december 2010]  
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· ALL SIGNS OF DEATH (HBO)
· AWAKE (USA)
· BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS (CW)
· BRAIN TRUST (TBS)
· BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC)
· CALIFORNICATION (SHOWTIME)
· COMMON LAW (USA)
· CONSULTING ADULTS (NBC)
· DANGER LIST, THE (FOX)
· DESCENDANTS (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ELEVENTH HOUR (CBS)
· FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO)
· FORD COUNTY (NBC)
· GO TIME! (CBS)
· HILLS, THE (MTV)
· IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA)
· INBETWEENERS, THE (MTV)
· MELROSE PLACE (CW)
· MENTAL (FOX)
· NOT NORMAL (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· OCTOBER ROAD (ABC)
· PACKAGED DEAL, THE (ABC)
· PLAYERS (SPIKE TV)
· UNTITLED BOLTHOUSE & REISEN PROJECT (STARZ)
· UNTITLED JASON ALEXANDER PROJECT (CBS)





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