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[02/03/11 - 10:49 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, February 3
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!


FREE AGENTS (NBC) - John Enbom's comedy, which "explores the attraction between two quirky PR executives who are both on the rebound, one from a divorce and the other from the loss of a fiance," has been given a cast-contingent pilot order. The Universal Media Studios project is based on the U.K. comedy of the same name, with Kenton Allen, Dark Toy's Karey Burke and Todd Holland executive producing alongside Enbom. Holland is also attached to direct.


FUTURAMA (Comedy Central) - The show's seventh season will roll out on Thursday, June 23, Vulture reports. In addition, while no formal negotiations have taken place, it's understood Comedy Central and 20th Century Fox Television are on track to renew the series. And considering the lead time needed for animation, a deal would likely need to be closed in the coming months.


LOCKE & KEY (FOX) - Jesse McCartney ("Greek") has booked the male lead on the drama pilot, about a family's attempt to rebuild by moving in with their deceased father's brother at the family homestead in Maine, where they discover doorways with decidedly spectral qualities. He'll play Ty, the eldest of the Locke children, who "was the closest with his dad and carries a special guilt for his father's death." Harrison Thomas, Miranda Otto, Nick Stahl, Sarah Bolger and Skylar Gaertner also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which Mark Romanek is directing from a script by Josh Friedman.


LOVELIVES (NBC, New!) - Chris Sheridan ("Family Guy") has landed a multi-camera comedy at the network about "a couple who explore cheating on their spouse and the friends/family members around them who encourage it." 20th Century Fox Television is behind the half-hour, which has a pilot commitment. Chernin Entertainment's Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope are executive producing alongside Sheridan.


LUCK (HBO) - John C. McGinley ("Scrubs") is set to recur on the Dustin Hoffman-led drama, set in the world of horse racing. He'll play "a genial swindler working in cahoots with his daughter." David Milch and Michael Mann are behind the hour, which will launch sometime next season.


OVERLOAD (A&E, New!) - John E. Pogue ("Army Wives") has booked a script at the cable channel for a new drama about "a female detective blessed and cursed with hyper-acute senses who balances her work and personal life in Boston." Said hour comes from Winkler Films, which inked a first-look deal with Sony Picutres Television last summer. Pogue then will executive produce alongside the company's Irwin Winkler, David Winkler and Jill Cutler.


PLAYING WITH GUNS (Comedy Central) - The comedy, about "childhood friends who have grown up to become small town cops, trying to get the most out of their badges while doing the least amount of police work possible," has found a second life at Comedy Central. Spike TV was behind the original incarnation which featured Danny Masterson and Joey Kern in the lead roles. Ethan Suplee ("My Name Is Earl") will step in for Kern in the new take with co-executive producers Bob Castrone, Brian Levin and Jason Zumwalt likewise having penned a new script. Production on the new pilot will begin next week with Brian Robbins back as director. Robbins will also executive produce alongside Sharla Sumpter-Bridgett for Varsity Pictures and Lionsgate Television. Masterson will also receive a producing credit.


REM (NBC, New!) - Kyle Killen ("Lone Star") has snagged a pilot order from the Peacock for a new "Inception"-esque drama about "the simultaneous and parallel lives of a detective who can not let go of any aspect of his fractured family after a horrible car accident." Said hour is the result of a blind script deal Killen inked with 20th Century Fox Television following the cancellation of the short-lived FOX drama.


RIP CITY (TV Land) - Barry Watson ("Samantha Who?") has joined the cast of the multi-camera pilot, a workplace comedy set at a regional beverage manufacturer and distributor. He'll play one of the employees, joining the previously cast Christine Taylor and Sherri Shepherd. Terri Minsky is behind the half-hour.


SECRET CIRCLE (The CW) - Kevin Williamson ("The Vampire Diaries") has signed on to supervise the potential drama, about a California teen who moves to her mom's hometown of New Salem and discovers that she is a witch. Said hour, like "Diaries," is based on a series of young adult novels by L.J. Smith and comes from Alloy Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. Andrew Miller penned the original script, to be executive produced alongside Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain. Williamson had previously set up at untitled drama with Julie Plec at the netlet, however that project has been tabled for the time being.


UNTITLED DAN GOOR PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Dan Goor ("Parks & Recreation") is the latest to snag a pilot commitment from the Peacock. He's behind a multi-camera comedy about "a young doctor who spends as much time taking care of his parents as he does his patients." Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun are behind the half-hour with the latter's Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun executive producing alongside Goor.






  [february 2011]  
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· ARMY WIVES (LIFETIME)
· AWAKE (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FAMILY GUY (FOX)
· FAMILY PRACTICE (NBC)
· FREE AGENTS (NBC)
· FUTURAMA (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· GREEK (ABC FAMILY)
· LOCKE & KEY (FOX)
· LONE STAR (FOX)
· LOVELIVES (NBC)
· LUCK (HBO)
· MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
· OVERLOAD (A AND E)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· PLAYING WITH GUNS (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· RIP CITY (TV LAND)
· SAMANTHA WHO? (ABC)
· SCRUBS (ABC)
· SECRET CIRCLE, THE (CW)
· UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT (CW)
· VAMPIRE DIARIES, THE (CW)





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