[03/30/11 - 11:05 PM] Development Update: Wednesday, March 30 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!
AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX) - Denis O'Hare ("True Blood") is the latest addition to the top-secret drama pilot, which stars Connie Britton and comes from co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy. He'll play Larry, also referred to as "Larry the burn guy." Production on the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour begins shortly for a potential fall premiere.
FAMILY BONDING (A&E, New!) - Stuart Krasnow ("The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency") is developing a new reality series at the network in which a parent and teen are handcuffed together for 45 hours. Said effort, from Krasnow's self-titled banner and Fox 21, plays on the idea that the average family spends just 45 minutes a day together. No other details were given.
GEEK MEETS GIRL (Syndication) - The dating strip - in which a beautiful woman has two dates with a nerdy guy, who receives a makeover in between - has reportedly been cleared in 80% of the country. Fox 21, Katalyst Films and Trifecta Entertainment are all behind the half-hour project, originally announced back in May.
IN TREATMENT (HBO) - The pay channel has passed on a fourth season of the Gabriel Byrne-led serial, at least in its current format. "It's true that we have no plans to continue with In Treatment as previously formatted," the network said in a statement. "However, we are in continued conversations with the executive producers to find another way to continue telling these rich stories." The show's third season, featuring Amy Ryan, Dane DeHaan, Debra Winger and Irrfan Khan, averaged a very modest 237,000 viewers and a sub-0.1 rating among adults 18-49. Anya Epstein, Dan Futterman, Hagai Levi, Mark Wahlberg, Paris Barclay and Steve Levinson were the executive producers.
THE LAST DAYS OF MAN (ABC) - Hector Elizondo ("Monk") has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about Tim (Tim Allen), a married father of three who tries to maintain his manliness in a world increasingly dominated by women. He's set as Ed, Tim's boss who wants him to take over as president of the demolition company but still report to the CEO - Nikki (yet to be cast), his twentysomething granddaughter. Nancy Travis also stars in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, from writer Jack Burditt and director John Pasquin.
LOVELIVES (NBC) - Stella Maeve ("Gossip Girl") has booked the final principal role on the comedy pilot, about a couple - Tim (Ryan Hansen) and Holly (Amanda Loncar) - and their challenges of love and fidelity. She'll play Maddie, Tim and Blake's (Sean Maguire) younger sister, in the Chris Sheridan-penned half-hour, which also stars Smith Cho. 20th Century Fox Television is producing.
MODEL APARTMENT (A&E, New!) - "Glee's" Ryan Murphy and Dante Di Loreto are set to team with "Unzipped" director Douglas Keeve for a potential reality series at the cable channel set in the world of competitive modeling in Manhattan. Fox 21 is behind the project, additional details of which weren't released.
POWERS (FX) - Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights") is reportedly being courted for the drama pilot, about a pair of homicide detectives in a world where superheroes are commonplace. He'd play one of them, Christian Walker, who secretly used to be a superhero. Michael Dinner is directing the FX Productions/Sony Pictures Television-based project from a script by Charles H. Eglee. Said hour is based on Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's comic book of the same name.
SECRET CIRCLE (The CW) - Ashley Crow ("Heroes") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), a California teen who moves to her mom's hometown of New Salem, Maine and discovers that she comes from a family of witches. She'll play Jane Blake ("a proper, New England dame in her 50s"), Cassie's grandmother, in the hour, which comes from CBS Television Studios, Warner Bros. Television, writer Andrew Miller and director Liz Friedlander. Gale Harold, Jessica Parker, Louis Hunter, Natasha Henstridge, Phoebe Tonkin, Shelley Hennig and Thomas Dekker also star.
UNTITLED EMILY SPIVEY PROJECT (NBC) - Will Arnett ("Running Wilde") has been cast in the comedy pilot, an irreverent look at parenthood through the point of view of an acerbic working mother, Reagan (Christina Applegate), along with her stay-at-home husband and opinionated parents. He'll play the aforementioned husband, coincidentally also named Will ("sweetly handsome with a friendly, open face"). Maya Rudolph also stars in the half-hour from Broadway Video Television and Universal Media Studios.
UNTITLED SUSANNAH GRANT PROJECT (CBS) - Margo Martindale ("Justified") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Michael Halstead (Patrick Wilson), an ultra-competitive surgeon whose life is changed forever when his ex-wife, Anna Lindberg (Jennifer Ehle), dies and begins teaching him what life is all about from the hereafter. She'll take over for S. Epatha Merkerson as Rita, Michael's "don't cross her" assistant. No reason was given for the change. Production is underway on the CBS Television Studios-based hour, from director Jonathan Demme. Afton Williamson and Julie Benz also star.
WHITE COLLAR (USA) - Co-stars Matthew Bomer and Tim DeKay have inked new deals with producer Fox Television Studios to continue on the series for the foreseeable future. Said pacts include pay bumps from the $50,000 per episode range to the $80,000-$100,000 per episode range. Renegotiations of this type - which also include an additional year on their contracts - are custom following the sophomore years of successful series.
