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[09/15/11 - 10:55 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, September 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!


BAD GIRLS (NBC, New!) - The Peacock is the latest network to take a stab at importing the U.K. drama, about inmates in a women's prison. Nancy Pimental ("Shameless") is penning the hour, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, John Wells Productions and Shed Media and has a put pilot commitment. Wells and Andrew Stearn then will serve as executive producers alongside Pimental. In September 2006, FX commissioned William Schmidt for a potential adaptation while Nancy Oliver and Raelle Tucker made a run at the show in May 2008 for executive producer Alan Ball and HBO. (THR.com)


BAZIRKUS (ABC, New!) - Feature writer Mitchell Kapner (Sam Raimi's upcoming "Oz: The Great and Powerful") has sold a new drama to the Alphabet based "loosely on 32-year-old Nicole Feld of Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Circus, who grew up in the circus her grandfather bought in 1967 and has become the first female producer in Ringling Bros' history." ABC Studios is behind the hour, with Ian Sander and Kim Moses ("Ghost Whisperer") executive producing alongside Kapner. It's understood said project will be set at a fictional circus, rather than James Anthony Bailey and P.T. Barnum's infamous company. (Deadline.com)


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (The CW, New!) - "Brothers & Sisters" alums Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper are looking to revive the cult 1987-1990 series, which starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman in the principal roles. The CBS Television Studios-based project, not to be confused with Jonathan E. Steinberg's fairy tale take for ABC, will "not only modernize and CW-up the love story but also add a procedural twist." No other specifics were given. Tony Thomas and Paul Junger Witt, executive producers on the original series, previously attempted a revival on then sibling UPN in 2001. (TVLine.com)


BONES (FOX) - The network has commissioned four additional episodes of the series. Said order brings its total to 17 this season: six this fall (beginning November 3), seven in the spring and now four more for either the summer or as part of a potential eighth season. The truncated run is a result of Emily Deschanel's pregnancy, which will prevent the series from producing a full season. (Deadline.com)


DUMB GIRLS (MTV) - Christine Evangelista, Xosha Roquemore, Josh Kelly and Nico Evers Swindell have landed the principal roles on the comedy pilot, about a group of twentysomethings and their relationships. Evangelista will play Michelle, "who is uber-competent at her job but foolish when it comes to guys," with Xosha, Swindell and Kelly as her guy pals Alex, Ian and Danny, respectively, the latter of which likes her more than a friend. Lauren Iungerich is behind the half-hour, which is being produced in-house by the network. Robyn Meisinger and Kim Fleary also serve as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


THE LYING GAME/THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING (ABC Family) - The cable channel is expected to pull the plug on freshman drama "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" while fellow newcomer "The Lying Game" is on track to receive a back order. "King" currently ranks as the network's least-watched drama, averaging 1.336 million viewers and a 0.4 rating among adults 18-49, while "Game" has fared slightly better, delivering 1.385 million viewers and 0.5 rating in said demo to date. Other anticipated news from the channel include pilot orders for college hacker drama "Intercept," from feature writer Ray Wright, and a retooled version of Lamar Damon's "Strut," from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. Karey Burke, Charlie Stratton, Anna Mastro and Norman Buckley also serve as executive producers on "Strut." Both will be produced in house by ABC Family. (Deadline.com, EW.com, Variety.com)


METROPOLITAN (FOX, New!) - Jason Tracey ("Burn Notice") has scored a script commitment from the network for a new drama about "three sets of detectives working in Washington, D.C." Said hour comes from the Universal Cable Productions-based Hypnotic with the company's Doug Liman and David Bartis executive producing alongside Tracey. (Variety.com)


RESTAURANT: IMPOSSIBLE (Food Network) - The Robert Irvine-led series, in which the chef attempts to turn around failing restaurants in just two days with only $10,000, has snagged an order for 26 additional episodes. Currently in its second season, the Marc Summers-produced hour is averaging 1.553 million viewers on Wednesday nights at 10:00/9:00c for the cable channel. (Variety.com)


SECRET TALENT SCOUT (OWN, New!) - Zodiak USA ("Secret Millionaire") has landed a six-episode order for a new series in which "a group of talent scouts who go undercover in search of untapped talent across the U.S." The scouts will then "give the deserving performers with great stories their big break, and then reveal themselves." Natalka Znak, Claire O'Donohoe and Michael Shevloff are the executive producers. (THR.com)


SOURCE CODE (CBS, New!) - Mark Gordon is looking to bring the Jake Gyllenhaal-led film franchise to the small screen. Steven Maeda ("The Forgotten") has been tapped to pen the potential hour, which would again track "three former federal agents who are part of a top-secret program that uses 'Source Code' technology to jump into the consciousness of people involved in tragic events." Gordon and Maeda then will executive produce the project, which has a penalty attached, via the former's ABC Studios-based banner. Vendome Pictures' Philippe Rousselet will also serve as a consulting producer. (THR.com)


UNTITLED A.M. HOMES PROJECT (CBS, New!) - A.M. Homes ("The L Word") has booked a new medical drama at the Eye "centering on a female military veteran." She'll write and executive produce the hour alongside Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman for their CBS Television Studios-based banner. No other details were given. (Variety.com)


UNTITLED ALEX BARNOW/MARC FIREK PROJECT (CBS, New!) - "Mr. Sunshine" co-creators Alex Barnow and Marc Firek have booked a second multi-camera comedy this development cycle, this time at CBS with a put pilot order. Said half-hour, about newlyweds, is based at Sony Pictures Television. Last month the duo sold another project, about adult siblings who work in their father's law firm, to NBC. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED ILENE CHAIKEN PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Ilene Chaiken has booked a potential drama at the Eye about "an edgy punk hacker girl who teams up with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes." Warner Bros. Television-based Silver Pictures is behind the hour, which has a put pilot commitment. Chaiken then will pen the project and executive produce alongside Joel Silver. Said group teamed for the Minnie Drive-led drama pilot "Hail Mary" during the past development cycle. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JESSICA QUELLER PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Jessica Queller ("Gossip Girl") has snagged a script order from the network for a new drama about "a young neurologist who is a single mother of a sperm-donor baby [who] struggles to balance work, motherhood, family and romance as she moves to Boston to start a new job that she hopes will help her find a cure for her ailing brother." 20th Century Fox Television-based 21 Laps/Adelstein Productions is behind the hour with the company's Shawn Levy, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements executive producing alongside Queller. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED KARI LIZER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Kari Lizer has snagged a second put pilot commitment, this time from ABC for a new comedy about "a powerful female executive who suddenly finds herself as a stay-at-home mom with 3 teenage kids and has no idea how that works." The multi-camera half-hour comes from Warner Bros. Television, where her overall deal is based. Lizer is also behind "Ladyfriends," which likewise has a put pilot order at NBC. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED KYLE BORNHEIMER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Kyle Bornheimer ("Perfect Couples") is set to star in another potential comedy for the Alphabet, which "centers around a Clark Griswold-esque father (Bornheimer) living in a small town." The actor and his brother Ryan pitched the half-hour to the network, which is set up at ABC Studios. This past development cycle, Bornheimer co-starred in the FOX pilot "Council of Dads," which didn't move forward to series. (THR.com)


UNTITLED SNOOP DOGG PROJECT (New!) - Actor/rapper Snoop Dogg is set to be the focus a potential family comedy from Don Reo ("Brothers"). Warner Bros. Television is behind the multi-camera project, which is about to make the network rounds. No other details were given. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Mindy Kaling has been upped to executive producer on "The Office" as part of a new one-year deal with NBC (TVLine.com); Blythe Danner will play mom to Christina Applegate on NBC's just-launched "Up All Night" (Deadline.com); "The Voice" winner Javier Colon will turn up as Ray Charles on the Peacock's "The Playboy Club," performing "Let the Good Times Roll," while Colbie Caillat and Rafael Saadiq are set as Lesley Gore ("It's My Party") and Sam Cooke ("Twisting the Night Away"), respectively (TVLine.com); Rebecca Romijn is bound for "Chuck" as "a member of a rogue group within the CIA that is planning to frame Chuck for the crime of the century" (EW.com); Carrie Preston will return to "The Good Wife" as Elsbeth Tascioni, a member of Peter's (Chris Noth) legal team, for two episodes (THR.com); Richard Schiff has joined the cast of Showtime's "House of Lies," playing the boss of Kristen Bell and Don Cheadle's characters (THR.com); Lou Gossett Jr. and Sara Rue will guest on an upcoming installment of "Psych" (EW.com); plus Robert Englund will visit "Hawaii Five-0" as a homeless Desert Storm veteran who becomes a suspect in a murder investigation (EW.com).






  [september 2011]  
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· BAD GIRLS (HBO)
· BAD GIRLS (NBC)
· BAZIRKUS (ABC)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (CW)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (CW)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (ABC)
· BONES (FOX)
· BROTHERS (FOX)
· BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC)
· BUNHEADS (ABC FAMILY)
· BURN NOTICE (USA)
· CHUCK (NBC)
· COUNCIL OF DADS (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DUMB GIRLS (MTV)
· FORGOTTEN, THE (ABC)
· GHOST WHISPERER (CBS)
· GILMORE GIRLS (CW)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· HAIL MARY (CBS)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· HOUSE OF LIES (SHOWTIME)
· INTERCEPT (ABC FAMILY)
· L WORD, THE (SHOWTIME)
· LADYFRIENDS (NBC)
· LYING GAME, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· METROPOLITAN (FOX)
· MR SUNSHINE (ABC)
· NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· PERFECT COUPLES (NBC)
· PLAYBOY CLUB, THE (NBC)
· PSYCH (USA)
· QUEAN (CBS)
· RESTAURANT: IMPOSSIBLE (FOOD)
· SECRET MILLIONAIRE (ABC)
· SECRET TALENT SCOUT (OWN)
· SHAMELESS (SHOWTIME)
· SOURCE CODE (CBS)
· UNPROFESSIONAL, THE (ABC)
· UNTITLED AM HOMES PROJECT (CBS)
· UNTITLED BARNOW & FIREK PROJECT (CBS)
· UNTITLED BARNOW & FIREK PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED JESSICA QUELLER PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED KYLE BORNHEIMER PROJECT (ABC)
· UP ALL NIGHT (NBC)
· VOICE, THE (NBC)





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