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[09/30/11 - 10:44 PM]
Development Update: Friday, September 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!


THE AFTER WIFE (FOX, New!) - Scott King has booked a potential comedy at the network about "four people, all of whose marriages ended due to various scandals, who meet and bond together." The news marks King's second sale this development cycle, the first being "Stuck in Reverse" at ABC. As for "Wife," ABC Studios and Brillstein Entertainment Partners are behind the half-hour with JoAnn Alfano executive producing alongside King. (THR.com)


ANIMAL KINGDOM (NBC, New!) - Feature writers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka ("The Sitter") have sold a potential comedy to the Peacock about "a vet who lives by the laws of the jungle." The half-hour is set up at the Universal Television-based American Work with the company's Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan executive producing alongside Gatewood and Tanaka. (Deadline.com)


END OF THE WORLD (ABC, New!) - Steve Hely ("The Office") has snagged a script order from the Alphabet for a new comedy about "three brilliant scientists who, after making a shocking discovery, and encouraged by their roguish friend to live their lives to the fullest." Anthony Russo and Joe Russo are also on board to executive produce - and presumably direct - the half-hour, which comes from Universal Television. (Deadline.com)


MEN AT WORK (TBS) - Danny Masterson, James Lesure, Michael Cassidy and Adam Busch have been tapped for the principal roles on the comedy pilot, about a recently dumped man whose three best friends help him reinvent his manhood. Masterson will play said fellow, Milo, with Lesure, Cassidy and Busch as his pals. Sony Pictures Television is behind the multi-camera project - which tapes on Monday, October 10 - with Jamie Tarses and creator Breckin Meyer executive producing. (Deadline.com)


NEP LEAGUE/STUCK! (Cartoon Network, New!) - Phil Gurin has booked a pair of game show pilots at the cable channel based on international formats. "Stuck!," a reworking of French series "The Hand" by Gurin and Coyote Conseil, features challenges "centered around getting stuck, staying stuck or getting unstuck;" while quiz show "Nep League," from Fuji Creative Corporation, transports contestants "into magical, videogame-like worlds." Gurin will executive produce both projects via his The Gurin Co. (Variety.com)


NOTORIOUS (CBS, New!) - "Reaper" co-creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have snagged a script order from the Eye for a new drama about "an attention-loving LAPD detective who has become famous after solving a murder that made national headlines." CBS Television Studios is behind the hour with the duo, who currently serve as consulting producers on fellow studio offering "Hawaii Five-0," writing and executive producing. (Deadline.com)


RETREAT (NBC, New!) - John Lehr and Nancy Hower ("10 Items or Less") have sold a new comedy to the Peacock set at a corporate retreat. Sam Sokolow's EUE/Sokolow is behind the project, which is the result of a spec pilot filmed by the duo with Lehr among the cast. No other details were given. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED BARRY SCHWARTZ PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Screenwriter Barry Schwartz ("Bromance to Montecito") has landed a new comedy at the network about "three childhood friends who are all now fathers with teenage sons." The untitled half-hour is set up at Warner Bros Television-based Fake Empire with Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein executive producing alongside Schwartz. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED CYRUS VORIS/ETHAN REIFF PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff ("Sleeper Cell") have set up at a new drama at the Peacock about "a pair of fugitive recovery agents working in China's (and the world's) largest city, Shanghai: population 23 million." Universal Television is behind the hour, which is the result of a blind script deal the duo had with NBC. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JIM BREUER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Jim Breuer has been tapped to star in a potential comedy at the Alphabet from Judd Pillot and John Peaslee ("According to Jim"). The multi-camera project, which will focus on Breuer "and his wife living under the same roof with his father and three daughters," is set up at ABC Studios and Levity Entertainment Group. NBC previously took a stab at a Breuer vehicle from Wil Calhoun in 2009 that didn't make it to pilot. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED MARK GOFFMAN PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Mark Goffman ("White Collar") has booked a new drama at the Eye about "the inner workings of the director of the FBI as he handles both criminal cases and politics." Said effort comes from Universal Television with Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan executive producing alongside Goffman. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED MICHELE FAZEKAS/TARA BUTTERS PROJECT (The CW, New!) - Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters ("Reaper") have likewise set up at drama at the netlet about "a young woman who, on the first day of her new job, discovers that the cosmetics company for which she is working is actually a cover business for a secret governmental project that monitors alien activity on Earth." They'll write and executive produce the project for CBS Television Studios. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED M. SCOTT VEACH PROJET (ABC, New!) - M. Scott Veach ("Leverage") has landed a script commitment from the Alphabet for time-travel drama. No other details were given about the project, which comes from ABC Studios and fellow executive producer Warren Littlefield. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Clerkenwell Films ("Misfits") has inked an 18-month development deal with BBC America (Variety.com); "Eureka's" Bruce Miller will replace Ira Steven Behr as showrunner on season two of fellow Syfy drama "Alphas" (Deadline.com); Jason Lee will guest as a potential love interest for Maya Rudolph's Ava on NBC's "Up All Night" (EW.com); Nicole Sullivan has been tapped as a couples therapist whom Jules (Courteney Cox) and Grayson (Josh Hopkins) start seeing on "Cougar Town" with Briga Heelan as a woman whom Grayson hooked up with years ago and got pregnant (TVLine.com); plus "The Big C's" John Benjamin Hickey will stop by CBS's "A Gifted Man" as an upscale limo driver who develops uncontrollable fits of rage (TVLine.com).





  [september 2011]  
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· 10 ITEMS OR LESS (TBS)
· ACCORDING TO JIM (ABC)
· AFTER WIFE, THE (FOX)
· ALPHAS (SYFY)
· ANIMAL PRACTICE (NBC)
· BIG C, THE (SHOWTIME)
· COUGAR TOWN (TBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· END OF THE WORLD (ABC)
· EUREKA (SYFY)
· GIFTED MAN, A (CBS)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· LEVERAGE (TNT)
· MEN AT WORK (TBS)
· NEP LEAGUE (CARTOON)
· NOTORIOUS (CBS)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· REAPER (CW)
· RETREAT (NBC)
· SLEEPER CELL (SHOWTIME)
· STUCK! (CARTOON)
· UNTITLED BARRY SCHWARTZ PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED FAZEKAS & BUTTERS PROJECT (CW)
· UNTITLED JIM BREUER PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED JIM BREUER PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED M SCOTT VEACH PROJET (ABC)
· UNTITLED MARK GOFFMAN PROJECT (CBS)
· UNTITLED VORIS & REIFF PROJECT (NBC)
· UP ALL NIGHT (NBC)
· WHITE COLLAR (USA)





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