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[10/03/11 - 11:09 PM]
Development Update: Monday, October 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!


THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (Syfy, New!) - "Smallville" alums Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin are looking to bring the Matt Damon/Emily Blunt-led film, about "a secret organization with special powers, which uses them to ensure that people's lives follow the chairman of the Bureau's plan for them," to the small screen. Producer Media Rights Capital is behind the project, with the film's George Nolfi and Michael Hackett serving as an executive producer and co-executive producer, respectively, alongside Swimmer and Slavkin. (Deadline.com)


ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (FOX) - Mitch Hurtwitz revealed at The New Yorker Festival over the weekend plans to film a 10-episode "mini-season" of the series as a build up to a proposed feature film. "It's true. We will do 10 episodes and the movie," co-star Jason Bateman posted to his Twitter account. "Probably shoot them all together next summer for a release in early '13. VERY excited!" It's understood each installment of the revival will focus on a particular member of the Bluth clan - which also includes Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Michael Cera, Tony Hale, Jeffrey Tambor, David Cross, Alia Shawkat and Jessica Walter - in order to accommodate their respective busy schedules. 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television will produce.


GOOD CHRISTIAN BELLES (ABC) - Victor Nelli Jr. ("Ugly Betty") has been tapped as an executive producer on the upcoming drama beginning with its sixth episode. Nelli handled reshoots on the pilot as well as directed the second episode prior to landing the executive producer gig alongside Robert Harling, Darren Star, Aaron Kaplan, Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts. In addition, producer ABC Studios has inked a pilot directing deal with Nelli, which will call for him to direct one of its upcoming pilots this development cycle. (Deadline.com)


HOW TO CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE (AMC, New!) - Rob Roy Thomas ("Free Ride") has snagged a pilot presentation order from the cable channel for a new single-camera comedy about "four nice guys in flyover country dealing with middle age [who] are reunited at the funeral of their fellow friend." He'll write, direct and executive produce the project, which Thomas originally filmed as a spec pilot six months ago. Marc Provissiero and Naomi Odenkirk have subsequently come aboard to help executive produce the new incarnation. (Deadline.com)


THE INVINCIBLES (FOX, New!) - Writer Chris Sheridan ("Family Guy") and director Luke Greenfield ("Something Borrowed") are looking to import the Canadian comedy, about "three guys and one girl, all in their 20s, who make a pact to simultaneously dump their girlfriend or boyfriend (or quit their job if unattached) and reclaim their lives." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour, which Greenfield will direct from a script by Sheridan should it move forward. Tom Lassally and Jonathan Berry of 3 Arts Entertainment will likewise executive produce alongside the duo. (Deadline.com)


THE LAST STAND (NBC, New!) - Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah ("90210") have booked a new drama at the Peacock about "a group of Army doctors who return to work the night shift together at a hospital in San Antonio." Sony Pictures Television is behind the hour, which the duo will write and executive produce. (Deadline.com)


SNEAKY PEOPLE (ABC, New!) - Josh Bycel ("Happy Endings") and Jonathan Fener ("American Dad") are set to team with director Jason Winer ("Modern Family") for a new comedy about "a dysfunctional family of skilled liars - a father, an adult daughter (around 30) and two younger siblings - that run a private investigation agency out of their house in Venice." The single-camera project, from 20th Century Fox Television, has a script commitment with a significant penalty attached. All three will serve as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


TEXTS FROM LAST NIGHT (FOX) - Silvio Horta ("Ugly Betty") has signed on to spearhead the comedy, based on the blog of the same name in which readers post embarrassing messages that they've sent to friends, perhaps in the middle of the night or while intoxicated. The news marks the third such writer for the project, which was set up at the network in September 2009, the others being Steve Holland, Marc Abrams and Michael Benson. Sony Pictures Television-Happy Madison Productions is behind the half-hour which the company's Doug Robinson and Jack Giarraputo will presumably executive produce alongside Horta. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED HOT IN CLEVELAND SPIN-OFF PROJECT (TV LAND) - The cable channel is moving forward with a traditional pilot for the proposed spin-off, featuring Cedric the Entertainer's Reverend Boyce as he moves to his "hometown of St. Louis and has to balance his wild past with the expectations of his congregation and his family." Said character was introduced in the August 24 episode of the series, which was branded as a backdoor pilot. Production on the official pilot, penned by Suzanne Martin and Cedric, then is set to begin on December 2. Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills also serve as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED MIKE STARRBURY PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Mike Starrbury (Comedy Central's "Black Jack") has booked a new comedy at the Alphabet about "a bright young teacher-turned-waiter after losing his job because of budget cuts who is convinced by his cunning but lovable best friend and a small group of his eccentric students to start a private high school - in a garage." Peter Tolan and Michael Wimer's Sony Pictures Television-based Fedora Entertainment is behind the half-hour, which the pair will executive produce alongside Starrbury. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED REED AGNEW/ELI JORNE PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Reed Agnew and Eli Jorne ("Wilfred") have booked a new father and son comedy at the network "set at a workplace in which the son is the boss." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour with FanFare's Jamie Tarses and Julia Franz executive producing alongside the duo. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Chris Bauer will visit "Hawaii Five-0" as the "manager of an off-shore oil rig who finds himself coming face-to-face with Danny and McGarrett when one of his men is murdered" (NYMag.com); Brad Dourif will play a beggar who befriends the evil Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) on ABC's upcoming "Once Upon a Time" (TVGuide.com); Jason George will guest on "The Closer's" winter finale as "a successful businessman with old ties to the neighborhood where Turell Baylor was brutally murdered last season" (EW.com); Kevin Hart has been tapped as a new neighbor of the Dunphys on "Modern Family" while Leslie Mann will likewise turn up as a woman who Cam (Eric Stonestreet) tries to pick up at a bar to prove to Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) he could pass as straight (EW.com, TVGuide.com); "Paranormal Activity's" Katie Featherston has booked a two-episode arc on ABC's "The River" (EW.com); David Walton will visit the Halloween episode of "Happy Endings" as a potential love interest for Elisha Cuthbert's Alex (THR.com); Will Arnett will return as Devon Banks on "30 Rock" later this season (TVLine.com); Cheryl Ladd has been cast as the long lost mother of Yvonne Strahovski's Sarah on "Chuck" (TVLine.com); Leslie Jordan will turn up on "Desperate Housewives" as an art gallery owner (TVGuide.com); plus Damian Kindler and FremantleMedia are developing a TV series based on the Jean-Claude Van Damme/Dolph Lundgren film "Universal Soldier" (Deadline.com).






  [october 2011]  
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M
T
W
T
F
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· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· 90210 (CW)
· ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, THE (SYFY)
· AMERICAN DAD (FOX)
· ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (NETFLIX)
· BLACK JACK (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· CHUCK (NBC)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FAMILY GUY (FOX)
· FREE RIDE (FOX)
· GCB (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV LAND)
· HOW TO CHEAT ON YOUR WIFE (AMC)
· INVINCIBLES, THE (FOX)
· MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
· MUST HIRE (FOX)
· NIGHT SHIFT, THE (NBC)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· RIVER, THE (ABC)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· SNEAKY PEOPLE (ABC)
· SOUL MAN, THE (TV LAND)
· TEXTS FROM LAST NIGHT (FOX)
· UGLY BETTY (ABC)
· UNTITLED MIKE STARRBURY PROJECT (ABC)
· WILFRED (FXX)





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