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[01/18/12 - 11:03 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, January 18
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!


ARROW (The CW) - Andrew Kreisberg, Marc Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti's updated take on the DC Comics hero Green Arrow is officially moving forward to pilot. David Nutter is expected to direct the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, from a teleplay by Guggenheim and Kreisberg. Guggenheim and Berlanti, who conceived the story, then will executive produce alongside Kreisberg. (Deadline.com)


BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (NBC) - Andrea Parker, Jud Tylor, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Madisen Beaty and Cody Christian have all been cast in the pilot, an ensemble "what if" drama set 10 minutes in the future where families of mechanical human beings exist to service the human population -- that is until some of the mechanicals begin to "awaken." They'll join the previously cast Frances Conroy, who plays the very wealthy Lydia, whose late husband founded the firm that makes Mechanicals. Parker will play the wealthy Roberta, "whose life is turned upside down when her rebellious teen daughter Elizabeth (Beaty) starts a romance with Kyle, a Mechanical boy (Christian), the son of Lydia's Mechanical servant David (Patrick Heusinger) and his wife Susan (Tylor)." Echikunwoke then will play Monica, "the boss of Lydia's other son, attorney Gregory (James Murray)." Stephen Hopkins is directing the project from a script by Michael McDonald. (Deadline.com)


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (The CW) - Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper's revival of the cult 1980s drama has been ordered to pilot. The project, billed as "a modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist," is being executive produced by the duo; Ostar Productions' Bill Haber; Witt/Thomas Productions' Paul Junger Witt and C. Anthony Thomas; and Ron Koslow, creator of the original series; for CBS Television Studios. (Deadline.com)


THE CARRIE DIARIES (The CW) - The netlet's Sex and the City prequel - which "chronicles Carrie Bradshaw's coming of age in the 1980s when she asks her first questions about love, sex, friendship and family while exploring the worlds of high school and Manhattan" - has snagged a pilot order. Amy Harris penned the project from the Warner Bros. Television-based Fake Empire with Candace Bushnell, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein also executive producing. (Deadline.com)


MY IDIOTIC TWENTIES (A.K.A. HOT MESS) (CBS) - Nick Stoller's single-camera comedy, about "a guy who gets his heart broken by his girlfriend and now has to work one cubicle away from her at an ad agency," has snagged a pilot commitment from the Eye. Chernin Entertainment's Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin also serve as executive producers on the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which Stoller will also direct. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED MARTIN LAWRENCE PROJECT (CBS) - Tom Hertz and Larry Wilmore have been tapped to pen separate scripts for a potential Martin Lawrence-led comedy. The former's take revolves around "a family man who tries to raise down-to-earth kids despite the influence of his wealthy in-laws" while Wilmore's centers on "a single man who becomes a foster parent to several children along with his sister." Hertz's incarnation comes from CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television-based Happy Madison with Doug Robinson executive producing alongside Hertz. Wilmore's then is likewise from CBS Television Studios with Michael Green and David Miner also attached as executive producers. (Variety.com)


UNTITLED MURPHY & ADLER PROJECT (NBC) - Andrew Rannells ("The Book of Mormon") has inked a talent holding deal with the Peacock and producer 20th Century Fox Television. The pact is expected to cast the actor in Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler's comedy pilot, about "a blended family of a gay couple and the woman who becomes a surrogate to help them start a family." The single-camera half-hour is awaiting a green light to produce a pilot, to be directed by Murphy. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED SARAH SILVERMAN PROJECT (NBC) - Harris Wittels and June Diane Raphael have both been cast in the comedy pilot, about Susan Farrow (Sarah Silverman), who returns to her old life after a breakup, ready to pick up where she left off and finds it's not as easy as she thought because those around her have moved on. Wittels will play a version of himself, "a short, hipster, endearing and good-natured tenant in Susan's building who happens to be a huge fan." Raphael then is set as Chelsea, "an attractive, smart tenant in the building who was once Susan's best friend until Susan disappeared into a relationship ten years ago and hasn't called her since." Dan Sterling, Jon Schroeder and Silverman herself co-wrote the half-hour for 20th Century Fox Television-based Imagine Television. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Christopher Heyerdahl will recur on "True Blood" as "an ancient, powerful vampire who plays a large part in the intelligence of the Authority and especially enjoys enhanced interrogation" (Deadline.com); Theo Rossi is set to visit "Alcatraz" as "a business man with a dark side, who became ultra-violent during his stint 50 years ago at the infamous prison" on the show's 10th episode (EW.com); and the Miami Marlins are on track to be the featured team on Showtime's "The Franchise" (Variety.com).






  [january 2012]  
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· ALCATRAZ (FOX)
· ARROW (CW)
· BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (NBC)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (CW)
· CARRIE DIARIES, THE (CW)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FRANCHISE, THE (SHOWTIME)
· MY IDIOTIC TWENTIES (CBS)
· NEW NORMAL, THE (NBC)
· OVER AND OUT (CBS)
· SUSAN 313 (NBC)
· TRUE BLOOD (HBO)





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