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[07/30/12 - 11:19 PM]
Development Update: Monday, July 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!


BACKSTROM (A.K.A. UNTITLED EVERT BACKSTROM PROJECT) (CBS) - The Eye has laid claim to 20th Century Fox Television's small screen take on the Backstrom books by renowned Swedish criminologist/novelist Leif G.W. Persson. Said project was originally set up FOX - where it landed a put pilot commitment last year - with Stephen Gaghan attached to pen the adaptation. Hart Hanson ("Bones") has since stepped in to spearhead the hour, about "an overweight, offensive, irascible detective as he tries and fails to change his self-destructive behavior," which now has a pilot production commitment. Hanson will pen the script and executive produce with Persson and his agent Niclas Salomonsson also receiving executive producer credits. (Deadline.com)


CONQUEST (Showtime, New!) - Director Ron Howard and screenwriter Jose Rivera ("The Motorcycle Diaries") are set to team for a potential period drama which "tells the story of famed Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortes, who led the Spanish conquest in Mexico, and his clash with Moctezuma II, the last ruler of the Aztec Empire which fell at the hands of Cortes and his men." Fox 21 is behind the hour, which Rivera and Howard will executive produce alongside David Nevins and Francie Calfo for their Imagine Television banner. Hans Beimler ("The Middleman") will also serve as a consultant. (Deadline.com)


LOWE ROLLERS (FOX, New!) - Writer/director Ash Brannon ("Surf's Up") has booked a potential animated comedy at the network about "a family that tries to maintain a semblance of civility while struggling to run a sinking Titanic-themed casino in the heart of Sin City." Mark Torgove and Paul Kaplan ("Outsourced") are also on board to co-write the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which they'll likewise executive produce alongside Brannon and DarkFire's Ryan Reynolds, Allan Loeb, Jonathon Komack Martin and Steven Pearl. (Deadline.com)


HARD UP (FOX, New!) - The ever-busy John Wells has set up a new single-camera comedy at the network about "four twentysomething, cash-strapped close friends willing to do anything for each other - especially if it means breaking the rules as they fight against the odds to keep their home in a gentrifying neighborhood." Etan Frankel ("Shameless") is on board to co-write the half-hour, which is based on Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir's Israeli series "Asfur." Wells and Frankel then will executive produce alongside Savyon, Amir, Andrew Stearn, Mark Mylod and Mirit Toovi for Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED NOAH HAWLEY PROJECT (ABC, New!) - "My Generation" creator Noah Hawley is back in business with the Alphabet for "a high-concept drama revolving around a mysterious game." 20th Century Fox Television-based K.O. Paper Products is behind the hour, which has a script commitment with a penalty attached. The company's Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Heather Kadin then will executive produce alongside writer Hawley. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED MATT MANFREDI/PHIL HAY PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Feature writers Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay ("Clash of the Titans") are developing a new comedy at the network about "a disgraced hotel-industry hotshot who is exiled to a lower-rung airport hotel, where he is forced to manage an oddball staff in his quest to will the hotel (and his life) to 4-star greatness." 20th Century Fox Television is behind the presumably single-camera half-hour, which the duo will executive produce alongside DarkFire's Ryan Reynolds, Allan Loeb, Jonathon Komack Martin and Steven Pearl. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Jay Karnes has booked a four-episode arc on "Last Resort" as Secretary of Defense William Curry, "a shadowy figure who may be behind the attack on the USS Colorado" (Deadline.com); Tim Griffin has likewise landed a recurring role on "Covert Affairs" as "a former field operative-turned-lawyer who has a history" with Kari Matchett's Joan (Deadline.com); Derek Webster has been cast in "Revolution" as "a strong rebel leader who faces off against Billy Burke's character Miles" (EW.com); Mark Valley is in talks to join the cast of "Body of Proof" as "a onetime love interest of Megan's (Dana Delany) who transfers to Philadelphia to win her back" (TVLine.com); Jake Lacy has joined the cast of "The Office" as a new staffer at Dunder Mifflin (TVline.com); "The Good Wife" co-star Josh Charles is set to helm the show's sixth episode this season (TVLine.com); Heather Locklear will drop by "Hot in Cleveland" as "a former Miss Ohio who hires Valerie Bertinelli's Melanie to work at her PR firm" in at least three episodes (TVLine.com); "Prairie Dogs" helmer Luke Greenfield has inked a six-figure directing deal with ABC (Variety.com); Tamara Braun has been cast as Dr. Dani's (Callie Thorne) younger sister on "Necessary Roughness" (TVGuide.com); and Canadian actor Michael Rowe is bound for the third episode of "Arrow" as DC Comics villain Deadshot (TVGuide.com).






  [july 2012]  
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M
T
W
T
F
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· ARROW (CW)
· BACKSTROM (FOX)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· BONES (FOX)
· CONQUEST (SHOWTIME)
· COVERT AFFAIRS (USA)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· END GAME (ABC)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· HARD UP (FOX)
· HOT IN CLEVELAND (TV LAND)
· LAST RESORT (ABC)
· LOWE ROLLERS (FOX)
· MIDDLEMAN, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· MY GENERATION (ABC)
· NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (USA)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· OUTSOURCED (NBC)
· PRAIRIE DOGS (ABC)
· REVOLUTION (NBC)
· UNTITLED MANFREDI & HAY PROJECT (FOX)





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