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[08/31/12 - 11:15 PM]
Development Update: Friday, August 31
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!


EX MEN (CBS) - Australian actress Rebecca Breeds has booked the female lead in the comedy pilot, about the newly single Carter (Christopher Nicholas Smith) who is taken under the wing of a group of more experienced guys - including Gil (Kal Penn) and Frank (Tony Shalhoub) - while living in a short-term rental complex. She'll play Julie, "Frank's adorable, independent and neurotic daughter who is trying to get her act together and get over her major daddy issues due to Frank's less than stellar parenting." Rob Greenberg is writing and directing the CBS Television Studios-based project, which is also executive produced by Eric and Kim Tannenbaum. (Deadline.com)


FRED & MARILYN (NBC, New!) - Scott Prendergast ("Wilfred") has sold a new semi-autobiographical comedy to the Peacock about "one man and his formidable mother." Universal Television is behind the single-camera project, which Ken Kwapis is attached to direct and executive produce alongside Alexandra Beattie via their In Cahoots banner. No other details were given. (Deadline.com)


HURT PEOPLE (Cinemax) - William Petersen is reportedly on track to bow out of the drama pilot, about "a veteran hitman (Petersen) employed by the crime family that killed his wife." He and producing partner Cynthia Chvatal likewise were set to executive produce the GK-tv-based hour, from writer Peter Macmanus and fellow executive producers Craig Cegielski, Graham King and Tim Headington. It's understood "Petersen's and the writer-producers' vision for where the project should go began to diverge, leading to his decision to leave the project he helped develop and sell." (Deadline.com)


JOEY PIGZA (NBC, New!) - Jack Gantos's series of children's books - about Joey Pigza, a good kid who struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder - are being developed as a family comedy at the Peacock. Ken Kwapis is on board to direct and executive produce the half-hour alongside Alexandra Beattie via their In Cahoots banner for Universal Television. CBS previously took a stab at bringing Gantos's books to the small screen in 2003 with Nick Castle penning a potential telefilm adaptation for Craig Anderson Productions. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED GRANT THOMPSON PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Actor-turned-screenwriter Grant Thompson (Disney's upcoming "McFarland") has sold a new drama to the Eye about "an FBI agent from Nebraska who single-handedly prevents a major domestic terrorist attack while on a family vacation and instantly becomes an American hero," leading to a new job as part of a DC task force. Sony Pictures Television-based Original Film is behind the hour, with Steve Maeda, Neal Moritz and Vivian Cannon executive producing and Thompson as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - After weeks of speculation, Randy Jackson reportedly will step down as a judge on "American Idol" in favor of a mentor role on the series (TMZ.com); Catherine O'Hara will guest as Kenneth's (Jack McBrayer) mom on "30 Rock" with Bryan Cranston as her longtime "friend" (TVGuide.com); Willie Garson and Reid Scott are both bound for ABC's midseason comedy "How to Live with Your Parents" (EW.com); Angelique Cabral is set to recur on "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" as "June's (Dreama Walker) fox-y new co-worker/nemesis" (TVLine.com); Gloria Votsis will appear on "Person of Interest" as a hotshot reporter alongside returning guest Paige Turco as Zoe (TVLine.com); Maureen Sebastian has been cast as Aaron's (Zak Orth) wife on "Revolution," appearing in flashback (Deadline.com);

Tara Summers will recur on "Sons of Anarchy" as a co-worker of Maggie Siff's Tara (Deadline.com); Tricia Helfer will guest on "Community" as "a drop-dead gorgeous superfan of the (fictional) cult-hit Inspector Spacetime" (TVLine.com); Steven Culp has landed an arc on "Grey's Anatomy" as a top surgeon (Deadline.com); Nick Zano is set to appear in six episodes of "Happy Endings" as "a new beau who Penny (Casey Wilson) thinks she might be too good for" (THR.com); Henry Winkler will return as family attorney Barry Zuckerkorn on Netflix's "Arrested Development" revival (@HWinkler4Real); and Miami Heat star Chris Bosh will make a cameo on NBC's "Go On" (THR.com).






  [august 2012]  
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· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (NETFLIX)
· COMMUNITY (YAHOO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DON'T TRUST THE BITCH IN APARTMENT 23 (ABC)
· FRED & MARILYN (NBC)
· GO ON (NBC)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE) (ABC)
· HURT PEOPLE (CINEMAX)
· JOEY PIGZA (NBC)
· PERSON OF INTEREST (CBS)
· REVOLUTION (NBC)
· UNTITLED GRANT THOMPSON PROJECT (CBS)
· WE ARE MEN (CBS)
· WILFRED (FXX)





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