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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!
BENEATH (ABC, New!) - Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie ("Revenge") have booked a potential new drama at the Alphabet "described as a supernatural drama about the unusual changes that befall a town after an energy company comes drilling for natural gas and unleashes something far more powerful." Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan are also on board to executive produce the hour, which is set up at their Universal Television-based TBD Productions. (Deadline.com)
CITIZEN HOULIHAN (FOX, New!) - "Prodigy/Bully" executive producers Mike O'Malley and John Wells are set to re-team for a new comedy about "a man who decides it's his civic duty to improve the coarseness of the modern world, to the dismay of his family and friends." The latter's Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions is behind the half-hour with the company's Andrew Stearn executive producing alongside Wells and O'Malley. (Variety.com)
GAVIN & STACEY (FOX) - David J. Rosen ("I Just Want My Pants Back") is looking to import James Corden and Ruth Jones's U.K. comedy, about "the long-distance relationship between a man from England (Matthew Horne) and a woman from Wales (Joanna Page) who start off talking on the phone." Said effort was previously in the works at ABC in 2009 from writers Stacy Traub and Hayes Jackson. BBC Worldwide Productions, Sony Pictures Television and Baby Cow Productions are behind the FOX take, which "focuses on the key life moments of the title characters who try to maintain their relationship while combining their polarizing families' lives." Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner and Henry Normal also serve as executive producers alongside Corden, Jones and Rosen. (Deadline.com)
HIGH MAINTENANCE (ABC, New!) - Broken Lizard's Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme are set to write and star in a new comedy at the network about the staff at an upscale Manhattan apartment building. Said half-hour, which has a script commitment, is based on Lemme's college job experience as an elevator man in a luxury New York City highrise. Universal Television and 3 Arts Entertainment are co-producing. (Deadline.com)
INFERNO, THE (NBC, New!) - "Memphis Beat" creators Liz W. Garcia and Joshua Harto have sold a potential drama to the Peacock "described as a dark, operatic drama about two fledgling New York restaurateurs who, on the eve of bankruptcy, decide to hire a magnetic, fiery, larger-than-life mysterious Italian chef." One Potato Two Potato's Gordon Ramsay and Adeline Ramage Rooney ("Kitchen Nightmares"); Bluegrass Television's Scott Stuber and Quan Phung ("Whitney"); and director Michael Mayer ("Smash") are also on board to executive produce for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)
KING & MAXWELL (TNT) - Ryan Hurst ("Sons of Anarchy") has been cast in the Jon Tenney-led drama pilot, about former secret service agents whose unique skill set (not to mention their razor-sharp chemistry) often gives them a leg up on suspects and conventional law enforcement. He'll play Edgar, "a high-functioning autistic savant with an extraordinary ability to see patterns and numerical sequences [who] forms a special relationship with King (Tenney) that leads to a breakthrough in their case." Writer Shane Brennan and director Michael Katleman are behind the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which is adapted from characters created by bestselling author David Baldacci. (Deadline.com)
LAST SHIP, THE (TNT) - Rhona Mitra ("Strike Back") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about a global catastrophe that nearly obliterates the earth's population, forcing the crew of a naval destroyer to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the only survivors. She'll play Rachel Scott, "a direct, strong-willed, intelligent, and fearless paleomicrobiologist." Director Jonathan Mostow, producer Michael Bay and co-writers Hank Steinberg and Steve Kane are all behind the hour, which is based on William Brinkley's novel of the same name. Charles Parnell, Christina Elmore, Eric Dane, Michaela McManus, Sam Spruell, Titus Welliver and Travis Van Winkle also star. (Deadline.com)
LILY DALE (CBS, New!) - Kip Koenig ("Grey's Anatomy") has sold a new drama to the Eye about "a newly-blended family that runs a bed and breakfast in Lily Dale," based on "the real-life secluded hamlet in Western New York that is home to mediums and adherents of Spiritualism, the religion rooted in the belief that it is possible to communicate with the dead." Said effort is set up at Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions with Wells and Andrew Stearn also serving as executive producers. (Variety.com)
METROPOLIS (The CW, New!) - Rob Thomas ("90210") is taking a new stab at importing the U.K. drama of the same name, about "a group of friends who are struggling with their adult lives not living up to the expectations they had when they were idealistic college friends." Adam Kaufman, Jenni Baird, John Prosky, Keith Carradine, Klea Scott, Matthew Rauch, Michael Ealy and Sarah Paulson starred in his previous take at ABC in 2001, which was set in San Francisco and directed by Michael M. Robin. The original ITV incarnation in 2000, penned by Peter Morgan, featured James Fox, Louise Lombard, James Purefoy and Matthew Rhys. Warner Bros. Television is behind the revised take with The Littlefield Co.'s Warren Littlefield and ITV Studios America's Paul Buccieri also executive producing alongside Thomas and his self-titled banner. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED DAVEY HOLMES PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Davey Holmes ("Awake") is in talks to land a new drama at the network about "a family who serve as assassins for the federal government." He'll write and executive produce for the Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions with Wells and Andrew Stearn also serving as executive producers. (Variety.com)
WITCHES OF EAST END (Lifetime) - Tom Lenk ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about a mother (Julia Ormond) and her two adult daughters (Rachel Boston, Jenna Dewan) - both of whom unknowingly are their family's next generation of witches - who lead seemingly quiet, uneventful modern day lives in Long Island's secluded seaside town of North Hampton. He'll recur as Hudson Rafferty, "Ingrid's (Boston) fellow librarian and gay best friend who helps her cast a fertility spell on one of their pals." Glenne Headly, Killian Gardiner, Madchen Amick, Nicholas Gonzalez and Patrick Heusinger also star in the Fox 21-based hour. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - NBC is reportedly redeveloping its drama pilot "Bad Girls" from this past development cycle as Nancy M. Pimental is currently revising her script (Variety.com); Ron Eldard will recur on "Justified" as "a violent, dark-humored and rule-bending sergeant with the military police" (TVLine.com); and Vik Sahay will guest on "Bones" as "the eco-hip head of a funeral home that provides holistic, coffin-free burials" (TVLine.com).
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