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[11/06/13 - 11:35 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, November 6
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!


BALL & CHAIN (FOX, New!) - Peter Ocko ("Fairly Legal") has sold a new drama to the network about "two ex-operatives with screwed up personal lives who are set up by their intelligence agency to become romantically entangled and run missions as a team." Lionsgate Television is behind the hour with Steve McPherson of Wonder Monkey Productions executive producing alongside Ocko. (Deadline.com)


DELIVERANCE CREEK (Lifetime/Warner Horizon; W: Melissa Carter; D: Jon Amiel) - Joel Johnstone ("The Newsroom") has been cast in the backdoor pilot telefilm, "set at the end of the Civil War and follows Belle Barlowe (Lauren Ambrose) as she faces uncertainty as she attempts to defend her family's land by any means necessary." He'll play Ben Crawford, "the nephew of the local bank owner who is a bank official in love with Belle's sister Hattie and has been helping her smuggle runaway slaves out of the area -- an avocation that could have deadly consequences for both of them." The project also stars Christopher Baker, Christopher Backus, Riley Smith, Wes Ramsey and Yaani King. (THR.com)


EYE CANDY (MTV; W: Emmy Grinwis; D: Catherine Hardwicke) - Olesya Rulin, Justin Martin, Harvey Guillen and Lilan Bowden have all landed roles on the drama pilot, about Lindy (Victoria Justice), a reclusive hacker whose blog exposes everything from terrorist plots to suspected killers. Rulin will play Ann-Marie Halliday, "Lindy's roommate and loyal best friend"; with Martin as Tyrone, "an ex-juvenile delinquent turned techie who works with an underground cyber crime unit that's helping track down Lindy's cyber stalker"; Guillen as Juan, "a brilliant hacker with the cyber crime unit who also is on the hunt for her stalker"; and Bowden as Page, "a young hacker and member of the unit." Nico Tortorella also stars. (Deadline.com)


FATRICK (FOX/20th; W: Corey Nickerson & Nahnatchka Khan; D: Jim Rash & Nat Faxon) - The network has officially ordered the pilot to the single-camera comedy, which its detailed as follows: "When he realizes his life isn't quite where it should be, Patrick, a 30-something moving man and formerly fat kid, is forced to face the damage caused by years of being Fatrick: a chubby little kid just trying to survive." The show will live in both the past, showing Fatrick at school and at home, as well as the present. Nat Faxon and Jim Rash will direct from a script by Nahnatchka Khan and Corey Nickerson for 20th Century Fox Television.


HEADHUNTERS (HBO, New!) - Alexander Woo ("True Blood") is looking to bring Jo Nesbø's best-selling book - about "a corporate headhunter who becomes the hunted when his life and marriage are suddenly targeted by an unknown individual" - to the small screen at the pay channel. Lionsgate Television and Yellow Bird Entertainment are co-producing the potential hour with Carolyn Strauss, Marianne Gray and Berna Levin also among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)


POOR PAM (ABC, New!) - Andrew Leeds and David Lampson ("Brenda Forever") have set up a new multi-camera comedy at the Alphabet about Poor Pam, "that friend everyone feels bad for. Single, unemployed, almost broke, living in the shadow of her famous sister - everyone has it better than Pam. But that doesn't get her down. Poor Pam always looks on the bright side of life, and she's always ready to go another round, no matter how many times she gets dropped on her ass." Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos and Albert Bianchini are also on board to executive produce the ABC Studios-based half-hour via their Milojo Productions banner. (Deadline.com)


SALEM (WGN/Fox 21; W: Adam Simon & Brannon Braga; D: Richard Shepard) - Elise Eberle (Tiger Eyes) will round out the cast of the upcoming drama, about what really fueled the town's infamous witch trials and dares to uncover the dark, supernatural truth hiding behind the veil of this infamous period in American history. She'll play Mercy Lewis, "Reverend Lewis' powerful and vulnerable daughter who is believed to be possessed." Ashley Madekwe, Janet Montgomery, Seth Gabel, Shane West, Tamzin Merchant and Xander Berkeley also star. (Deadline.com)


SUPER AWESOME KATY (Disney Channel, New!) - Zendaya ("Shake It Up") is back in business with the cable network for a new comedy about 16-year-old Katy Cooper (Zendaya), "an outspoken and confident technology wiz and skilled black belt, who discovers that both her parents are spies who expect her to follow in their footsteps." Fellow ""Shake It Up"" alum Rob Lotterstein is executive producing the project, which has a pilot commitment. (THR.com)


TRIBECA (TBS) - Steve Carell ("The Office") and his wife Nancy Carell's comedy pilot - about an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime, reveal way too much personal information about themselves and refuse to rest until justice has been served - has been ordered to pilot by the cable channel. The former will also helm the project, with both executive producing via their Carousel Television banner. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED ANDREW GURLAND/JUSTIN HURWITZ PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Andrew Gurland and Justin Hurwitz ("The Gabriels") are back in business with the network for a new comedy about "a brother and sister who develop an adult relationship that wreaks havoc on everyone else around them." The project, based on Hurwitz's life, is set at up at 20th Century Fox Television. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED DAN FOGELMAN/ROBERT BORDEN PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Dan Fogelman ("The Neighbors") and Robert Borden ("Outsourced") are set to team for a potential comedy about "three long-lost basketball teammates who reconnect in their 60s and discover they still have a lot to learn about love and friendship." Borden will pen the script and executive produce alongside Fogelman via his ABC Studios-based Rhode Island Ave. Productions. (Deadline.com)


WAYWARD PINES (FOX/FX Productions; W: Chad Hodge; D: M. Night Shyamalan) - Hope Davis and Justin Kirk have both been tapped for roles on the event series, about Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) who finds himself stranded in the seemingly bucolic town of Wayward Pines, Idaho while looking for two missing federal agents. Davis will recur as Megan Fisher, "a teacher at Wayward Pines Academy," while Kirk is set as Peter McCall, "an unassuming Realtor in Wayward Pines." The ensemble cast also includes Carla Gugino, Charlie Tahan, Greta Lee, Juliette Lewis, Lindsey Kraft, Melissa Leo, Shannyn Sossamon, Terrence Howard, Tim Griffin and Toby Jones. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Damon Wayans, Jr. will be continuing his role of Coach as a special guest star on "New Girl" for the remainder of the season; Scott Speer (Step Up 4) is set to direct MTV's drama pilot "Finding Carter" (Deadline.com); Greer Grammer's Lissa has been upped to series regular on "Awkward" (Deadline.com); Amanda Detmer is set to recur on "Baby Daddy" as Riley's (Chelsea Kane) Aunt Margot while Kim Coles will guest as that gang's old vice principal who is "just as tough on Riley as she's always been, but has a soft spot for Danny (Derek Theler)" (THR.com); and Samantha Logan has scored an arc on "Melissa & Joey" as Ryder's (Nick Robinson) chemistry lab partner while Food Network mainstay Robert Irvine also visit as "an imposing chef" (THR.com).






  [november 2013]  
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M
T
W
T
F
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· ANGIE TRIBECA (TBS)
· AWKWARD (MTV)
· BABY DADDY (FREEFORM)
· BALL & CHAIN (FOX)
· BRENDA FOREVER (NBC)
· DELIVERANCE CREEK (LIFETIME)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EYE CANDY (MTV)
· FAIRLY LEGAL (USA)
· FATRICK (FOX)
· GABRIELS, THE (FOX)
· HEADHUNTERS (HBO)
· KC UNDERCOVER (DISNEY)
· MELISSA & JOEY (ABC FAMILY)
· NEIGHBORS, THE (ABC)
· NEW GIRL (FOX)
· NEWSROOM, THE (HBO)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· OUTSOURCED (NBC)
· POOR PAM (ABC)
· SALEM (WGN)
· SHAKE IT UP (DISNEY)
· UNTITLED GURLAND & HURWITZ PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED ROBERT BORDEN PROJECT (ABC)
· WAYWARD PINES (FOX)





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