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[01/23/15 - 11:51 PM]
Development Update: Friday, January 23
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!


BLINDSPOT (NBC/WBTV; W: Martin Gero; D: TBA) - The Greg Berlanti-produced drama has received a pilot order from the Peacock. Martin Gero penned the hour, which NBC details as follows: "A beautiful woman, with no memories of her past, is found naked in Times Square with her body fully covered in intricate tattoos. Her discovery sets off a vast and complex mystery that immediately ignites the attention of the FBI who begin to follow the road map on her body to reveal a larger conspiracy of crime while bringing her closer to discovering the truth about her identity."


ENDGAME (NBC/Sony; W: John Rogers; D: TBA) - The John Rogers-penned drama has scored a pilot commitment from the Peacock. Davis Entertainment's John Davis and John Fox also serve as executive producers on the hour, detailed as follows: "In the high stakes world of Las Vegas, a former sniper turned security expert is drawn into a mysterious conspiracy that forces him to complete a series of heroic challenges in order to save innocent lives."


GRANDPA (A.K.A. UNTITLED JOHN STAMOS PROJECT) (FOX/ABCS; W: Danny Chun; D: TBA) - The John Stamos-led comedy - about "a charismatic longtime bachelor whose life is upended when he discovers he's a father - and a grandfather" - has been greenlit to pilot by the network. Danny Chun penned the single-camera pilot and executive produces alongside Stamos and Dan Fogelman for ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


HEART MATTERS (NBC/Universal; W: Jill Gordon; D: TBA) - The Peacock has ordered the drama to pilot. Jill Gordon is behind the hour with Amy Brenneman and Brad Silberling also serving as executive producers. Susan Carlson, Eric Carlson, Kelly Meyer and Kathy Magliato are the co-executive producers. The logline is as follows: "Inspired by the life of Dr. Kathy Magliato, "Heart Matters" is a medical soap that follows the outspoken Alex Panttiere, one of the rare female heart transplant surgeons. Alex brings an innovative eye to treating patients week to week while also balancing the complications of her professional and romantic life."


LA CRIME (ABC/ABCS; W: Steven Baigelman; D: TBA) - Steven Baigelman's drama - about a "true-crime procedural that explores sex, politics and popular culture across various noteworthy eras in Los Angeles history" - is heading to pilot at the Alphabet. Mandeville Films and Television's David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks will also executive produce for ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


LONELY HEARTS KILLERS (Showtime, New!) - Liz W. Garcia and Joshua Harto ("Memphis Beat") have sold a new period drama to the pay channel about "the unlikely coupling of a sexy, violent grifter and a quiet, love starved Dairy Plant employee on a cross-country crime spree." Universal Cable Productions-based Hypnotic is behind the hour, billed as "a modern retelling of the story of the Lonely Hearts Killers of the 1940s," with the company's Doug Liman, Dave Bartis and Gene Klein likewise executive producing. (Deadline.com)


MIX (ABC/WBT; W: Jennifer Cecil; D: TBA) - Jennifer Cecil's drama - which "explores the realities of modern-day families - multi-cultural, multi-generational, built through divorces, affairs and adoptions - set against the backdrop of a revered family restaurant at a crossroads" - has been ordered to pilot at the network. Le Train Train's Rashida Jones and Will McCormack will also executive produce for Warner Bros. Television with Jeff Grosvenor as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)


OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC, New!) - Feature writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage (Exodus: Gods and Kings) have landed a pilot commitment from the Alphabet for a new drama billed as "an epic biblical saga of faith, ambition and betrayal as told through the eyes of a battle-weary king, a powerful and resentful prophet and a resourceful young shepherd on a collision course with destiny." ABC Studios is behind the hour with Jason Reed, Reza Aslan and Mahyad Tousi of BoomGen Studios also executive producing. (Deadline.com)


QUANTICO (A.K.A. UNTITLED JOSH SAFRAN PROJECT) (ABC/ABCS; W: Josh Safran; D: TBA) - Josh Safran's drama - about "a group of young FBI recruits, all with specific reasons for joining, who battle their way through training at the Quantico base in Virginia, one of whom will turn out to be a sleeper terrorist responsible for the most devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11" - has scored a pilot order from the Alphabet. Mark Gordon and Nick Pepper also serve as executive producers via the former's self-titled banner at ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (USA/FTVS; W: M.A. Fortin & Joshua John Miller; D: Charlotte Sieling) - Joaquim de Almeida is the latest to board the drama pilot, about Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), a woman who, when her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico, is forced to go on the run and seek refuge in America, where she teams with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run. He'll play Don Epifanio Vargas, "a handsome, privileged and successful Mexican politician who was a father figure to Teresa's boyfriend, Guero, who welcomed her into his family like a daughter." Adriana Barraza, Hemky Madera, James Martinez and Justina Machado co-star. (Deadline.com)


RUNNER (ABC/20th; W: Michael Cooney; D: Peter Horton) - Michael Cooney's import of the Turkish series "Son" has found a new home at ABC. The project was originally set up at FOX last season with "an off-cycle commitment for further investment towards series production." Jon Cowan has subsequently signed on as showrunner with Peter Horton, Ian Sander and Kim Moses likewise executive producing for 20th Century Fox Television. (Deadline.com)


STUDIO CITY (FOX/WBTV; W: Krista Vernoff; D: TBA) - Krista Vernoff's dramedy - which "tells the story of a young singer's path to stardom, as she comes of age living with her songwriter father - who turns out to be a drug dealer to the stars" - is among the latest to receive a pilot order at FOX. John Wells and Andrew Stearn will also executive produce for Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)


UNVEILED (NBC/Universal; W: John Sakmar & Kerry Lenhart; D: TBA) - The drama, from executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey of Lightworks Media, is heading to pilot at the Peacock. John Sakmar and Kerry Lenhart penned the hour for Universal Television. NBC details the project as follows: "From prolific producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey comes "Unveiled," a one-hour drama following an ensemble of flawed guardian angels who intervene in the lives of those who find themselves facing crisis in an attempt to restore their faith and, often, save their lives."


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - IFC has canceled its sketch comedy series "The Birthday Boys" after two seasons (@thebirthdayboys); Richard Shepard has been tapped to direct the FOX drama pilot "Rosewood" (Deadline.com); Richard Lewis has been cast as Walter Blunt's (Patrick Stewart) therapist on Starz's "Blunt Tank" (Deadline.com); Kyle Dean Massey will recur on "Nashville" as "one of the most successful singer-songwriters in Nashville who also happens to be openly gay" (Deadline.com); Nora Dunn will guest on "New Girl" as Schmidt's never-before-seen mother (TVLine.com); Rutina Wesley will drop by "Hannibal" as "a blind woman who catches the eye of Francis Dolarhyde (Richard Armitage) and represents his best chance at humanity" (TVLine.com); and Michael Nouri is bound for NBC's "The Slap" as "a super-sleazy attorney who will do anything to win" (TVLine.com).






  [january 2015]  
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· BIRTHDAY BOYS, THE (IFC)
· BLINDSPOT (NBC)
· BLUNT TALK (STARZ)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GRANDFATHERED (FOX)
· HANNIBAL (NBC)
· HEARTBEAT (NBC)
· MEMPHIS BEAT (TNT)
· MIX (ABC)
· NASHVILLE (CMT)
· NEW GIRL (FOX)
· OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC)
· PLAYER, THE (NBC)
· QUANTICO (ABC)
· QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (USA)
· ROSEWOOD (FOX)
· RUNNER (ABC)
· SLAP, THE (NBC)
· STUDIO CITY (FOX)
· UNVEILED (NBC)
· WICKED CITY (ABC)





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