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[09/17/15 - 11:37 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, September 17
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!


DUMB PRINCE (NBC, New!) - Charlie Grady ("The Mindy Project") has sold a new comedy to the Peacock about "a reluctant Crown Prince's attempt to run the family business his way, thereby throwing his highly publicized and dysfunctional family into chaos." The presumably single-camera project, which has a pilot production commitment, is set up at the Universal Television with Paper Kite Productions' Amy Poehler and Brooke Posch as well as 3 Arts Entertainment's Dave Becky also among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)


FRONT MAN (FOX, New!) - Emily Kapnek ("Selfie") has landed a pilot production commitment from the network for a single-camera comedy about "a soon-to-be thirtysomething who is forced to acknowledge that his dream of becoming a famous singer/songwriter isn't happening and takes the gig of front man for a local wedding band and learns more than wedding reception staples in the process." Warner Bros. Television is behind the project with Piece of Pie Productions' Kapnek and Brownstone Productions' Elizabeth Banks (who will direct, schedule permitting) and Max Handelman executive producing. (Deadline.com)


ORDINARY PEOPLE (ABC, New!) - Tracy Oliver ("Survivor's Remorse") has scored a put pilot commitment from the Alphabet for a single-camera comedy about "an interracial couple with very different personalities and big ambitions." Kenya Barris is supervising the half-hour and will executive produce alongside Get Lifted Film Company's John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius; Legend's wife Chrissy Teigen; and Principato-Young Entertainment's Brian Dobbins, Paul Young and Peter Principato for ABC Studios and Legendary Television. (Deadline.com)


SHOOTER (USA/Paramount/UCP; W: John Hlavin; D: Simon Cellan Jones) - Omar Epps ("Resurrection") has signed onto the book-turned-feature-turned-drama pilot, about Bob Lee Swagger (Ryan Phillippe), an off-the-grid former Marine sniper who is coaxed into action to thwart the killing of the President. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he must call upon all the skills he acquired as a decorated Marine sharpshooter to avoid capture while hunting down and exposing the traitors who set him up. He'll play Secret Service Agent Isaac Johnson, who coaxes Swagger into action. Emily Rios also stars. (TVLine.com)


TAKEN (NBC, New!) - Luc Besson is looking to bring his Liam Neeson-led film franchise - about "a retired CIA operative on a one-man mission to save his kidnapped daughter" - to the small screen. Said effort will serve as a prequel to the films, following a young Bryan Mills before he marries and has a daughter. The search is underway for a writer to the project, which has a straight-to-series order. Europacorp Television's Matthew Gross, Edouard de Vesinne and Thomas Anargyros will also executive produce alongside Universal Television. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED NICOLE BYER PROJECT (MTV; W: Nicole Byer; D: TBA) - Kimrie Lewis-Davis has signed onto the comedy pilot, about a young adult (Nicole Byer) who is forced to move in with her sister and four kids in the suburbs after causing a fire in her New York City apartment. Aunt Nicole will offer her own brand of advice to her sister's kids while trying to get her life back on track. She'll play the aforementioned sister. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Denzel Washington is on track to direct and executive produce all 10 of August Wilson's "The Pittsburgh Cycle" plays for HBO as well as co-star with Viola Davis in one of them, "Fences" (Deadline.com); James Faulkner, Samantha Spiro and Rebecca Benson are bound for "Game of Thrones" as Randyll Tarly, Melessa Tarly and Talla Tarly, respectively (Deadline.com); Tim Doyle has inked a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios where he'll serve as a consulting producer on its midseason family comedy "The Real O'Neals" (Deadline.com); Tom Degnan will recur on "Limitless" as "a physically fit FBI agent in charge of watching over Brian (Jake McDorman)" (Deadline.com); Andy Daly is bound for "Grandfathered" as Sara's (Paget Brewster) ex who served as a surrogate father to Gerald (Josh Peck) (Deadline.com);

Jason Statham is attached to star in a TV take on "Viva La Madness," based on the book by J.J. Connolly (Deadline.com); Vincent Ventresca has scored an arc on "Wicked City" as the ex-boyfriend of Betty (Erika Christensen) (Deadline.com); Hulu's "The Way" creator Jessica Goldberg has inked an overall deal with Universal Television (Deadline.com); Funkmaster Flex will drop by "Empire" as "the MC at a rap battle between Hakeem Lyon (Bryshere Gray) and up-and-comer Freda Gatz (Bre-Z)" (TVLine.com); John Heard has been cast as Watson's stepfather on "Elementary" (@CBSTweet); Chad Michael Murray will visit "Scream Queens" as older brother of Chad Radwell (Glen Powell) (EW.com); and Anthony Edwards will guest on "Blue Bloods" as "a stolid, square man whose life is turned upside down when his prized possession, the 1968 Mustang allegedly driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt, goes missing" (Yahoo.com).






  [september 2015]  
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· BLUE BLOODS (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DUMB PRINCE (NBC)
· ELEMENTARY (CBS)
· EMPIRE (FOX)
· FRONT MAN (FOX)
· GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
· GRANDFATHERED (FOX)
· LIMITLESS (CBS)
· LOOSELY EXACTLY NICOLE (FACEBOOK)
· MINDY PROJECT, THE (HULU)
· ORDINARY PEOPLE (ABC)
· PATH, THE (HULU)
· REAL O'NEALS, THE (ABC)
· RESURRECTION (ABC)
· SCREAM QUEENS (FOX)
· SELFIE (ABC)
· SHOOTER (USA)
· SURVIVOR'S REMORSE (STARZ)
· TAKEN (NBC)
· WICKED CITY (ABC)





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