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[01/21/16 - 11:40 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, January 21
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!


BIG DEAD PLACE (HBO; W: TBA; D: Tim Van Patten) - A drama based on Nicholas Johnson's memoir about his stint working for the U.S. Antarctic Program is being redeveloped by the pay channel. The late James Gandolfini originally sold the hour to HBO back in 2011. Tim Van Patten has subsequently been attached as executive producer and director. No writing auspices were indicated. (Deadline.com)


GHOST (A.K.A. UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT) (The CW/WBT; W: Kevin Williamson; D: TBA) - Kevin Williamson's paranormal drama has reportedly been revived by the netlet. Originally set up in 2010, the then untitled project "is set in New Orleans and centers on a young woman who seeks help from a parapsychologist when she begins to experience paranormal phenomena." His Warner Bros. Television-based Outerbanks Entertainment is behind the hour. (Deadline.com)


IMAGINARY FRIEND (ABC/Sony; W: Adam F. Goldberg, David Guarascio & Patrick Osborne; D: TBA) - The single-camera comedy is the latest to receive a pilot order from the Alphabet. The project revolves around "a thirtysomething bachelorette whose life is turned upside-down when she finally meets the love of her life - a divorced father with three kids. This triggers even more upheaval when the slightly unhinged imaginary friend she created as an only child suddenly reappears in her life to help her navigate the transition from single girl to a woman ready for a family." Happy Madison's Doug Robinson also serves as an executive producer. (Deadline.com)


MONGER (Showtime, New!) - Writer/directors Ben and Josh Safdie (Daddy Longlegs) have sold a new half-hour comedy to the pay channel about "two adult brothers and their relationship with their father who is a New York City fishmonger." The semi-autobiographical project comes from CBS Television Studios and Michael London's Groundswell Productions, the latter of which recently signed a multi-year first-look deal with the former. (Deadline.com)


STILL STAR-CROSSED (ABC/ABCS; W: Heather Mitchell; D: TBA) - The Shonda Rhimes-produced drama, which follows the conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues in the wake of Romeo and Juliet's deaths, has been ordered to pilot by the Alphabet. Heather Mitchell penned the hour, which is based on Melinda Taub's book of the same name. Shondaland's Betsy Beers and The MrG Production Co.'s Michael R. Goldstein likewise are executive producing. (Deadline.com)


TIME (NBC/Sony; W: Eric Kripke & Shawn Ryan; D: TBA) - The much-ballyhooed drama, about an unlikely trio traveling through time to battle unknown criminals in order to protect history as we know it, has scored a pilot green light from the Peacock. Davis Entertainment's John Davis and John Fox and MiddKid Productions' Marney Hochman will also serve as executive producers for Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - BET has renewed "Real Husbands of Hollywood" for a fifth season (Deadline.com); HBO has reportedly given a series order to its Pete Holmes-led comedy "Crashing" (Deadline.com); NBC has officially confirmed the development of "Chicago Law," the fourth installment in Dick Wolf's franchise using "Chicago PD" to backdoor pilot potential characters (Deadline.com); Lesli Linka Glatter has signed on to helm the first two installments of History's new drama "Six" (Deadline.com); Sherri Shepherd has been tapped to host the second season of WE tv's "Match Made in Heaven" (Deadline.com);

Jennifer Beals will recur on "The Night Shift" (Deadline.com); Amanda Brooks has been cast as Sharon Tate on season two of NBC's "Aquarius" (Deadline.com); Breeda Wool's Faith and Malea Mitchell's Amy will topline a 10-episode web series for the new season of "UnREAL" (USAToday.com); Olga Fonda will drop by "Hawaii Five-0" as "a spy who uses deadly tactics to obtain important stolen intel" (TVLine.com); and Debby Ryan will guest on the two-part season finale of "The Mysteries of Laura" as the half-sister of the title character (TVLine.com).






  [january 2016]  
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T
W
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F
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· AQUARIUS (NBC)
· BIG DEAD PLACE (HBO)
· CHICAGO JUSTICE (NBC)
· CHICAGO PD (NBC)
· CRASHING (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GHOST (CW)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· IMAGINARY MARY (ABC)
· MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN (WE)
· MONGER (SHOWTIME)
· MYSTERIES OF LAURA, THE (NBC)
· NIGHT SHIFT, THE (NBC)
· REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD (BET)
· SIX (HISTORY)
· STILL STAR-CROSSED (ABC)
· TIMELESS (NBC)
· UNREAL (HULU)





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