TV SALES
Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton, from IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA have earned pickups for three new series: HARDER, written by Scott Marder and Howerton; WE’RE GOOD, THANKS, written by Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Artemis Pebdani, and Day; and BLOW UP DOLLS, written Sarah Solemani. It’s all part of their big deal renewal with FX. Also included is a yet-to-be announced comedy pilot order.
12 MONKEYS has been given as 12-episode order from SyFy. The drama, which has a January 2015 premiere date, is based the 1995 film directed by Terry Gilliam that starred Bruce Willis.
SyFy has also handed out a 13-episode straight to series order for Z NATION, a drama from Karl Schaefer, who will serve as executive producer and showrunner. The project, which will debut in the fall, is as an action-horror focused on the fight to save humanity in the aftermath of zombie apocalypse.
The CW is transitioning its online comedy, BACKPACKERS to series with a 10 half-hour episode order.
Bravo is bringing two scripted series to air: GIRLFRIEND’S GUIDE TO DIVORCE and ODD MOM OUT. Based on the best-selling book series by Vicki Iovine, “Girlfriend’s Guide” follows Abby, played by Lisa Edelstein, a self-help book author who hides her separation from her husband as she navigates a new life as a single woman. ODD MOM OUT, a half-hour comedy based on the life of author Jill Kargman, will take a look at the world of moms on New York City’s Upper East Side.
TNT has given THE LIBRARIANS a 10-episode order. The drama series, based off the “Librarian” TNT movie trilogy, will see Noah Wyle reprising his starring role as an adventures bookworm. Dean Devlin will executive produce alongside John Rogers, Marc Roskin, and Wyle.
Paramount TV will be developing a TV series based on the 1998 feature The Truman Show. Details are few, but Paramount will be exploring the property.
FXX has given a straight to series order to a comedy staring Tracy Morgan. The untitled project comes from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia creators Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton and “Sunny” writer Luvh Rakhe.
TV GREENLIGHTS
Amazon has greenlit two new pilots. THE COSMOPOLITANS, from Whit Stillman, follows a group of young American expatriates in Paris who are searching for love and friendship in a foreign city. HAND OF GOD, from Marc Forster, is a drama centered around a powerful, hard-living judge who doesn’t also follow the law to the letter, but he has a religious awakening that causes him to see visions and hear voices from his ventilator-bound son.
TV RENEWALS
HBO has renewed its smash hit GAME OF THRONES for a fifth and sixth season. The recently aired fourth season premiere saw the show earning its biggest ratings to date.
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA has gotten a 2-year renewal. The show received 10-episode orders each for seasons 11 and 12.
A&E has renewed THE BATES MOTEL for a 10-episode season. The third season will begin production in the fall.
THE AMERICANS looks to secure an official third-season renewal from FX.
TV ATTACHMENTS
Chuck Hogan has been brought on to rewrite THE ROCKFORD FILES, for Universal Pictures. The project is set to star Vince Vaughn and the script was originally penned by David Levien and Brian Koppelman. Hogan is repped by WME and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Baltasar Kormakur will direct TRAPPED, 10-part crime series from Dynamic Television and RVK Studios. He is repped by WME.
Christian Taylor (TEEN WOLF) has signed on to executive produce and showrun MTV’s EYE CANDY, a drama based on R.L. Stine’s best-selling book which centers on a tech genius who, convinced by her roommate to take up online dating, starts to suspect that one of her suitors may actually be a deadly cyber stalker. Taylor is repped by CAA and Magnet Management.
TV DEALS
Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton, the guys behind IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, inked a new three-year deal at FX Productions for their RCG Productions. Their previous 3-year deal at FX snagged them $50 million and it looks like this new deal will secure them even more.
Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht have signed new deals remain with Sony Pictures TV as the presidents of programming and production. The pairs’ strong portfolio includes NBC’s breakout drama THE BLACKLIST, ABC reality hit SHARK TANK and AMC’s BREAKING BAD, which garnered 10 Emmy wins.
The executive producers of SONS OF ANARCHY, Art Linson and John Linson, have signed a two-year deal with HBO. They’ll be partnering up with Taylor Sheridan on a family drama for the pay cable network. The project, YELLOWSTONE, is a drama that follows a family’s violent struggle against encroachment in southwest Montana.
Ashley Schlaifer is joining Pulse Films as head of US development and production for the company’s Los Angeles-based US division.
TV PREMIERES
TRUE BLOOD will premiere its 7th and final season on June 22 and will run for 10 episodes.
The series premiere of THE LEFTOVERS airs June 15, nabbing the coveted time slot after the season finale of GAME OF THRONES. Based on Tom Perrotta’s best-selling novel, the show takes place after a global Rapture and focuses on the last group of people left on Earth. LOST’s Damon Lindelof is onboard as showrunner while Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Justin Theroux, and Liv Tyler star.
