TV SALES, PICK-UPS, ATTACHMENTS, RENEWALS & DEALS (01.16.15)
TV SALES
NASCAR Productions and its Entertainment Marketing division are working alongside Telenovela star William Levy to produce a non-scripted docu-series about Hispanic race car drivers. The reality show will focus on the drivers and their struggles as they try to make it in NASCAR. NASCAR Productions, Levy and Gladys Gonzalez is set to produce while CAA packages the project. The show will be pitched to networks next month.
TV RENEWALS
CW has renewed eight of their most popular series, ARROW, JANE THE VIRGIN, SUPERNATURAL, THE 100, THE FLASH, THE ORIGINALS, and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES.
CBS has ordered second seasons for three of its fall dramas; SCORPION, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS, and MADAM SECRETARY. Produced by K/O Paper Products, Wings Productions and Barbara Hall Productions respectively.
Disney XD has renewed it’s breakout comedy, KIRBY BUCKETS, for a second season. The children’s show capitalizes on its unique blend of live action and animation in a way Disney execs describe as “a defining new property.” The preteen cast stars Jacob Bertrand, Mekai Curtis, Cade Sutton, Olivia Stuck, and Tiffany Espensen.
ABC Family ordered a second season the their scripted drama THE FOSTERS. The show, most known for its depiction of a same-sex family, was created by Bradley Bredeweg and Peter Paige and is executive produced by Jennifer Lopez.
Comedy Central picks up BROAD CITY for a third season. The show, based on Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer digital series, follow two broke twenty-somethings in New York. Hannibal Buress, Arturo Castro, Paul Downs, John Gemberling, Chris Gethard and Stephen Schneider co-star. In addition to starring, Jacobson and Glazer also executive produce with Amy Poehler, Dave Becky, Sam Saifer and Tony Hernandez.
NBC has picked up HOW WE LIVE, SUPERSTORE, and an Untitled comedy from Hot In Cleveland creator Suzanne Martin. How We Live is about a blogger who begins writing about his family and neighbors in the style of an anthropologist who’s stumbled on an undiscovered tribe. Superstore is a single camera sitcom centered on a group of employees at a big box store. The untitled project chronicles how things backfire for recent empty-nesters when their children and their parents move back home.
E! has renewed their reality series HOUSE OF DVF and scripted series THE ROYALS (before it has even debuted).
TV CANCELLATIONS
USA Network has cancelled its courtroom comedy series BENCHED starring Eliza Coupe and Jay Harrington.
TV ATTACHMENTS
Shoshana Bush, Arturo del Puerto, and Rick Gonzalez have landed roles in writer/director Lauren Iungerich’s new comedy pilot TOUGH COOKIE. The sitcom centers on Lilla (Bush), a successful publicist who is reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption when she was as a young girl. Del Puerto will play Lilla’s roommate who is a neurotic hipster neat freak. Gonzalez will play Seth Whitfield, who works for the San Francisco Department of Children’s Services. Bush is repped by TalentWorks and Generate. Del Puerto is repped by AKA Talent Agency and Main Title Entertainment. Gonzalez, repped by Framework and Domain.
John Rhys-Davis joins the cast of MTV’s SHANNARA. The 10 episode straight-to-series drama, based on the novels by Terry Brooks, will follow a family with magical powers in a post-apocalyptic world—complete with elfs, druids, and other mythical creatures. The Lord of the Rings’ star will play the protagonist’s grandfather, King Eventine, who has ruled the Elvin kingdom of Arborlon for decades flanked by his sons Arion and Ander. Rhy-Davis will be joined by Poppy Drayton, Austin Butler, Manu Bennett, Ivana Baquero and Aaron Jakubenko. Rhys-Davies, repped by Jeff Goldberg Management and Louisa Spring Management.
Matt Murray and Jordan Hinson have joined the cast of Barbie Adler’s comedy pilot KEVIN FROM WORK. The show centers around Kevin (Noah Reid) who mistakenly professes his love to his co-worker (Paige Spara) and then must awkwardly continue working with her. Murray will play Brian, Kevin’s prankster best friend. Amy Sedaris will guest star on the pilot episode as Kevin’s boss. Murray is repped by Intellectual Artists Management and The Characters Talent Agency in Toronto. Hinson, repped by APA and Inphenate.
Kristen Connolly and Billy Burke will join James Wolk in CBS’ summer drama series ZOO. The thriller, based on the best selling novel of the same name by James Patterson, follows a young biologist who must find a way to solve a wave of violent animal attacks happening around the globe. Connolly is repped by Paradigm and Untitled Entertainment. Burke is repped by Gersh and Ellen Meyer Management.
SyFy has signed Fight Club‘s Jim Uhls to write SPIN, a six-hour miniseries adapted from Robert Charles Wilson’s Hugo Award-winning novel by the same name. The book follows a young scientist trying to save the world from the looming apocalypse cause by a mysterious cloud that has enveloped Earth. Universal Cable Prods will produce the project, along with Morrow’s Bits and Pieces Picture Company and Olympus Pictures’ Leslie Urdang. Uhls is repped by Paradigm and Anonymous Content.
TV GREENLIGHTS
Gail Berman and Robert Rodat have teamed up to begin development on the new drama, PARK ROW, centered around the legendary rivalry between newspaper tycoons William Randloph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Rodat will serves as writer as well as executive producer along with Berman.
TV DEALS
Adam Sandler and Doug Robinson’s Happy Madison has signed a new three-year overall deal with Sony Pictures TV. Along with the deal, the company has set up 8 comedy projects including, What Up Wahlbergs, Real Genius, Coverband, Pittsburgh Rich, and My Four Moms.
Producer Jason Blum, the man behind Paranormal Activity, Lawless, and Insidious, has inked a television deal with Universal Cable Productions. Blumhouse will develop scripted and non-scripted content. Syfy and USA Network have given the company a blind series commitment.
Cirque de Soleil Media locked down a first look deal with 20th Century Fox Television for a live action prime time scripted series.
Charlize Theron’s production company, Denver & Delilah Films, has signed a first-look deal with Universal Cable Productions to develop and produce scripted series for NBCUniversal as well as outside networks. The company has set up already projects with various channel, shows include NBC’s romantic comedy DIBLINGS, Bravo’s drama THE ONE, Amazon’s PANDORA, and USA Network’s MYTHOS.