TV SALES
A&E will develop NINO SANTO with Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal and Steven Spielber’s Amblin TV. Based on the Mexican spiritual medical drama, the project follows a group of young doctors who are sent to vaccinate the locals of a remote village but encounter an unusual cult instead. Mauricio Katz and Pedro Peirano will pen the script and executive produce with Pablo Cru, Garcia Bernal, Luna and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey for Amblin TV.
ABC and ABC Studios has given a script commitment with penalty to an UNTITLED VACATION COMEDY SERIES starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. The family comedy, which will be written and executive produced by Brad Copeland, will follow Chase and D’Angelo as a married couple whose golden years are interrupted when they’re compelled to raise their grandchildren. Aaron Kaplan is executive producing under his Kapital Entertainment banner.
ABC is developing L.A. CRIME, a character-driven crime procedural. The project is being written by Steven Baigelman and follows the investigation of a “Bonnie & Clyde” serial killer team in LA. ABC Studios and Mandeville are producing, with Baigelman and David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, and Laurie Zaks executive producing.
ABC is putting an UNTITLED STEPHANIE WEIR BANK COMEDY into development. The project, from Stephanie Weir and CBS TV Studios, centers on the manager of a credit union who tries to shake the small town image and compete with the new guy on the scene, UberBank.
ABC Studios is teaming with Josh Safran and Mark Gordon’s Mark Gordon Company for an UNTITLED QUANTICO DRAMA. The project has received a script commitment and will center on a diverse group of FBI recruits as they go through 21 weeks of training to become special agents but they don’t know that one among them is a sleeper terrorist. Safran will write and executive produce, with Gordon and Nick Pepper.
ABC is adapting the Korean series MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR. The project has a script commitment and centers on why a superhero has to save the world and why he can’t save just one girl. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain will pen the script, while Ji-eun Park will executive produce with Bomi Moon and Sebastian Lee under his EnterMedia Contents banner.
Angela Kinsey and Will Gluck are developing an UNTITLED EX COMEDY PROJECT with Sony Pictures TV for ABC. The buddy comedy project, which will be co-written by Kinsey, Rachel Specter and Audrey Wauchope, follows a woman and her ex-husband’s new girlfriend who end up becoming best friends — much to the dismay of the guy stuck in the middle. Darlene Hunt will serve as showrunner and executive producer with Kinsey, Gluck, Specter and Wauchope.
Carol Mendelsohn has sold an UNTITLED JOURNALISM DRAMEDY to ABC with a put pilot commitment. Liz Heldens will pen the script, which centers on a disgraced journalist who is forced to go back to work for his former intern. Mendelsohn and Carol Mendelsohn Productions will produce, while Julie Weitz will executive produce.
CBS has given a pilot commitment to an UNTITLED MEATBALL COMEDY SERIES. Written by Jeff Astrof, the project centers on two best friends on the verge of becoming restauranteurs who decide to see a couples therapist after their friendship gets a little rocky. The project is based on the real lives of Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, who own a meatball shop in New York City.
CBS has given a script commitment to Jon Turteltaub’s LETTER’S TO MY DAUGHTER’S FUTURE THERAPIST. The comedy, written and executive produced by Jordan Roter, features a voice over of a mother’s letters to her daughter’s future therapist, explaining her actions after her daughter blames her for everything. CBS TV Studios and Junction Entertainment are producing.
Fox has given a put pilot commitment to LUCIFER, a DC-themed project from Tom Kapinos and Warner Bros. TV. The project centers on Lucifer who resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the bright lights of Los Angeles, where he opens a piano bar called Lux. Warner Bros. TV and Aggressive Mediocrity are producing.
FX is developing FANTASY LIFE, a comedy from 20th Century Fox TV. The project, written by Tim McAuliffe and starring Kevin Connolly, follows a regular Joe who lands his dream job in the fantasy sports department at a major sports network. Connolly, Michael Rotenberg, Jonathan Berry, Greg Walkter, Troy Zien, and McAuliffe will all executive produce.
Greg Garcia has sold two comedies to CBS. A pilot commitment has been handed out to an UNTITLED MULTICAM WORKPLACE COMEDY from Bobby Bowman, who will write and executive produce with Garcia. An UNTITLED CHRIS HARRIS COMEDY has nabbed a script commitment. The project, from Chris Harris, centers on a couple who want to set up two of their friends. Garcia will executive produce with Harris.
Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly have sold an UNTITLED KIMMEL/DALY COMEDY pilot script to ABC. Kimmel will pen the pilot and produce with Daly. The project, from ABC Studios, is loosely based on Daly’s life and centers on a has-been VJ who is forced to move back in with his parents and take a job at a local radio station after his star power fades.
Kevin Nealon and Susan Yeagley have sold a comedy pilot to NBC. Nealon and Yeagley penned the script for the UNTITLED NEALON/YEAGLEY COMEDY SERIES, which follows a divorced couple who are still closely tied to their close-knit family and each other via their family owned business. The duo will serve as executive producers on the project.
Legendary TV has acquired the rights to John Scalzi’s novel LOCK IN to adapt into a pilot. The book centers on a contagious virus that causes 1% of the population to become paralyzed but remain in control of their mental faculties. Fifteen years later, the immobile can borrow the bodies of “integrators.” After one of the 1% is murdered, two FBI agents are called in to investigate the case that turns out to be bigger than they imagined.
Mark V. Olsen, Will Scheffer and Judith Godreche are developing an UNTITLED FRENCH COMEDY. The project follows a famous French actress who moves to the States and goes to great lengths to keep her family together. Olsen and Scheffer will executive produce and pen the script with Godreche.
NBC has purchased THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD from Ruben Fleischer, David Bernad, and Justin Spitzer. The comedy project centers on a group of employees at a big box store in the Midwest and the love stories that are found there. Fleischer will direct and executive produce alongside Bernad and Spitzer.
Netflix has purchased sci-fi comedy NORAD from Jason Micallef. The project centers on the organization that provides air defense to North America. Jim Field Smith will executive produce with Trevor Engelson and Josh McGuire.
Spike TV is developing DEEP WEB, a drama from Tony Krantz’s Flame Ventures and Gary Oldman and Douglas Urbanski’s Flying Studio Pictures. The project, written and produced by Scott Gold, follows an ambitious computer guru in Silicon Valley who becomes an internet crime boss whose empire expands to include illegal drugs and black market organs, making him one of the most wanted men on Earth.
TNT has ordered a pilot for an UNTITLED COCAINE DRAMA PROJECT from Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay. Written by Michelle Ashford, the project is set in the unpredictable world of the Florida drug trade in the 1970s. The pilot is based on the documentary called “Cocaine Cowboys.”
TV RENEWALS
IFC is renewing MARON for a third season. The Marc Maron comedy series, produced by Fox Television Studios, centers on Maron as he struggles to sustain a meaningful romantic relationship, as well as his career. Maron created the series, in which he stars and serves as executive producer and writer.
FX has renewed freshman drama TYRANT for another season. The series follows an unassuming American family who are brought into the world of a turbulent Middle Eastern country. The Fox 21 and FX Productions project was created by Gideon Raff.
TV ATTACHMENTS
Betsy Thomas has signed on to board NBC’s BAD JUDGE as executive producer and showrunner. Thomas takes over for Liz Brixius who abruptly left the show less than two weeks ago. The series stars Kate Walsh as a wild child and judge who divides her time between partying outside of work and donning the judges robes behind the bench. Thomas is repped by WME.
Peter Segal has been tapped to direct MTV’s comedy pilot KEN JEONG MADE ME DO IT. Andy St. Clair and Paul O’Toole will write and executive produce the project, which centers on a twentysomething guy who accidentally rear ends Ken Jeong’s car after his girlfriend breaks up with him, prompting Jeong to teach him how to be a man. Segal is repped by WME.
TV GREENLIGHTS
Amazon Studios has given the greenlight to THE KICKS, a kids comedy project produced by James Frey’s Full Fathom Five company. Based on the bestselling book series by Alex Morgan, the project centers on 12-year-old Devin who is on the verge of being named captain of her soccer team when her family moves across the country and she’s forced to start over. David Babcock will serve as writer and showrunner for the series.
Jason Blum and Tony Krantz have set up an UNTITLED HORROR ANTHOLOGY SERIES at NBC. The Endemol Studios production has been given a script-to-series commitment at the network. Inspired by real events, the project will feature stand alone episodes of the horror/sci-fi/thriller genre. Blum and Krantz will executive produce, while Chad Villella, Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Justin Martinez will pen the project.
TV DEALS
Adam Scott and his producer wife Naomi Scott have signed an exclusive first look deal with Universal TV under their Gettin’ Rad Productions banner. As producers, the Scotts have worked on “The Greatest Event in Television History” for Adult Swim. Gettin’ Rad also produces NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” The Scotts are repped by WME.
Alon Aranya and Rob Golenberg have signed a two year first-look deal at Fox 21 under their Scripted World banner. Scripted World has sold 22 projects to network and cable in the two years since it was founded, including “Red Window,” “Betrayal,” and “Hostages.”
Ian Sander and Kim Moses have signed a first look deal with 20th Century Fox TV Studios. The will develop and produce new series under their Sanders/Moses Productions banner. They currently collaborate on the TV drama “Runner.” The duo are repped by UTA.
