TV SALES
E! has released its first scripted development slate that consists of 8 projects. First project, LAUREL CANYON, which follows a young woman who returns to her dysfunctional, extended family in Laurel Canyon with her son after hearing her rock-star legend father has passed away. Karen Croner will write and executive produce with Len Goldstein, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Croner is repped by WME. Second project, THE STAND-IN, is a dark re-telling of “The Prince & the Pauper” set behind the scenes of one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses, who, tired of the spotlight, runs away in search of a normal life. Craig Chester will pen the pilot with Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass and Adam Sher executive producing. Chester is repped by CAA. Third project, SONGBYRD, follows a young, prolific songwriter of some of the best love songs who struggles to find love in her personal life after her inspiration is revealed to be a lie. Krista Vernoff will write and executive produce alongside Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Vernoff is repped by CAA. EXPECTATIONS revolves around a morally corrupt family in the diamond business set in New York City. Ronald Bass will write while Dan Jinks executive produces. Bass is repped by ICM. THE SHORELINE focuses on the golden child of a small coastal town in South Carolina who returns home to see that a major Hollywood prime time soap, The Shore Line Yacht Club, is the biggest employer in town. Carolyn Ingber will pen the pilot while Becky Hartman Edwards executive produces. DIRTY/PRETTY follows a blue collar guy from south Boston who gets scouted to be a model in Miami. The comedy will be written by Keith Eisner, Jason Markarian and John Mirabella, with Gale Anne Hurd serving as executive producer. Eisner is repped by CAA. FORTUNATE SON revolves around a society golden boy who’s framed for a drug deal by a friend from his hard-partying days and becomes a criminal informant at the mercy of the police. Joey Falco will write and executive produce alongside Kevin Spacey, Michael DeLuca and Dana Brunetti. And last but not least, THE ROYALS is a tale of men and women corrupted by power, wealth and desire while looking at the nature of celebrity from a Royals’ point of view. Mark Schwahn will write while Brian Robbins and Joe Davola executive produce. Schwahn is repped by WME.
FX is developing SHAKEDOWN, a period drama inspired by the life of infamous private eye Fred Otash. The project will be set in the tabloid world and underbelly of Los Angeles circa the late 1950s and centers on the city’s top informant/operator/wire tapper/fixer, Fred O’Tash, who lives and works where the glamor and grime intersect. Novelist James Ellroy will pen the script and executive produce with Joe Roth, Clark Peterson, Steven Hoban and Palak Patel. Ellroy is repped by CAA.
A+E has ordered a pilot for WHITEY. The comedy revolves around Guy “Whitey” White who is a bright, conservative and frustrated guy in his 40s struggling to understand the changing values of a country in a world that has forever gone with the wind. Leslie Greif will serve as executive producer. Greif is still searching for a writer and showrunner.
HBO is getting into the Guillermo del Toro business with MONSTER. The project is based on the manga series by Naoki Urasawa and revolves around the worldwide search by a young doctor for the most evil sociopath that has ever lived, a 12 year old boy the doctor saved. Guillermo co-wrote the story with Steven Thompson, who will write the pilot. Thompson and Del Toro will executive produce with on Murphy and Susan Montford.
AMC has ordered a pilot for LINE OF SIGHT. The drama follows Lewis Bernt, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator who survives a mysterious plane crash, bringing him on an emotionally disorienting quest to discover the accident’s cause. Blake Masters wrote the pilot. He is repped by UTA.
FX is developing an animated comedy called BIGFOOT. The project is based on the graphic ‘novels’ by Graham Roumieu and will revolve around Bigfoot, a bipolar hopeless romantic that lacks the ability to properly express himself, living in both the human and animal world of Pine Falls but not quite fitting in to either one. Matt McKenna will write while Seth Rogen executive produces.
USA has purchased half hour comedy SMOTHER from writers Jeremy Miller & Dan Cohn. Story revolves around a 30-year-old man who has three moms after his mother and father both marry other women and when he has to go back to living at home, all three moms take control of his financial, professional and personal life. Miller and Cohn will also executive produce alongside Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan, Brad Epstein and Margaret Riley. The writing duo is repped by WME.
TV RENEWALS
NBC has renewed “Revolution”, “Chicago Fire”, “Parenthood”, “Grimm” and “Law & Order: SVU”. All will receive full 22 episode seasons.
CW has renewed “Hart Of Dixie” and “Beauty And The Beast”, but it’s unknown if they’ll receive 13 episode orders or not.
TV GREENLIGHTS
ABC Family is ordering CHASING LIFE, based on the Mexican forman “Terminales” by Miguel Angel Fox, to a 10-episode series. The new version was written by Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz who will also executive produce alongside Aaron Kaplan.
CW is ordering it’s “Vampire Diaries” spinoff THE ORIGINALS to series.
TV DEALS
Chris Morgan has signed a two-year POD deal with 20th Century Fox Television where he will write and produce new series for the studio, as well as supervise other writers and develop projects for all networks. He’s repped by ICM.
Stephen Lloyd has agreed to a two year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. He will continue to executive produce “How I Met Your Mother” in it’s last season before switching over to “Modern Family” next year.
