TV SALES
CW has put in a pilot order for two projects. THE TOMORROW PEOPLE, adapted by Phil Klemmer from the 1976 British show, follows young people from around the world with special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically, who come together to fight evil. Klemmer will also executive produce with Greg Berlanti and Julie Plec. BLINK, written by Vera Herbert, follows a family whose lives are forever changed when the patriarch has a car accident resulting in a coma-like syndrome where he cannot speak or move, but can see and hear all. David Marshall Grant, Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman will executive produce.
CBS has ordered a medical drama pilot called THE SURGEON GENERAL. The drama focuses on the most powerful doctor in the nation, the Surgeon General, who has 315 million patients. As “America’s Doctor,” Sherman and his team battle the powerful forces of politics and business, fighting to protect the health of everyday Americans. Samuel Baum will write and executive produce.
NBC has give a pilot order to modern take on HATFIELDS & MCCOYS. Written by John Glenn, the project is set in present day Pittsburgh and revolves around a startling death that re-ignites the feud between the two legendary families, unleashing decades of resentment.
WONDERLAND has been given a pilot order from NBC. Written by Whit Anderson, the drama is set in modern times and revolves around Alice and a new character, Clara. Seven years ago, Clara’s life took an unexplained turn for the worse, and a mysterious stranger tells her there may be an explanation after all… an explanation that lies in the fantastical world of Wonderland. Anderson will also executive produce with Anthony Zuiker, JoAnn Alfano, Margaret Riley and Matt Weinberg.
Starz is developing an untitled ballet project. Written by Moira Walley-Beckett, the project will explore the dysfunctional underbelly of the ballet world and follows a young female ballet dancer who has a distinctly troubled past as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. Walley-Beckett will also executive produce with Lawrence Bender and Kevin Brown. Walley-Beckett is repped by UTA.
ABC has given two more pilot orders. BIG THUNDER revolves around a brilliant, late-19th-century New York doctor and his family, who are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to relocate to a frontier mining town run by a powerful but mysterious tycoon. Jason Fuchs will write while Chris Morgan executive produces. GOTHICA is a sexy gothic soap set in the present day that weaves together a mythology that incorporates the legends of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray, among others. Matt Lopez will write and executive produce with Mark Gordon.
BARBARELLA moves forward in its development by adding writing duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade who will pen the pilot for director Nicolas Winding Refn. They are repped by UTA.
FOX greenlighted two more pilot orders. WILD BLUE, written by Taylor Elmore, revolves around the working men and women on board an aircraft carrier equipped with a 500-foot landing strip, a nuclear reactor and 6000 souls on board. Elmore will executive produce with Graham Yost and Mark Johnson. GANG RELATED, written by Chris Morgan, centers on a gang member who is sent in to infiltrate the San Francisco Police Department and rises through its ranks but must balance his obligations to his crime family with an increasing sense of loyalty to his new “family” – the SFPD’s Gang Task Force. Morgan will executive produce with Scott Rosenbaum, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo.
NBC has given the greenlight to comedy pilot BRENDA FOREVER. Written by Andrew Leeds and David Lampson, the project will take place in two time periods, following Brenda growing up as both a 31-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl. Leeds and Lampson will also executive produce with Peter Tolan and Michael Wimer.
ABC adds two more pilots to order. BAD MANAGEMENT, follows a self-centered female boss at a high-end luxury goods department store who finds her way challenged when the boss’ son comes to town and makes youth and sex the new company focus. Holly Walsh and Sharon Horgan will write and executive produce with Aaron Kaplan. The untitled dysfunctional family pilot will revolve around Karey, the clean-nosed black-sheep a family of petty thieves, drug addicts, and narcissists. Andrea Abbate will write and executive produce with Shawn Levy, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements.
FOX is in final negotiations to pick up an untitled 50 cent animated pilot. Written by Carl Jones, the project follows a mischievous but well-meaning boy who often tangles with his eccentric family and neighborhood. Jones will also executive produce with Curtis Jackson, Randall Emmett, Andrew Jameson, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo.
Amazon gave the greenlight to five more pilots aimed at children. Created by Angela Santomero, CREATIVE GALAXY, is an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. Dara Monahan created OZ ADVENTURES, where in each episode, the yellow brick road leads Dot, daughter of Dorothy, to a new magical location where she solves problems alongside her Oz friends. TEENY TINY DOGS is backed by the Jim Henson Company and explores the big world through the pov of teen tiny dogs and is created by Howard Baker. Drew Hodges created TUMBLEAF, which is a stop-motion animation project where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure, friendship and love around every bend in the path. Lastly, an untitled project from J.J. Johnson, revolves around Anne, a young scientist, who creates three robot helpers to assist her scientific experiments in the back of her dad’s junkyard.
ABC has greenlighted MIDDLE AGE RAGE. Written by Cheryl Holliday, the single camera comedy chronicles what happens when a middle-aged wife and mother is fed up with feeling invisible and begins to speak up and demand the respect she feels she’s earned. Holliday will also executive produce with Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. She is repped by WME.
HBO is developing an untitled drama based on the upcoming book “All Dressed Up And Everywhere To Go”. The project will delve into the life of Betty Halbreich who has spent decades working with the rich and famous. Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner will write the script.
NBC is developing a comedy series with Roseanne Barr who would star and executive produce with Steven Greener. The project is untitled and is being kept under wraps as of this posting.
ABC has greenlighted DIVORCE: A LOVE STORY. Based on an Israeli show called “Life Isn’t Everything”, the multi-camera comedy centers on Kenny and Robin, a recently divorced couple, who were bad together but discover they’re even worse apart and can’t seem to stay out of each others’ lives. Mike Sikowitz and Daniel Lappin will write and executive produce alongside Noa Tishby.
ABC has given the greenlight to LUCKY 7, which is based on the british tv show “The Syndicate”. Written by David Zabel and Jason Richman, the drama follows seven employees of a service station in Queens whose lives are changed in many unexpected ways when they win a lottery jackpot. Zabel and Richman will also executive produce with Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey and Kay Mellor.
CBS has put in a pilot order for SECOND SIGHT. Based on the 2000 British Series of the same name, the detective drama centers on a homicide detective going blind who turns his affliction into an advantage — using his heightened senses and intuition to solve crimes. Michael Cuesta and Gerald Cuesta wrote the pilot and will executive produce with Carol Mendelsohn, Julie Weitz, Paula Milne, and Nick Reed.
TV RENEWALS
Cinemax has renewed BANSHEE for a second season, despite the fact that its first season is still airing. The season will air in 2014.
Showtime has officially renewed “Californication”, “Shameless” and “House of Lies” for a seventh, fourth and third seasons respectively.
Comedy Central has renewed KRULL SHOW for a second season, though its first isn’t even done airing.
CBS has renewed HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER for a ninth and final season.
PICK-UPS
CHICAGO FIRE has been given an order for one more episode, bringing the total to 23 episodes.
Lifetime has picked up WITCHES OF EAST END to series. The season will consist of ten episodes and stars Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Rachel Boston. The project centers on a seemingly normal family that turns out to consist of witches.
TV ATTACHMENTS
Jon Favreau is attached to direct the pilot for ABOUT A BOY, which follows the relationship between a bachelor man-child and the young boy who moves in next door with his kooky single mother. Favreau also directed the pilot for “Revolution”. He is repped by CAA.
Gary Fleder will direct the pilot for OXYGEN, where an alien boy who, along with eight others, are integrated into a suburban high school. Fleder also directed the pilot for “Beauty and the Beast” and “The River”. He is repped by WME.
Jeffrey Reiner will direct the pilot for THE SIXTH GUN which follows the story of six mythical guns, each with its own other-worldly powers. Reiner has directed by “Do No Harm”, “The Event” and “Awake”. He is repped by WME.
James Burrows will direct the pilots for multi-camera projects HAPPINESS, FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES, and an UNTITLED GREG GARCIA PROJECT. He’s directed episodes of “Partners”, “Mike & Molly”, “2 Broke Girls” and the pilot episodes of “Big Bang Theory” and “Shit My Dad Says”. He is repped by ICM.
Jason Winer will come on to direct and exec produce the pilots for David E. Kelley’s untitled comedy and THE GABRIELS. The untitled project is centered on the world of advertising and stars Robin Williams as a savvy ad exec. “The Gabriels” stars Rob Riggle and follows a dysfunctional and far from normal family that moves to a quaint Midwestern town where everyone knows each other. Winer created the NBC comedy “1600 Penn” and is in development on two films- “Shining City” and “Joy”. He is repped by ICM.
Michael Mayer will direct the pilot for NBC’s re-imagining of HATFIELDS & MCCOYS, produced by Charlize Theron. Mayer has directed episodes for the shows “Smash” and “Do No Harm” and is in development on an adaptation of the Green Day album “American Idiot”. He is repped by CAA.
TV DEALS
Bryan Cranston has signed a first look deal with Sony Pictures Television to develop and produce new series projects, including potential projects he can star in.
Rashida Jones and Will McCormack have signed a two year deal with Warner Bros. Television where they will develop, write and produce comedy and drama projects for broadcast and cable.
