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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
AMERICAN JUDY (ABC) - Jadon Sand and Madison Lintz have both scored roles on the comedy pilot, about a cosmopolitan woman (Judy Greer) who gets married and becomes a fish out of water in the suburbs having to juggle stepkids, her mother-in-law (Mimi Kennedy) and the ex-wife of her husband (Elaine Hendrix), who also happens to be the town's sheriff. They'll play said children, Chuck Norris ("8, energetic, named by his mother") and Annie ("14, pretty and reserved"). Greer, Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont are all behind the ABC Studios-based half-hour, to be directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. (Variety.com)
APPLEBAUM (CBS) - Rachelle Lefevre ("A Gifted Man") has booked the title role while Marlowe Peyton and James Hiroyuki Liao have also been cast in the drama pilot, based on Ayelet Waldman's books about a former public defender who becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom. Lefevre - who's in second position to the fellow CBS drama - will play said woman, Juliet Applebaum ("big mouth, big heart, quick wit") with Peyton as one of her three kids, Sam, 10, Ruby, 6, and Isaac, 3. Liao then will presumably play Kevin Liu ("early 30s, ambitious and by the book"), a detective whose regularly crosses paths with Juliet. Chris Columbus is helming the hour from a script by Ayelet for CBS Television Studios. Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Jeff Rake and Michael Barnathan are executive producing alongside the duo. (Variety.com)
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (ABC) - Meegan Warner has landed a role on the drama pilot, a drama set in a mythical city where its princess, Grace (Ruth Bradley), is tasked with quelling a rebellion. She's set as Elisabeth, Grace's younger sister that's a little sexier, a little less bright. Chris Egan, Darius Campbell and F. Murray Abraham also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, to be directed by Yves Simoneau from a script by Jonathan E. Steinberg. (Variety.com)
THE CARRIE DIARIES (The CW) - Freema Agyeman ("Doctor Who") and newcomer Brendan Dooling are the latest additions to the pilot, which stars AnnaSophia Robb as a teenage Carrie Bradshaw in the 1980s. The latter will play Carrie's close friend Walt Reynolds ("stylish preppy"), who's dating fellow pal Maggie Landres (Ellen Wong) but may be hiding the fact he's gay. Agyeman then is set as Larissa Loughton ("a fabulous force of nature"), a Style editor at Interview Magazine whom Carrie befriends and sets her on the writing path. Austin Butler, Katie Findlay and Stefania Owen also star the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, from director Miguel Arteta and writer Amy B. Harris. (Deadline.com)
DILFS (NBC) - Anthony Anderson ("Law & Order") is set to return to the Peacock, this time on the comedy side as he's joined the cast of the pilot, about a trio of thirtysomething guys - Nick (Zach Cregger), Chris and Gary - dealing with parenthood despite the fact they haven't grown up themselves. He'll play one of them, Gary, a sad-sack comic book collector turned sad-sack stay-at-home dad. Jimmy Fallon, Charlie Grandy and Amy Ozols co-created the Universal Television-based half-hour, to be directed by Scott Ellis. Jamie-Lynn Sigler also stars. (Deadline.com)
FIRST CUT (The CW) - Mamie Gummer ("Off the Map") has been tapped for the lead role on the drama pilot, about a medical student who discovers that working as an intern at a big hospital is a lot like being in high school. She'll play said doctor, Emily Barnes, who used to frizzy, chubby and uncool but now straightens, diets and well, isn't quite cool yet. Bharat Nalluri ("Cupid") is on board to direct the Jennie Snyder Urman-penned hour for CBS Television Studios. Also starring are Aja Naomi King, Justin Hartley, Kelly McCreary and Michael Rady. (Deadline.com)
GOTHAM (ABC) - Newcomer Megan Ketch has snagged the female lead on the drama pilot, about a cop who, after pursuing a seemingly unsolvable case, discovers a magical world that exists within New York City. She'll play said detective, Annie Travers ("charmingly 30s, radiates efficacy in all she does"), in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, from director Francis Lawrence and writer Michael Green. Barry Sloane also stars. (Deadline.com)
HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (ABC) - Rachel Eggleston has boarded the comedy pilot, about Polly (Sarah Chalke), a recently divorced, single mom, who moves in with her eccentric parents, a couple who's full of life but knows no boundaries. She'll play Natalie, her "Little Miss Sunshine"-esque six-year-old daughter. Elizabeth Perkins and Jon Dore also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, from creator Claudia Lonow. Julie Anne Robinson is directing. (Variety.com)
LAST RESORT (ABC) - Jessy Schram ("Falling Skies") is the latest addition to the ever-expanding cast of the drama pilot, about the crew of a nuclear submarine, who, after disobeying a suspicious order become fugitives and declare themselves an independent nuclear nation. She's set as Christine ("accessibly gorgeous"), XO Sam Kendal's (Scott Speedman) dutiful wife whose patience for his return is growing thin as she has plans for their life. Karl Gajdusek and Shawn Ryan are behind the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which also stars Andre Braugher, Autumn Reeser, Bruce Davison, Camille de Pazzis, Daisy Betts, Daniel Lissing, David Rees Snell, Dichen Lachman, Matt Gerald, Max Adler, Omid Abtahi, Robert Patrick and Sahr Ngaujah. Martin Campbell is directing. (Deadline.com)
LIKE FATHER... (FOX) - Robbie Amell ("True Jackson, VP") was joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Van Lyons (Colin Ferguson), a bombastic dad who, after his wife dies, moves into his son Will's campus apartment. He'll play the latter role ("handsome, quietly sarcastic and not as confident as you'd think") in the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, from writer/director Bill Lawrence. Erin Daniels, Kevin Michael Martin and Phill Lewis also star. (Deadline.com)
MIDNIGHT SUN (NBC) - David Harbour ("Pan Am") has landed a role on the pilot, a drama about the FBI's investigation into the disappearance of a remote cult in Dugan, Alaska - led by Bennett Maxwell (Titus Welliver) - which taps into a grander political conspiracy. He'll play Ethan Davies ("30s, attractive; hair long for a military guy"), a suspicious lieutenant at the local Coast Guard Station. Connor O'Farrell, Daniella Pineda, Emma Bell, Julia Stiles and Michael Raymond-James also star while Brad Anderson is directing from a script by Lisa Zwerling. Universal Television is producing. (Deadline.com)
NASHVILLE (ABC) - Eric Close ("Chaos") is the latest addition to the pilot, a drama which centers around the Nashville music scene and its stars, both rising and fading. He's set as Teddy Conrad, the handsome and supportive husband of aging superstar Rayna James (yet to be cast), a rich kid who blew through his trust fund and now lives off his wife's income. Clare Bowen, Hayden Panettiere, Jonathan Jackson, Powers Boothe, Robert Wisdom and Sam Palladio also star in the project, from writer Callie Khouri and director R.J. Cutler. ABC Studios and Lionsgate Television are co-producing. (Deadline.com)
QUEAN (CBS) - The Eye has rescinded its pilot order for the drama over a potential legal standoff with Sony Pictures about alleged similarities to "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." Ilene Chaiken was behind the project, about an edgy and independent Millennial hacker girl who teams up with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes. It's understood Chaiken proceeded with a page one rewrite to quell said concerns, including changing "the lead's employer from a PI to a law firm, her boss from a white male private investigator to a black female lawyer, and the protagonist herself from a loner to a girl with a boyfriend." The lead character being a hacker however remained a sticking point and ultimately the project was mothballed. Jaume Collet-Serra had been set to direct for the Warner Bros. Television-based Silver Pictures. (Deadline.com)
REVOLUTION (NBC) - Billy Burke ("Rizzoli & Isles") has been cast in the drama pilot, about a group of people struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist. He'll presumably play one of the Marines initially marooned by the event in South Carolina. Anna Lise Phillips, Giancarlo Esposito, Graham Rogers and Tracy Spiradakos also star in the project, from writer Eric Kripke, director Jon Favreau and the Warner Bros. Television-based Bad Robot Productions. (Deadline.com)
SCRUPLES (ABC) - Noot Seear ("New Moon") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about the staggeringly luxurious life of a Beverly Hills boutique and the people who work in it. She'll play Melanie Adams ("21, bewitching in full 70's slinkiness"), a gorgeous young starlet, in the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, director Michael Sucsy and writers Bob Brush and Mel Harris. Karine Vanasse also stars. (Deadline.com)
SUSAN 313 (A.K.A. UNTITLED SARAH SILVERMAN PROJECT) (NBC) - Jeff Goldblum has been tapped for a role on the comedy pilot, about a woman (Sarah Silverman) who returns to her old life after a breakup, ready to pick up where she left off and finds it's not as easy as she thought because those around her have moved on. He'll guest as her ex, Benny Burnet, a confident, dashing mega producer. Said role, like many in the pilot, was written specifically for the actor. Harris Wittels, June Diane Raphael, Ken Leung and Tig Notaro also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, to be directed by Ken Kwapis. (THR.com)
UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT (FOX) - Mexican actor Adan Canto has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), a former FBI agent who leads the search to catch diabolical serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) who has created a cult of serial killers. He'll play Billy Thomas, a computer tech who runs the fraud division at TI. He's also - alongside his partner Will Wilson (Nico Tortorella) - the neighbor of Joe's latest intended victim, Sarah Fuller (yet to be cast). His casting stems from a talent holding deal the actor signed earlier this year with the network. Jeananne Goossen, Natalie Zea, Shawn Ashmore and Valorie Curry also star. Marcos Siega is directing for Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)
WHITE VAN MAN (ABC) - Danielle Nicolet ("The Starter Wife") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer), a man who is forced to put his business dreams on hold in order to take over the family handyman business from his father, Tony (J.K. Simmons).
She's set as Liz ("lovely, tough; has a calm, bemused, tongue-in-cheek demeanor that tends to charm"), the sister of Jack's employee Darren (Edi Gathegi)
, who works behind the counter at the local hardware store. Johnny Pemberton and Leah Remini also star in the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which Michael Fresco is directing from a script by Bobby Bowman. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - HBO has passed on its Doug Ellin-penned comedy pilot "40," starring Ed Burns, Michael Rapaport, Michael Imperioli and Adrian Pasdar (Deadline.com); Guillermo Diaz will guest on "Law & Order: SVU" as "a convict and self-educated lawyer who maintains his innocence" (TVLine.com); Michael Gambon will be upped to series regular for season two of "Luck," while Margarita Levieva is set to recur as the sister of Patrick J. Adams's Nathan Israel (Deadline.com); Karina Lombard will turn up on "NCIS" as the longtime friend and mentor of Coté de Pablo's Ziva David (TVLine.com); Nick Carter will appear as himself on the May 8 episode of "90210" (EW.com); and Vanessa Marano is bound for "Grey's Anatomy" as a patient in the show's 20th episode this season (THR.com).
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