1/27 development news
David
Development Update: January 27
By The Futon Critic Staff
CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled
from recent wire reports:
THE AMAZING WESTERBERGS (CBS, New!) - The Eye has picked up a comedy
pilot from writer/producers Jay Sherick and David Ronn ("Spin City")
that focuses on the lives of two twentysomething brothers in Manhattan
who were raised to think they could accomplish anything but are
confronting a different reality. Sony Pictures Television and CBS
Productions are behind the project, additional details of which were
not available.
ANGEL (WB) - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has provided us a
disc-by-disc breakdown of the show's third season DVD set, which goes
on sale on February 10. The six-disc set features all 22 episodes of
the show's third season in letterbox (1.78:1 aspect ratio) format.
Disc one includes the episodes "Heartthrob," "That Vision Thing,"
"That Old Gang of Mine" and "Carpe Noctem"; disc two includes
"Fredless," "Billy" (with audio commentary by Tim Minear and Jeffrey
Bell), "Offspring" and "Quickening"; disc three features the episodes
"Lullaby" (with audio commentary by Tim Minear and Mere Smith), "Dad"
and "Birthday" (with deleted scenes including optional commentary by
Tim Minear and Mere Smith) as well as the featurette "Darla: Deliver
Us From Evil" and show outtakes; disc four has the episodes
"Provider," "Waiting in the Wings" (with commentary by Joss Whedon and
deleted scenes with optional commentary by Whedon), "Couplet" and
"Loyalty"; disc five includes "Sleep Tight," "Forgiving," "Double or
Nothing" and "The Price"; and disc six features the episodes "A New
World," "Benediction" and "Tomorrow" as well as the featurettes
"Season 3 Overview" and "Page To Screen," screen tests for Amy Acker
and Vincent Kartheiser and a stills gallery.
APARTMENT 2H (New!) - Sony Pictures Television is developing a new
comedy from writer Pang-ni Landrum ("Friends," "Malcolm in the
Middle") about a twentysomething Los Angeles woman whose life, and
those of her pals, is complicated when her eccentric Chinese
stepfather moves to town. Said character, Mr. Liu, is actually based
on Landrum's own experience as her own stepfather arrived unannounced
on her doorstep straight from Beijing. The project was set up through
the studio's new program to develop more scripts with young and
up-and-coming writers.
DEBUTANTES: ROAD TO THE BALL (VH1, New!) - Sergio Myers (MTV's
"Sorority Life," "Fraternity Life") is developing a new half-hour
reality series about the day-to-day life and drama involved in
preparing for a cotillion. Myers, Samantha Lane and Susanna Griffith
co-created the project, which is expected to be shot in the South,
where a young woman's coming-out into society is a major event. Myers'
7 Ponies Productions is behind the project, which is still in the
early stages of development.
HOLLYWOOD DIVISION (FOX) - Matthew Settle ("Divine Secrets of the Ya
Ya Sisterhood"), Geoff Stults ("7th Heaven"), Rockmond Dunbar ("Soul
Food"), Tsianina Joelson ("American Pie 2"), Moon Bloodgood ("C.S.I.")
and Leighton Meester ("Tarzan") are set to join D.J. Cotrona ("Skin")
as the principal cast of the drama pilot, which revolves around young
detectives who infiltrate a Hollywood high school as well as go
undercover inside the seedy side of young show business. Settle,
Stults and Dunbar will play Det. Tommy Garrett, Det. Vincent Booth and
Det. Reginald Feiffer respectively while Joelsen and Bloodgood will
play street cops Dana Cassidy and Lisa Morales. Meester will play a
high school student named Michelle. Barry Schindel ("Robbery Homicide
Division") and Rob Port ("10-8") co-wrote and co-created the pilot,
which comes from Universal Television.
HOME & HARDWARE (A.K.A. UNTITLED MATT TARSES/BILL WRUBEL PROJECT)
(NBC) - David Schwimmer ("Friends") is set to direct Matt Tarses and
Bill Wrubel's comedy pilot from NBC Studios, which now features the
title "Home & Hardware." Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer")
stars in the comedy, which revolves around the relationship between
two siblings, a workaholic ex-dork older sister (Hannigan) and her
slacker brother, both single, who haven't spoken in 18 months.
LIFE & STYLE (Syndication) - Sony Pictures Television has cleared the
talk show on local stations covering 60% of the country. Jules Asner,
Cynthia Garrett, Lynne Koplitz and Kimora Lee Simmons host the series,
described as a younger version of "The View." Recent clearances
include stations in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston and Dallas.
PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (Syndication) - Sony Pictures Television has
cleared the half-hour series, which features motivational speaker and
former owner of the Philadelphia 76ers Pat Croce as he takes up
residence with troubled families seeking help, on local stations
covering 60% of the country. Recent clearances include Viacom-owned
stations in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boston. Barry Josephson
("The Ladykillers") and Arthur Smith ("Paradise Hotel") are the
executive producers of "Croce," which is targeting a fall 2004 launch.
POINT PLEASANT (FOX, New!) - FOX has committed to a drama pilot from
John McLaughlin ("The Last Good Time," A&E's "The Great Gatsby") and
Marti Noxon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Still Life") described as a
cross between "Peyton Place" and "The Omen." Original Television and
20th Century Fox Television are behind the project, which centers on a
beachside community that is turned upside down when a mysterious girl
washes ashore. John McLaughlin ("The Last Good Time") will write and
executive produce the pilot along Noxon and Original's Marty
Adelstein, Neal Moritz and Dawn Parouse.
UNTITLED ELIZABETH BECKWITH/JOHN RODGERS PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Writers
Elizabeth Beckwith ("Ladies' Man") and John Rogers ("The Core,"
"Cosby") are developing an untitled comedy at FOX based on the
former's life growing up in Las Vegas. The series will track a
clean-cut Catholic family who moves from Brooklyn to Sin City and wind
up living across the street from their morally challenged relatives.
UNTITLED NICK LACHEY PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Nick Lachey ("Newlyweds:
Nick & Jessica") will follow in the footsteps of wife Jessica Simpson,
as the singer/reality star has signed a six-figure talent holding deal
with ABC and Touchstone Television. The pact calls for the studio to
place Lachey in one of the network's sitcom pilots being targeted for
fall 2004. In addition, the deal also includes a feature component
with Disney's film studio as well as a music or variety special on
ABC. Simpson signed a development deal with ABC and 20th Century Fox
Television to star in her own sitcom back in November (read the
story).
UNTITLED PANG-NI LANDRUM PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Writer Pang-ni Landrum
("Malcolm in the Middle") is developing a comedy project at the
Alphabet based on her relationship with her mother, Shu-Chen Li, a
Taiwanese immigrant who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. The project,
set in San Antonio, would revolve around the tight bond between an
unlucky-in-love Asian American advertising executive and her wilder,
single mother, a 40-ish firecracker who co-owns a local restaurant.
Pariah TV and Touchstone Television are behind the project, which will
be executive produced by Landrum and Barnet Kellman ("Alias," "Murphy
Brown," "My Life as a Sitcom").
UNTITLED SABRINA DHAWAN PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Sabrina Dhawan ("Monsoon
Wedding") has signed a development deal with the pay channel. The pact
calls for Dhawan to write and executive produce a new comedy that
explores the lives of Indian immigrant families as they transition
from first-generation to second-generation Americans. Brad Grey
Television is on board to produce the project, should it go forward.
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (Syndication) - Anchor Bay Home Entertainment
has provided us with a disc-by-disc breakdown of the nine-disc third
season DVD release of the series, which is set to hit stores on
February 10. Disc one includes the episodes "The Furies" (with
audio/video commentary by R.J. Stewart, Robert Tapert and Liz
Friedman), "Been There, Done That" and "The Dirty Half Dozen"; disk
two features "The Deliverer," "Gabrielle's Hope" and "The Debt, Part
1" (with audio/video commentary by Lucy Lawless and Robert Tapert);
disk three includes "The Debt, Part 2," "The King of Assassins" (with
audio/video commentary by Ted Raimi); disk four has "The Quill Is
Mightier," "Maternal Instincts" and "The Bitter Suite" (with
audio/video commentary by Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor); disk five
has "One Against Army" (with audio/video commentary by Lucy Lawless
and Renee O'Connor), "Forgiven" and "King Con"; disk six includes
"When In Rome" (with audio/video commentary by Steve Sears), "Forget
Me Not" and "Fins, Femmes & Gems"; disk seven features "Tsunami,"
"Vanishing Act" and "Sacrifice, Part 1" (with audio/video commentary
by Hudson Leick); disk eight includes the season finale "Sacrifice,
Part 2" (with audio/video commentary by Hudson Leick) as well as bonus
video material; and the ninth disc, a CD-ROM, includes screensavers,
chronicles, trivia, bios, mythology and a timeline.
YOUR FACE OR MINE? (MTV, New!) - MTV has picked up a new half-hour
game show pilot based on the British series of the same name. The
project, hosted by stand-up comedian Dan Levy ("The Andy Dick Show"),
challenges contestants to predict how handsome or ugly people think
they really are.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
William December Starr
diml...@yahoo.com (David) said:
> Development Update: January 27
> By The Futon Critic Staff
> DEBUTANTES: ROAD TO THE BALL (VH1, New!) - Sergio Myers (MTV's
> "Sorority Life," "Fraternity Life") is developing a new half-hour
> reality series about the day-to-day life and drama involved in
> preparing for a cotillion. Myers, Samantha Lane and Susanna
> Griffith co-created the project, which is expected to be shot in
> the South, where a young woman's coming-out into society is a major
> event.
"Expected to be?" Is there anywhere else in the United States that
still does that sort of thing (if they ever did)? (Maybe among the
Old Money extremely wealthy families of the Northeast, when they
aren't producing Paris Hiltons instead?)
-- William December Starr <wds...@panix.com>
deeringm...@mindspring.com
William December Starr wrote:
>
> > DEBUTANTES: ROAD TO THE BALL (VH1, New!) - Sergio Myers (MTV's
> > "Sorority Life," "Fraternity Life") is developing a new half-hour
> > reality series about the day-to-day life and drama involved in
> > preparing for a cotillion. Myers, Samantha Lane and Susanna
> > Griffith co-created the project, which is expected to be shot in
> > the South, where a young woman's coming-out into society is a major
> > event.
>
> "Expected to be?" Is there anywhere else in the United States that
> still does that sort of thing (if they ever did)? (Maybe among the
> Old Money extremely wealthy families of the Northeast, when they
> aren't producing Paris Hiltons instead?)
IIRC, there are any number of cities (D. C, for one; Philadelphia,
for another) where you have a substantial black bougeoise element
with organizations such as "Jack and Jill"--and a resulting ongoing
tradition of African-American debutante activity.
C.
**
JSTONE9352
>> > Griffith co-created the project, which is expected to be shot in
>> > the South, where a young woman's coming-out into society is a major
>> > event.
This might be a hard sell as far as
generating interest. It seems like an
old fashioned tradition that would have
to be explained more than once to the
audience and I'm not sure they would
still understand it.