Alright! I still don't buy Quaid as Bill (especially as his performance in American Dreamz lingers), but Hope Davis looks SO much like Hillary that this project just might credibly work! Moore is a great actress, but I just don't think that she can disappear into such a well-known character and, to me, it would be too much like Recount redux, where I kept seeing Laura Dern doing an impression of Katherine Harris rather than Katherine Harris. Moore might have gotten nominated, but I think Davis has a better chance of actually winning an Emmy with this part.
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Fox's "Virtuality" pilot may be have crashed, but sci-fi fans will get another deep-space series on broadcast TV this summer instead. ABC has picked up Fox TV Studios' 13-episode adventure drama "Defying Gravity" starring Ron Livingston.
The internationally produced series, also set to air on Canada's CTV, Germany's ProSieben and the BBC, hails from familiar ABC auspices: creator/executive producer James Parriott, who served as an exec producer on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty," and exec producer Michael Edelstein, former exec producer of the network's "Desperate Housewives."
"Gravity," whose cast includes Laura Harris, Christina Cox, Malik Yoba and Florentine Lahme, is set in the near future and revolves around eight astronauts from five countries who undertake a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system.
The FtvS-produced series, slated to air on ABC this summer, is a co-venture with Vancouver-based Omni Film Prods., whose Brian Hamilton and Michael Chechik also exec produce.
"Gravity" is one of three drama series that FtvS produced independently with international partners in the past year, along with "Mental" and "Persons Unknown." It is the second after "Mental" to land a U.S. distributor and the first to go somewhere other than a Fox-affiliated network.
"Since we originally pitched "Gravity" to the international marketplace as 'Gray's Anatomy' in space, getting the series on the network that has 'Grey's' and makes the most successful sci-fi show on TV in 'Lost' is a good fit," FtvS executive vp David Madden said. He describes the show as "having a sci-fi premise but being told in a female-friendly way."
At ABC, the deal was championed by senior vp Quinn Taylor, who added acquisitions to his longform duties during the network's recent executive restructuring.
FtvS is in advanced talks with cable networks for "Persons," with a sale expected during the next couple of weeks.
Unlike "Persons" and "Mental," which were existing pilot scripts at FtvS originally developed for other networks, "Gravity" was developed specifically for the company's international producing model.
"We're excited about being pioneers in doing television a different way," said Edelstein, who got the ball rolling on the project more than three years ago when he caught a repeat of the BBC docu-drama "Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets" on Discovery Channel, about an international crew of astronauts on a trip through space.
He acquired the rights to it from British producer Impossible Pictures and approached Parriott, with whom he worked on ABC's drama "Threat Matrix."
If "Gravity" goes well on ABC and FtvS' foreign broadcast partners, the two hope to do more seasons of the show.
"I have the first three seasons blocked out, and I know the ending of the series," Parriott said.
July 09, 2009 Jon Heder lands Comedy Central sitcom James Hibberd 'The Hollywood Reporter'
“Napoleon Dynamite” star Jon Heder has teamed with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay for an unusual Comedy Central sitcom deal that follows in Tyler Perry’s footsteps.
The network has ordered 10 episodes of a new multicamera comedy starring Heder as an out-of-work computer IT specialist who returns to his small hometown and moves in with his parents and younger brother. Ferrell, McKay and Chris Henchy will write and produce the series, and Ferrell might opt for an on-camera appearance or two.
If the initial 10-episode run meets a ratings threshold, the network has agreed to order 90 more episodes from Gary Sanchez Prods. and distributor Debmar-Mercury, setting up the project for eventual syndication. The deal is the same unusual structure that Debmar wrangled for Perry’s hit TBS sitcoms “House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns,” both of which started off with 10-episode orders followed by massive renewals for total orders of 126 and 80 episodes, respectively.
“It’s a very similar business model to ‘House of Payne,’ ” Debmar co-president Mort Marcus said. “Perry is one of only a handful of people who could do this. We believe that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will be able to deliver something that works perfectly for Comedy Central.”
Debmar and producers lured Comedy Central by offering the network a more significant ownership stake in the show than most networks get. Producers and Heder also have slashed their initial fees in favor of higher potential back-end revenue.
“It feels like a real partnership for everyone involved,” said Lauren Corrao, president of original programming and development at Comedy Central. “Everybody has a stake in its success and is motivated to make it as successful as we possibly can.”
The Heder project is estimated to cost about $50 million over five years, with Comedy Central allowed to pay $10 million per year on a five-year installment plan to reduce upfront costs. Debmar-Mercury, which is funding production on the show, is aiming to crank out 100 episodes in 2 1/2 years for a potential profit that could match or exceed the $200 million-$250 million the first 100 episodes of “Payne” reportedly generated for the show’s producers.
The downside is that the deal raises the bar high for a series renewal.
“It does raise the bar, but we do get to put the 10 episodes on the air, and I would love to pick up 90 episodes of a show that is successful,” Corrao said. “I think we’re all in sync with how successful it needs to be.”
Although Debmar has managed to hit two home runs with this deal format, both were under Perry’s mega-popular comedy brand. Making a sitcom work on Comedy Central, which has never had a hit multicamera comedy, could prove tougher. (The “South Park” gang’s “That’s My Bush” mock sitcom from 2001 was the network’s only previous effort in the genre). Ferrell and McKay’s most recent TV comedy, HBO’s “Eastbound and Down,” has earned a small but devoted following.
The Jon Heder news is posted on page 1 of this thread.
Congratulations, Primetime Emmy Winners!
Comedy Series: 30 ROCK Drama Series: MAD MEN Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Toni Collette, UNITED STATES OF TARA Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Glenn Close, DAMAGES Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Ellen Burstyn, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
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Taylor Kinney has joined the cast of NBC's new medical drama series "Trauma" as a regular.
Additionally, Gregory Smith has been tapped to co-star opposite Missy Peregrym in the Canadian cop drama "Copper," which will air on ABC.
"Trauma," from UMS and Film 44, revolves around first-response paramedics.
GVA Agency-repped Kinney will play a new character, Glen, a handsome EMT that joins the team in San Francisco. He is being added to the ensemble cast that includes Derek Luke, Cliff Curtis, Anastasia Griffith, Aimee Garcia and Jamey Sheridan.
Billed as "Grey's Anatomy" set in the world of rookie cops, "Copper" centers on Andy McNally (Peregrym), a newly minted cop fresh from the academy whose first day on the job doesn't go as well as she had wished.
Smith will play Dov, another recent graduate from the academy trying to navigate his way as a rookie cop.
ABC acquired "Copper" in April from Canadian producer E1 with a 13-episode order.
Canadian Smith, best known for his role as Ephram Brown on "Everwood," is repped by Paradigm, One Talent Management and Canada's Characters.
Maura Tierney illness delays Parenthood NBC drama postpones production, moves to midseason By Nellie Andreeva
NBC's new fall drama series Parenthood has been pushed to midseason because of an illness of one of the stars, Maura Tierney.
The series, a contemporary reimagining of the 1989 feature, had been scheduled to begin filming July 27. The production start of the Universal Media Studios/Imagine TV-produced show is now tentatively scheduled for late September.
"Start of production on NBC Universal's new series Parenthood has been postponed for eight weeks due to medical evaluation that valued cast member Maura Tierney is undergoing," NBC said in a statement. "The top priority for NBC, Universal Media Studios and Imagine Television is the well-being of Ms. Tierney. We are unable to release further details and ask that you respect her privacy at this time."
Parenthood revolves around four siblings (Peter Krause, Tierney, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard) and their parents (Bonnie Bedelia and Craig T. Nelson).
As a result of the delay, NBC is making a change on its fall schedule.
Parenthood had been slated to premiere Sept. 23 and run in the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour.
With Parenthood pushed, new drama Mercy, which was to take over the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot in midseason, will launch in the fall. The cast and crew of the medical drama have been summoned to start work on the series early to have it ready for a September debut. It is not clear yet if Mercy will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. as NBC is re-evaluating its fall scheduling plans.
This is the second time filming on Parenthood has been put on hold under unfortunate circumstances. In April, production on the pilot was shut down for two days after NBC's vp drama Nora O'Brien died unexpectedly on the Berkeley, Calif., set of the show.
Wisteria Lane's newest resident, Drea DeMatteo, has found her family.
Jeffrey Nordling and Beau Mirchoff have joined the cast of ABC's dramedy "Desperate Housewives" as regulars next season.
Nordling will be playing a New York landscape designer who moves to Wisteria Lane with his wife (DeMatteo) and their tightly wound, sexy and intense son (Mirchoff).
Heading into its sixth season, "Desperate" has been beefing up the cast with new faces, including new regulars DeMatteo, Nordling, Mirchoff and Maiara Walsh and returning Andrea Bowen.
APA-repped Nordling most recently co-starred in the seventh season of Fox's hit drama "24." He also co-starred on FX's "Dirt" opposite Courteney Cox.
Mirchoff, repped by APA and managed by Vital Management Group, starred in Sony's "The Grudge 3" last year.
Project loosely based on the book 'Dying and the Dead'
By Nellie Andreeva
Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are set to co-star opposite Al Pacino in "You Don't Know Jack," HBO Films' biopic of Jack Kevorkian, which is being directed by Barry Levinson.
Kevorkian, known as Dr. Death, assisted in more than 130 suicides. After willingly sending a videotape of himself euthanizing a terminally ill man to "60 Minutes," he was convicted in 1999 of second-degree murder and spent eight years in prison before getting paroled in 2007.
Loosely based on Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie's book "Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Life and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia," the HBO film follows Kevorkian's (Pacino) rise as he builds his infamous Mercy Machine and sets out to perform assisted suicides while waging an epic legal battles defending a patient's right to die.
Goodman will play Nicol, a friend and co-worker of Kevorkian since 1961 and a steadfast supporter of the right to die.
Nicol's medical training as a corpsman and laboratory technician enabled him to assist Kevorkian on many occasions, while his laboratory supply company often provided materials for Kevorkian's efforts.
Sarandon will play Janet Good, an activist with the Hemlock Society who becomes one of Jack's staunchest supporters, working side by side with him to make humane suicide available to the terminally ill and suffering. After she is herself diagnosed with terminal cancer, she avails herself of Kevorkian's services, choosing her own time to die, surrounded by her friends and loved ones.
Levinson, who is exec producing the film with Steven L. Jones, Lydia Dean Pilcher and Glenn Rigberg, will direct from a script by Adam Mazer.
"Jack" reunites Goodman and Sarandon who co-starred together on the 2008 feature "Speed Racer."
Goodman, an Emmy winner for his guest stint on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," is repped by Gersh. Oscar winner Sarandon, repped by ICM, will next be seen in "The Lovely Bones."
FX takes aim with "Archer" Network orders six episodes of toon by MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
FX is setting aim on animation, ordering six episodes of the half-hour entry "Archer."
Show, which is still a working title, comes from scribe Adam Reed and centers on the employees of an international spy agency.
"Archer," which will launch in the fall, is seen as a strong companion to returning FX cult fave "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
Characters on the show will be voiced by Jon Benjamin ("Family Guy"), "SNL" alum Chris Parnell, Aisha Tyler, Judy Greer, and Jessica Walter.
Benjamin plays Sterling Archer, a suave spy who goes by the code name Duchess. Walter plays his mother, while Tyler is his ex-girlfriend, Agent Lana Kane. Greer plays his secretary; Parnell is the spy agency’s comptroller.
"It clearly fits the FX brand and we believe it will find support from the fans of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,’" said FX original programming exec veep Nick Grad.
Reed and Floyd County Prods. created "Archer," which comes from FX Prods.
Congratulations, Primetime Emmy Winners!
Comedy Series: 30 ROCK Drama Series: MAD MEN Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Toni Collette, UNITED STATES OF TARA Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Glenn Close, DAMAGES Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Ellen Burstyn, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
Posts: 24753 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
Originally posted by PaddyFilm: Duo bring 'Revelation' to Showtime Janollari, Wright to develop religion-themed drama
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
Showtime is developing "Revelation," a religion-themed drama from David Janollari and "Dirty Sexy Money" creator Craig Wright.
Hourlong project revolves around an unconventional minister who moves to a Texas church with his two teens after his wife suddenly dies.
Wright was once a minister himself and plans to rely on his base of knowledge to tackle issues of religion, faith and spirituality.
CBS TV Studios is behind the drama.
Project reps a reunion for Janollari and Showtime Entertainment prexy Bob Greenblatt, who ran the Greenblatt/Janollari Studio in the late 1990s and early 2000s before returning to the exec ranks.
Among Greenblatt/Janollari's series was "Six Feet Under," where Wright served as a scribe.
Wright's other credits include "Brothers and Sisters" and "Lost."
I would have loved seeing Peter Krause nail this one, but he's already committed to "Parenthood." Oh well.
Congratulations, Primetime Emmy Winners!
Comedy Series: 30 ROCK Drama Series: MAD MEN Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Toni Collette, UNITED STATES OF TARA Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Glenn Close, DAMAGES Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Ellen Burstyn, LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT
Posts: 24753 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
Ben Schnetzer will also play a lead on ABC's drama
By Nellie Andreeva
Steven Weber is in negotiations to play a lead on ABC's midseason series "Happy Town."
Additionally, Ben Schnetzer has landed a lead role on the ABC Studios-produced drama.
"Happy Town" is a mystery set in a small town rattled by the return of a serial kidnapper, known as the Magic Man.
Weber would play John Haplin, whose family practically runs the city. He is obsessive and filled with agony over the disappearance of his daughter, kidnapped years ago by the Magic Man.
Gersh-repped up-and-comer Schnetzer will play Haplin's son, a wealthy teenager entangled in a Romeo & Juliet-style romance.
Both roles were recast after being played by Dean Winters (Haplin) and John Patrick Amedori in the pilot.
Weber's recent credits include recurring roles on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" and CBS' "Without a Trace." He is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment and attorney Bill Sobel.
Keegan Michael Key is joining the cast of CBS' comedy series "Gary Unmarried" as a regular.
"Gary," which returns in the fall for its second season, stars Jay Mohr as Gary, a newly divorced painting contractor juggling custody of his two children, a controlling ex-wife and his hot new girlfriend.
Key will play Clean, Gary's old high school friend, a former minor-league baseball player who had a promising career until sidelined by a knee injury. Gary and Clean reconnect and pick up their friendship where it left off, alternating between best buddies and competitors.
Season 2 of "Gary" premieres Sept. 23.
Key, who next appears in Sony's feature "Born to Be a Star," is repped by UTA and Principato-Young.
Ice Cube is there for TBS Network to pick up TV version of 'Yet'
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
TBS is set to pick up a TV version of the Ice Cube feature "Are We There Yet?"
Just like it did with the Tyler Perry comedies "House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns," TBS will initially pick up 10 episodes of "Are We There Yet," with an option for 90 more. Show is expected to launch in June 2010.
Ali LeRoi ("Everybody Hates Chris") has signed on to write the laffer, which comes from Revolution's Joe Roth, as well as Cube Vision's Ice Cube and Matt Alvarez.
Cube Vision will produce, while Debmar-Mercury, which distributes the Perry sitcoms, is also the distributor behind "Are We There Yet?"
"We are confident that 'Are We There Yet?' will fit extremely well within TBS' popular and diverse comedy lineup," said TBS/TNT/TCM exec VP and head of programming Michael Wright.
LeRoi, Roth, Cube and Alvarez will exec produce; Cube is also expected to occasionally appear in the series - although not in the same role he played in the movie and its sequel, "Are We Done Yet?"
Instead, Terry Crews, who earned raves as the father in "Everybody Hates Chris," will reunite with LeRoi to star in the new show as Nick, a single man who starts dating a young divorcee with two kids.
In the 2005 movie, Nick takes the kids on a road trip to see their mother - and winds up clashing with them the entire way.
"Terry Crews is the perfect person to replace me as Nick," Cube said. "His physical comedy is undeniable... (And) no one runs a show like Ali. We are dedicated to creating the new template for family comedy."
"Are We There Yet?" wound up at TBS after intense bidding, with cablers such as USA Network and BET also in the running.
Cube and Alvarez are no stranger to turning their films into TV properties, having also produced "Barbershop: The Series" and an animated version of "Friday."
Debmar-Mercury, which is owned by Lionsgate, earlier received a 100-episode pickup for "House of Payne," after an initial 10-seg order. TBS has also picked up 80 episodes of "Meet the Browns."
"When we set out to expand on the television comedy model that Tyler Perry has turned into a runaway success at TBS, we knew we had to be in business with Ice Cube," said Debmar-Mercury's Mort Marcus.
Debmar-Mercury also recently partnered with Will Ferrell's Gary Sanchez Prods. to sell a sitcom starring Jon Heder to Comedy Central under a similar model - a 10-episode pickup and option for an additional 90.
As for LeRoi, project reps his first following the finale of "Chris," which earned critical raves during its four seasons on the air.
The original "Are We There Yet?" grosses more than $82 million at the box office.
"'Are We There Yet?' was a hit family movie that transition seamlessly into a television show," Roth said. "There is nothing quite like it currently on television."
FX starts 'The League' 'Humpday''s Mark Duplass stars in comedy
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
FX has quietly begun production on "The League," a half-hour comedy pilot starring "Humpday's" Mark Duplass.
The semi-improvised buddy comedy revolves around a group of thirtysomething guys in a fantasy football league. Set in the suburbs of Chicago, "League" follows the group as they deal with issues of friendship, relationships and parenthood.
Duplass stars along with Nick Kroll ("I Love You Man"), Paul Sheer ("Human Giant"), Steve Rannazzisi ("Paul Blart: Mall Cop") and Jon Lajoie.
Also in the cast are Leslie Bibb ("Iron Man"), Katie Aselton ("The Office") and Nadine Velazquez ("My Name Is Earl").
In the pilot, Duplass plays Pete, a married man pondering whether to have a baby. "God bless fantasy football," Pete says in the script. "There are many things a man can do with his time. This is better than those things."
Duplass' other credits include "True Adolescents," "Hannah Takes the Stairs" and "The Puffy Chair."
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" helmer Jeff Schaffer penned "The League" and is exec producing and directing. Jackie Marcus Schaffer is also an exec producer.
FX Prods. is producing. "The League" could be ready to run on the cabler as soon as this fall.
Project comes as FX looks to aggressively expand its comedy brand, scouting for several potential companions to "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Earlier this week, FX ordered the animated comedy "Archer."
'Scrubs' exclusive: Eliza Coupe upgraded to regular Jul 14, 2009, 06:29 PM | by Michael Ausiello
Congratulations are in order to Eliza Coupe: Scrubs has officially promoted the actress to a series regular.
Scrubs boss Bill Lawrence recently hinted that Coupe's hilariously insensitive intern, Denise (a.k.a. "Jo"), would play an integral part in next season's med school reboot. "I really like Eliza," he told me last month. "I think she's a really interesting actress and we didn't give her a full character [last season]. I think she's hyper-talented."
No argument here.
Coupe joins a refreshed ensemble that will include three or four new regulars in addition to returning vets Donald Faison and John C. McGinley. Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes and Ken Jenkins are expected to make guest appearances.
Posts: 5360 | Location: New York/California | Registered: September 30, 2006
"Shark" alumna Sarah Carter has joined CBS crime drama "CSI: NY" as a regular.
She will play a twentysomething forensic school graduate with aspirations to be a CSI who works as a crime scene clean up technician and harbors a secret.
The stint reunites Carter with CBS, the network, which aired "Shark" for two seasons.
On the legal drama, Carter played an young attorney assigned to the team of hot-shot lawyer-turned prosecutor Sebastian Stark (James Woods). Additionally, the actress did an arc on "Smallville."
John Goodman arrives at 'Station' Wain to direct Stiller-produced comedy pilot
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
John Goodman has been cast to star in "The Station," the Fox comedy pilot from Ben Stiller's production shingle.
"The Station" revolves around a group of lackluster CIA operatives at a covert South American outpost, where they're charged with installing a new dictator. Thesp will play Ted Gannon, a gruff CIA vet and head of its Altamara Station.
Goodman joins a cast that includes Justin Bartha, Whitney Cummings, Rob Huebel and Julio Oscar Mechoso.
Onboard to direct "The Station" is helmer David Wain ("Role Models").
Stiller (through his Red Hour Films), Jeremy Kramer and Stuart Cornfeld are the exec producers on "The Station," which comes from scribe Kevin Napier. Twentieth Century Fox TV is the studio.
Goodman's recent TV credits include "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Center of the Universe," "The West Wing" and "Normal, Ohio." He also provided his voice for "Father of the Pride."
In film, Goodman was recently seen in "Confessions of a Shopaholic."
Tamara Braun "Graced" By TNT Submitted by Luke Kerr on July 16, 2009 - 1:50am
Soap Opera Source is reporting that Tamara Braun has landed the recurring role of Renee Ellen on the TNT drama Saving Grace. The former All My Children, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital actress is nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category at this year's Daytime Emmy Awards.
Posts: 5360 | Location: New York/California | Registered: September 30, 2006
Jorja Fox returning to ‘CSI’ as Sara Sidle The actress will be in the season premiere and several other episodes The Associated Press updated 2:54 p.m. ET, Fri., July 17, 2009 LOS ANGELES - Sara Sidle is coming back to “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
CBS said Friday that actress Jorja Fox, who plays Sara, will be part of the season premiere and other episodes.
The show’s executive producer, Carol Mendelsohn, says viewers will find out where life has taken Sara and what brings her back to the CSI team in Las Vegas. The show returns Sept. 24, airing at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday.
Fox was a series regular since the show’s first season, left during its eighth season and was seen briefly last season, the ninth for “CSI.”
WILLIAM PETERSEN: Well, this is a shock. The only explanation for this is that somehow in the last year, every one of you tried to act with rubber gloves and tweezers.
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