EXCLUSIVE: Coming up on Starz — another action drama series from Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, executive producers of the pay cable network’s breakout hit Spartacus: Blood and Sand and its offshoot Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. I hear Starz has greenlighted to series Noir, a live-action adaptation of the 2001 Japanese anime series.
The project, which had been in development at the network since last fall, follows two female assassins who team up to fight against a secret society. After discovering they’re mysteriously linked, the two, under the Noir moniker, have to work together until they get answers about why and how they are connected — or until one of them kills the other. Steven Lightfoot (Criminal Justice) wrote the adaptation and will executive produce the series with Raimi, Tapert, fellow Spartacus exec producer Joshua Donen as well as Bill Hamm.
Noir had been gathering momentum over the past few weeks, with producers sending out feelers about assembling a small writers room for the potential series. The number of episodes for Noir is yet to be determined, but Starz’s new shows usually get straight-to-series orders of 8 to 10 episodes. At the network, Noir joins the upcoming Chicago mayor drama Boss starring Kelsey Grammer and 1960s Miami drama Magic City. Meanwhile, costume drama Camelot is still awaiting word on … Read More
Tag Archives: Drama
What Was Hot During L.A. Int'l Screenings?
U.S. comedies have harder time than dramas traveling internationally. But strong showings by new half-hour series at the broadcast upfronts last week were followed by solid performances at this week’s L.A. Screenings, where international buyers gather to sample the new crop of U.S. series. Upfront standouts — Warner Bros.-produced CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls and the 20th TV comedies New Girl (Fox) and Apt. 23 (ABC) — did very well. Two ambitious drama pilots set in the past, 20th/Fox Terra Nova and Sony/ABC’
January Joness baby-daddy blind item: a married dude on X-Men: First Class?
As you know, I’
TNT Pilot 'Perception' Nears Series Pickup
Eric McCormack seems headed back to TNT’s primetime. Word is that TNT is closing in on a series order for the drama pilot Perception starring the Will & Grace alum. The project, from ABC Studios, centers on Dr. Geoffrey Pierce (McCormack), an eccentric, frequently erratic and brilliant university professor in neuropsychiatry who helps the FBI solve complex cases working with sexy, sharp-tongued and smart FBI agent (and his former student) Kate Rossi (Rachael Leigh Cook). Kenneth Biller and Mike Sussman co-wrote the pilot, which was directed by Alan Poul. Perception is one of four pilots ordered by TNT last fall along with Dallas, Bird Dog and an untitled project from Allan Loeb. It was the first one to cast its lead. McCormack previously starred in TNT’s ad-agency drama Trust Me. Meanwhile, TNT is close to renewing cop drama Southland for a fourth season.
Bruce Greenwood Among Latest ABC Pilot Castings
After fielding multiple pilot offers, Bruce Greenwood has signed on to co-star in the ABC drama pilot The River directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The horror thriller, from DreamWorks TV, ABC Studios and Paranormal Activity mastermind Oren Peli, centers on Lincoln Cole (Joe Anderson) who, after his famous TV explorer father (Greenwood) goes missing way up the Amazon, reluctantly abandons his medical studies and follows in his father’s footsteps – accompanied by a small camera crew, and with something deadly in the water, waiting for him.
Swingtown alumna Miriam Shor has joined the cast of ABC’s dramedy pilot Good Christian Bitches. The sexy soap centers on Amanda (Leslie Bibb), onetime ‘
Anjelica Huston Joins NBC's 'Smash'
In what would be her first regular series gig, Oscar winner Anjelica Huston has been tapped to co-star opposite Debra Messing and Christian Borle in NBC’s drama pilot Smash, which follows a cross-section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway. Huston will play a shrewd, classy but cynical New York theater producer who is at home with the elite. Also co-starring in the pilot are Megan Hilty, Jack Davenport and Katharine McPhee. On TV, Huston recently recurred on the NBC/CBS drama Medium.
Martin Henderson, Sarah Paulson & Lauren Ambrose Tapped As The Leads Of 3 Pilots
Three high-profile pilots just landed their leads: Martin Henderson will headline NBC’s drama The Crossing, Sarah Paulson will star in NBC’s Kari Lizer comedy and Lauren Ambrose will topline Fox’s drama Weekends at Bellevue.
Written by Josh Brand and directed by Peter Horton, The Crossing is set in a Missouri town during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and centers on Jason (Henderson), a Civil War soldier who crosses the country and settles into a complicated town where he is welcomed as its savior – whether he likes it or not. The casting is in second position to Henderson’s current series, ABC’s softly-rated midseason drama Off the Map. The Crossing’s female lead is Henderson’s Off the Map co-star Rachelle Lefevre who is also in second position to the ABC medical drama, so NBC is making a big gamble that Off the Map won’t come back for a second season.
The untitled Kari Lizer multicamera comedy, from Warner Bros. TV, is a workplace comedy about a relationship-challenged woman (Paulson) who, with the help of her co-workers, guides people through unexpected career transitions and downsizings. The casting of Paulson lifts the contingency on the project. ICM-repped Paulson was the female lead on NBC’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and ABC’s Cupid. Martha Marcy … Read More
NBC's 'Grimm' And 'Smash' Add To Casts
Russell Hornsby (Meet the Parents) and Bitsie Tulloch (Lonelygirl15) have landed lead roles on NBC’s pilot Grimm, a dark but fantastical cop drama about a world in which characters inspired by Grimm’
Patrick Wilson To Headline CBS Medical Drama Pilot Directed By Jonathan Demme
Feature and Broadway actor Patrick Wilson is making his first foray into series TV as the star of CBS’ untitled Susannah Grant drama pilot. Jonathan Demme is directing he supernatural medical drama, from CBS TV Studios and studio-based Timberman/Beverly Prods., which centers on an ultra-competitive surgeon (Wilson) whose life is changed forever when his ex-wife dies and begins teaching him what life is all about from the here-after. Wilson’s only previous TV gig was a co-starring role on the HBO miniseries Angels In America, which earned him an Emmy nomination. Wilson was approached by 3 drama pilots this season. As part of his deal for the Susannah Grant pilot, its production will be moved to New York where Wilson lives. CAA-repped Wilson most recently starred in the Sundance entry The Ledge.
Five Broadcast Pilots Add To Casts
Eva Amurri (Californication) is set to star opposite Christine Lahti in CBS’ medical-family drama pilot The Doctor, written by Privileged creator Rina Mimoun and directed by David Nutter. The project, from Warner Bros. TV, centers on a mother (Lahti) who reconnects with her two adult children – son David and daughter Natasha (Amurri) when she joins the family medical practice.
Judy Marte, Tom Reed and Stark Sands have joined Leelee Sobieski in the CBS’ drama pilot Rookies, an ensemble cop show from writer Richard Price, which is executive produced by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. In the James Mangold-directed pilot, about six NYPD rookies who balance their personal lives with learning the beat on the streets of Manhattan, Marte, Reed, Sands and Sobieski play 4 of the rookies. Marte (Raising Victor Vargas) is with Greene & Assoc. and managers Eunice Lee & Tim Jordan.
Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Leah Renee have joined NBC’s drama pilot Playboy. In the 20th/Imagine TV project, set at the Playboy Club in Chicago in 1963, the two will play bunnies. Dewan-Tatum, repped by ICM and Steve Caserta, recently wrapped feature Set Up.
NewsRadio alum Dave Foley has been cast in CBS’ comedy pilot, buddy comedy How to Be a Gentleman created … Read More
Mike O'Malley To Star In Fox's 'Family Album' Pilot Directed By Shawn Levy
Mike O’Malley, who is recurring on Fox/20th TV’s Glee, is adding a potential regular series gig to his plate, also for Fox and 20th TV. O’Malley is set to play the lead in the single-camera comedy pilot Family Album, written by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman and directed by Shawn Levy. It centers on Dave (O’Malley), a passionate, overly enthusiastic former jock who, after a breakthrough experience on a family vacation returns home with a renewed conviction to “bond the crap out of his family.”
O’Malley had a choice of a comedy and drama series gig this pilot season with offers for Family Album and NBC’s drama Grimm, ultimately going with the half-hour project. The deal for Family Album calls for O’Malley to continue his recurring role as Kurt’s sensitive single dad Burt Hummel on Glee, which earned him a guest starring Emmy nomination. Additionally, O’Malley, repped by CAA and Principato Young, wrote this past weekend’s episode of the Showtime drama Shameless and the indie feature Certainty, now in post-production. On the big screen, he currently co-stars in Fox Searchlight’s Cedar Rapids.
'Lost' Co-Star Michael Emerson reunites With J.J. Abrams In CBS Pilot
EXCLUSIVE: Lost alum Michael Emerson is set as a lead in Jonah Nolan’s CBS drama pilot Person of Interest, which is being executive produced by Lost co-creator/exec producer J.J. Abrams. The project, from Warner Bros. TV and Abrams’ Bad Robot, is a crime drama centered on an ex-CIA agent, presumed dead, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire (Emerson) to prevent violent crimes in New York City. The pilot is being directed by Heroes’ David Semel. In addition to Person of Interest, Emerson also was offered the ABC drama pilot Once Upon a Time.
Emerson and Abrams originally reunited for a different project this development season, action drama Odd Jobs, which was to star Emerson and fellow Lost co-star Terry O’Quinn, with Abrams producing and Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec writing. The project landed at NBC in September but was recently pushed. Emerson is with Abrams and Vanguard Management.
David Semel To Direct Jonah Nolan/J.J. Abrams' CBS Pilot 'Person Of Interest'
EXCLUSIVE: David Semel has been tapped to direct Jonathan Nolan’s CIA drama pilot Person of Interest, which is being executive produced by J.J. Abrams. The CBS project, from Warner Bros. TV and Abrams’ Bad Robot, is a crime drama centered on a CIA agent, presumed dead, who is recruited by a reclusive billionaire to wage war against violent criminals in New York City. Semel has directed the pilots for such series as NBC’s Heroes, A&E’s The Cleaner and, most recently, ABC’s No Ordinary Family.
NBC Picks Up Ron Moore Drama Pilot
NBC has given a pilot order to 17th Precinct, an ensemble cop drama with supernatural elements from Battlestar Galactica developer/executive producer Ron Moore. The project, from Sony Pictures TV where Moore is under an overall deal, has been described as an adult Harry Potter. It is set in the fictional town of Excelsior where magic and supernatural elements rule over science. The pitch for the drama landed at NBC in September with a big commitment that reportedly included pilot and series penalties totaling close to $2 million. This is the second drama pilot pickup for NBC this season, following the recent green light to Playboy.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Returns To TV
ABC Picks Up Two Drama Pilots
ABC has greenlighted two drama pilots, one from Criminal Minds executive producer/showrunner Ed Bernero and one from Grey’s Anatomy executive producer Krista Vernoff. Both hail from ABC Studios.
Ed Bernero’s Partners is a police drama centered on two female police detectives who are fiercely loyal to one another since they’
ABC Is Picking Up Another Canadian Drama Series For Next Summer
EXCLUSIVE: ABC is finalizing a deal for a 13-episode order to a medical drama about a military hospital in Afghanistan to run in the summer. It is being done with the same Canadian network partner, Canwest, and under the same low-cost financial model as ABC’s cop drama Rookie Blue, which surprisingly became last summer’s top-rated new broadcast scripted series and has been renewed for a second cycle. The new medical drama had already been greenlighted by Canwest with a 13-episode order under the title Combat Hospital, but that name is expected to change now that ABC is picking up the show much like Copper became Rookie Blue after ABC got involved. Also upon closing the deal for the medical drama, Daniel Petrie Jr. will come on board as executive producer/showrunner. The series is a Canadian/UK co-production, with Sienna Films and Artists Studios producing alongside Look Out Point. It was created by Douglas Steinberg (Psych) and Jinder Chalmers and is set to air in Canada on Global Television, the network that also carries Rookie Blue. APA-repped Petrie Jr., best known for writing blockbuster Beverly Hills Cop, executive produced the USA series The Big Easy. In addition to imports, ABC has also been betting on U.S.-made scripted series for summer. It largely struck out with Scoundrels and The Gates last summer but in October, the network put … Read More
CBS Gives 'Hawaii Five-0' Post-AFC Championship Game Showcase
CBS is giving Hawaii Five-0 a boost, scheduling an original episode of the male-skewing freshman drama behind CBS’ top sports broadcast this season, the AFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 23. (CBS alternates with Fox in carrying the Super Bowl, with Fox on tap this year.) CBS used a similar strategy in 2009, the last time the AFC Championship game was in primetime. Back then, the network also ran its most promising freshman drama of the season in the post-game slot, The Mentalist. While not a big breakout hit, the reboot of the classic Hawaii Five-0 series has been a solid performer in the Monday 10 PM slot, averaging 13.3 million viewers. It is the top-rated new drama as well as the most played-back program of the season, adding some 3 million viewers per episode when 7-day DVR data is factored in.
Life & Style: Camille Grammer is the most hated housewife
So, apparently EVERYONE is watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I’
Kim Kardashians New Boyfriend Kris Humphries Hires A Publicist
