Development News - January 28, 2014
ABC's Fresh Off the Boat & Saint Francis; CBS's Good Session, Madame Secretary & Untitled Kevin Williamson; NBC's Marry Me, One Big Happy & Two to Go; TNT's Public Morals; and TV Land's Younger.
CBS's MADAME SECRETARY
- Pilot Ordered - Drama.
- From CBS Television Studios, Madame Secretary explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. Joan of Arcadia creator Barbara Hall penned the pilot and will executive producer with Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary and Tracy Mercer.
TV LAND's YOUNGER
- Miriam Shor (GCB, The Good Wife) has been cast as a series regular on the single-camera comedy pilot from Sex and the City creator Darren Star. She will play Diana, the high-strung head of PR for Passion Press. She is a disdainful woman who likes to get ahead by standing on the shoulder of her subordinates as she slowly pushes them into the mud.
TNT's PUBLIC MORALS
- Austin Stowell (Dolphin Tale) has joined the cast of the period drama pilot from Ed Burns as a series regular. He will play Sean O'Bannon, Terry's (Burns) cousin and a handsome, tough Irish cop who tries to keep his friends out of trouble.
ABC's FRESH OFF THE BOAT
- Pilot Ordered - Comedy (Single Camera)
- Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 creator Nahnatchka Khan is potentially returning to ABC as the network has handed out a pilot order to this comedy. This is Kahn's second pilot pickup of the development season - joining comedy Fatrick starring Zach Cregger and Marcia Cross over on FOX. Fresh Off the Boat is based on Eddie Huang's memoir and revolves around a Chinese family that moves to suburban Orlando in the 1990s. It centers on hip-hop loving Eddie, raised by an immigrant father who is obsessed with all things American and an immigrant mother who is often bewildered by white culture. With his father owning and operating an All-American Steakhouse chain, this loving family of FOB ("fresh off the boat") Taiwanese Americans try to live the American dream while still maintaining their cultural identity and sense of family. Khan, Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar will executive produce for 20th Century Fox Television. Huang will serve as producer.
ABC's SAINT FRANCIS
- Pilot Ordered - Comedy (Multi-Camera)
- From Man Up creator/star Chris Moynihan, Saint Francis centers on a blue-collar, no-nonsense Long Island cop and family man who butts heads with the modern, liberal world when his 29-year-old sister gets pregnant out of wedlock. Tagline and ABC Studios are producing the pilot, with Moynihan, Ron West and Kelly Kulchak executive producing. Moynihan is not expected to have an on-screen presence on the pilot.
CBS's GOOD SESSION
- Pilot Ordered - Comedy (Single Camera)
- Good Session explores (via couples counseling sessions) the relationship of a 30-something couple from their first meeting (in flashback) through present day, as they decide whether it's time to have a child. Former Chuck executive producer Matt Miller wrote the pilot script with John Hamburg (Meet the Parents) set to direct. Warner Bros. Television will produce. This is the second pilot order for Miller, along with drama Forever at ABC.
NBC's ONE BIG HAPPY
- Pilot Ordered - Comedy (Multi-Camera)
- One Big Happy focuses on a gay woman and her straight male best friend who decide to have a baby together, but things get complicated when the man finds the love of their life. Liz Feldman penned the pilot script and will executive produce with Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Kleeman. Warner Bros. Television and A Very Good Production will produce the comedy.
NBC's MARRY ME
- Happy Endings alum Casey Wilson has been tapped as the female lead for the NBC single-camera comedy pilot from Happy Endings creator/showrunner David Caspe. The project centers on a young couple who get engaged, something they quickly realize is harder than it looks. As a writer/producer, Wilson has comedy Mason Twins, also set up as a pilot at NBC, with her longtime writing partner June Diane Raphael.
NBC's TWO TO GO
- Pilot Ordered - Comedy (Single Camera)
- From Universal Television, David Janollari Entertainment and Aggregate Films, Two to Go centers on long-time best friends Kurt and Laura who grapple with the challenges of modern-day dating while their group of friends try and prove that they are destined to be together. Bryan Shukoff and Kevin Chesley wrote the pilot and will co-executive produce. David Janollari, Jason Bateman and Jim Garavente will executive produce.
CBS's UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT
- Pilot Ordered - Drama
- Written and executive produced by The Following creator Kevin Williamson, the psychological thriller centers around a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD. Warner Bros. Television and Outerbanks Entertainment will produce the pilot.
