Cancelled shows of Tomorrow: The War on Chuck Lorre - Part 7

[Sawyer]

http://deadline.com/2014/08/musical-family-comedy-from-peter-knight-jason-winer-fox-821349/

Fox Buys Musical Family Comedy From Peter Knight & Jason Winer
by Nellie Andreeva

20th Century Fox TV helped reinvent the family comedy genre with the docu-style Modern Family, now the studio is looking to add the next twist to the family sitcom genre — music. The studio has sold to Fox The Sound of the Sumners, from writer Peter Knight, which has Jason Winer, director of the pilot for Modern Family, attached to executive produce. He may also direct, subject to availability. The single-camera comedy, from 20th TV and Winer’s studio-based Small Dog banner, is described as a truly honest and hilarious exploration of a contemporary family featuring an entirely unique musical element that involves an irreverent and buzzworthy use of original music and songs. Knight is writing the script and will executive produce with Small Dog’s Winer and Renate Radford. The project has received a script commitment with a significant penalty. Knight likes mixing up genres — he previously created the comedy/fantasy series Krod Mandooon and the Flaming Sword of Fire and co-created the horror/teen drama/comedy Big Wolf on Campus. Fox and 20th TV have experience with musical comedy series — the musical high-school dramedy Glee, which was a breakout when it launched, is finishing its run this season.

 

[Duran Man]

Creative Arts Emmy Winners

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Joe Morton, Scandal

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series | Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live

Yay!

Outstanding Animated Program | Bob’s Burgers

Boo! South Park was robbed!

 

[Sawyer]

No, not "Boo!". Earned.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

South Park wasn't that good last season. I'm more disappointed at Rick and Morty not getting nominated at all.

 

[Sawyer]

Amblin TV Prepping Minority Report Series

 

[Jordacar]

Amblin TV Prepping Minority Report Series

If it's half as brainy and political as CONTINUUM, I'm on board.

 

[Sawyer]

http://deadline.com/2014/08/medical-drama-sarah-watson-jason-katims-cbs-put-pilot-823058/

CBS Buys Medical Drama From Sarah Watson & Jason Katims As Put Pilot
by Nellie Andreeva

In a very competitive situation, CBS has landed a medical drama project from the Parenthood duo of Jason Katims and Sarah Watson. The project, from Universal TV and Katims’ studio-based True Jack Prods, is set at a high-tech Silicon Valley hospital with a cutting edge approach to medicine. Watson will write the script and executive produce with True Jack’s Katims and Michelle Lee.

Medical drama is one of the hot genres early in the selling season, with ABC also recently committing a significant penalty to a medical drama from Any Holden Jones. The put pilot commitment by CBS to a project form NBC sibling Uni TV underscores the breaking of the walls of vertical integration, which started last season, with network-affiliated studios selling to rival nets. The process seems to be further accelerating this year, with several such cross-conglom projects in play.

True Jack also developed with Watson the last two seasons an edgy romantic comedy/legal show, which was set up at Fox in 2012 and at ABC last year. UTA-repped Watson has been on NBC family drama Parenthood, developed and executive produced by Katims, since the beginning, rising to executive producer for the series’ upcoming sixth and final season. She also wrote for True Jack’s NBC comedy About A Boy, also developed/exec produced by Katims, which is returning for a second season. True Jack, repped by CAA, just sold its first cable project, a dating comedy at Showtimr from Stu Zicherman.

http://deadline.com/2014/08/friday-night-dinner-adaptation-cbs-put-pilot-822709/

CBS Buys Adaptation Of British Comedy ‘Friday Night Dinner’ As Put Pilot
by Nellie Andreeva

After introducing two family comedies last season, The Millers and Mom, and renewing both, CBS is looking to expand its footprint in the genre with Friday Night Dinner. Based on the Channel 4 series created by Robert Popper, the project, from Warner Bros. TV and 3 Arts Entertainment, has received a put pilot commitment from the network. It focuses on the regular dinner experience of a family each Friday night. Popper will be writing the U.S. version as part of a two-script deal he had signed with WBTV. I hear the intention is to keep the single-camera nature of the series, infused with comedy and heart in the vein of ABC’s Modern Family, though the project is still in early stages and doing it in a multi-camera format is a possibility.

Popper’s original semi-autobiographical series, produced by Big Talk Prods., centers on the Goodmans, a traditional but not strictly observant Jewish family, and chronicles their Shabbat dinners. Every Friday night, brothers Adam and Jonny reluctantly visit their parents — mom Jackie, who is obsessed with MasterChef, and dad Martin, who loves to walk around shirtless — for a home-cooked meal. Adding to the gallery of oddball characters is a grandmother who struts her stuff in a bikini and eccentric neighbor Jim who constantly interrupts dinner. Here is a trailer for the British series, co-starring Episodes‘ Tamsin Greig, which features comments by Popper. It is not clear yet whether the family in the CBS version will be Jewish or not.

This is the second attempt to adapt Friday Night Dinner in the U.S. — NBC tried it during the 2011-12 season, with The Office developer Greg Daniels writing and executive producing a pilot starring Allison Janney and Tony Shalhoub that didn’t go to series.

The original series launched in the UK in 2011 and recently aired its third season. It has aired in the U.S. on BBC America. The U.S. version hails from WBTV, 3 Arts, Big Talk and Poppers Pictures, with Popper executive producing alongside 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg and Nicholas Frenkel and Big Talk’s CEO Kenton Allen and managing director Matthew Justice.

In addition to Friday Night Dinner, Popper co-created the BBC comedy Look Around You, both of which have been nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for best comedy series. He also has worked on other popular British comedy series, including The Inbetweeners, Peep Show and The IT Crowd. Popper also has experience on an American series with a stint on Comedy Central’s South Park.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Amblin TV Prepping Minority Report Series

I wonder if they can afford jetpacks on a TV budget!

 

[Sawyer]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/bates-motels-freddie-highmore-kerry-727128

'Bates Motel's' Freddie Highmore, Kerry Ehrin Sell Comedy to NBC
3:00 PM PDT 8/22/2014 by Lesley Goldberg

The actor behind young Norman Bates will co-write the script alongside the "Bates Motel" co-showrunner

Bates Motel co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin and star Freddie Highmore are expanding their relationship.

The duo are teaming for an untitled romantic comedy set up at NBC, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, with the network handing out a script commitment to the project.
The untitled comedy will be written by Ehrin and recent Cambridge University graduate Highmore and mark the actor's first time penning a pilot script. The half-hour single camera vehicle is set in the world of venture capitalism. It centers on the intimate relationship between an overly emotional but talented female executive and her ambitious and eccentric young British assistant.

It's unclear if Highmore, who stars as young Norman Bates on A&E's Psycho prequel Bates Motel, will have an on-screen role should the project move forward. Highmore and Ehrin will executive produce the comedy, which hails from Universal Television where she has an overall deal.

Ehrin and Highmore came up with the idea for the show while attending June's Critics Choice Awards, where Highmore and co-star Vera Farmiga were both nominated for their lead acting roles on Bates Motel. The drama, from co-showrunner Carlton Cuse, returns for its third season in 2015.

Ehrin, whose credits include Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Boston Legal and Moonlighting, is repped by Rothman Brecher. Ehrin most recently teamed with Revenge's Nikki Toscano for CIA drama Red Zone that went to pilot at CBS but did not move forward.

Highmore, who has had roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland andAugust Rush, is with ARG and Felker Toczek.

 

[Sawyer]

http://deadline.com/2014/08/fox-buys-nod-sci-fi-drama-from-jason-richman-chernin-co-826013/

Fox Buys Sci-Fi Drama ‘Nod’ From Jason Richman & Chernin Co.
by Nellie Andreeva

Nod, a drama series adaptation of the novel by Adrian Barnes, has been set up at Fox with a script commitment with penalty. Jason Richman (Bad Company) will write the project for 20th Century Fox TV and studio-based Chernin Co. Nod is set at a time when most of humanity loses the ability to sleep and scientists are at a loss to explain why no one is tired. It revolves around Tanya and Paul, an “inter-somnial” couple – she, Awakened and flourishing, and he, one of the remaining few who are still handicapped by the need for sleep. But when signs of deprivation start to show among the Awakened, the bonds of friendship and love get tested in unexpected ways — because if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Richman, who co-developed and executive produced ABC’s Lucky 7 last season, executive produces with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope.

It'll never work, but thank God something is in development that isn't a multicam s***com or a medical procedural on CBS.

 

[chaseter]

It sounds like a Stephanie Meyer book....as in stupid.

 

[terry78]

It sounds like something you'd see on The Simpsons as a parody.

 

[wiegeabo]

It reminds me of a cross between Torchwood: Miracle Day and that episode of Star Trek TNG where they lose the ability to enter REM sleep and start go crazy.

If they go dark with it, that is.

 

[rashad]

Longmire cancelled

Damnit I loved that show.

 

[Marvolo]

Longmire cancelled

Damnit I loved that show.

A&E are such cheap asses. My dad is gonna be pissed!

 

[Sawyer]

Articles have been saying the studio would attempt to take it elsewhere, but those kinds of things only occasionally amount to anything, so I wouldn't count on it. Though, I could see it fitting in on TNT. Shame. My sister likes that show. The only thing I watch on that network is Bates Motel, I wonder if they'll be as unceremonious when they try to dispose of that...

 

[Marvolo]

Bates Motel will probably get kicked to the curb like a red headed step child. Just some of the things Ive heard about A&E's money pinching practices turns me off their programming. Im afraid to invest in anything of theirs for fear that they will just kill it.

 

[Sawyer]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/greg-berlanti-sells-naked-amnesiac-728995

Greg Berlanti Sells Naked Amnesiac Drama to NBC
4:00 PM PDT 8/28/2014 by Lesley Goldberg

Called 'Blindspot' and from 'Stargate' writer Martin Gero

Greg Berlanti is expanding his relationship with NBC.

As the prolific producer prepares to launch Debra Messing procedural The Mysteries of Laura, NBC has handed out a script plus penalty commitment to FBI thriller Blindspot, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The drama centers on an FBI agent who is drawn into a complex conspiracy when a naked amnesiac is found in Times Square covered in fresh tattoos … including his name on her back.

Martin Gero(Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, Bored to Death) will pen the script and executive produce the drama. The drama hails from Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, where the producer behind The CW's Arrow and spinoff The Flash is based. Berlanti and Berlanti Productions topper Sarah Schechter will also executive produce. Blindspot marks former WB exec Schechter's first TV project after joining the company in February.

The project marks Gero's latest TV foray following The CW's Canadian import The L.A. Complex. He's repped by WME. Berlanti is with WME and Felker Toczek.

Blindspot marks the second project involving sleep depravation this development season. Fox is also prepping sci-fi insomnia drama Nod.

Sounds somewhat more intriguing than Nod.

 

[wiegeabo]

Bates Motel will probably get kicked to the curb like a red headed step child. Just some of the things Ive heard about A&E's money pinching practices turns me off their programming. Im afraid to invest in anything of theirs for fear that they will just kill it.

I love how their tagline is "Be original", when they've been migrating all their programming to bad reality shows about people no one has ever heard of, like every other network.

 

[Marvolo]

I love how their tagline is "Be original", when they've been migrating all their programming to bad reality shows about people no one has ever heard of, like every other network.

Lol Its about as bad as when Scifi Channel changed to SyFy, cancelled their scifi shows, and started playing wrestling 24/7. You cant help but be like:

 

[Prison Mike]

Nod sounds like a parody show they would make fun of like in Forgetting Sarah Marshall

 

[Hunter Rider]

I really like the sound of Blindspot, cool concept.

 

[Sawyer]

http://deadline.com/2014/08/jack-irish-adaptation-australian-miniseries-fox-826863/

Fox Buys Detective Drama Based On Australian Miniseries ‘Jack Irish’
by Nellie Andreeva

Fox is taking a spin on the crime drama genre with Jack Irish, an adaptation of the 2012 Australian mini-series starring Guy Pearce, which in turn was based on the detective novels by Peter Temple. (watch a trailer for the mini below.) Written by Seamus Kevin Fahey (The Following) and produced by 20th Century Fox TV and studio-based Chernin Entertainment, the adaptation centers on Jack Irish, a part-time lawyer, debt collector, and apprentice cabinet maker, who is getting his life back together after the murder of his wife. Through his cases, he, more often than not, finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, uncovering much larger things at play. Anna Fricke (Being Human), who is under an overall deal at 20th TV, will serve as showrunner on the project, which has received a script commitment with penalty from the network. She and Fahey executive produce with peter Chernin and Katherine Pope. Seamus is repped by UTA, Underground, and Bruce Gellman; Fricke is repped by UTA and Patti Felker.

 

[Sawyer]

http://deadline.com/2014/09/bryan-cranston-dangerous-book-for-boys-nbc-comedy-827779/

NBC Nabs Bryan Cranston-Produced ‘The Dangerous Book For Boys’ Comedy
by Nellie Andreeva

On the heels of his double Emmy win for Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston has made his first major TV sale as a producer — single-camera comedy The Dangerous Book For Boys. In a very competitive situation, the project based on Conn and Hal Iggulden’s guidebook has landed at NBC with a significant penalty and a premium license fee. Superbad director Greg Mottola is writing and directing the adaptation for Sony Pictures TV and Cranston’s Moon Shot Entertainment production banner, which has a first-look deal at the studio.

Dangerous Book For Boys is described as an irreverent family comedy about three teenage boys who are given a dad’s guide to living lives full of adventure after he passes away. Mottola executive produces with Moon Shot’s Cranston and James Degus.

This has been a passion project for Cranston, who optioned the rights to the best-selling 2006 British book in June and helped shape up the idea for the series. Sony TV has kept all key auspices of its acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad in the fold, with stars Cranston and Aaron Paul under first-look deals and creator Vince Gilligan in an overall agreement. All three were victorious at the Emmy Awards last weekend, where Breaking Bad swept the drama series categories, including best drama series, for its final batch of episodes. Cranston won his fourth best drama actor Emmy and shared in the show’s best drama win in his capacity as a producer.

Dangerous Book for Boys is a collection of tongue-in-cheek advice for boys on 80 topics, including how to climb a tree, build a treehouse or a go-kart and grow a crystal. It was published in the U.S. in 2007 and was previously optioned as a feature by Scott Rudin. Moon Shot and Mottola are repped by UTA.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-developing-exorcism-drama-729500

NBC Developing Exorcism Drama (Exclusive)
1:14 PM PDT 9/2/2014 by Lesley Goldberg

'The Possession of Maggie Gill' will be written by John Glenn and hails from Amblin Television

NBC is poised to explore demonic possession.

The network has handed out a script commitment to drama The Possession of Maggie Gill, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Maggie centers on the Gills, a loving a middle-class family in Eugene, Ore., who find themselves in the midst of crisis when paranormal occurrences begin to affect the everyday fabric of their home. At the same time, a series of brutal murders is being investigated by two local detectives. The storylines converge as those involved slowly realize that the murders and hauntings may have a common link: Maggie Gill, 15-year-old daughter of the Gill family, who might be possessed by demonic attachments.

The drama hails from Amblin Television (Under the Dome, Extant, Red Band Society, Falling Skies, The Americans) and will be written by John Glenn (Eagle Eye). Glenn will exec produce alongside Adam Kane as well as Amblin's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey and Harris Fishman.

Exorcism dramas are a hot subject matter this development season. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is adapting his exorcism comic, Outcast, as a pilot at Cinemax; and former Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara's Damien, a follow-up to The Omen, received a straight-to-series six-episode order at Lifetime.

 

[Sawyer]

http://deadline.com/2014/09/son-of-sam-miniseries-blumhouse-fox-tv-studios-827582/

Blumhouse Developing Son Of Sam Miniseries With Fox TV Studios
by Nellie Andreeva

On the heels of Blumhouse’ first longform project, Ryan Murphy’s HBO movie The Normal Heart, winning a Best TV Movie Emmy, Jason Blum’s production company is returning to the longform arena with another New York period piece based on a true story — miniseries Son of Sam. Blumhouse Prods. will develop the six-hour mini with Fox TV Studios (The Killing). Written by Steven Katz (The Knick, From the Earth to the Moon), Son of Sam juxtaposes David Richard Berkowitz’s murder confession of Satan worship and human sacrifice with the actual police investigation of December 1975-1977. For almost two years, the self-proclaimed Son of Sam terrorized New York City, killing six people while eluding a massive manhunt and taunting the police with brazen letters. The spree finally came to an end in August 1977 when Berkowitz was arrested and confessed to the crimes claiming he was possessed by demons. In the 1990s, while serving six life sentences, he recanted part of his original confession, insisting that he was part of of a Satanic cult with fellow members carrying out some of the killings, but those claims were never substantiated. On screen, the case was the focus of Spike Lee’s 1999 movie Summer of Son, and the 1985 CBS movie Out of the Darkness. Blum and CAA-repped Katz executive produce the mini with Dan Halsted of Manage-ment (Nixon). Blumhouse’s head of television Jessica Rhoades co-exec produces.

Son of Sam falls outside the 10-year first-look production deal Blumhouse recently inked with NBCUniversal, which includes TV pacts with Universal TV and Universal Cable Prods. Blumhouse, the company behind micro-budget film franchises Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge and Sinister, has been ramping up its television business. It produced the ABC drama series The River and the Syfy reality series Stranded and co-produced the Emmy-winning Normal Heart with HBO, Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Ryan Murphy Prods. The company is in production on the Syfy miniseries Ascension, MTV drama series Eye Candy and WE tv drama series South of Hell. Blumhouse’s development slate includes Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects with eOne and an unscripted show with Mike Darnell. On the feature side, Blumhouse produced feature Whiplash, which won both the Grand Jury and Audience prizes at Sundance and will be released this fall by Sony Pictures Classics. FtvS just received a straight-to-series order from Lifetime for Damien, a followup series to The Omen.