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Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
- Tom Szentgyorgyi (THE MENTALIST) is writing the pilot for REDS, a science fiction Western, for The CW. (In other words, brace yourself for another FIREFLY imitator that, when push comes to shove, is prettymuch guaranteed to disappoint.)
- Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing (SPARTACUS) are developing GRINGO, a drama based on Hipolito Acosta’s book The Shadow Catcher, about a U.S. agent who infiltrates a Mexican crime cartel. (No punchline here. Cuz our reaction to this one will depend entirely on how well it’s realized on paper and onscreen.)
- Clifton Campbell (THE GLADES) has a pilot commitment at Fox for his family drama, BILLY RAY. (Robert Zemeckis is set to direct, so we’re, you know, hopeful that it’ll look better than GLADES did. Seems pretty cincy, actually.)
- EMILY MORTIMER & DOLLY WELLS (both actress but we love ’em anyway) have created DOLL & EM, a comedy for HBO about…actresses. (So of course we’re confident that hilarity will follow.)
- Nick Kreiss (PUNK’D) has a deal for HOW TO BE AN ADULT, a “semi-autobiographical comedy for ABC. (Which means it’s about a realilty producer who gets a scripted show deal? We are not amused. Being a reality producer is, as everybody knows, absolutely unforgiveable! Think we’ll catch flak for saying that?)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
- Roberto Benabib (WEEDS) is writing a comedy pilot for HBO called THE BRINK, which reports call “Epic dark comedy focusing on a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three…men.” (Personally, we’d find it funnier if someone just had the balls to say it was a political satire and eschew the rest of the verbiage. Let’s hope that logline – which is much longer than what’s here – was the network’s and not the writer’s.)
- Ben Queen (CARS 2) has an NBC pilot deal for A TO Z, a comedy about a relationship from meeting to breakup. (It ends on a breakup? And this is comedy? Oh, NBC, NBC, how far hast thou fallen?)
- John Cabrera (H+ the web series) is writing a monster movie for Syfy, which may be a backdoor pilot. (Syfy-monster movie, who’d a thunk? Of course it’ll be a pilot!)
- John Hamburg (MEET THE PARENTS & Matt Miller (CHUCK) are developing a CBS comedy called GOOD SESSION about a couple’s first meeting through the rough days of the “present” as told through counseling sessions. (So which came first, gang? This or A TO Z? Interesting, ain’t it, how crap ideas always come in pairs?)
- Sheri Elwood (Canada’s CALL ME FITZ) is developing BAGEL NATION for ABC. (Like with a name like BAGEL NATION we woulda thought it was a police procedural, right? Still, how bad can a show about a Jewish deli now owned by goyem be? Yeah, right. That bad.)
- Paul Scheer (some kind of comedian turned writer) is writing an ABC comedy about a couple trying to keep their relationship together while going through the hoops set up by multiple sets of parents, spouses, and children. (Yes, they’re calling this one a “family comedy,” presumably cuz it’s about, you know, a family. Sigh…)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
- NBC plans a miniseries based on the life of Johnny Carson, the man who kept our grandparents up way past their bedtime back in the day. (It’s based on the book Carson the Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait by Bill Zehme, but no writer has been named so call your agents and say TVWriter™ told you that nobody but you can do the job.)
- Emily Fox (JANE BY DESIGN) has written HINDSIGHT a drama about a woman who gets the chance to go back in time and not commit what she remembers as her biggest mistake. (Which doesn’t mean much to us cuz we’re still, you know, under 30 and know damn well we’ll never make any big life mistakes. Ain’t the millenial demo grand?)
- Katie Lovejoy (some version or other of DRACULA) is adapting the telenovela PURA SANGRE in TRUST, a serial about – surprise! – rich people in a dysfunctional family. (Which reminds us of the old saw that “movies about happy families were just jokes played by poor writers on their rich bosses.” Or something like that.)
- Steven Bochco (he used to be Somebody) & Eric Lodal (LAWLESS) have gotten a 10 episode order from TNT for their drama series MURDER IN THE FIRST. (Which is being produced by – oh, really? who woulda thought? – TNT Originals. Which is how writers who used to be Somebody just barely manage to get deals these days even though they’re every bit as brilliant – like Mr. Bochco – as they ever were. Yeppers, we’re rooting for this baby.)
- John Glenn & Andre Ovredal (you know them best for the huge hit TROLL HUNTER – oh, wait–) are writing NBC’s GHOST PROJEKT, based on a series of graphic novels by Joe Harris & Steve Rolston. (Hey, newbies, don’t just sit there. Turn all your specs into graphic novels and self-publish them. Not only is the future here – it works.)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
- Anthony Zuiker (CSI) has sold his new drama series, THE BOUNTY, to ABC. (And it actually looks like something new and different: “THE BOUNTY centers around one victim’s quest for justice…After her family murdered, a national frenzy erupts as she inspires…the largest bounty in history for the killer’s capture.” We love how Rod Serling-esque this show sounds.)
- Evan Daugherty (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN) is writing ABC’s ESMERELDA, a limited series based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame. (Sorry but our hopes aren’t all that high re this one. SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN? ESMERELDA? Remember when we used to say “Meh?”)
- Ali Adler (THE NEW NORMAL) is writing the pilot for ABC’s new untitled comedy about what moms do while their exes have the kids. (Another show about a topic we’ve never seen on TV before. Definitely in our plus column, ABC D-folks.)
- Danny Strong (LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER) is writing an untitled Fox pilot described as “a hip hop drama.” (We figure this one could go either way, especially since it’s being directed by Lee Daniels. But if we had the opportunity we’re honestly not sure we’d work with a guy who insisted on making his possessory credit – which writers can never get – into the title of his work. Know what we’re sayin’>)
- Michael Vickerman (IMPACT) is writing a 6 episode mini-series for Spike TV about the life and death of a certain Egyptian guy – King Tut himself. (And we think this is even cooler than THE BOUNTY. Politics. Intrigue. Murder. Ni-ice.)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
- Jason Micallef (BUTTER) is writing the pilot for THE WHOLE SHEBANG, a Fox drama pilot about Jennifer Garner. (Well, there may be more to the premise than that, but we here at TVWriter™ don’t care cuz…Jennifer Garner!!! y’all.)
- Shane Brennan (NCIS) is developing a musical drama with Tiesto, who is described as “a superstar DJ and record producer.(And we’re sure you’re all thrilled about this because so what if nobody outside a very small circle has ever heard of Tiesto, he’s a fucking superstar…y’all.)
- Matt Venne (A BAG OF BONES) is developing an untitled drama based on Linwood Barclay’s novel Never Look Away for NBC. (Where of course they’d never think to actually use the title of the book. Cuz that might make “readers” tune in. As in people who read once in awhile. As in, “Oh, you think you’re so damn smart,” y’know?)
- Jeff Dixon (sorry but we have no idea who he is) has sold a spec pilot to ABC Family called THE FINAL GIRLS and is some kind of a horror project. (And we use the word “horror” in its fullest sense cuz look out world, Jamie Lee Curtis is set to star in this thing. And, yeppers, we find her horrifying indeedy.)
- Jamie Abrams & DJ Lubel (WOMEN OF LA) have sold a showbiz comedy, LAST NIGHT, to Fox. (This particular sale is a Big Deal cuz Jamie and DJ are newbies who got one Acme Ton O’Attention when their WOMEN OF LA video went bigtime viral. We can do it, kids. Really we can! Congrats, guys, you’re an inspiration.)