Tag: Bill Lawrence

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/2/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Mitchell Burgess & Robin Green (THE SOPRANOS) are writing the pilot for NBC’s PARK ROAD, a U.S. version of a Danish black comedy about, well, let’s just say it has a few SOPRANOS elements of the kind we all love.  (Here’s hoping that this retains more of the comedy of the early seasons of THE SOPRANOS cuz, you know, fun.)
  • Adam Armus & Kay Foster (THE FOLLOWING) have written the pilot for ODYSSEY, a global conspiracy thriller for NBC. (And thank God for that “global” part. We mean, who cares about a conspiracy on say, your block? Those things just never work.)
  • Jeff Astrof (GROUNDED FOR LIFE) & Bill Lawrence (COUGAR TOWN) have sold MIDDLESENCE, a family comedy, to CBS. (This deal came about because of an already existing relationship between Bill and CBS. Jeff Astrof was brought in later…which is how it works in this biz, kids. So odn’t just sit there, make friends!)
  • Jill Gordon (THE SECRET LIVES OF WIVES) is writing an untitled Bravo dramedy about a family that takes justice into its own hands when its matriarch is murdered. (Yeppers, there’s nothing like a good vigilante show to make folks snicker. You suppose Bravo’s research backs that up?)
  • Hart Hanson (BONES) is writing THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE, based on a bestselling series of books by Chris Ewan about a thief who blogs about his adventures around the world. (Does the idea of bestselling books about a blogger sound sort of out-of-time to you? We’re having trouble wrapping our heads around it…unless these are ebooks. Hmm…)
  • Bruno Heller (THE MENTALIST) is adapting/creating/writing/whatever Fox’s GOTHAM, a drama about Gotham City’s Police Commissioner in the days before Batman. (Yup, we’re talking about a series about a young James Gordon here. And we mean series – it’s been given a series greenlight without a pilot or a script, just because…comics. Wonder what Fred Wertham would have to say about that.)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 11/9/12

“Of course I write for the love of it. If I wanted money I’d be a #$%! plumbing contractor!” (Anonymous Award-Winning TV Writer Person)

  • Kat Coiro (LIFE HAPPENS) is writing the pilot for an NBC sitcom based on Sally Koslow’s  Slouching Toward Adulthood, about a “messy blended family…where adult children are still living at home. (Note: If you have children of any age you probably see this as a horror show. Nothing to laugh at here, folks. Move on, move on.)
  • Shane Brennan (NCIS, NCIS: L.A.) is writing the pilot for another CBS NCIS spinoff, this one about a team of agents that goes across the country to solve what we assume are otherwise the usual NCIS style crimes. (Note: Yes, LB is still kicking himself for having turned down the chance to be a producer on JAG, the source of all this NCIS fun. Nothing to cry about here, LB. Move on, move on.)
  • Bill Lawrence (COUGAR TOWN) has sold the pilot for cop comedy FEEL THE FORCE to ABC. (Note: Bill already has 3 pilots placed at various networks, so if you want to bitterly blame someone for snatching up your piece of the pilot pie…hey, he’s the guy. If you don’t want to blame him, well, move on, move on.)
  • Janine Sherman Barrois (CRIMINAL MINDS) is writing the pilot for DARKNESS FALLS, an FBI procedural about “the darkest, most twisted single murders” over at CBS. (Note: Janine’s writing the pilot over at CBS. The murders are elsewhere…some would say, unfortunately. We, however, can only say “Move on, move on…” ’cause we’re tired of this game and wish we hadn’t started it. Damn.)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/14/12

Money, money everywhere, but not a ¢ for us.
  • Ron Weiner (30 ROCK) is writing an untitled workplace comedy about “a contentious work marriage” and adapting the UK comedy WHITES as well, both as projects for NBC (because sometimes even NBC knows a good writer when they see one).
  • Tommy Dewey & Greg Bratman (SONS OF TUCSON for Fox) are writing the pilot for a sitcom based on the life of some singer or actor or something name’a John Legend, also for Fox (because it’s, like, a legendary life, we suppose).
  • and a whole bunch more producers are prepping ELECTROPOLIS, a drama series about undercover cops lurking amid the hipsters who frequent late-night L.A. clubs for the CW. No word on who’s writing this one (probably because nobody who’s heard about the project can stay awake long enough to wait for the writer’s name.)
  • Howard Franklyn (THE NAME OF THE ROSE, SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME) & Dick Wolf (LAW & ORDER FILL IN THE BLANK, CHICAGO FIRE) are writing THE CHURCH a pilot about a religious cult, for NBC (‘cuz they’re very religious guys, we’re sure…or big cultists maybe? Both? Hmm…)
  • Bill Lawrence (SCRUBS, COUGAR TOWN) is writing a romantic comedy, UNDATEABLE for NBC (and while we love this guy’s work and are sure it’ll be awesome, we kinda wish he’d come up with a title we could spell).

Writing Deals and More Than Just Writing Deals – Whoa!

More writers to get to know…or be very, very nice to if you already know ’em:

  • Bill Lawrence, co-creator of COUGAR TOWN is adapting the book by Justin Halpern (of $#*! MY DAD SAYS fame), I Suck at Girls as a sitcom for Fox.
  • Jason Micallef, the relatively “unknown” writer of the feature film BUTTER, starring Hugh Jackman and Olivia Wilde, is writing the pilot of BASTARDS, another sitcom for Fox.
  • The far from unknown J.J.Abrams has extended his deal with Warner Brothers Television through 2015.
  • SONS OF ANARCHY creator Kurt Sutter has a deal at FX to write DIVA. CLOWN. KILLER,” a comedy to star his wife, Katey Sagal.
  • James Wong, an old TV hand from 21 JUMP STREET, THE X-FILES, and more, is set to write and produce OCCULT, a cop show that sounds a lot like X-FILES (but with Michael Bay producing so you know it won’t feel like X-FILES at all).
  • NUMB3RS co-creators Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci are writing and producing a pilot based on Elmore Leonard’s short story When the WOmen Come Out to Dance for USA.
  • Shaun Cassidy of INVASION and BLUE BLOODS is writing an unnamed spy pilot for Fox and will produce the show alongside HOMELAND’s Howard Gordon.