TVtracker.com’s TV Development Watch is the first in a series of updates featuring a selection of significant television projects in development at the six major broadcast networks. For more information, visit www.tvtracker.com or call 323-650-9009.
ABC
BANKS, MELISSA PROJECT
Touchstone script. Auspices: Banks, Melissa (EP/W); Hoberman, David (EP); Rodrigue, Nena (EP). Logline: Concept to be determined for a comedy series to be written by Melissa Banks.
BLACK BOOK: DIARY OF A TEENAGE STUD
Touchstone; Storyline; Greenblatt/Janollari pilot set up at Fox last season. Auspices: Meron, Neil (EP); Zadan, Craig (EP); Greenblatt, Robert (EP); Janollari, David (EP); Black, Jonah (author); Wolf, Laura (W). Logline: Based on a series of young adult books by Jonah Black about the misadventures of a teenage boy.
BUSHNELL, CANDACE PROJECT
Script. Auspices: Bushnell, Candace (W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined for a comedy series to be written by Candace Bushnell (“Sex and the City”).
GOVERNOR, THE
Unattached script plus penalty. Auspices: Bello, Maria (W pilot); McDermott, Dan (W pilot). Talent: Maria Bello. Logline: A single camera, half-hour comedy series about a regular working-class woman who becomes a state governor.
KOHAN, JENJI PROJECT
Touchstone script. Auspices: Kohan, Jenji (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about a divorce lawyer who must cope with a marriage breakup when it becomes personal.
LEGALLY BLONDE
Touchstone; Marc Platt Productions. Put pilot. Auspices: Platt, Marc (EP). Logline: A comedy series based on the feature film starring Reese Witherspoon about a dizzy blonde girl who follows the guy who just dumped her to Harvard Law School. To everyone’s surprise, she’s a great success.
LOPEZ, GEORGE PROJECT
Warner Bros.; Fortis Films; Mohawk Productions. pilot plus 13 episodes. Auspices: Helford, Bruce (EP/ W pilot); Bullock, Sandra (EP); Borden, Robert (EP); Oppenheimer, Deborah (EP). Talent: George Lopez. Logline: A comedy series based on the real-life experience of George Lopez, a Latino comedian from Los Angeles whose performances examine his family life as both a child and adult.
CBS
AMATO, ANGELA PROJECT
Unattached script. Auspices: Amato, Angela (W pilot). Logline: A comedy series based on Angela Amato’s experiences as a private investigator.
COHEN & PRATT PROJECT
Touchstone; Wass-Stein script. Auspices: Cohen, Dan and Pratt, F.J. (EP/W pilot); Wass, Nina (EP); Stein, Gene (EP). Logline: Concept to be determined for a comedy series to be written by Dan Cohen and F.J. Pratt.
DRAGANS OF NEW YORK, THE
CBS Productions script. Auspices: Laurie, Hugh (EP/W pilot). Logline: A half-hour, single-camera comedy series about a husband-and-wife detective team. FERESTEN, SPIKE PROJECT
Big Ticket script. Auspices: Feresten, Spike (EP/W pilot). Logline: A family comedy told from the father’s perspective.
FLETT-GIORDANO & RANBERG PROJECT
Paramount script. Auspices: Flett-Giordano, Anne; Ranberg, Chuck (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about a recently divorced man with kids who is starting his life over.
GREENBERG & FIRESTEIN PROJECT
Warner Bros. script. Anne Heche originally attached as talent. Auspices: Greenberg, Rob (EP/W pilot); Firestein, Les (EP/W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined for a comedy series to be written by Rob Greenberg (“Frasier”) and Les Firestein (“Drew Carey”).
GROWN MEN
Warner Bros. script formerly in development at NBC. Auspices: Greenberg, Rob (EP/W); Fryman, Pamela (D). Logline: A series about a 38-year-old father who moves in with his 20-year-old son following his divorce.
LLOYD, CHRIS & KEENAN, JOE PROJECT
Paramount pilot plus 13 episodes. Auspices: Lloyd, Chris (EP/W pilot); Keenan, Joe (EP/W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined for a 13 episode commitment for former “Frasier” show runners Joe Keenan and Chris Lloyd.
MCCALL & VARDALOS PROJECT a k a MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING PROJECT
Brad Grey Television; Columbia TriStar; Playtone Productions. Put pilot. Auspices: Grey, Brad (EP); Hanks, Tom (EP); McCall, Marsh (EP/W pilot); Vardalos, Nia (EP/W pilot). Talent: Nia Vardalos. Logline: A comedy series loosely based on Nia Vardalos’ film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” which chronicles her experiences as a Greek-American who marries a WASP.
MY THREE MOTHERS a k a 3 MOTHERS PROJECT
Columbia TriStar; Nuance Productions script plus penalty. Auspices: Reiser, Paul (EP); Thomas, Betsy (EP/W pilot); Leiblein, Doug (Co-EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about a young man with three powerful women in his life–his mother, stepmother and older sister.
SEDER, SAM PROJECT
CBS Prods. script. Auspices: Seder, Sam (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about a guy who is dumped by his fiance and winds up staying with his ex-fiance’s family.
WEBER, SUZANNE a k a ANITA LIBERTY PROJECT
CBS Productions script. Auspices: Weber, Suzanne (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series based on Suzanne Weber’s (a k a Anita Liberty) book “How to Heal the Hurt by Hating,” a guide for women who have gotten out of bad relationships to start over by finding the anger.
FOX
`80S PROJECT a k a EIGHTIES PROJECT
Carsey-Werner-Mandabach pilot plus 13 episodes. Auspices: Turner, Bonnie (EP); Turner, Terry (EP); Brazill, Mark (EP/W pilot); Wallem, Linda (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series from the team behind “That ’70s Show” that focuses on the ’80s.
ASTROF & SIKOWITZ PROJECT
Warner Bros. script. Auspices: Astrof, Jeff & Sikowitz, Mike (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series that centers on a group of recent male college graduates.
BLITT, RICKY PROJECT
Twentieth script. Auspices: Blitt, Ricky (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedic series with tonal similarities to “The Wonder Years” but with adults.
CARLSON, MATTHEW & STEWART, FRENCH PROJECT
Columbia TriStar. Put pilot. Auspices: Carlson, Matthew (EP/W pilot). Talent: French Stewart. Logline: A comedy series starring French Stewart as a driving school instructor who must take custody of his eccentric grandmother after she is repeatedly evicted from nursing homes.
HIGGINS, AL PROJECT
Twentieth; Regency. Put pilot. Auspices: Higgins, Al (EP/W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined for a comedy series to be written by Al Higgins.
HOLLIDAYS, THE
Studios USA. Put pilot. Auspices: Holliday, Cheryl (EP/W pilot). Logline: A hybrid single/multicamera comedy series based on Cheryl Holliday’s real-life experiences. Series centers on an unusual family with a brutally honest mother and a dad who has had his share of run-ins with the law in a small town in Wisconsin.
KEMP & MCNAMARA PROJECT
Paramount; The Littlefield Company script. Auspices: Kemp, Barry (EP/W pilot); McNamara, Michelle (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedic series set against the world of private investigators.
NEXT formerly ODENKIRK, BOB PROJECT
Twentieth pilot. Auspices: Odenkirk, Bob (EP/W pilot); Brillstein, Bernie (EP). Logline: A sketch comedy series in the vein of Odenkirk’s HBO series “Mr. Show.”
SACHS & JUDAH PROJECT
Studios USA script. Auspices: Sachs, Gabe and Judah, Jeff (EP/W pilot). Talent: John Francis Daley. Logline: A comedy series that follows the exploits of a rock band.
WILDING, MARK PROJECT
Regency script. Auspices: Wilding, Mark (EP/W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined for a comedy series to be written by Mark Wilding.
NBC
BAUMBACH, NOAH PROJECT
Columbia TriStar; Three Sisters Productions. Auspices: Baumbach, Noah (EP/W pilot); Burrows, James (EP); Tarses, Jamie (EP). Logline: Concept to be determined.
BETTY LA FEA a k a UGLY BETTY
NBC Studios; Columbia TriStar; Brad Grey Television script. Auspices: Junge, Alexa (EP/W pilot). Logline: An American version of the wildly popular Latin American soap opera about an intelligent but unconventionally attractive secretary who pines over her wealthy, successful and handsome boss.
BUSHNELL, CANDACE PROJECT
NBC Studios; Industry Entertainment script. Auspices: Bushnell, Candace (EP/W pilot); Alberghini, Chris & Chessler, Mike (
EP/W pilot). Logline: Comedy series set in a PR firm.
DEMPSEY, PATRICK PROJECT
Columbia TriStar; Jersey script. Auspices: Carnahan, Matthew (EP/W pilot); Landgraf, John (EP). Talent: Patrick Dempsey. Logline: A comedy series starring Patrick Dempsey as a chef.
FINKELMAN, KEN PROJECT
Twentieth; Imagine script. Auspices: Finkelman, Ken (EP/W pilot); Krantz, Tony (EP); Grazer, Brian (EP); Howard, Ron (EP). Logline: A comedy series based on Finkelman’s landmark limited-run Canadian series, “The Newsroom,” a dark, documentary-style satire of the news business. The central character is a no-holds-barred, un-PC hybrid of Lou Grant and Archie Bunker who juggles his demanding profession with his family life. FLEBOTTE, DAVE PROJECT
Touchstone script. Auspices: Flebotte, Dave (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about a 30-year-old man who leaves the priesthood and starts his life over.
FORBES, MAYA PROJECT
Columbia TriStar; Pariah script plus penalty. Auspices: Forbes, Maya (EP/W pilot); Polone, Gavin (EP). Talent: Alex Bornstein. Logline: A comedy series starring Alex Bornstein (“Mad TV” and “Gilmore Girls”) as a struggling writer who becomes a ghost writer for a supermodel with a magazine column.
GOLD, ELON PROJECT
Paramount; Grammnet script. Auspices: Gold, Elon (EP/W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined.
HUNT, HELEN & TAVEL, CONNIE PROJECT
Columbia TriStar; Tavel Entertainment script. Auspices: Hunt, Helen (EP); Tavel, Connie (EP). Logline: Concept to be determined.
LOPEZ, JENNIFER PROJECT
Handprint Entertainment; Nuyorican Productions script. Auspices: Lopez, Jennifer (EP); Medina, Benny (EP); Pollack, Jeff (EP); Guillod, David (EP). Talent: Jennifer Lopez. Logline: A half-hour series starring and produced by Jennifer Lopez based on her childhood growing up in a tightly knit Puerto Rican family in New York City’s Bronx borough.
MARCUS BROTHERS PROJECT
Twentieth; Imagine script. Auspices: Marcus, Kip & Marcus, Adam (W pilot); Grazer, Brian (EP); Krantz, Tony (EP); Howard, Ron (EP). Logline: A 21-year-old guy marries a 41-year-old woman who has two teenagers.
MR. AMBASSADOR
Touchstone; NBC Studios pilot plus 13 episodes. Auspices: Everett, Rupert (EP/W pilot); Platt, Marc (EP). Talent: Rupert Everett. Logline: A comedy series that features Rupert Everett as the British ambassador to the United States.
MUTCHNICK & KOHAN PROJECT
Warner Bros. pilot plus 13 episodes. Auspices: Kohan, David & Mutchnick, Max (EP/W pilot). Logline: Concept to be determined.
ROMEO FIRE
Warner Bros; NBC Studios pilot plus 13 episodes. Auspices: Malins, Greg (EP/ W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about small-town firemen and their lives in the firehouse.
SET FOR LIFE
Twentieth; Imagine script. Auspices: Day, Richard (EP/W pilot); Krantz, Tony (EP); Grazer, Brian (EP); Howard, Ron (EP). Logline: A family comedy series about two adult sons who compete for their parents’ approval and attention. STERNIN & VENTIGMILIA PROJECT
Studios USA script. Auspices: Sternin, Joshua & Ventimilia, Jeff (EP/W pilot). Logline: A coming-of-age story centering on a 22-year-old man.
STRAUSS, JEFF PROJECT
Twentieth; Acme script. Auspices: Strauss, Jeff (EP/W pilot); Hanel, Michael (EP); Schultheis, Mindy (EP). Logline: A modern family comedy that explores the struggles of everyday life.
TURNTABLES
Columbia TriStar; Three Sisters script. Auspices: Ungerleider, Ira (EP/W pilot); Burrows, James (EP); Tarses, Jamie (EP). Logline: A comedy series set in a record store.
UPN
BOYD, KEVIN PROJECT
Big Ticket script. Auspices: Boyd, Kevin (W pilot); Kerner, Jordan (EP); Lee, Rob (EP). Logline: A comedy series told from a young male point of view.
F.I.T. a k a FIT
Spelling script. Auspices: Voci, Joe (EP); Shepps, Sean (W pilot). Logline: A female buddy comedy set at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology.
HAMBURGER BROTHERS PROJECT
Unattached script. Auspices: Hamburger, Adam & Hamburger, David (EP/W pilot). Logline: A comedy series about female rookie cops.
INTERNS
Warner Bros. script. Auspices: Jonas, Tony (EP); Wilding, Mark (W pilot). Logline: An ensemble comedy centering on a group of young interns in Washington.
Comedy
KURTZ, ROB AND BRAND, ERIC PROJECT
Unattached script. Auspices: Kurtz, Rob and Brand, Eric (EP/W pilot). Logline: A male buddy comedy about paramedics.
RANDOM YEARS a k a LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

Paramount pilot pickup. 10/01: 6 scripts ordered. 7/20/01: Likely to receive a series order. Shooting 4/18/01. Location: Los Angeles. Original commitment script. Auspices: Lisbe, Michael & Reger, Nathan (EP/W); Ranberg, Chuck (EP) and Flett-Giordano, Anne (EP); Shallat Chemel, Lee (D pilot). Talent: Joshua Ackerman (Wiseman); Will Friedle. Logline: A comedy series about three very different male friends who are struggling to get along in New York City’s Chinatown.
WB
BYNES, AMANDA PROJECT
Warner Bros.; Tollin Robbins Productions. Put pilot. Auspices: Schneider, Dan (W); Calhoun, Will (W). Talent: Amanda Bynes. Logline: A comedy series told from the point of view of a teenage girl who moves in with her older and rather independent sister who until now has lived alone in the city. Series to star teen actress Amanda Bynes (Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” and “All That”).
DANIELS AND JUERGENS PROJECT Susanne Daniels Co. Put pilot. Auspices: Williams, Lona (EP/W); Daniels, Susanne (EP); Juergens, Kate (EP). Logline: Concept to be determined. Daniels and Juergens are the former president and head of development at the WB, respectively.
FOGELMAN, DAN PROJECT
Studios USA script. Auspices: Fogelman, Dan (W); Wallace, Barbara (SP); Wolfe, Thomas (SP). Logline: A comedy series set in a family arena.
KOREN, STEVE PROJECT
Studios USA script. Auspices: Koren, Steve (W). Logline: A adaptation of “Gilligan’s Island” for the WB. Koren wrote the screenplays for “A Night at the Roxbury” and “Superstar.”
LYNCH, FIVEASH & STOTEREAX PROJECT
Unattached script. Auspices: Fiveash, Chad (W); Stotereax, James (W); Lynch, Tommy (W). Logline: A comedy series set in a boarding school.
MURIETTA, PETER PROJECT
Studios USA script. Auspices: Murietta, Peter (W); Klein, Howard (EP). Logline: A comedy series about a Latino family.
MURPHY, RYAN PROJECT
Warner Bros.; Tollin Robbins Productions. Put pilot. Auspices: Murphy, Ryan (W); Tollin, Mike (EP); Robbins, Brian (EP). Talent: Delta Burke. Logline: A comedy series which features Delta Burke as the head mistress of a private prep school.
SABRINA SPINOFF
Viacom; Hartbreak. Put pilot. Auspices: Hart, Paula (EP). Logline: A comedy series project that’s being developed as a possible episode or special within “Sabrina” featuring a family of witches with a talking dog.
SORKIN & SLANSKY PROJECT
Warner Bros.; Tollin Robbins Productions script. Auspices: Sorkin, Arlene (W); Slansky, Paul (W). Logline: A comedy series told from the perspective of a intelligent, intuitive teenage girl whose parents are divorced.
STEWART, REGINA PORJECT
Warner Bros. script. Auspices: Stewart, Regina (EP/W). Logline: A comedy series told from the point of view of a young woman in college. Stewart is an executive producer from “Dharma & Greg” (ABC).
THOMPSON, CHRISTOPHER PROJECT
Columbia TriStar. Put pilot. Auspices: Thompson, Christopher (EP/W). Logline: A comedy series based on “Romeo & Juliet” set in a trailer park. Thompson is the creator of “Ladies Man” (CBS) and “Action” (Fox).