Fox Upfronts Fall Schedule

12 05 2014

FOX ANNOUNCES FALL 2014 SCHEDULE AND

NEW PORTFOLIO OF CONTENT

FIVE NEW DRAMAS, TWO NEW EVENT SERIES, FOUR NEW COMEDIES

AND ONE NEW UNSCRIPTED SERIES JOIN SCHEDULE

POWERFUL UNTOLD ORIGIN STORY “GOTHAM,”

YOUNG ENSEMBLE DRAMA “RED BAND SOCIETY,”

10-PART MYSTERY EVENT SERIES “GRACEPOINT,”

MULTI-CAM COMEDY “MULANEY” AND

BOLD SOCIAL EXPERIMENT “UTOPIA”

TO DEBUT IN FALL 2014

NEW SERIES SET TO DEBUT IN 2015 INCLUDE

MUSIC-INFUSED EPIC FAMILY DRAMA “EMPIRE,”

FANTASTICAL ADVENTURE “HIEROGLYPH” AND

OFFBEAT COMEDIC CRIME DRAMA “BACKSTROM”;

M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S MIND-BENDING 10-PART EVENT THRILLER “WAYWARD PINES”;

WILL FORTE’S COMEDY “THE LAST MAN ON EARTH,”

SINGLES ENSEMBLE COMEDY “WEIRD LONERS” AND

THE ANIMATED “BORDERTOWN”

Live Specials JUMP OF THE CENTURY (working title) to Make Grand Leap in Fall;

PITBULL’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION (working title) to Explode into the New Year; and

GREASE LIVE (working title) to Electrify in 2015

New York – Kevin Reilly, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), today unveiled the FOX portfolio of content for the 2014-2015 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at the Beacon Theatre.

“Our portfolio of content this year reflects the biggest investment in programming we’ve ever made,” said Reilly. “FOX is redefining the network experience on our air and as a 24/7/365 platform, with distinctive series, addictive event dramas and can’t-miss live specials that will deliver broadcast’s most youthful audience at scale.”

Joe Earley, Chief Operating Officer, FOX, added, “The new series and specials we’re presenting today feature buzzworthy worlds and characters that we think will be the most talked about, liked, tweeted and shared of the season.”

Origin story GOTHAM and touching, coming-of-age series RED BAND SOCIETY are the two new dramas set to debut this fall. GOTHAM traces the rise of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (“The Mentalist,” “Rome”) and starring Ben McKenzie (“Southland,” “The O.C.”), Jada

Pinkett Smith (“Hawthorne,” “Collateral”) and Donal Logue (“Vikings,” “Sons of Anarchy”), GOTHAM follows one cop, destined for greatness, as he navigates a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.

From Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and starring Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer (“The Help,” “Fruitvale Station”), Dave Annable (“Brothers & Sisters,” “666 Park Avenue”) and a charismatic cast of fresh faces, RED BAND SOCIETY is a provocative, inspiring and, at times, comedic young ensemble drama told through the eyes of a group of teenagers who meet as patients in the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital in Los Angeles.

Also this fall, 10-episode mystery event series GRACEPOINT, starring Welsh BAFTA winner David Tennant (“Dr. Who”), Emmy Award winner Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”), Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction”) and SAG Award winner Michael Peña (“American Hustle”), joins the schedule. The riveting mystery follows the tragic death of a young boy, and the major police investigation and nationwide media frenzy that subsequently overtake a picturesque seaside town, where anyone is a suspect.

The new comedy premiering this fall is MULANEY. MULANEY stars Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian John Mulaney (“Saturday Night Live”) as a rising stand-up comic trying to take his career to the next level, and the friends and mentors who lift him up, hold him back and push him around. The multi-camera sitcom boasts a cast of comedy all-stars, including Martin Short (“SCTV,” “Saturday Night Live”), Academy Award nominee Elliott Gould (“M*A*S*H,” the “Ocean’s 11” franchise), Nasim Pedrad (“Saturday Night Live”), Seaton Smith (“Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell”) and Zack Pearlman (“The Inbetweeners”).

One new unscripted series debuts in the fall: the groundbreaking social experiment UTOPIA, which asks, “Does a perfect world exist?” From unscripted mastermind John de Mol (“Deal Or No Deal,” “Fear Factor,” “The Voice,” “Big Brother”), and based on the Dutch hit of the same name, UTOPIA is a bold new series that moves 15 everyday Americans to an isolated, undeveloped location – for an entire year – and challenges them to create their own civilization. Will it be ultimate happiness or utter chaos?

In 2015, the portfolio of new content joining the schedule includes three distinctive dramas, EMPIRE, HIEROGLYPH and BACKSTROM; an evocative event series WAYWARD PINES; and three comedies, singles ensemble WEIRD LONERS, Will Forte’s THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and animated comedy BORDERTOWN.

From Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels (“Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Precious”) and Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (“Game Change,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”) comes EMPIRE, a sexy and powerful new drama about the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne. Set to an original soundtrack written and produced by hip-hop hitmaker Timbaland, the family drama stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (“Crash,” “Hustle & Flow”) and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (“Person of Interest,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).

The world of ancient Egypt – a time of magic, Pharaohs, gods and thieves – lives again in HIEROGLYPH, an adventure series from creator/executive producer Travis Beacham (“Pacific Rim,” “Clash of the Titans”). The epic fantasy follows a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharaoh, forcing him to navigate palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and divine sorcerers, as he races to stop the downfall of one of history’s greatest civilizations.

Created and executive-produced by Hart Hanson (BONES), offbeat comedic crime procedural BACKSTROM centers on Detective EVERETT BACKSTROM (three-time Emmy Award nominee Rainn Wilson, “The Office,” “Six Feet Under”), an unhealthy, offensive, irascible – albeit brilliant – detective who is brought back from exile to run the Portland Police Bureau’s Special Crimes Unit (S.C.U.).

Based on a best-selling novel and brought to life by suspenseful storyteller M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense”), WAYWARD PINES is an intense, mind-bending 10-episode thriller starring Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) as a Secret Service agent on a mission to find two missing federal agents in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID. Every step closer to the truth makes him question if he will ever get out of Wayward Pines alive. The all-star cast also includes Academy and Emmy Award winner Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”), Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (“Crash,” “Hustle & Flow”), Carla Gugino (“Entourage”), Shannyn Sossamon (“How to Make It in America”), Toby Jones (the “Harry Potter” franchise) and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Juliette Lewis (“Cape Fear”).

WEIRD LONERS, from writer Michael J. Weithorn (“The King of Queens”) and director Jake Kasdan (NEW GIRL), is a new single-camera comedy about four single 30-something underdogs who are unexpectedly thrust into one another’s lives and form an unlikely bond in a Queens, NY, townhouse. The series stars Becki Newton (“Ugly Betty”), Zachary Knighton (“Happy Endings”), Nate Torrence (“Hello Ladies”) and newcomer Meera Khumbhani.

Created by and starring Will Forte (“Nebraska,” “Saturday Night Live”) and directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord (“The Lego Movie,” “21 Jump Street”), THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is a new single-camera comedy about the life and adventures of the last man on earth. PHIL MILLER (Forte) was once just an average guy who loved his family and hated his job at the bank – now he’s humanity’s last hope. Will he ever find another person alive on the planet? Would hoping that she is a female be asking too much?

A new animated comedy from FAMILY GUY’s Mark Hentemann and Seth MacFarlane, BORDERTOWN is a satirical look at the cultural shifts taking place in America. Exploring family, politics and everything in between with a cross-cultural wink, the series centers on two very different families living in a fictional Southwest desert town on the U.S. – Mexico border.

Also announced for the 2014-2015 season are brand-new LIVE specials JUMP OF THE CENTURY (working title), PITBULL’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION (working title) and GREASE LIVE (working title). This fall, on the 40th anniversary of Evel Knievel’s high-stakes attempt to jump across Idaho’s Snake River Canyon, two very different personalities – professional stuntman Eddie Braun and daredevil Big Ed Beckley – hope to achieve what Knievel could not by crossing the gaping 2,300-foot-deep canyon LIVE on JUMP OF THE CENTURY (wt). On PITBULL’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION (working title), global superstar Pitbull will be joined by some of his favorite A-list musicians and celebrity friends to ring in the New Year LIVE from the sandy beaches of America’s hottest city – Miami! Get ready to do the hand jive as FOX enrolls at Rydell High with GREASE LIVE (working title), a LIVE three-hour production of the massively popular crossover musical “Grease.” Featuring a young ensemble cast, GREASE LIVE (wt) will reintroduce the great music and timeless story to an entirely new generation.

Additional FOX series include: AMERICAN IDOL, ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF, BOB’S BURGERS, BOOM!, BONES, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, FAMILY GUY, THE FOLLOWING, GLEE, HELL’S KITCHEN, HOTEL HELL, MASTERCHEF, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, THE MINDY PROJECT, NEW GIRL, THE SIMPSONS, SLEEPY HOLLOW and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. TEEN CHOICE 2014 will also return to the FOX schedule.

Additional new and returning series and schedule information to be announced.

Following are the FOX fall 2014 primetime schedule, as well as social media information for and synopses of the new series:

FOX FALL 2014 SCHEDULE

(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM GOTHAM (new)

9:00-10:00 PM SLEEPY HOLLOW

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM UTOPIA (new)

9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL

9:30-10:00 PM THE MINDY PROJECT

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM HELL’S KITCHEN

9:00-10:00 PM RED BAND SOCIETY (new)

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM BONES

9:00-10:00 PM GRACEPOINT (new)

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM MASTERCHEF JUNIOR

9:00-10:00 PM UTOPIA (new)

SATURDAY

7:00-10:30 PM FOX SPORTS SATURDAY: FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL

SUNDAY

7:00-7:30 PM NFL ON FOX

7:30-8:00 PM THE OT / BOB’S BURGERS

8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS

8:30-9:00 PM BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY

9:30-10:00 PM MULANEY (new)

BACKSTROM (new), BORDERTOWN (new), EMPIRE (new), HIEROGLYPH (new), THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (new), WAYWARD PINES (new) and WEIRD LONERS (new) join the schedule in 2015, as do returning series AMERICAN IDOL XIV, THE FOLLOWING and GLEE, among others.

 

(Press release)





Fox MidSeason Series for 2013-2014

13 05 2013

The new dramas slated for midseason are:

GANG RELATED

Only people who really know the streets can win the battle on the streets. In the gritty new action-drama GANG RELATED, Detective RYAN LOPEZ (Ramon Rodriguez, “Battle Los Angeles,” “The Wire”) is a rising star in Los Angeles’ elite Gang Task Force. What the world doesn’t know is that long before Ryan was a cop, he pledged allegiance to a different band of brothers – a powerful Latino gang called Los Angelicos. When Ryan’s best friend and partner is senselessly killed by a notorious gang member, Ryan teams up with longtime Task Force member CASSIUS GREEN (RZA, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Californication”), who has been at the forefront of the city’s war on organized crime. In this war between law enforcement and gangs, the series explores how every villain has a noble cause, and every hero has a dark side. Despite his profession, Ryan is still beholden to the gang’s leader, JAVIER ACOSTA (Cliff Curtis, “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Training Day”), the father figure Ryan has tried to make proud his entire life and the man who masterminded his entry into the police force. It’s a secret that has been held for a decade by Ryan, Javier and Javier’s sons: cold-blooded gang lieutenant CARLOS (guest star Rey Gallegos, “Sons of Anarchy,” “24”); and Ryan’s childhood best friend, straight-laced investment banker DANIEL (Jay Hernandez, “Last Resort,” “Hostel”). But Ryan is even more dedicated to being a cop. He is respected by his team, including TAE KIM (Sung Kang, “Fast Five,” “Live Free or Die Hard”), VANESSA “VEE” HAREL (Inbar Lavi, “Underemployed,” “Street Kings 2: Motor City”) and Task Force leader SAM CHAPEL (Terry O’Quinn, “Lost”), Ryan’s other surrogate father figure, whose estranged daughter, JESSICA SHAW (Shantel VanSanten, “One Tree Hill,” “The Final Destination”), is the city’s Assistant District Attorney. Ryan’s education comes from the streets. And that schooling will work to his advantage, as he,

Cassius and the rest of the task force take aim at the city’s most dangerous gangs, while his increasing sense of loyalty to his task force family helps him determine which side of the law he is really on. GANG RELATED is from Chris Morgan Productions, Skeeter Rosenbaum Productions, Imagine Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television. The series is created and written by Chris Morgan (“Wanted,” “Fast Five”). The series is executive-produced by Morgan, Scott Rosenbaum (“The Shield,” “Chuck”), Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer (“24,” “A Beautiful Mind”) and Francie Calfo (“The Great Escape,” “The Playboy Club”). Allen Hughes (“Dead Presidents,” “Book of Eli,” “Menace II Society”) directed and served as an executive producer on the pilot.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Entertainment, Chris Morgan Productions, Skeeter Rosenbaum Productions

CREATOR/WRITER: Chris Morgan

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Chris Morgan, Scott Rosenbaum, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Allen Hughes (pilot)

DIRECTOR: Allen Hughes

CAST: Ramon Rodriguez as Ryan Lopez, RZA as Cassius Green, Sung Kang as Tae Kim, Inbar Lavi as Vee, Terry O’Quinn as Sam Chapel, Shantel VanSanten as Jessica Shawl, Cliff Curtis as Javier Acosta, Jay Hernandez as Daniel Acosta

RAKE

RAKE, a character-driven drama based on the Australian nominee for Best Television Drama series of the same name, follows the comedic and chaotic life of criminal defense lawyer KEEGAN DEANE (Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Greg Kinnear, “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Kennedys”). On a single day, Keegan Deane is described as many things. His ex-wife-calls him “unreliable”; his son calls him a “pal”; most judges think he’s “an outrage”; the IRS calls him a “defendant”; and to his former dealer, he’s simply a “tragic loss.” Brilliant, frustratingly charming and with zero filter, Keegan is one of life’s great addicts. His staggering lack of discretion and inability to self-censor land him the cases that nobody else will touch, but behind that lies a resolute optimism and belief in justice that fuel his dogged determination to defend those who seem beyond redemption. He always tries to do the right thing, but at the same time struggles to save himself from the many self-destructive elements that plague his own life, such as his overindulgence of various excesses, including women and gambling. Keegan gets a majority of his cases from BEN (John Ortiz, “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Luck”), his best friend since law school. Ben is married to SCARLET (Necar Zadegan, “Emily Owens, M.D.,” “The Event”), another of Keegan’s old friends and, as Assistant District Attorney for the city of Los Angeles, quite often his opponent in court. In addition to Keegan’s cases within the justice system, the series follows his personal trials and tribulations, including his mounting debt to his bookie and his overlapping liaisons with various women, including MELISSA “MIKKI” PARTRIDGE (Bojana Novakovic, “Edge of Darkness,” “Drag Me To Hell”), Keegan’s favorite prostitute and de-facto love interest. Also among his predicaments is his ongoing battle with the IRS. But always there to help Keegan clean up his mess is LEANNE ZANDER (Tara Summers, “Ringer,” “Damages”), his extremely put-upon, no-nonsense assistant. Meanwhile, Keegan’s ex-wife, MADDY (Miranda Otto, “The Starter Wife,” “War of the Worlds”), a psychologist by profession, begrudgingly acts as his therapist. She also is the mother of their hormonal son, FINN (Ian Colletti, “Phoebe In Wonderland”), who displays many of the same proclivities as his father. Each morning, Keegan tends to wake up bruised – physically, emotionally, spiritually. Usually it’s a combination of them all. Then it’s out into the world – onto the battleground of Keegan’s day. RAKE is produced by Fedora Entertainment and Essential Media & Entertainment Pty Ltd., in association with Sony Pictures Television. The series is created and written by Peter Duncan (creator of the original Australian series). The series is executive-produced by Duncan, Peter Tolan (“Rescue Me,” “Analyze This”), Michael Wimer (“2012”), Richard Roxburgh (“Rake,” “Mission: Impossible II,” “Moulin Rouge”) and Ian Collie (“Rake”). Kinnear and Leslie Tolan (“Rescue Me,” “The Job”) are co-executive producers. Sam Raimi (“Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Spider-Man” franchise) directed and served as an executive producer on the pilot.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Sony Pictures Television, Fedora Entertainment, Essential Media & Entertainment Pty Ltd.

CREATOR/WRITER: Peter Duncan

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Peter Duncan, Peter Tolan, Michael Wimer, Richard Roxburgh, Ian Collie, Sam Raimi (pilot)

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Greg Kinnear, Leslie Tolan

DIRECTOR: Sam Raimi

CAST: Greg Kinnear as Keegan Deane, Miranda Otto as Maddy Deane, John Ortiz as Ben, Necar Zadegan as Scarlet, Bojana Novakovic as Melissa “Mikki” Partridge, Tara Summers as Leanne Zander, Ian Colletti as Finn Deane

The new comedies set for midseason are:

MURDER POLICE

MURDER POLICE is a new animated comedy series that expands the boundaries of the cop show genre as only animation can. From David A. Goodman (FAMILY GUY) and rising writer/animator/performer Jason Ruiz, the series follows a dedicated, but inept detective and his colleagues – some perverted, some corrupt, some just plain lazy – in a twisted city precinct. At the center of this maelstrom is MANUEL SANCHEZ (Ruiz), a neurotic and nerdy cop who aspires to be a good policeman, but his efforts to solve crimes are constantly put in jeopardy by his own clumsiness and the incompetence of his fellow detectives. Making matters worse, his egotistical, bribe-accepting partner, TOMMY MARGARETTI (Will Sasso, “The Three Stooges,” “MADtv”), a tough, rule-breaking “bad cop,” can’t interrogate a suspect without beating him up. The other detectives in the precinct include RANDALL HICKOX (Chi McBride, “Golden Boy”), a cop with little interest in police work. He’s lost a lot of partners, hates his job and often hands off his resume to crime scene witnesses. Randall’s newest partner, JUSTICE (Jane Lynch, GLEE), is a self-righteous working mother whose child is lodged in a baby bjorn that is permanently secured around her chest. Undercover cop DONEL (Phil LaMarr, FAMILY GUY, “Futurama”) is in so deep that he often does things of questionable legality. They all are supervised by the perpetually annoyed Captain JOHN RUSHOUR (Peter Atencio, “Key and Peele”), a brusque, overweight old-school cop who expects failure and can’t be bothered to even get out of his Rascal scooter. Manuel’s ex-wife, ROSA (Justina Machado, “Private Practice,” “Six Feet Under”), is a defense lawyer who remains irritated that Manuel always put his job first. But they remain bonded in the upbringing of their son, MARIO (Ruiz), a troubled teen who is less impressed with his father than he is by the criminals he catches. These cops often find themselves mildly interested in the most recent crime victim, but completely obsessed with who “destroyed” the bathroom. Nevertheless, where there’s a mystery, Manuel somehow finds a way to solve it. MURDER POLICE is produced by Bento Box Animation (BOB’S BURGERS) and 20th Century Fox Television. The series is co-created by David A. Goodman (FAMILY GUY) and Jason Ruiz – one of the writers/animators discovered through the Fox Inkubation program. Goodman serves as executive producer and showrunner, and Ruiz is co-executive producer.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Bento Box Animation

CO-CREATORS: David A. Goodman, Jason Ruiz

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/SHOWRUNNER: David A. Goodman

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jason Ruiz

VOICE CAST: Jason Ruiz as Manuel and Mario Sanchez, Will Sasso as Tommy Margaretti, Chi McBride as Randall Hickox, Jane Lynch as Justice, Phil LaMarr as Donel, Peter Atencio as John Rushour, Justina Machado as Rosa Sanchez

SURVIVING JACK

Father knows best…well, sort of. SURVIVING JACK is a new single-camera comedy based on best-selling author Justin Halpern’s autobiographical book, “I Suck at Girls.” Set in 1990s Southern California, the ensemble series is about a man becoming a dad, as his son is becoming a man, in a time before “coming of age” was something you could Google.JACK DUNLEVY (Emmy Award nominee Christopher Meloni, “True Blood,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), ex-military and an oncologist, is a no-bull kind of guy. He sees little, if any, need to sugar-coat the truth. Up to this point, Jack’s been the parent who’s left for work early, come home late, eaten the big piece of chicken, yelled at his kids and gone to bed. But after years of deftly raising and running the family, his wife, JOANNE, is going back to law school, leaving Jack as a full-time parent for the very first time. Jack’s teenage son, FRANKIE (Connor Buckley, “Deception”), is just starting his freshman year in high school. Lanky, quick-witted, self-deprecating and not entirely sure of himself, all Frankie wants to do is fly under the radar. But over the summer, he grew 10 inches, threw a no-hitter against a rival team and started to attract girls – all of which put him in some awkward situations – especially when the only base he’s ever been to is on the field. Fortunately, no matter how embarrassing the situations Frankie gets himself into are, Jack is there to pick up the pieces and lead his son to manhood…with the least gentle hand possible. Although Jack may be unorthodox, unfiltered and sometimes even unkind in his approach, his intentions are always good. For better or for worse, he’s Frankie’s only resource now. Even more confusing to Jack than Frankie’s growing pains are those of his daughter, RACHEL (Claudia Lee, “Hart of Dixie”), a gorgeous and super-smart 17-year-old high school junior. Up until now, Rachel’s done everything right. No longer under the watchful eye of her mother, she’s now a handful. Jack considers the mind of the teenage girl beyond his (or anyone’s) comprehension – a fact which Rachel will take full advantage of. In addition to disciplining his own children, Jack must keep a watchful eye on Frankie’s best friends: GEORGE (Kevin Hernandez, “Get the Gringo,” “The Sitter”), an overly confident Mexican-American with a big vocabulary; and MIKEY (newcomer Tyler Foden), a tough kid from a broken home. Only time will tell if Jack’s blunt and unpredictable parenting style will keep his kids out of trouble, or if Joanne will have to put down the law books and somehow step in to keep the family order. Until then, Jack’s the dad the Dunlevy kids always wished they had – most of the time. For someone who is used to taking care of people with cancer, Jack’s got this…right? SURVIVING JACK is produced by Doozer in association with Warner Bros. Television. Based on best-selling author Justin Halpern’s book, “I Suck at Girls,” the series is written by Halpern (“$#*! My Dad Says”) and Patrick Schumacker (“$#*! My Dad Says”). The series is executive-produced by Emmy Award nominee Bill Lawrence (“Spin City,” “Scrubs,” “Clone High,” “Cougar Town”), Halpern, Schumacker and Jeff Ingold. Victor Nelli (“Scrubs,” “The Bernie Mac Show”) directed the pilot.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Warner Bros. Television, Doozer

CREATORS/WRITERS: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bill Lawrence, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Jeff Ingold

DIRECTOR: Victor Nelli

CAST: Christopher Meloni as Jack Dunlevy, Connor Buckley as Frankie Dunlevy, Claudia Lee as Rachel Dunlevy, Kevin Hernandez as George, Tyler Foden as Mikey

US & THEM

When two people finally come together, they never come together alone. US & THEM is an outrageous but authentic ensemble single-camera comedy about a pair of young lovers, whose path to happily-ever-after is complicated by the screwed-up circus of people closest to them. New York pharmaceutical copywriter GAVIN (Emmy Award nominee Jason Ritter, “Parenthood,” “The Event”) is a neurotic Woody Allen-ish personality with indie-rock looks, who has never been in love. On the other hand, pretty Pennsylvania-based printing press employee STACEY (Alexis Bledel, “Mad Men,” “Gilmore Girls”) has a subtle wit and has been engaged before. For the past six months, they have been flirting online and finally agree to meet…with their best friends in tow for double-date safety. Gavin and Stacey’s wingmen are, respectively, CHRIS “ARCHIE” ARCHULETTA (Dustin Ybarra, “We Bought a Zoo”) and NESSA (Ashlie Atkinson, “Inside Man,” “Rescue Me”). Archie is often wrong but never in doubt and the loudest, most outrageous character in any room. Nessa is brutally blunt – actually, just brutal, in general – with a rock-a-billy look, complete with messy tattoos (many of which she doesn’t remember getting). Gavin lives in an apartment below his parents, PAM (Emmy Award nominee Jane Kaczmarek, “Whitney,” “Raising the Bar,” “Malcolm in the Middle”) and MICHAEL (Kurt Fuller, “Psych,” “Midnight in Paris”). With zero filter and little volume control, Pam is fearful she is aging and that the good times may be behind her. Michael thinks of himself as the family’s voice of reason. He is wrong. Dillsburg, PA, is a tiny dot of grit in the green countryside. Stacey lives there with her widowed mom, GWEN (Kerri Kenney, “Reno 911!”). BRIAN (guest star Michael Ian Black, “Ed”), Stacey’s uncle, and her late father’s brother, has taken on the role of family protector. He is a simple man who is amazed by the little things in life…like white Toblerones. Stacey’s long-distance romance unnerves both Gwen and Brian, who fear she might fall in love and move away to the big city. When all of these characters collide to create a salty but sweet romantic comedy, we wonder not if the two leads will get together, but how they ever will stay together. After all, it’s complicated enough trying to make a relationship work. But the biggest complications of all are the friends and family who are part of the package deal. US & THEM is produced by Sony Pictures Television and BBC Worldwide Productions. It is based on the hugely popular and multiple-award-winning BBC series “Gavin and Stacey,” which was created and written by James Corden and Ruth Jones. US & THEM is adapted and written by David J. Rosen (“I Just Want My Pants Back”), and executive-produced by Rosen, Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner, Corden and Jones. Steve Coogan and Henry Normal serve as executive producers for Baby Cow Productions. Michael Patrick Jann (“Drop Dead Gorgeous”) directed the pilot.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Sony Pictures Television, BBC Worldwide Productions

WRITER: David Rosen

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Rosen, Jane Tranter, Julie Gardner, James Corden, Ruth Jones, Steve Coogan, Henry Normal

DIRECTOR: Michael Patrick Jann

CAST: Jason Ritter as Gavin, Alexis Bledel as Stacey, Dustin Ybarra as Archie, Ashlie Atkinson as Nessa, Jane Kaczmarek as Pam, Kurt Fuller as Michael, Kerri Kenney as Gwen

The new event series slated for 2014 is:

WAYWARD PINES

Imagine the perfect American town… beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets. Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you’re going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines. Based on the best-selling novel “Pines” by Blake Crouch and brought to life by suspenseful storyteller M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense,” “Signs”), WAYWARD PINES is the intense new mind-bending event thriller evocative of the classic cult hit “Twin Peaks.” Secret Service Agent ETHAN BURKE (Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon, “Crash,” “City of Ghosts”) drives to the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID, to find two missing federal agents. Ethan was the logical choice for the mission. He’s one of the best Secret Service agents in the Seattle office. He’s also the man who knew missing agent KATE HEWSON better than anyone. They were partners. They were more than that. Their relationship nearly destroyed Ethan’s marriage. Kate transferred to Boise and Ethan thought he’d never see her again. Now, Kate and her new Secret Service partner, BILL EVANS, are nowhere to be found. But just as Ethan spots the sign that says “Welcome to Wayward Pines, Where Paradise is Home!,” a truck slams into his car. When Ethan wakes up in the Wayward Pines Hospital, he remembers his name, his address in Seattle and the accident on the outskirts of town. He knows he’s a Secret Service Agent who came to Wayward Pines to investigate the disappearance of two agents. What he can’t figure out is what’s wrong with this eerily perfect little town. None of the phones work. He can’t get through to his wife back home or his boss at the Secret Service. His wallet, ID, money, phone…everything is gone. And no one will help him. Back home in Seattle, Ethan’s wife, THERESA, gets a call from Ethan’s boss at the Secret Service, ADAM HASSLER. Ethan is missing. No other information is available until early testing shows that Ethan was never in his car that was recovered on the side of the road outside of Wayward Pines. They’re still investigating. This isn’t enough for Theresa. Along with their teenage son, BEN, Theresa sets out on her own search for Ethan. The mystery only deepens as Ethan employs his intelligence and tireless determination to solve the mystery of this unsettling town. Challenged at every turn by the town’s die-hard residents, Ethan’s investigation only turns up more questions, the most important of which is: What’s wrong with Wayward Pines? WAYWARD PINES is a production of FX Productions. The series is created and written by Chad Hodge (“The Playboy Club,” “Runaway”) and executive-produced by Shyamalan, Hodge, Donald De Line (“Green Lantern,” “The Italian Job”) and Ashwin Rajan (“After Earth”).

PRODUCTION COMPANY: FX Productions

CREATOR/WRITER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Chad Hodge

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Donald DeLine, Ashwin Rajan





Two New Fox Shows In Development

30 01 2013

(Press Release) FOX UNVEILS FIRST TWO MAJOR EVENT SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT

>M. Night Shyamalan’s WAYWARD PINES and Bruce C. McKenna’s BLOOD BROTHERS

Kick Off FOX’s Marquee Event Series Development Slate

Marking its official entry into developing long-form event series, Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) announced that it has inked development deals for two large-scale drama projects: WAYWARD PINES, from M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable”) and FX Productions; and BLOOD BROTHERS, from Bruce C. McKenna (“Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific”), Gary Randall (“The Glades,” “Saving Grace”), Timothy Scott Bogart (“Majors & Minors,” “Touched”), Boardwalk Entertainment Group and Fox Television Studios.

FOX will order its first event series pilot(s) later this year with plans to debut its first long-form event series in 2014.

“With top-notch auspices and feature-quality production plans, WAYWARD PINES and BLOOD BROTHERS represent exactly the kind of high-impact, 10- to 12-part events we set out to develop when we entered the limited series business,” said Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “These two series are the first of many big ideas, big names and big talent that you can anticipate will be on our air in the next 12-24 months.”

Based on the best-selling novel, “Pines,” by Blake Crouch and brought to life by suspense-driven filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, WAYWARD PINES is an intense, mind-bending thriller evocative of the classic cult hit “Twin Peaks.” Secret Service agent ETHAN BURKE arrives in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID, on a mission to find two missing federal agents. But instead of answers, Ethan’s investigation only turns up more questions. What’s wrong with Wayward Pines? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the life he knew, from the husband and father he was, until he must face the terrifying reality that he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive. WAYWARD PINES is based on a spec script written by Chad Hodge (“The Playboy Club”) and executive-produced by Shyamalan, Hodge, Donald De Line (“Green Lantern,” “The Italian Job”) and Ashwin Rajan (“After Earth”).

BLOOD BROTHERS is the true story of the West Point Class of 1861. As our bitterly divided country tore itself apart over the issue of slavery, the West Point Brotherhood broke apart. Best friends, bonded in the intense crucible of the Academy, found themselves on opposite sides of a conflict that quickly became the bloodiest in U.S. history. For four violent years, these former comrades fought directly against each other, even as many of them rose from lowly second lieutenants to field generals. Throughout the conflict, however, they never lost their love and esteem for each other, which often resulted in many acts of kindness that stretched across enemy lines. Some died; others were broken by the conflict. But every one of the Brothers was utterly changed by a war that not only redefined America, but which still resonates today. BLOOD BROTHERS is written by McKenna, and executive-produced by McKenna, Randall and Bogart.