A Few Good Men Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Sony Pictures Television Executive Producers: Craig Zadan, Neil Meron Writer: Aaron Sorkin Logline: The story revolves around the court-martial case against two Marines accused of killing another serviceman. Details: Based on the the play "A Few Good Men," written by Aaron Sorkin and premiering on Broadway in 1989. SSN Insight: Zadan and Meron are behind NBC's live stagings of both The Sound of Music and the upcoming Peter Pan. The Sound of Music’s ratings soared with over 20 million tuning in or watching via DVR. Peter Pan is set to air on NBC on December 4th.
ABC/ Untitled Ali Wentworth Comedy Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: Doozer Productions Executive Producers: Alexandra Wentworth, Bill Lawrence, Jeff Ingold Writers: Alexandra Wentworth, Jackie Clarke Logline: The story centers on Ali, her husband and their two kids and examines how their home life descends into chaos. She shoots a video blog out of their apartment, and his crazy hours as a morning newsman make it so their lives never sync up. Details: Loosely inspired by Ali Wentworth's life with an initial script commitment.
ABC/ Untitled Gregg Mettler Aaron Kaplan Comedy Project Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: Kapital Entertainment Executive Producers: Gregg Mettler, Aaron Kaplan Writer: Gregg Mettler Logline: Based on Gregg Mettler’s childhood and how he survived life with his unconventional parents and a locally famous puppeteer and an aspiring blues musician. SSN Insight: Labeled as “Malcolm In the Middle meets The Middle,” the project is an autobiographical family comedy centered on Mettler’s unconventional childhood.
ABC/ Untitled Mark Gordon Clifton Campbell Drama Series Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Company: Mark Gordon Company Executive Producers: Clifton Campbell, Mark R. Gordon, Nicholas Pepper, Ilene Staple Writer: Clifton Campbell Logline: The series is set at the Ludlow family business: a high-powered law firm in Chicago. The story is told through the black sheep of the family, 31-year-old Fina Ludlow, the brash, intelligent, hot-mess daughter of Carl and Elaine Ludlow, who left Harvard Law School and found her "voice" as the firm's brash and controversial legal investigator. Details: Based on the "Fina Ludlow" novel series, written by Ingrid Thoft and first published by Putnam Adult on June 18, 2013. SSN Insight: This drama is the seventh sale of the season for Gordon. The company also has comedies Unfunctional and Plus One at ABC along with the legal drama Pariahs, detective drama Las Reinas and an untitled Quantico project.
American Gothic Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Company: Amblin Television Executive Producer: Corinne Brinkerhoff Writer: Corinne Brinkerhoff Logline: Set among the world of the Boston elites, the show follows a prominent family grappling with the revelation that their recently deceased patriarch might have been a serial killer. The discovery sets off struggles within the clan, including the fear that one of their own might have been his accomplice. Details: The drama is not related to the 1995 CBS series or the Grant Wood painting. SSN Insight: Brinkerhoff landed an overall deal with CBS Studios after her three-year stint as a staff writer on The Good Wife. As part of the deal, she became the co-executive producer on Elementary. Currently she’s the co-executive on CBS Studio’s new hit, Jane The Virgin.
Ash Vs. Evil Dead Network: Starz Production Company: Ghost House Television Executive Producers: Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Bruce Campbell Writers: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Tom Spezialy Logline: A follow-up to the 1983 film in which five friends are holed up in a remote cabin where they discover a Book Of The Dead. The friends unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess them in succession until only one, Ash, is left intact to fight for survival. SSN Insight: Ash Vs. Evil Dead marks a return to Starz for Raimi and Tapert as they executive produced the network’s first scripted hit action series Spartacus. The 2013 Evil Dead film, a reboot, grossed $97 million.
Damn! Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: No Production Company Available. Executive Producer: Glenn Gordon Caron Writer: Glenn Gordon Caron Logline: A reprobate con man meets his untimely death but gets another chance at life as an an angel. Together with a beautiful but straight laced angel, who is determined to "rehabilitate" him, they go back down to Earth and help ordinary people solve their problems. SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial commitment of a script plus a penalty.
Faust Network: NBC Entertainment Production Company: LightWorkers Media Executive Producers: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Roma Downey, Mark Burnett Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Logline: Set in Washington, DC, an ambitious surgeon is forced to confront a terrible truth: That he may lose everything good in his life: his job, his family, his very soul and when a diabolical stranger from his past arrives, to collect on a bargain they made thirteen years earlier. Details: Based on the German legend. SSN Insight: Beside writing the project, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is also the Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics. The project is described as a faith-based medical procedural with a modern take on the legendary tale.
Justin and Abby and Oh Yea Zack Too Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: CBS Television Studios Production Company: Tannenbaum Company Executive Producers: Tad Quill, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Haswell-Tannenbaum Writer: Justin Noble Logline: Justin and Abby dated for about five minutes, but decided they were more like siblings and became codependent best friends, partners in crime and partners in karaoke. But soon they had to deal with Abby having a serious boyfriend who is less than wild about straight and single Justin being around them at all times. SSN Insight: Noble is an up and comer with staff writing credits on Idiotsitter and Dads. He wrote this single-camera comedy on spec.
Like Father, Like Son Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Universal Television Production Company: Will Packer Productions Executive Producers: William Packer, Michael Pennie Writer: Michael Pennie Logline: A recently divorced man in his early thirties is just starting to enjoy the benefits of being young, successful and single when he learns he has a fifteen-year-old son from a one-night-stand he had in college. Details: Inspired by actual events from Will Packer’s life.
Little Women Network: ABC Entertainment Group Studio: ABC Studios Production Companies: Monumental Pictures, Essential Media and Entertainment, Canny Lad Productions Executive Producers: Natascha McElhone, Julie Anne Robinson, Simonne Overend, Alison Owen Writer: Jordan Roberts Logline: This new take on the classic tale follows the lives of four sisters coming of age against the backdrop of a military scandal as their family loses their fortune and position finding themselves at odds with the conservative and traditional society in which they live. Based on the novel. Details: Based on the novel, "Little Women," written by Louisa May Alcott and published in 1868-1869. SSN Insight: Planned as an event/limited series with an initial script commitment. The 1994 film grossed $50 million domestically for Sony.
Sneaky Pete Network: CBS Entertainment Studio: Sony Pictures Television Production Companies: Shore Z Productions, Moonshot Entertainment Executive Producers: Bryan Cranston, David Shore, James Degus Writer: Bryan Cranston, David Shore Logline: Centers on a thirty-something con man who, upon leaving prison, takes cover from his darker past by assuming the identity of a cellmate. "Sneaky Pete" hides out from the mob while working for the cellmate family’s bail bond business, taking down criminals worse than himself. Over time, he discovers a family life he’s never had, and possibly true love with a woman who sees through his BS. SSN Insight: CBS has made an initial pilot production commitment. Cranston has a first-look deal and Shore is under an overall pact at Sony Pictures TV.
The System Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Production Company: Small Dog Picture Company Executive Producers: Renate Radford, Jason Winer Writer: Jonathan Caren Logline: Centers on six 20-somethings with very different points of view on the criminal justice system. While they struggle to figure out their own messy lives, their high stakes jobs force them to make decisions with life or death consequences. SSN Insight: Winer contacted Caren about teaming up after seeing his play The Recommendation, based on Caren’s experience interviewing people who work within the L.A prison system. The play won two LA Ovation Awards, which honor excellence in Los Angeles Theater this year.