Donnie Loves Jenny Network: A&E Production Companies: 44 Blue Productions, D&J Productions Executive Producer(s): Donnie Wahlberg, Jenny McCarthy, Rasha Drachkovitch Logline: Will show behind-the-scenes moments from Wahlberg and McCarthy's wedding and follow the couple through their nuptials into their first experiences as a married couple as they navigate through life as newlyweds, including blending their families and balancing their busy schedules. SSN Insight: A&E has ordered 10 episodes. It is the first project for McCarthy and Wahlberg’s new joint production company, D&J Productions which signed an overall development and production deal with A&E.
Evil Men Network: USA Network Studio: CBS Television Studios, Universal Cable Productions Production Company: Tannenbaum Company Executive Producer(s): Gary Fleder, Mary Beth Basile, Daniel Taplitz, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Haswell-Tannenbaum Writer(s): Daniel Taplitz Logline: A man is plagued by mysterious visions and comes to the conclusion that he must kill 26 evil men in order to prevent the death of his family. SSN Insight: The casting of Dallas Roberts and Clifton Collins Jr. lifted the cast contingent pilot order. Evil Men is USA's fifth drama pilot this season. Previous pilot orders include Jennifer Carpenter's Stanistan, the Josh Hollowaystarrer Colony, Mr. Robot and Queen of the South.
Fox/ Untitled David Kohan Max Mutchnick Comedy Project Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Company: KoMut Entertainment Executive Producer(s): David Kohan, Max Mutchnick Writer(s): David Kohan, Max Mutchnick Logline: A single mother, her three kids and her ex-grifter father move from their home in New Jersey to Los Angeles to start a new life though she probably should have told the kids. SSN Insight: This project marks Kohan and Mutchick’s first foray into cable. The pair previously won a best comedy series Emmy for Will & Grace in 2000. TBS will debut their latest multi-camera comedy series, Buzzy’s, in 2015.
Frequency Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Companies: Lin Pictures, Rickard Pictures Executive Producer(s): Jeremy Carver, Dan Lin, Jennifer Gwartz, Toby Emmerich, John Rickard Writer(s): Jeremy Carver Logline: An NYPD detective connects with his son, 30 years in the future. The two must work together to change the history of tragic events to come, while also getting the chance to heal their complicated relationship. Based on the film. Details: A re-imagining of the film, "Frequency" (2000) directed by Gregory Hoblit and starring Dennis Quaid. SSN Insight: NBC has given an initial script commitment plus penalty.
From Hell Network: FX Studio: Fox Television Studios Production Company: Angry Films Executive Producer(s): Don Murphy, Susan Montford, David Arata Writer(s): David Arata Logline: Based on the premise that Jack The Ripper was a Masonic conspiracy to cover up a scandal involving the Royal Family, and tells the story from the point of view of the victims, the chief inspector, and the killer -- the Queen's physician. Details: Based on the graphic novel, From Hell, written by Alan Moore and originally published in serialized form starting in 1989. SSN Insight: Fox has given an initial script commitment. From Hell is ranked by many as one of the top 10 graphic novels in history. From Hell is different from other comics as it contains 46 pages of footnotes. From Hell’s basis stems from historic records.
Hap and Leonard Network: SundanceTV Production Company: Paradise City Executive Producer(s): Nicholas Shumaker, Jeremy Platt Writer(s): Jim Mickle, Nick Damici, Nicholas Shumaker Logline: Centers on Hap Collins, a white working-class laborer who spent time in federal prison for refusing to be drafted into the military and serve in the Vietnam War. Now In his late 30s, he is just barely making ends meet picking roses on an East Texas plantation. His colleague and lifelong best friend is Leonard Pine, a six-foot-five, gay, black Vietnam vet with anger issues. Leonard was raised by his uncle who shunned him after learning he was gay leaving Hap as his only support in the not so progressive rural South. Details: Based on the series of books, novellas and short stories, written by Joe Lansdale. SSN Insight: Six one-hour episodes have been ordered for a 2016 premiere. In a comment to Deadline, SundanceTV president Sarah Barnett said, “Jim and Nick are true Sundance voices, having made a splash in recent years at Sundance Film Festival with their feature film.”
MTV/ Untitled Whiteness Project Network: MTV Production Company: Punched in the Head Productions, Define American Logline: An examination of what it means to be young and white in America. SSN Insight: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas will direct the project. His most recent documentary film Documented was screened in theaters earlier this year and was released as a CNN Films broadcast in June. He recently received the PEN Center USA’s Freedom to Write Award.
Port of Miami Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Lionsgate Production Companies: Wind Dancer Films, Televisa USA Executive Producer(s): Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve Writer(s): Mark Perez Logline: Set aboard a Miami-based cruise liner, the story follows an unmotivated white bartender who works with a variety of international employees, all of them aggressively seeking the American dream and incredulous that he is content to mix drinks, chase women and settle for less. SSN Insight: NBC has given an initial script commitment.
The Crown Network: Netflix Studio: Sony Pictures Television Production Company: Left Bank Pictures Executive Producer(s): Robert Fox, Matthew Byam-Shaw, Peter Morgan, Stephen Daldry, Andy Harries Logline: A scripted series centered on the weekly audiences given by Queen Elizabeth II to prime ministers that date back from her accession in 1952 to the present day. It will tell the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world of Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street as well as the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. Details: Inspired by the play "The Audience" written by Peter Morgan in 2013. SSN Insight: Netflix has ordered a 10 episode first season. The series has an estimate budget of $100 million and it’s Netflix’s first UK-based series. It’s rumored that at least three actresses will play the Queen over her six-decade reign.
The Frankenstein Chronicles Network: ITV Encore Studio: ITV Production Company: Rainmark Films Executive Producer(s): Tracey Scoffield, Frank Doelger Writer(s): Benjamin Ross, Barry Langford Logline: Set in 1827 London, Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel recruits Marlott to apprehend a gang of opium smugglers. During the arrest he discovers a corpse assembled from body parts washed up on the shore and is later tasked by Peel with tracking the horrific crime's perpetrator. SSN Insight: Sean Bean is set to star in this ITV commissioned series of 6 episodes. Filming for The Frankenstein Chronicles is scheduled to begin in Northern Ireland in January 2015. Rainmark Films also produced The Special Relationship for HBO along with Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight and is developing another event BBC mini-series written and directed by Steve McQueen.
Tinseltown Production Companies: Kapital Entertainment, KatCo Executive Producer(s): Aaron Kaplan, Tracy Katsky Logline: Season one, set in the 1920s, chronicles the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association and the scandal that surrounded it, set against the backdrop of censorship and the emergence of the movie business. Followup seasons would likely focus on subsequent decades in Hollywood, starting with the 1930s. Details: Based on the book, "Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood," written by William J. Mann and published by Harper on October 14, 2014. SSN Insight: Kaplan and Katsky beat out multiple film and TV producers in hot pursuit in order to land the rights to the book. The book is based on extensive research including recently unsealed FBI files.
Twinning Network: VH1 Production Company: Lighthearted Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Howard Schultz, Rob LaPlante, Jeff Spangler, Susan Levison, Jill Holmes Logline: Twelve sets of twins will go head to head for a grand prize of $222,222.22. But getting there won't be easy. Expect double the meltdowns, double the hook-ups, and, of course, double the twists as the contestants are pushed to their limits in unexpected ways. SSN Insight: VH1 has ordered 10 episodes of the reality competition project.