Untitled Darby Kealey Drama Project Network: AMC Studio: MGM Television Entertainment Production Company: Whalerock Industries Executive Producer(s): Thomas Kelly, Lloyd Braun Writer(s): Darby Kealey Logline: An award-winning actress is kidnapped by the dictator of a foreign country and becomes the centerpiece of a covert power struggle. SSN Insight: Kelly will serve as showrunner and previously wrote and produced on Blue Bloods. He’s currently executive producing the Kingmakers pilot for AMC as well.
Becoming Network: Disney XD Studio: Walt Disney Studios Production Companies: ESPN Films, Springhill Productions Executive Producer(s): LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Bill Simmons Logline: The series features extraordinary stories of athletes from around the world. SSN Insight: The series originated from a special of the same name that aired on October 26, 2014. Disney ordered the series on February 10 and it’s slated to premiere on Disney XD later this year.
Brothers In Crime Studio: Universal Cable Productions Production Companies: Valhalla Entertainment, Viking Brothers Entertainment Executive Producer(s): Gale Anne Hurd, Nick Cassavetes, Cliff Dorfman Writer(s): Cliff Dorfman Logline: The story centers on three old friends who own a construction business together. To stave off financial collapse and worse, the trio turn to a criminal act to keep things from going very wrong. Details: Based on the Swedish series, Tusenbroder, which aired on Sveriges Television in 2002, 2003 and 2006. SSN Insight: The project is part of Valhalla’s three year old exclusive deal with Universal Cable. The original Swedish series of Tusenbroder aired for 3 seasons in 2001, 2002 and 2006. In 2006 it was given a theatrical release before being re-edited for television.
Chicago Med Network: NBC Entertainment Studio: Universal Television Production Company: Wolf Films, Inc. Executive Producer(s): Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Matt Olmstead, Dick Wolf Writer(s): Derek Haas, Michael Brandt Logline: Storyline under wraps, it’s a spinoff to the NBC series Chicago Fire. SSN Insight: The characters for the potential spinoff are introduced in episode 319 of Chicago Fire. Law & Order 16 year strong alumna S. Epatha Merkerson is set to work again with EP Wolf and will star in the series.
Deutschland 83 Network: RTL Group Studio: SundanceTV, FremantleMedia International Production Company: UFA Fiction Executive Producer(s): Joerg Winger, Nico Hofmann Logline: Set against the real culture wars and political events of Germany in the 1980s. The drama follows Martin Rauch as the 24-year-old East Germany native is pulled from the world as he knows it and sent to the West as an undercover spy for the Stasi foreign service. Hiding in plain sight in the West German army, he must gather the secrets of NATO military strategy. Everything is new, nothing is quite what it seems and everyone he encounters is harboring secrets, both political and personal. SSN Insight: RTL ordered an eight episode series order on February 9. The series is the first original German-language drama ever to broadcast on a U.S. TV network. It premiered in Berlin as part of an enhanced Berlinale Special Series program that’s also debuting Italy’s 1992, picked up by Sky UK.
Enormous Network: Fox Studio: 20th Century Fox TV, New Regency Television Production Company: Prime Universe Films Executive Producer(s): Andrew Poltkin, Adrian Askarieh Logline: In the near future, the world is suffering a resource crisis when an ecological disaster creates massive beasts named The Enormous. A shattered society scrambles for refuge in the wake of the monstrous rampage. Ellen Grace, a former school teacher who lost everything in the uprising, leads a search and rescue team in hopes of locating orphaned children. Details: Based on the comic book created by Tim Daniel and Mehdi Cheggour that originally debuted as an oversized one-shot graphic novella in 2012 and was the basis for a live-action short web film from Machinima. SSN Insight: After the one-shot, the comic series debuted in July 2014 and achieved repeated release-day sellouts in its first six issues.
Fast Boys Network: AMC Production Company: Black Box Management Executive Producer(s): Anthony Pucillo Writer(s): Anthony Pucillo Logline: Based on the true story of the origins of the fast food industry in America. Details: Pucillo previously worked for Chris McQuarrie, writer of X-Men and Edge of Tomorrow and former HBO exec Carolyn Strauss. He will produce along with his management company Black Box.
Incurable Network: HBO Production Companies: Boku Films Executive Producer(s): Will Strouse, Alan Poul Writer(s): Will Strouse Logline: The story centers on a support group for people with supernatural problems. SSN Insight: Strouse, the son of composer Charles Strouse, has developed series previously for FX and CBS Studios. If the one-hour drama is ordered, Poul (Six Feet Under, The Newsroom) will direct the pilot.
Outcast Network: Cinemax Production Company: Circle of Confusion Executive Producer(s): Robert Kirkman, Sue Naegle, Chris Black, David Alpert, Sharon Tal Yguado Writer(s): Robert Kirkman Logline: Strange things have been happening to Kyle Barnes, all his life. Horribly abused by his deranged mother as a child, Kyle stopped his wife Allison from hurting their daughter Amber three years ago -- and after taking all the blame for himself, he's been a social outcast, damned as a child torturer. Kyle has spent the last five months living in his old home, but he's been existing more like a possum than a human being; he doesn't really live in his home, he sort of infests it. After assisting Reverend Anderson in the exorcism of 8 year old Joshua Austin, Kyle finally realizes what he's denied all his life: the three separate instances of child abuse were in fact supernatural in their essence, and Kyle is, for reasons unknown to him, a demon magnet. Details: Based on Robert Kirkman's upcoming comic series. SSN Insight: Cinemax gave an initial script plus penalty commitment and then ordered the pilot on July 25. The series was given a ten episode order on February 12.
Sigmund And The Sea Monsters Network: Amazon Studio: Amazon Studios Executive Producer(s): Sid Krofft, Marty Krofft Logline: The series centers on two brothers, Johnny and Scott Stuart who discover Sigmund, a friendly young sea monster who had been thrown out by his comically dysfunctional undersea family for refusing to frighten people. Details: Based on the 1970s television series "Sigmund and the Sea Monster," created by Sid and Marty Krofft. SSN Insight: Amazon ordered the pilot on February 12. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Kroffts were behind many popular primetime variety series such as The Donny and Marie Show and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
Super Sad True Love Story Production Company: Media Rights Capital Executive Producer(s): Gary Shteyngart, Karl Gajdusek, Ben Stiller Writer(s): Gary Shteyngart, Karl Gajdusek Logline: Set in the near-future, the story explores the unlikely relationship between a bookish man stuck in a tech-obsessed society and a complex, materialistic young Korean-American woman. While navigating this romance he must also contend with mounting demands from his charismatic boss, who is himself being pressured by the domineering American government. Based on the novel. Details: Based on the novel, "Super Sad True Love Story," written by Gary Shteyngart and published by Random House on July 27, 2010. SSN Insight: Planned as a straight-to-series project by MRC in line with their standard plan like House of Cards and the upcoming Blunt Talk and The One Percent on Starz. Stiller is attached to executive produce and direct multiple episodes. The series is currently casting and has not been set up at a network.
The Global War On Morris Executive Producer(s): Andrew Lenchewski, Rob Reiner, Alan Greisman Logline: A meek pharmaceutical salesman from Long Island is mistakenly targeted as America’s next major terrorist. Based on the novel. Details: Based on the novel "The Global War On Morris," written by Congressman Steve Israel and published by Simon & Schuster on December 30, 2014. SSN Insight: Israel and Lenchewski are long time friends. Israel is a 13-year New York Representative in the 3rd congressional district, which includes Lenchewski’s hometown and non-coincidently the area where his long-running USA series, Royal Pains, is shot.
The Grinder Network: Fox Broadcasting Company Studio: 20th Century Fox Television Executive Producer(s): Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul, Nicholas Stoller, Rob Lowe, Jake Kasdan Writer(s): Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul Logline: When his long-running hit series comes to an end, he finds himself at a crossroads in life and decides to move back to his small home town thinking he has the experience to take over his family’s law firm where he butts heads with his brother. SSN Insight: Fox gave an initial put pilot order on October 6 and ordered an official pilot on February 12.
Valentina Network: ABC Family Production Companies: Kapital Entertainment, RCTV International Executive Producer(s): Aaron Kaplan, Jorge Granier Logline: A young girl’s incredibly wealthy mother is killed in an accident. After the mother’s extended family takes over her company, Valentina (the sole heir) realizes that her mother may in fact have been murdered by her own family in order to takeover the business. She disappears and returns 10 years later and sets out for revenge. Details: Based on the RCTV telenovela Mi Gorda Bella Valentina (official English-language sales title My Sweet Fat Valentina). SSN Insight: The original telenovela aired on Venezuela’s RCTV from 2002-2003. It has aired in 80 countries, including in the U.S. via Telemundo, and has been remade in several other territories including Mexico. Valentina comes from Kapital’s first-look deal with RCTV, which allows Kaplan to explore RCTV’s library of formats in partnership with Granier. Jane The Virgin, was also a product of this deal as it was based on an RCTV format and revamped by Granier.
You Network: Showtime Studio: Warner Bros. Television Production Companies: Alloy Entertainment, Berlanti Productions Executive Producer(s): Sera Gamble, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leslie Morgenstein, Cheryl Dolins Writer(s): Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble Logline: A 21st century love story about the obsessive yet brilliant 20-something Joe Goldberg who uses the hyper-connected digital age to make the woman of his dreams fall in love with him. Details: Based on the novel, "You: A Novel," written by Caroline Kepnes and published by Atria/Emily Bestler on September 30, 2014. SSN Insight: In addition Berlanti is attached to direct the potential pilot. Berlanti Prods. Is on a roll with two pilots: Supergirl at CBS, which Berlanti co-wrote, and Blindspot at NBC. In addition to the CW’s renewals of the company’s shows Arrow and The Flash, they also produce the NBC series The Mysteries Of Laura.