Comedy is expected to take center stage at USA Network‘s upfront presentation this afternoon as the cable network touts to advertisers the fall launch of its big off-network acquisition, Modern Family, and unveils its newly picked up original comedy series Sirens and Playing House. The cable network has been getting extra attention from comedy fans in the past week following ABC’s decision last Friday to cancel cult series Happy Endings. Talks between USA and leading Happy Endings producer Sony TV continue. At this point, I hear a pickup appears unlikely but the network is carefully exploring the opportunity to migrate a show with some success on broadcast TV and a dedicated fan base the way ABC’s Cougar Town moved to TBS. Related: ‘Happy Endings’ Cancelled At ABC, Will USA Step In? Of its three comedy pilot/presentations it had in consideration, USA picked up two, Sirens and Playing House.
- 5/16/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Justina Machado is set as a lead opposite Mike O’Malley, Mary McCormack and Ricardo Chavira in Welcome To The Family, NBC‘s single-camera comedy from Mike Sikowitz and Sony TV. Also cast as in a lead role in the pilot is Joey Haro (Glee, Awkward). Welcome To The Family chronicles how cultures collide when white parents (O’Malley, McCormack) and Latino parents (Chavira, Machado) are bonded together by their children Molly (Ella Rae Peck) and Junior (Haro) who fall in love followed quickly by an unplanned pregnancy. Machado’s Lisette works at the Dmv and is committed to co-parenting her son (Haro) with her ex-husband Miguel (Chavira). For Machado, repped by Apa and D2 Management, Welcome To The Family is in first position to her USA pilot Paging Dr. Freed, an arrangement mirroring that for Paging Dr. Freed‘s Annie Potts who plays a lead in ABC’s dramedy pilot Murder In Manhattan.
- 3/6/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Annie Potts is set as the lead opposite Bridget Regan in ABC’s hourlong pilot Murder In Manhattan, executive produced by Ryan Reynolds. It is a dramedy set in New York centering on a mother, Blythe (Potts), and a daughter, Lex (Regan), who team up as amateur sleuths. Blythe is described as glamorous yet down to earth Park Avenue widow. For Potts, the project is in first position to her other pilot, USA comedy Paging Dr. Freed. Murder In Manhattan brings Designing Women alumna Potts back to ABC where she co-starred in another dramedy, series Gcb. She is with Innovative, Frontline Management and attorney David Fox.
- 3/2/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Sought-after pilot director Marc Buckland has been tapped to helm The Gates, NBC‘s recently picked up single-camera comedy pilot from writers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith, Kapital Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV. The project, which was given an early green light, is based on the British series of the same name that premiered on Sky Living in August. It is an adult ensemble comedy set at the front gates of an elementary school drop-off and revolves around the parents, school staff and 15-minute social minefield they have to navigate at the beginning and end of each school day. Yuspa and Goldsmith wrote the script and executive produce with Kapital Entertainment’s Aaron Kaplan as well as Laurence Bowen and Philip Clarke of Feelgood Fiction, the UK production company behind the original series. The Gates reunites Buckland with NBC and 20th TV, the network and studio behind the comedy My Name Is Earl,...
- 12/5/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Kyle Howard has scored a B—-in’ new gig.
The My Boys alum will guest star in a Season 2 episode of ABC’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Related | Apartment 23 Exclusive: Meet June’s Nemesis!
The actor will appear in Episode 8, titled “Dating Games,” in which Chloe tries to set June up with Howard’s character. But then she “decides since I want him that she should have him and she starts going after him,” Dreama Walker tells TVLine.
Howard, whose credits also include Royal Pains and Loves Bites, was recently...
The My Boys alum will guest star in a Season 2 episode of ABC’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Related | Apartment 23 Exclusive: Meet June’s Nemesis!
The actor will appear in Episode 8, titled “Dating Games,” in which Chloe tries to set June up with Howard’s character. But then she “decides since I want him that she should have him and she starts going after him,” Dreama Walker tells TVLine.
Howard, whose credits also include Royal Pains and Loves Bites, was recently...
- 10/17/2012
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Sought-after pilot director Marc Buckland is venturing into his own development with an hourlong project, which has sold to NBC through Universal TV. Titled This Thing Called Love, it is described as a comedic documentary that explores the minutae of modern relationships through the eyes of several very disparate couples. Buckland will write, direct and executive produce under his development deal with Universal TV. Under the pact, Buckland made his pilot-writing debut last season with single-camera comedy Rip, which also was set up at NBC. Both pilots Buckland directed for NBC the past two seasons — drama Grimm and comedy Next Caller Please — went to series. His directing work on the pilot for another NBC series, single-camera comedy My Name Is Earl, earned him an Emmy. ICM Partners-repped Buckland is currently helming single-camera comedy pilot Paging Dr. Freed for NBC sibling USA Network.
- 9/27/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Nicole Ari Parker has been cast as one of the leads in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced NBC drama pilot The Secret Lives Of Husbands And Wives. It is described as thriller-dramatic soap that centers on a murder and the secrets and lies within a tightly woven group of three suburban couples and their families exposed in its aftermath. Parker will play half of one of the three couples, Paula, a tough and strikingly beautiful trophy wife who, after 12 years of a troubled marriage, questions whether to stay with her husband because of love or respect… all while having no idea that he is financially ruined. She joins Perret Reeves, recently cast as another wife. Parker, repped by Gersh and Klwgn, is coming off a full Broadway run of A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Blair Underwood. ER and Three Rivers alumna Justina Machado is back on the medical beat, this time on the comedy side.
- 9/27/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Dorian Missick is a busy, busy man. All good! Missick has landed a recurring role in a comedy pilot for the USA Network titled Paging Dr. Freed, which centers on gynecologist brothers, the Freeds brothers (played by Kyle Howard and Joel David Moore), who inherit their father’s successful medical practice, while having to deal with their meddling mother (played by Annie Potts). Missick will play an anesthesiologist and friend of the Freed brothers who attended medical school with them. The Southland co-star can next be seen in indie features from Neil Drumming (Big Words) and Charles Murray (Things Never Said). He's also attached to...
- 9/19/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Young British actress Olivia Cooke (BBC’s Blackout) has landed a co-starring role on A&E’s upcoming series Bates Motel, which serves as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock horror classic Psycho. The series examines the twisted relationship between serial-killer-to-be Norman (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma (Vera Varmiga). Cooke, repped by Gersh and Lena Roklin, will play the eccentric and extremely bright Emma, who has a disease that could take her life early and gives her a sense of adventure and that time is of the essence. She recently finished the thriller The Quiet Ones. Rachel Boston (In Plain Sight) is set as a lead in the hourlong Lifetime pilot Witches Of East End. Based on Melissa de la Cruz’s best-selling novel, Witches Of East End centers on the adventures of Joanna Beauchamp (Julia Ormond), who has been concealing a shocking secret from her two adult daughters Freya...
- 9/19/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
According to Deadline.com, Annie Potts has just been cast in USA's 'Paging Dr. Freed' pilot. The show is written by Michael Feldman and will be directed by Marc Buckland. Potts will play the mother of gynecologist brothers who 'inherit their fathers thriving medical practice after he dies from a heart attack he suffers during an attempt at playing doctor with his young secretary,' as described by Deadline.
- 9/17/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Exclusive: Annie Potts is set to star opposite Kyle Howard and Joel David Moore in the USA Network comedy pilot Paging Dr. Freed. Written by Michael Feldman and to be directed by Marc Buckland, the single-camera comedy centers on gynecologist brothers David (Howard) and Jonathan (Moore) who inherit their father’s thriving medical practice after he dies from a heart attack he suffers during an attempt at “playing” doctor with his young secretary. Potts will play the brothers’ ball-busting, overbearing mother who hates Jonathan’s wife (Leslie Grossman) and keeps meddling in her sons’ lives. It has been a busy last couple of days for Potts, who also booked a recurring role on the new NBC comedy series Animal Practice where she also plays the mother of the lead who is a doctor, veterinarian Dr. George Coleman (Justin Kirk). The Designing Women alumna also was offered a plum guest turn on NBC’s 1600 Penn,...
- 9/17/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Paging Annie Potts - Please come to Dr. Freed's Office. Annie Potts will star opposite Kyle Howard and Joel David Moore in the pilot of USA's comedy Paging Dr. Freed, written by Michael Feldman and helmed by Marc Buckland. Deadline reports that the single-camera comedy follows David and Jonathan, brothers who are gynecologists and inherit their father's practice after he suffers he dies from a heart attack while "playing doctor" with a sexy young secretary. Potts will apparently play the overbearing, medling mother who dislikes Jonathan's wife (played by Leslie Grossman of 10 Things I Hate About You, Nip/Tuck). Potts is also in a recurring role on Animal Practice for NBC, and was in Robert Harling's recently-canceled ABC comedy Gcb with Leslie Bibb.
- 9/17/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Paging Annie Potts - Please come to Dr. Freed's Office. Annie Potts will star opposite Kyle Howard and Joel David Moore in the pilot of USA's comedy Paging Dr. Freed, written by Michael Feldman and helmed by Marc Buckland. Deadline reports that the single-camera comedy follows David and Jonathan, brothers who are gynecologists and inherit their father's practice after he suffers he dies from a heart attack while "playing doctor" with a sexy young secretary. Potts will apparently play the overbearing, medling mother who dislikes Jonathan's wife (played by Leslie Grossman of 10 Things I Hate About You, Nip/Tuck). Potts is also in a recurring role on Animal Practice for NBC, and was in Robert Harling's recently-canceled ABC comedy Gcb with Leslie Bibb.
- 9/17/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Leslie Grossman (10 Things I Hate About You) is set to co-star opposite Kyle Howard and Joel David Moore in the USA Network comedy pilot Paging Dr. Freed. Written by Michael Feldman and to be directed by Marc Buckland, the single-camera comedy centers on gynecologist brothers David (Howard) and Jonathan (Moore) who inherit their father’s thriving medical practice after he suffers a heart attack during an attempt at “playing” doctor with his young secretary. Popular alumna Grossman, repped by Domain and Marsh Entertainment, will play Jonathan’s wife Mimi. Aunjanue Ellis has joined the cast of AMC’s untitled Richard Lagravenese/Tony Goldwyn project. Written by Lagravenese and to be directed by Goldwyn, the ensemble drama is a legal thriller centered on Adam Page (Damon Gupton), a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. Marin Ireland plays the female lead. Ellis will play Adam’s wife,...
- 9/13/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
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