Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. I'm still gutted by David Tennant's decision to leave Doctor Who after next year but my sadness was quelled somewhat by a gorgeous episode of Pushing Daisies. (Now, if only others were actually tuning in to watch!)Courteney Cox (Dirt) and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs) are developing a half-hour comedy at ABC entitled Cougar Town, which will star Cox as a newly divorced single mom, possibly on the prowl for a new man. Lawrence and Kevin Biegel (Scrubs) will write the pilot. (Variety)
John Schneider (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will guest star in a three-episode arc of ABC's Dirty Sexy Money, where he'll play a Congressman who puts Simon Elder in his place at the request (and, um, payment) of Tripp Darling. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)
Ice Cube will write and executive produce an untitled one-hour buddy cop comedy for NBC and Universal Media Studios. It's possible that Cube will appear in the project but not as a series lead. (Variety)
The Peacock is also developing a one-hour drama based on Heather McElhatton's choose-your-own-ending novel "Pretty Little Mistakes" with writers Bruce Marshall Romans and Kiersten Van Home and executive producer Jason Katims. McElhattan's book follows a female protagonist graduating high school as readers make a decision--college or travel--that ultimately leads to 150 possible endings. (Hollywood Reporter)
Former BBC Worldwide America exec Paul Telegdy (who resigned from his post yesterday) is said to be in talks to replace NBC reality topper Craig Plestis. With Telegdy having left BBC Worldwide America less than a month after it was announced that Jane Tranter would move over from London to oversee LA-based production, Tranter will likely now oversee the division herself, reporting to Garth Ancier. (Variety)
FOX has cast newcomer Lennon Parham and Chad L. Coleman (The Wire) in space-set comedy pilot Boldly Going Nowhere from the creators of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Parham will play the no-nsense pilot of an intergalactic spacecraft while Coleman will play Cobalt, the ship's stern head of security. (Hollywood Reporter)
E! has renewed reality series Denise Richards: It's Complicated for a second season, which is expected to start production early next year. (Variety)
ITV has commissioned four new Poirot movies to star David Suchet and four new Miss Marple mystery movies to star Julia McKensie, including a remake of Murder on the Orient Express. All four will be executive produced by Phil Clymer. (Hollywood Reporter)
Sci Fi has ordered eight episodes of reality competition series GameQuest, which pits twelve contestants against one another to determine who is the best video gamer. Project is produced by Granada America and World Cyber Games, with Samsung on board as a series production partner. (Hollywood Reporter)
Stay tuned.
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