ASSISTANCE (NBC) - Leslye Headland's single-camera comedy - about "an idealistic working girl assistant who is pulled between her colleague and her real life fiance while trying to manage a demanding boss" - is the first of the Peacock's three pilot orders today. Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jessica Elbaum, Owen Burke also serve as executive producers on the half-hour, from Gary Sanchez Productions and Universal Television. (Deadline.com)
DONOR PARTY (NBC, New!) - Alex Schemmer has booked a pilot order from the Peacock for a new comedy about "an irresponsible man forced to grow up when he discovers he has children resulting from his days as a sperm donor." Lionsgate Television, Media Talent Group and Universal Television are all behind the single-camera project, which tracks the "new family unit that develops when a single mom contacts him and he begins to have a relationship with her and the son he never knew he had." Geyer Kosinski is also an executive producer. (Deadline.com)
DRACULA (NBC) - Jessica de Gouw ("Arrow") has booked the female lead on the upcoming drama, which introduces Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) as "an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There's only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: Dracula falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife." She'll play said woman, Mina Murray, "a striking brunette medical student who is engaged to Jonathan Harker." Universal Television, Carnival Films & Television, Flame Ventures and Playground are all behind the 10-episode series. (Deadline.com)
MASTERS OF THE AIR (HBO, New!) - Donald L. Miller's book, subtitled "America's Bomber Boys Who Fought The Air War Against Nazi Germany," has been optioned by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Tom Hanks's Playtone as part of their proposed follow up to "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific." Said effort, which may be joined by other source material, will follow "a cross section of officers and enlisted men who served in the Eighth Air Force and fought in the air war against Germany." Gary Goetzman also serves as an executive producer alongside said duo. (Deadline.com)
MCCARTHYS, THE (A.K.A. UNTITLED BRIAN GALLIVAN PROJECT) (CBS) - Brian Gallivan's comedy - about "an Irish-Catholic, sports-crazed Boston clan and the gay son whose greatest sin is not his sexuality but his desire to spend less time with his family" - is set to join the Eye's pilot lineup. The single-camera project comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Olive Bridge Entertainment with the company's Will Gluck and Richie Schwartz serving as executive producer and co-executive producer, respectively. (Deadline.com)
ORDAINED, THE (CBS, New!) - Newcomer Lisa Takeuchi Cullen has scored a pilot order from the Eye for a new drama about "the son of a Kennedy-esque family who leaves the priesthood and becomes a lawyer to prevent his politician sister from being assassinated." Said effort is set up at CBS Television Studios with The Kennedy/Marshall Company's Frank Marshall, The Shuman Company's Larry Shuman and A.B. Fischer executive producing and Cullen and Robert Zotnowski serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)
SUPER CLYDE (A.K.A. UNTITLED GREG GARCIA PROJECT) (CBS) - Greg Garcia's single-camera comedy - about "a meek, unassuming fast food worker who decides to become a super hero" - has scored a pilot commitment from the Eye. Garcia penned said half-hour and is executive producing for CBS Television Studios, home to his overall deal. (Deadline.com)
UNAUTHORIZED GREG GARCIA PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Greg Garcia ("Raising Hope") has likewise received a pilot order from the Eye for a new multi-camera comedy about "a recently divorced man whose life is complicated when his parents decide to move in with him." CBS Television Studios is behind the project, which Garcia wrote and will executive produce. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED ROBERT PADNICK PROJECT (NBC) - The Robert Padnick-penned comedy - about "the trials and tribulations of dating in your twenties as explored through a group of friends" - has been tapped for a pilot order at the Peacock. Universal Television is behind the single-camera project with 3 Arts Entertainment's Howard Klein and Deedle Dee Productions' Greg Daniels and Tracy Katsky also among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)
FLEMING (BBC America) - Annabelle Wallis ("Pan Am") has scored a role on the four-part drama, which stars Dominic Cooper as Ian Fleming, a charming, sophisticated maverick whose dilettanti, pleasure seeking life was turned around by WWII and led to the creation of the best known spy the world has ever known. She'll play Muriel Wright, "a woman with whom Fleming had a love affair and who some believe to be the original inspiration for the Bond Girl." Mat Whitecross is helming the project off a script by John Brownlow and Don MacPherson for Ecosse Films. (Deadline.com)
HOSTAGES (CBS) - Toni Collette ("United States of Tara") has been tapped for the lead role on the drama pilot, about "a family caught in the middle of a grand political conspiracy that will change their lives forever." She'll play Ellen, "a successful surgeon living in Washington, D.C. who is selected to operate on the President of the United States. She is thrust into the middle of a political conspiracy when her family is taken hostage, and it is up to her to save the lives of her husband and children." Warner Bros. Television-based Jerry Bruckheimer Television is behind the hour, which has a pilot commitment. Jeffrey Nachmanoff will write, direct and executive produce alongside Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Omri Givon, Rotem Shamir and Chayim Sharir with Alon Aranya and KristieAnne Reed serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED MICHAEL J. FOX PROJECT (NBC) - Betsy Brandt ("Breaking Bad") has joined the cast of the Michael J. Fox-led comedy, about a husband and father of three in New York City juggling the challenges of family and career while dealing with Parkinson's disease. She'll play his tough and loyal wife who works at their daughter's high school. Wendell Pierce, Katie Finneran, Conor Romero and Jack Gore also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, the pilot of which will be directed by Will Gluck from a script he co-wrote with Sam Laybourne. (Deadline.com)
