Trade Round-Up: Jennifer Love Hewiit Back In The Game
· ABC will develop erstwhile feature script The Flyover States as a red-America drama series. They're showing admirable restraint in not retitling the project The People Who Ruined Our Lives Because Gays Kissing Is A Sin to pander to viewers on the coasts. [Variety, sub. req'd.]
· ABC (again!) gives the Jennifer Love Hewitt comedy project a six episode midseason order. For our thoughts on this unfortunate shitergistic exercise, go here. Then close your eyes and say, "How bad could it be if they dub Hewitt's lines into Pig Latin and make her wear tight shirts?" Well, we'll probably get the tight shirt part without too much of a fight. [THR]
· Catherine Zeta-Jones and Ocean's 12 producer Jerry Weintraub are teaming up again for The Ivy Chronicles. Adapted from the book of the same name, the film would star Zeta-Jones as a Wall Street woman who starts a kindergarten referral service. And the world will team up again with a DVD of Mask of Zorro. [THR]
· ABC publicists obviously worked serious overtime yesterday: ABC submits ratings world-beater Desperate Housewives in the comedy category at the Golden Globes. Good idea to stay clear of those HBO shows. [Variety]
· Michael Goldenberg will adapt the fifth Harry Potter book, as Steve Kloves has opted to work on another Warner Bros. project, adapting The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Please, be gentle: That book doesn't deserve to be fucked up by some executive who has "ideas" about talking dogs. [THR]