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Channel Surfing: Theron and Fincher Team Up for HBO's "Mind Hunter," Jennifer Lopez Finds "Mother," ABC Axes "Ugly Betty," and More

Welcome to your (delayed) Thursday morning television briefing.

Charlize Theron (The Road) has teamed up with auteur David Fincher (Zodiac) to develop HBO drama series, Mind Hunter, based on John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's nonfiction book "Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit," about the profiling of serial killers and rapists. Scott Buck (Dexter) will write the pilot, which will be produced by Theron, Fincher, Erwin and Buck and is set up at Fox21. (Variety)

Jennifer Lopez is set to guest star on CBS' How I Met Your Mother in an episode slated to air in March. Lopez will play Anita Appleby, described as "a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to train men into relationship machines through the power of denial," who makes it her mission to train Barney. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has officially cancelled Ugly Betty after four seasons. The dramedy, which stars America Ferrera, will wrap up its run this May and producers will have time to arrange to a suitable conclusion for the series, which has seen its ratings drop drastically over the last few seasons. (Televisionary)

Syfy has found its showrunners for the US adaptation of British supernatural drama Being Human: married writers Anna Fricke (The Beautiful Life) and Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) have joined the staff of Being Human as executive producers/showrunners. Series, which has a thirteen-episode commitment from Syfy, is expected to air later this year. (Variety)

E! Online's Jennifer Godwin rounds up the suspects for Season Four of AMC's Mad Men. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Martin Henderson (Bride & Prejudice) has been cast in Shonda Rhimes' ABC pilot Off the Map, where he will play one of three doctors working an a remote medical clinic in the tropics. In other pilot news, Alex Graves (Fringe) will direct and executive produce ABC drama pilot The Whole Truth, from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, FOX has ordered a pilot for an untitled workplace comedy from writer Brent Forrester (The Office), who will executive produce with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and David Nevins. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television, is set in an IRS district office. (Hollywood Reporter)

And ABC Family has ordered ten episodes apiece of two drama projects: weight loss camp drama Huge, from writers Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life) and daughter Savannah Dooley and Alloy Entertainment; and mystery drama Pretty Little Liars, about four former friends who reunite when one of their group goes missing, from Warner Horizon, Alloy Entertainment, and executive producers Marlene King, Leslie Morgenstein, and Bob Levy. (Variety)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) will guest star in an upcoming episode of FOX's Bones, where he will play a creepy custodian in a slasher-themed storyline set at Brennan's high school reunion. (TV Guide Magazine)

The CW has ordered two pilots: Nikita, an update of La Femme Nikita that focuses on a replacement after the original Nikita goes rogue, from writer/executive producer Craig Silverstein, executive producers McG and Peter Johnson, and Warner Bros. Television, and an untitled Wyoming-based family drama from writer/executive producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino that will revolve around a family who runs a horse farm in Wyoming. (Variety)

ABC will air a two-hour Bachelor special, The Bachelor: Jason and Molly's Wedding, on March 8th. (Hollywood Reporter)

TBS has ordered a pilot script for animated comedy based on feature film The Adventures of Joe Dirt. Project, which revolves around a "mullet-sporting, muscle-car-loving loser with a heart of gold," hails from Sony Pictures Television, Happy Madison, and writer David Spade, who will executive produce with Fred Wolf, Donick Cary, and Doug Robinson. (via press release)

ITV has announced its hire for its top CEO position: former Royal Mail czar Adam Crozier. "ITV is a strong brand with talented people, facing an imperative for change as the media landscape evolves," said ITV chairman Archie Norman in a statement. "Adam is a very strong leader with a great track record in delivering transformational change. He has worked successfully in talent-driven organizations, with government and regulators, and has a thorough understanding of the media, advertising and branding industries." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Noooo not Ugly Betty :'( I love that show! Also. Why can't they just air the British version of Being Human? :-\
Randall said…
A "Joe Dirt" pilot? Seriously? And hasn't Eastbound and Down already done that concept? And done it better?
Unknown said…
I'm with Anonymous - just air the lovely Russell Tovey in the original Being Human, for heaven's sake.

Love hearing all the pilot casting news. Want to see how many Brit actors come over this season! Heard a rumor that even Matthew Macfadyen might have auditioned for one -- now THAT would be phenomenal!

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