Jennie Snyder Urman Revisits ‘Danni Lowinski’ Format, Reunites With Andrea Navedo For 2 Projects Set At CBS

EXCLUSIVE: CBS has put in development two dramas executive produced by Jane the Virgin developer/showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman via her Sutton St. Productions – Danni Delgado, an adaptation of the 2010 German series Danni Lowinski with a Latina lead, from writer Nicki Renna (Charmed), Tariq Jalil’s Intrigue Entertainment and Red Arrow Studios International; and The System from writer Elaine Del Valle (Brownsville Bred), with Jane the Virgin alumna Andrea Navedo executive producing and potentially starring and Arika Mittman (Paradise Lost) also executive producing. CBS Studios, where Urman is under an overall deal, is the studio for both projects, with Urman and Joanna Klein executive producing via Sutton St.

This marks the third U.S. attempt to adapt Danni Lowinski, about a scrappy hairdresser who graduates from law school and sets up her own practice in a shopping mall kiosk. In 2010, the CW ordered a pilot for an American version written by Snyder Urman, which starred Amanda Walsh in the title role. It was the first pilot for Urman, who went on to create Jane the Virgin, also based on an international format.

Three years ago, with Intrigue Entertainment leading the effort to bring Danni Lowinski to American television, a half-hour version was set up at NBC for development with Glee co-creator Ian Brennan writing.

Snyder Urman is now back at the helm of a Danni Lowinski adaptation, this time working with another writer. Like Jane the Virgin, the dramedy has a Latina lead, reflected in the title change.

Written and executive produced by Renna, in Danni Delgado, a scrappy and unconventional Latina lawyer practices out of a kiosk in a Dallas, Texas shopping mall so she can connect with and represent an eclectic mix of clientele.

Shirley Bowers for Red Arrow Studios International and Intrigue Entertainment’s Jalil and Lucas Carter

Danni Lowinski was created by Marc Terjung and originally produced by Markus Brunnemann and UFA Fiction for SAT.1 in Germany. The legal dramedy, which starred popular German comedy actress Annette Frier, premiered in 2010 and ran for five seasons, earning national awards. Red Arrow International distributes the Danni Lowinski scripted format worldwide. The series has been adapted in a number of territories including the Netherlands, where the remake aired for four seasons.

Written by Del Valle, in The System, a compassionate yet jaded social worker — a role that Navedo could potentially play — navigates the same broken New York City system she grew up in as she advocates to resolve issues for every family she encounters while struggling to fix her own.

Mittman and Navedo executive produce the drama project; Del Valle serves as co-executive producer.

Navedo starred as Xiomara “Xo” Villanueva in Snyder Urman’s Jane the Virgin.

Snyder Urman, who also created and executive produced the CW’s Emily Owens, MD, executive produces the CW Charmed reboot series, heading into its third season, which she co-developed. She also executive produced the CBS comedy series Broke, which aired this past season.

Del Valle is a writer/director/actress who first garnered attention with her autobiographical, one-woman stage play Brownsville Bred, which depicts her true Latina coming-of-age in Brownsville Brooklyn, NY. Del Valle is a recent recipient of the Warner Media 150 grant and a Sundance Lab alumna whose short films can be seen on HBO. She is repped by Red Letter Entertainment and Schreck Rose Dapello.

Renna most recently worked as a writer-producer with Urman on Charmed, which is heading into its third season on the CW. She also was a co-producer on Grand Hotel and wrote on Franklin & Bash and The Spanish Princess.

Navedo is repped by A3 Artists Agency, Mainstay Entertaiment, and Meyer & Downs.