Latest in Debra Martin Chase

The determined struggles of true-life heroes, whose tales look to resonate loudly this awards season, were at the heart of Focus Features' Contenders NY presentation Saturday at the DGA Theater in New York City. For Harriet writer/director Kasi Lemmons (who helmed both Eve's Bayou and Talk To Me) the task was to offer…

Harsh reality takes center stage in Focus Features' Harriet, the harrowing story of abolitionist Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo), and Dark Waters, the tale of attorney Rob Bilott (portrayed by producer and star Mark Ruffalo) ,the Cincinnati lawyer who took on DuPont, which was dumping toxic materials into the water in…

It's been almost a year since Cynthia Erivo first stepped into Harriet Tubman's shoes in Harriet—a biopic about the historical heroine who escaped slavery and freed hundreds of slaves via the Underground Railroad. And it's almost a year, too, since Erivo first felt the wrath of Twitter. As a British woman of Nigerian…

NBC has put in development a female police drama from Nurse Jackie co-creator Liz Brixius, prolific film and TV producer Debra Martin Chase and Universal TV, where both are under deals. Written by Brixius, the Untitled Police Women Project explores the personal and professional lives of four LAPD women officers who…

NBC has put in development hourlong legal drama Local Counsel from Franklin & Bash co-creator Bill Chais, Debra Martin Chase's Martin Chase Productions and Universal TV. Written by Chais, Local Counsel centers on a powerful female New York lawyer who is sent to New Orleans to handle a case. A misadventure results in…

Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to Hard Knocks, an hourlong drama from Virgil Williams (Mudbound, Criminal Minds), Debra Martin Chase’s Martin Chase Productions (Get Christie Love) and Universal TV. Written and executive produced by Williams, Hard Knocks is an hourlong, cop procedural drama about a…

Prolific film and TV producer Debra Martin Chase has signed a multi-year first-look deal at Universal Television, where she will develop new projects for network, cable and streaming services via her Martin Chase Productions. News of the deal follows the pilot production commitment at ABC for hot contemporary spy…

Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle) is set to produce The Black Calhouns, a miniseries for ABC that chronicles the story of one African American family against the backdrop of major events in American history. The project, now in development, is based on The Black Calhouns, the family history book written by Gail Lumet…

I hear TNT is developing Conviction, a legal drama inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, the chief prosecutor of Wayne County, MI, known as the toughest woman in Detroit. How To Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis is executive producing the project with Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle). Empire co-executive producer Ayanna…

Showtime is developing 36-24-36, a half-hour comedy executive produced by author/screenwriter/playwright Delia Ephron (You’ve Got Mail) and producer Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle). Written by Ephron, 36-24-36, whose title refers to what had been considered “ideal” female model measurements, is about the first black TV…

EXCLUSIVE: ABC has put in development Legacy, a drama from feature producer Debra Martin Chase, which is described as a sexy soap and a modern-day twist on the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations. Jeremy Anderson and Patrick Moss will write the script and will co-executive produce. Martin will executive…

EXCLUSIVE: Feature producer Debra Martin Chase is making a major move in television with a two-year overall deal at ABC Studios. Under the pact, Chase will develop series projects through her company, Martin Chase Prods., with the help of a dedicated TV executive she is in the process of hiring.The deal brings Chase…