Endemol Shine Studios has optioned U.S. remake rights to French cop drama series Engrenages which goes by the title Spiral in the States. I understand the project is being developed at Showtime. Tom Fontana (Borgia) and James Yoshimura (Homicide: Life Of The Street) are attached to co-write and executive produce with B…

EXCLUSIVE: Starz is developing an U.S. adaptation of the Italian drama Romanzo Criminale. It will be written by Steven S. DeKnight, creator/showrunner of Starz’s most successful original series, Spartacus, who is serving as executive producer and showrunner as part of his overall deal with the pay cable network…

Fox has put in development, Ball & Chain, a drama written/executive produced by Peter Ocko (Fairly Legal) and executive produced by Steve McPherson through Lionsgate TV. The project, which falls under McPherson’s first-look deals at Fox and Lionsgate, centers on two ex-operatives with screwed up personal lives who are…

EXCLUSIVE: In their second sale this season, Nichole Millard and Kathryn Price (The Game Plan) have set up drama Guilt at Fox with Stephen McPherson executive producing alongside them. The fictional project draws parallels to the story of Amanda Knox. Guilt, from Lionsgate TV and McPherson’s Wonder Monkey which has…

EXCLUSIVE: In their first development season as producers after long stints as top TV execs, David Janollari and Steve McPherson have teamed for a comedy project, which has sold to CBS in a competitive situation. Titled Sister Whipped, the comedy is being written by Hank Nelken (Saving Silverman) based on his…

EXCLUSIVE: Steve McPherson is betting on young new comedy voices in his first turn as a producer this season. The former ABC topper is backing a half-hour project by Juilliard graduate student Kate Gersten, which has sold to Fox through McPherson’s first-look deal with the network. Lionsgate TV, where McPherson also…

For his first sale in his new role as producer, former TV executive Steve McPherson has teamed with young writer Brandon Schwartz. A half-hour project from Schwartz and McPherson has landed at Fox, where McPherson has a first-look deal. Lionsgate TV, where McPherson also has a pact, is producing. Written by Schwartz…

Freelance writer Dominic Patten is a Deadline contributor UPDATE, 2:57 PM: Former ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson told the court this afternoon that he approved the killing off of Nicollette Sheridan’s Edie Britt character in May 2008, months before a head-hitting incident between Sheridan and Cherry on…

Freelance writer Dominic Patten is a Deadline contributor UPDATE, 4:45 PM: Here comes the big guy — former ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson is slated to testify in Nicollette Sheridan’s wrongful termination and battery trial on Friday at 1:30 PM. McPherson, who left ABC in 2010, has been cited in testimony…

Back in May, ABC’s previous boss Steve McPherson went for younger, hipper fare when programming new series Monday through Thursday. The show that seemed to be the closest to the ABC brand, Body of Proof – a female-driven procedural with a quirky central character and  headlined by a familiar ABC star, Dana Delany…

ABC is pulling the plug on freshman drama My Generation after 2 low-rated airings. This is the second casualty of the season following the recent cancellation of Fox’s Lone Star, also after 2 episodes. Production on the series, from sibling ABC Studios, has been halted. ABC will announce shortly what will air in the…

Peter Tolan’s 2005 line about Steve McPherson, “Steve, if you can hear me, fuck you,” has gone down in HRTS luncheon history as one of the most memorable panel moments ever. But five years later, Tolan was pretty subdued in his reaction to McPherson’s ouster at ABC. “Don’t speak ill of the dead,” is pretty much all he…