Latest in Universal Television

EXCLUSIVE: Showrunner and producer Ingrid Escajeda has signed a first look deal with Universal TV to develop and produce projects for broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Escajeda also launched her own shingle, Sugarwitch Productions. Under the Sugarwitch banner, she will write, develop and…

Universal Television is developing a series adaptation of Diane Marie Brown’s debut novel Black Candle Women with Jenna Bush Hager, who has a first-look deal with Universal Studio Group, under her production banner Thousand Voices. Hager is teaming with Bel-Air showrunner Carla Banks Waddles and Good Girls…

Malcolm D. Lee has extended his first-look deal with Universal Television, where he will continue to write, develop and produce new projects via his Blackmaled Productions banner for a variety of platforms. Lee made his directorial debut in 1999 with The Best Man. He recently concluded the franchise…

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Television is developing a TV adaptation of the novel Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft, who will also pen the series. Julie Plec and Emily Cummins will executive produce through Plec’s production banner, My So-Called Company as part of her overall deal with Universal…

NBC has given a pilot order to St. Denis Medical, a half-hour mockumentary-style workplace comedy from the Superstore and American Auto duo of Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin. The pilot is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, where both Spitzer and Ledgin have overall…

EXCLUSIVE: NBC is developing the hour-long family dramedy For Better And Worse from creators Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson, Rachel Kaplan’s Absecon Entertainment, and Universal Television, where Kaplan has an overall deal. Written by Deitchman and Robinson, For Better And Worse will follow the…

EXCLUSIVE: NBC is developing a new family drama series from A Million Little Things creator DJ Nash and Dana Honor, who was an exec producer on the first four seasons. The pair have sold Life, Changing with a penalty to the network as their ABC series is coming to an end with its fifth season…

UCP and Universal Television, divisions of Universal Studio Group, have each brought in an SVP-level development executive. Lee Daniels Entertainment President Marc Velez has been named SVP, Head of Development, for UCP, reporting to Jennifer Gwartz, EVP of UCP. Former Netflix executive Naketha Mattocks…

EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Hillier's novel Little Secrets is being adapted for the small screen. The thriller is in the works for Peacock from Tish Cyrus' HopeTown Entertainment, writer Melissa Scrivner Love and Universal Television. Little Secrets is a female-driven mystery thriller that pays homage…

A coming-of-age comedy inspired by Andy Cohen’s bestselling book Most Talkative is in the works at NBC. Titled Most Talkative, the project hails from Universal Television, with Blumhouse Television attached. Written by Gordon Greenberg and Michael Weiner and directed by Emmy winner Todd Holland, Most Talkative follows…

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Television is heading into the fantasy realm. The studio has come on board a TV series adaptation of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar literary universe. The Universal Studio Group company is developing The Heralds of Valdemar, based on a series of trilogies of novels. Kit Williamson, who created…

EXCLUSIVE: Drama writer-producer JJ Bailey is expanding his relationship with Universal Television. Bailey has signed an exclusive overall deal with the studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, to develop and produce projects across all platforms. He has set his first project under the deal, The Hunting Party, a…