Development News - October 10, 2019
CBS' The United States of Al and Freeform's Close Up.
FREEFORM's CLOSE UP
- Fivel Stewart, Anthony Keyvan, Karin Konoval, Yaani King Mondschein, Sean Blakemore, Jennifer Spence, Megan Charpentier, Alexander Grant and Van Crosby have been cast on the drama pilot written by Keith Staskiewicz. Furthermore, Natalie Chaidez (Queen of the South) has signed on as showrunner for the potential series, while Alex Kalymnios (The 100, Titans) will direct the pilot.
- Stewart (Atypical) will play Rachel, a natural leader whose ends are as honorable as her means are questionable. Her righteous indignation serves as both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness.
- Keyvan (Alexa & Katie) will play Jeremy. Smart, athletic, hardworking and genuine, he is used to everything falling into place, which makes his electric and complicated relationship with Rachel all the more intriguing. But he carries guilt over keeping a devastating secret.
- Konoval (Planet of the Apes franchise) will play Martine, the caretaker of the Centreville Visitor Center. She has an air of mystery, which will slowly be uncovered, and understands deception is sometimes the only way to expose the truth.
- Mondschein (The Haves and the Have Nots) will play Dr. Reddy, a high school psychologist who is easy to trust, even when you know you shouldn't.
- Blakemore (General Hospital) will play Sheriff Griff, whose investigation into a recent event forces him to decide between his duty to his town and his obligation to the law.
- Spence (You Me Her) will play Tessa, Rachel's mother who was once a powerful lawyer but now finds herself in a cycle of self-destruction.
- Charpentier (It franchise) will play Abby, who is smart and endearingly awkward. She can't help but see things from other people's perspectives, even those who make fun of her.
- Grant will play Sean, who is confident and appealing, but is smarter than he appears and knows how to look out for himself.
- Crosby (Splitting Up Together) will play Alex, the class clown and classic follower. A bit naive, he blindly believes what he's been told but slowly discovers the truth about what happened in his town.
CBS NEW PILOT ORDER
- THE UNITED STATES OF AL (Comedy, Multi-Camera) - Written by The Big Bang Theory's David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari. Executive produced by Goetsch, Ferrari, Chuck Lorre, Reza Aslan and Mahyad Tousi. Produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions. Logline: The comedy centers on the friendship between Riley, a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir aka Al, the Afghan interpreter who served with his unit and has just arrived to start a new life in America.
