Ilene Chaiken Sets Universal TV Overall Deal, Boards ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ as Showrunner

EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan I. Kidd and Sonya Winton-Odamtten, co-executive producers and writers of HBO’s critically acclaimed woke sci-fi horror Lovecraft Country, have extended their overall deal with the premium cable network for four years. Under their re-upped eight-figure deal, the pair will develop the limited series Say Their Names.

The Keepers of the Keys will continue as Netflix has handed supernatural thriller Locke & Key a third season.

EXCLUSIVE: DreamWorks Animation has extended its relationship with Joel Crawford, director of The Croods: A New Age. The studio has made a first-look development and directing deal with Crawford, an animation vet, in a deal made by Margie Cohn, President, DreamWorks Animation. This comes after the Croods sequel was released in theaters and will be premiering on Premium VOD on Friday.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC is in early development on a primetime version of the classic daytime soap opera “All My Children.”The project is currently titled “Pine Valley,” named after the fictional Philadelphia suburb that served as the setting for “All My Children.” In the new series, a young journalist with a secret agenda comes to expose the dark and murderous history of a town named Pine Valley only to become entangled in a feud between the Kane and Santos families.Leo Richardson is set

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has given a series order to the drama “Yellowjackets,” Variety has learned.The show was originally ordered to pilot at the premium cabler last September. The cast for the one-hour series is led by Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Tawny Cypress.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCAA has signed a deal with the Writers Guild of America, Variety has learned.“CAA and the WGA have concluded and signed a franchise agreement confirming CAA can resume representing writers and continue the important work of helping them realize their ambitions,” the agency said in a statement.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSebastian Stan and Lily James are in talks to star in a Hulu limited series about Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson.The project will delve into the tumultuous relationship between the rock star and the model/actress, including the infamous incident in which their honeymoon sex tape was stolen and leaked to the public.Rob Siegel will serve as writer on the eight-episode series, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg producing via Point Grey.

Will Thorne Staff WriterBruce W.

EXCLUSIVE: Liza Koshy, co-creator, executive producer, and star of YouTube series, Liza on Demand, has signed an overall deal with Westbrook Inc., the recently launched media company founded by Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRachel Polan has joined Jessica Rhoades’ Pacesetter Productions as senior vice president.In her new role, Polan will help identify and foster development for the company and add support to the current productions. In addition, Dana Echt has been named manager at Pacesetter.

EXCLUSIVE: Prolific TV creator Matt Miller is extending his long relationship with Warner Bros. TV by renewing his exclusive overall deal with the studio. As part of the new pact, Miller will executive produce Peacemaker, HBO Max’s TV spin-off of James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad movie, starring John Cena. The eight-episode series hails from Gunn, producer Peter Safran and Warner Bros. TV.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKatori Hall has signed an overall deal with Lionsgate Television.Hall currently serves as creator, executive producer, and showrunner on the Lionsgate-produced series “P-Valley,” which recently aired its first season on Starz. The show is based on Hall’s stage play “Pussy Valley.” Under the deal, Hall will continue to executive produce the “P-Valley” and develop and produce new premium scripted series for Lionsgate across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken has signed a big overall deal with Universal Television to develop and produce scripted content. As part of the pact, Chaiken will serve as executive producer/showrunner on the first season of NBC’s upcoming Law & Order: SVU spinoff series, Law & Order: Organized Crime, starring Chris Meloni, from Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has given a series order to “Extrapolations,” an anthology series about climate change from Scott Z. Burns, Variety has learned exclusively.Burns will write, direct, and executive produce the series, which hails from Media Res.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJessica Simpson has signed a multi-media deal with Amazon.The deal includes a new unscripted docuseries based on Simpson’s New York Times best-selling memoir “Open Book,” development of a new coming-of-age scripted series that is also inspired by the memoir, as well as two new original essays to be published through Amazon Original Stories, an imprint of Amazon Publishing.“I am humbled and honored to partner with Amazon Studios to bring my story and heart to life on the

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming Apple dramedy series “Physical” is rounding out its cast.In addition to previously announced series lead Rose Byrne, the cast of the show will also include Paul Sparks, Rory Scovel, Loy Taylor Pucci, Della Saba, Dierdre Friel, Ashley Liao.“Physical” follows Sheila (Byrne), a woman struggling in her life as a quietly tortured housewife in a 1980s Southern California beach community.

Katy Wallin and Stephanie Bloch Chambers, who run unscripted producer Wallin Chambers Entertainment, have extended their overall deal with Lionsgate.

Will Thorne Staff WriterMike McMahan, the creator of “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” is cementing his future at CBS Studios.The writer and producer has inked a new two-year overall deal with the studio. Under the pact, CBS Studios will have the exclusive rights to produce all TV content created and developed by McMahan.News of the deal comes exactly two months after “Lower Decks” wrapped its 10-episode first season run on CBS All Access.

Elaine Low Senior TV Writer“Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings” writer-producer Bryan Cogman has struck a multiyear overall deal with Entertainment One, which follows his most recent overall at Amazon Studios.Under the terms of the agreement, he is set to develop scripted television and new media projects for eOne.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLuckyChap Entertainment has signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.Under the deal, LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara will work with Amazon Studios to create television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.