Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have sold their first project this season, a female-centered, character-driven drama, which has landed at CBS with a script commitment plus penalty. Written by Anna Fricke, the untitled project is based on Robyn O’Brien, an author, researcher and mother of four who has become an unlikely advocate for cleaning up the food supply. It centers on a congresswoman, wife and mother who fights for the underdog. 20th Century Fox TV and Kurtzman and Orci’s studio-based K/O Paper Products are producing, with Fricke, Kurtzman and Orci executive producing. K/O president Heather Kadin also is expected to exec produce, with O’Brien on board as consultant. Along with her husband, fellow TV writer Jeremy Carver, UTA-repped Fricke developed Syfy’s adaptation of Being Human. The two are executive producing and running the series, which has been renewed for a second season. This is the second development season for K/O. Last year, they sold 2 projects that went to pilot at Fox, Locke & Key and Exit Strategy starring Ethan Hawke. Neither made the cut to series, though there is still a slim chance that Locke & Key might be resurrected, with MTV recently expressing some interest. Kurtzman and Orci are a little late to the TV pitch season this year because of feature commitments. Kurtzman just completed his feature directorial debut, Welcome to People, which he and Orci co-wrote, and the two are also working with J.J. Abrams on the Star Trek sequel.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.