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In the first full development cycle since Carol Mendelsohn brought in Julie Weitz as president of her CBS TV Studios-based production company last year, Carol Mendelsohn Prods has sold a half-dozen projects to CBS, CW and FX, including cop drama Throwdown Gun to FX penned by LA Confidential author James Ellroy. Most of the company’s broadcast projects are based on books. The list includes three shows at CBS: FBI drama The Murder Room, based on the book by Michael Capuzzo and written by feature scribe George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum); female cop drama Widow Detective, penned by 
David Hubbard (feature Noel); and another cop drama, Two Badges, based on the book by Mona Ruiz and Geoff Boucher and penned by Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife). At the CW, Carol Mendelsohn Prods is behind Unearthly, a supernatural drama based on the book by Cynthia Hand and written by Hellcats creator Kevin Murphy, and The Hollows, based on the book series by Kim Harrison and penned by Jordan Hawley (Smallville). Additionally, the company recently received a pilot order from TNT for Scent Of The Missing, an adaptation of Susannah Charleson’s novel written by Mendelsohn, Treena Hancock and Melissa R. Byer. That project stars Tricia Helfer as an adrenaline-junkie leader of a canine search-and-rescue team who assists law enforcement agencies with her partner, a golden retriever. WME-repped Mendelsohn, who continues to run CBS’ mothership CSI series, executive produces all projects along with Weitz. Here are descriptions of the shows on the company’s development slate:
The Murder Room (CBS), based on the book by Michael Capuzzo
True story of a world famous profiler, forensic artist, and leading investigator for the FBI who form a team to investigate crimes that have stupefied law enforcement around the world.
EP/W: George Nolfi
Widow Detective (CBS)
After having three partners killed in the line of duty, a decorated police detective adopts their families, becoming husband/ lover/ father.
EP/W: David Hubbard
Two Badges (CBS), based on the book by Mona Ruiz and Geoff Boucher
Mona Ruiz is a decorated police detective, the wife of a gangbanger in prison for murder and the mother of a son destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. A woman who oscillates between two worlds: the barrio she was born into and the city she protects.
EP/W: Ted Humphrey
Unearthly (CW), based on the book by Cynthia Hand
A girl who realizes that her destiny is to become an angel.
EP/W: Kevin Murphy
EP: Robin Schorr
The Hollows (CW), based on the bestselling book series The Hollows by Kim Harrison
Set in an urban fantasy world, Rachel Morgan, a PI witch, works with local law enforcement agencies to combat threats both mundane and supernatural.
EP/W: Jordan Hawley
Throwdown Gun (FX)
The lives of a white cop and a black cop are forever intertwined after covering up a violent crime while on duty — the consequences of which alter race relations in Los Angeles.
EP/W: James Ellroy
EP: Clark Peterson
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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So nice to see one of Hollywood’s top female showrunners give a leg up to talented female writer/producers. Wait… wrong article.
Writer 88 I noticed she hired few women writers except for Scent of Missing and she rewrote them.
C.M. is not into taking an creative risks. That’s clear. I can guarantee you a woman will be murdered over 75% of the time on every single one of these generic sounding cop shows. C.M. is one of the hardworking, nice ones but all the women characters on her shows look like sex toys and some woman is always being gruesomely killed.
None of her shows are courageous or ambitious in terms of storytelling. I thinks she’s terrified to step out of this wheelhouse. Granted she’s been successful but how much money does she need to make? It’s all a formula at the end of the day with no character development to speak of.
She’s laughing all the way to the bank with this stuff.
Not a lot of women hired by these two women. But a lot of shows with guns about violence.
As long as the audience wants this garbage someone has to make it. But it’s kind of like making porn. Mendohlson has made a fortune making CSI. Why keep doing the same? Is that all people will buy from her?
So excited that the Hallows may be coming to TV!!!!!! I saw some negative comments regarding cop shows up above. Even though that’s how they wrote the description, it’s not what the Hallows is about at all. It’s an excellent series and I know all of Kim’s fans will be thrilled!! Heck, maybe people will like the show and, oh, I dont’ know, pick up a book!!!!!
i agree love the series!!!
I am absolutely excited about seeing the Hollows on TV. I’m a devout fan of the Hollows and simply can’t wait…
I am very excited to see that the Hollows will be on TV … I sooooo will be watching!!! Can’t Wait!!! Love the Books!!!…. (( the women are the heros in this ))
Reading this news made my day! I’ve been a fan of Kim Harrison’s Hollow’s series for years, read and re-read all of the books. I can’t wait to see this on screen! I just hope it is cast correctly, unlike the Twilight Series… Lead Actress with talent would be wonderful!!
I would be thrilled to see The Hollows as a TV series. I have been reading the books as long as Kim Harrison has been writing the series. This is exciting news and I would love to see it come to TV.
Awesome!!! How great would that be..it’s such a bad**s series!! Bring me some Jenks!;-)
The Hollows is a rich trove of material, with some great character development, and plenty of material for actors and writers to use in creating a visually enthralling performance. Plus, some location shooting in Northern Ky and Cincy (where most of the books occur) would get good tax development breaks from Frankfort and Columbus. Sounds like a winner. I nominate Dichen Lachman to play Ivy (she did that crazy vamp in the Canadian “Being Human”). I think she could nail the emotional conflict of Ivy in the first two seasons.
books are the best, although I am eager to see how well they can pull off one of Kim’s books. I look forward to seeing Rachel and Ivy’s characters on the t.v. As for women with guns…that is so far off her character. I think the other person who commented on all the garbage on television was thinking of all the reality trash they have on now. No offense, but let’s all put reality aside and let our imaginations take us away. Go Kim!
I am so excited to see that The Hollows will finally be visiting the screen but I have to say that I am disappointed in Hollywood for not giving it the recognition and limelight that it deserves. This is a massive book series with an even more massive following that continues to grow so much that even the first few novels are gracing the New York Times bestsellers list YEARS after their original publication dates. I had hoped to see this series adapted for the big screen but I also realize that the more books there are in a series the harder it is to make movies out of it – Harry Potter was a once-in-a-lifetime exception and even it struggled a bit here and there.
But Kim Harrison’s work is every bit as rich and deep as Rowling’s so as long as the writers stay true to what we who love the books love about the books, they should do well. If they go overboard the millions of Harrison fans will reject it because we have invested so much of our passion into her books – so they had better be careful.
I should also mention that I am disappointed that her series is only making it to the CW? What is wrong with network TV these days? Major stations are picking up some of the dumbest shows that I have ever seen and I’ll tell you what, I am also completely sick of the 80-million CSI/NCIS/Law & Order spin-offs that just WON’T DIE! They are all the same and sure, I liked them for a few years but they are soooooo tired! The Hollows is new, fresh, insanely unique and creative – it deserves a better Network!!!
C’mon people! Look at how well shows like Being Human and Vampire Diaries are doing – and they’re not even that unique! Obviously the public is shifting from tech-law crime dramas to supernatural fiction so could we PLEASE reconsider the network arrangement and put the Hollows somewhere better like CBS?
Yeah I know, The Hollows is a bit edgy for CBS but so what? They need to pull their heads out of the sand for a change and give the world something different. Baby-food TV is making us all sick anyway. Take a chance! CSI died (or should have) with Will Peterson, putting the same show in a different city with different actors (CSI Miami/New York and NCIS LA) is a cop out that just proves you’re lacking original ideas and How I Met Your Mother has ALWAYS SUCKED.
Just two-cents from someone who never ever watches a single show on PrimeTime CBS.
I love the Hollows series by Kim Harrison! I’m so happy for her! I am ready to be a fan of the TV show too!
Why, after decades, is TV still doing the same old same old? Look at all these generic ideas. Cop shows. Wow.
If these are the kinds of tired ideas that “creatives” are putting out and networks are buying, there is NO HOPE for compelling new material on TV.
In the year 3000, if humanity makes it that far, I guess our descendants can look forward to shows like BADGE PATROL and POLICE COPS. And in movies, BATMAN XXXIV and IRON MAN MCLV.
And no, I am not a frustrated writer, as seems to be the standard invective on this site. Creating stuff to entertain people is not my job. I am a REAL COP staying at the house of a friend in the entertainment industry, who showed me this site. All I want is to watch some interesting new characters on TV.
And why is this producer person taking out a press release trumpeting these sales when they could just wind up being unmade scripts that don’t even make it to the pilot stage? I’d keep my mouth shut until I had a real success on the air.
Everything else is hot air.
DROP DOWN GUN, from Ellroy & the guy who EP’d MONSTER…on FX….yeah THAT sounds like a winner right there indeed!
And of course the article, both here & HTR, gets corrected, so the name is THROWDOWN GUN…got me looking crazy! LOL
Two class acts. Congratulations.
Man, do I hear you. When my mother was in intensive care for weeks, my family desperately wanted a break from anything to do with hospitals. We turned on the TV and all we saw were more doctors and nurses.
Look folks, most of these are bought just so execs can keep their jobs and “develop” the material until this time next year when they do the same thing again… And again. Kudos to Mendelsohn.
Then our job is to refuse to watch this cookie cutter crap so they’ll lose their jobs.
Which interestingly enough, “we” are doing en masse. Just look at the continued migration away from boring broadcast to cable, where every so often, something original can be found.
I’m with ya.
Throwdown Gun is the only decent concept here. The rest just seem like more bland crime procedurals.
Crime Procedurals want be compelling and somewhat progressive again.
They need to actually be character driven and real organic character development. They also seriously need significant more creativity by the writers.
It is a mystery why networks, facing declining audiences, continue to serve up the same gruel (medical, legal, cop shows).
Even the two non-lawyer/cop/doctor shows in that list – Unearthly and The Hollows – are highly derivative of other fantasy shows that have come and gone.
How about a good Star Trek-like space opera series? Since BSG ended, there hasn’t been one (well unless you count Stargate which I try not to think about). There’s an unserved market. Someone go serve that market.
What about a show where you star in space as the galaxy’s last doughy male lover in a universe full of desperate women with low morals?
Have you read The Hollows? It is not like the other paranormal’s out there right now except it is paranormal. That’s like saying all space shows are like Star Trek.
The Hollows is nothing like other cop stories. They really did the story line a disservice by describing it the way they did. I understand why people would feel this way about it, since the description is so bland and generic, but it’s anything BUT a “cop show” and nothing like “a fantasy show that has come and gone” in the past.
Well said. The Hollows certainly puts an original spin on the paranormal. I am excited to see this happen. I just hope they stay true to the story and characters; it is so disappointing when screenwriters ruin a great story when the “Hollywoodize” it.
Hollows is a great series. Original and fun to read. I hope that the small screen doesn’t screw it up like HBO did with True Blood.
The Hollows is a TERRIFIC series of books!!! This is NOT the normal run-of-the-mill TV story, IF they do it justice. And Rachel is a bounty hunter, not a PI. Course they may change that in the show also. She is a strong woman character who gets herself into and out of incredible situations. Hope they stay true to the books.
I agree 100% ! it’s wonderful to have a sexy funny yet powerful heroine who screws up sometimes. look how popular the closer was for TNT !
I pray that they maintain the integrity of the storyline in the books. It’s a fabulous story and the little blurb doesn’t do it justice.
This is amazing news and I can’t wait to watch! My husband and I both love these books and have been reading them for years! All I can say is, Tinks Panties I’m excited!
The Hollows could be a great series if CW gives it a chance The Dresden Files got axed about the time Butcher fans adjusted to the plot changes it was dropped. TV networks seem to have trouble understanding that most SF/Fantasy program viewers are literate and probably know the source book(s) better than do the “adapted-for-tv” writers.
The Hollows is not like all the other sci fi fantacy shows out there. I am very excited for this show to come out, only if they follow the book. There have been too many books made to tv series that fall short because the networks don’t remember that these books have a fan base already, and are looking for the books to come to life. I have fallin in love with the charactors and would be highly disapointed should they not be in the series or changed for what ever reason.
Ok CW, Here is your chance to have a top rated TV series. Just stay with the story line as closely as possible and watch the ratings climb. The paranormal genre is huge and its one that hasnt been really tapped in to because its not pure horror which turns lots of people off and usually has no storyline. There is another series that would kick butt called the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward that would make an addictive series….just check out how many books have been sold CW producers. You would have a huge fan base before the show even starts if you follow the books storyline. I love Charlene Harris and even though True Blood could really rock if they went by the book I still won’t go anywhere on Sunday evenings because its my favorite show on TV. So a word to the wise The Hollows is a terrific story don’t change it and you will have an addicted aduience who will spread the word on what to watch the night the Hollows previews. Good Luck and THANKS for picking such a great story!
I disagree with the classification of the Hollows as derivative. The books by Ms Harrison are funny, suspenseful and very intriguing. I believe that the Star Trek/BSG train left the station many years ago, and that the last good space western was, in fact, Firefly. But that is just my opinion.
Regards,
Sre
Plus Kim Harrison has the most wonderful imagination. Her characters aren’t cookie cutter characters where everything just goes there way and falls into place. Rachel Morgan has short falls and gets herself into sticky situations. The question I keep asking myself is who is going to play Jinks?
Julie Weitz is amazing, congrats to her and the new company!
Julie is one of the foulest women I’ve ever done business with. Angry and vindictive, on a good day. I have tired on many occasions to have a plesant phone conversation with her. Impossible.
I’ve done business with her and I think she’s really scary. Not because she’s a woman with power but because I think she’s really scary. She can hold a grudge until the end of time even after she’s run you over with her car.
Glad to see my two favorite gym teachers are lighting up the scoreboard! Keep hustling, Coach!
since everyone else is on here complaining im going to say something positive im glad to finally see one of my favorite authors get recognition on tv. the hollows series by kim harrison is an awesome read and i am sure that it will be a most awesome show aswell because she put outs the effort to make it entertaining on more than one level. its not just another cop show maybe one of these days you all will actually pick u a book before turning on the tv!
I agree with you 100%!! I love Kim’s books and have every one of them. If what i am reading is true about this person making the movies it does not sound like it will last long and that would be awful for every one who loves her books!! This could be just as big as True Blood if handled right.
The Hollows is a great series and I am literally thrilled. I only hope that they don’t ruin it in the process of production. If they manage to keep the spirit of the book, not just the characters and general plot, it will be great. There’s not just “cop drama” or supernatural stuff in it, but wickedly wonderful humor and a fantastic interaction between characters that develops over time. The books are dramatic AND funny … well written, exciting, and don’t take themselves overly seriously. NOT like anything else on the air, at least not that I know about. And I am quite sure that I would know.
The Hollows is going to be aired on CW. Have you watched anything on that channel? With the exception of Supernatural, every show is written to be dumbed down for the typical 15 year old who wouldn’t know a book if it bit them in the ass. No.. not all teenagers are like that, but when you watch shows like The Vampire Diaries or The Secret Circle they seem to be almost written for the vast majority of viewers whose ideas of reading are trashy celeb magazines and Cosmo. Most of the writers on these shows are men and what they come up with, especially when dealing with female characters, is how they think teenage girls talk. I haven’t been a teenage girl in 8 years, but I still find it offensive.
I’ve read fan fiction written better then the scripts they produce on that channel. Again, except for Supernatural.
Rachel Morgon is being given a disservice by being put on this channel. She’s going to be dumbed down and played by some actress who is hired because of her looks and not her talents (The chick who plays Elana on The Vampire Diaries.. she’s a model. She’s not an actress and you can tell.. she’s horrible.)
Not only that, but the directors for that channel only know three camera set-ups.. close up, wide shot and two shot.
Kim is going to be in the same boat as Charlaine Harris – she will have next to no say in what happens to these characters and were going to end up with an abortion of what The Hollows is supposed to be.
The only way this show has a chance is if the writers actually know the books and if the writers are from Supernatural.
Can’t say I’m thrilled that the Hallows is being made into a show. I am thoroughly disgusted with the way they destroyed the Sookie Stackhouse books on HBO. I suppose I could just not watch, but then anyone who has read the books knows that that just isn’t possible. I would HAVE to see who they cast for the roles…I just hope I can continue to read the books afterwards….
I say read the books and ignore the show. I stopped watching True Blood after the second season; and that I could hardly sit through. I read the last book and I’m extremely disappointed that Charlaine wrote it to go along with the tone of the show. I’m really hoping Kim doesn’t do that. I prefer her books over the Sookie ones and I would hate to have a much beloved series destroyed because of it.
Knowing it’s going to be aired on CW, be prepared for the possibility that the actors and actresses are going to be haired solely based on their looks and not their acting ability.
Here, Here!! I completely agree with everything you said. I was excited that it was coming to the screen, even went so far as to purchase the first season on DVD. But then after watching the train wreck they made of season two, I sold my dvds and refuse to watch them continue to destroy the characters.
After seeing what being taken to the small screen has done for books like Sookie Stackhouse and the Dresden Files, I live in real fear of the Hollows series being taken down that same road.
I personally am looking forward to The Hollows…it is a great book series & very different & much more in-depth than the rest of the supernatural characters series that are big right now (ahem…Twilight; Vampire Diaries). Hopefully, this series will actually make to the small screen…
Julie Weitz is a former agent from WME. She’s gonna have to change her incredibly rude style and be nice to EP/Writers. She so loathes talent. You can see it in her face. She truly doesn’t live in the real world or know how to be real with people. I think agenting drives all the humor and compassion out of a person. Especially as a woman at such a nasty place as WME. She should go work at a soup kitchen for a few months and get some therapy and then start her job for one of the nicest women in Hollywood.
Julie doesn”t
loath talent, What are you smoking? It’s not easy trying to get the old white guys to break with their old ideas of determaning what sells. Julie is passionate about her work and gets frustrated (you would be too) when the quality of a project is put in jepardy because the OWG’s have made or want to make some backroom deal with a (pick one) producer, director, ect: You make this, we’ll get that made for you….. Even if the (pick one) prod. Dir. writer ect… is completely wrong for a project Julie is working on.
Shows based on the supernatural are big with the viewing public. I love the Hollows series as books… As a show… will be even better. If there’s going to be any more cop shows at least make them supernaturaly tasty.
Yay! Sooo excited to see The Hollows! Excellent that women are taking over the programming! That series is awesome in the extreme. Excited to see what you can do with it. Television has gotten so much better of late, I rarely even want to go see a movie in a theater! Good work!
I am an avid reader of Kim Harrison’s “The Hollows” series. If they do it right, I’d love to see my favorite characters on TV. Sadly most books to TV get butchered along the way.
V^^^^V
I truly hope “The Hollows” lives up to the books. The books are far from blah stuff we have on TV right now. If it is as good as it sounds, I’ll come back to network TV.
I love Kim Harrison’s books The Hollows series. I can’t wait to see how they create Jinx, her partner in crime solving, who is a 4′ pixie!
I love The Hallows series. Very excited to see how they handle several of the characters!
Ummmm……if you ACTUALLY READ the series…..it’s Jenks, and he’s like 6INCHES…..not four FEET…….
Jenks is 4 inches tall. I’ve read all the Hollows books. I really can’t wait to see it made into a tv series. And if it isn’t good…well I’ll just go back to reading the series over again. It really isn’t like anything on tv now.
As a fan of the Hollows book series, I must say it sound like a generic supernatural show in synopsis but if they are true to the fan base and the novels – it will kick ass! Also excited that Jordan Hawley is writing, as I am also a Superman comic book reader, and he did a great job balancing everything. <3
I have read all of the Hollows series by Kim Harrison and it would make a fantastic series, if you stick to the books and don’t cut a bunch of stuff out (like Twilight did!). These books are well written and can really give the viewers some wonderful entertainment.
Unfortunately, the writeup on the hollows doesn’t do it justice. Unless, of course, they just take the character from a great bookseries and write lame serial episodes about it. This has the potential to be a great show and different too
Kim Harrison is a very unusual writer in the paranormal field. Not only are her characters very real and well written, they are funny too. I hope this one comes on and survives!