ABC Buys Soap/Thriller Produced By Jerry Bruckheimer

BY NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday October 7, 2011 @ 4:35pm PDT

EXCLUSIVE: ABC has bought Secret Lives Of Husbands And Wives, an hourlong project from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and writer Sascha Penn. Inspired by Josie Brown’s 2010 novel that takes on life love, marriage, infidelity and friendship in suburban California, the project is described as thriller/dramatic soap that centers on a murder and the secrets exposed in its aftermath. Penn, Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman will executive produce, with KristieAnne Reed co-executive producing. This is the second consecutive development season in which Penn is adapting a book to the small screen. Last year, he wrote Confessions Of A Back-Up Dancer for the CW. On the feature side, Penn, repped by CAA and Madhouse Entertainment, has sold his spec sci-fi actioner The Ditch to Warner Bros and another spec, action/thriller Gone, to the Chinese company Hollywood Movie Works, with Pierce Brosnan producing. This is the fourth sale for Bruckheimer TV this season. The company previously landed put pilot commitments for a 1980s pro wresting drama executive produced by Dwayne Johnson at NBC, a Navy SEALs drama at ABC and a procedural about a mom-turned-New York State Trooper at CBS.

Comments (22)

  • I’ve seen that show, it’s called Desperate Housewives.

    Comment by tete — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 4:51pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • That sounds pretty cool for ABC – anything under the Bruckheimer banner is going to work. go sascha penn!

    Comment by Roger — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 4:52pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • A Bruckheimer soap??

    Hmm.. should be interesting.

    Comment by celebeverything — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 5:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Sounds like a great movie but how do you hang a TV series on one murder?

    Comment by Lainiejay — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 5:46pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • Call it The Killing

      Comment by Doyy — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:28pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • You’re right: Twin Peaks, The Killing, Desperate Housewives, Pretty Little Liars, Murder One, et al., none of those worked.

      Comment by anonymous — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • Well, if it worked for Desperate Housewives…enough said. Besides, I know Josie and it couldn’t have happened to a better person. Congrats, Josie.

      Comment by Natasha — Wednesday October 19, 2011 @ 6:04pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Congrats Josie Brown. Loved the book can’t wait to see the show.

    Comment by AndyBoy — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:26pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Can’t believe they’re rebooting DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES so soon!

    Comment by BRETT — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:35pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • i like it. nice work sascha penn!

    Comment by ds — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:37pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • This dude wrote a pilot called “UNKNOWN” that was one of the best pilots I’ve ever read. And I’ve read way too many pilots. I’m excited to see what comes of this.

    Comment by Gern Blanston — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:50pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • @Lainiejay
    Try “The Fugitive”. A whole series about one murder.

    Comment by Bobby — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 6:57pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Ever heard of TWIN PEAKS?

    Comment by T — Friday October 7, 2011 @ 7:13pm PDT  Reply to this post
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