While much has been made of feature filmmakers transitioning to cable, where there are more opportunities to tell original stories, it's not like networks don't like to have their own share of easy-sell properties. And one of the biggest trends to emerge in the past year is the sheer number of movies being developed into TV shows. In the past month we've seen news on "Fargo," "A Knight's Tale," and "The Good Shepherd" all headed to the small screen, and now another feature is joining their ranks.
Jason Katims, the man behind "Parenthood" and "Friday Night Lights" (two shows that are also based on movies) is bringing "About A Boy" to NBC. As you know, the original and pretty charming movie starred Hugh Grant as an unapologetic bachelor who crosses paths with a kid, played by a young Nicholas Hoult, and learns the rich rewards of being a parent…or at least a guardian. The comedy series won't change things up too much as it will also center on a bachelor, but one who develops a relationship with the kid next doors who lives with his "kooky" single mom. Sounds pretty…sitcom-y, which is exactly what Chris and Paul Weitz mostly avoided with their film, but then again it's going to be on NBC.
Back in 2003, Fox tried to launch a series based on the movie starring Patrick Dempsey, with a pilot directed by TV vet Ken Kwapis, but it never made it, so we'll see if Katims and NBC can unlock the secret here. We suppose the potential is there, but given how committee-oriented network shows tend to be, we're keeping any optimism at bay. [Deadline]