Paul Drinkwater/NBCWhat a week for Amy Poehler.
Coming off rave reviews for her second year hosting the Golden Globes—and finally winning her first major acting award there—Poehler has scored a new overall development deal with NBC, the networks' chairman Robert Greenblatt announced.
Poehler has inked a three-year deal to develop new series, and will produce a new comedy pilot called Old Soul, starring Orange Is the New Black star Natasha Lyonne. It's about a woman trying to find where she fits in between her friends.
"We look forward to working with Amy in developing new shows as she continues her role on Parks," Greenblatt told reporters at the TCA Press Tour in Pasadena, hoping to put aside any concerns that this means Parks and Recreation may be ending.
Knope she can!
Katherine Heigl is also returning to TV—starring and executive producing a new CIA drama called State of Affairs. NBC officially picked up the pilot, after a multiple network bidding war.
The drama, revolves around a CIA officer (Heigl), who becomes the president's daily briefer. If the pilot is picked up to series in May, this would be Heigl's first TV project since she left Grey's Anatomy in 2010.
And apparently, Oz is the place to be on network TV. Not only is ABC sending Once Upon a Time to the land of Oz in the final nine episodes of the season, introducing Rebecca Mader as the Wicked Witch, but NBC announced today the pick up of a new straight-to-series project entitled Emerald City, which Greenblatt describes as "thrilling" and "epic." The show will focus on a 20-year-old Dorothy in what is "not your grandmother's Oz." 10 episodes have been picked up for 2015.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)