Though Sarah Jessica Parker's guest spots on Fox’s Glee well well-appreciated, her fans have been waiting over a decade for the Sex and the City actress to return to TV in full form. (Or even to get some kind of a SATC-free movie career going.) Worry no more, for Parker is relocating to Philadelphia for the series Busted, a true crime drama that will be produced by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (All is Bright) and Anonymous Content (True Detective).
SKE secured the rights to Busted, the nonfiction work formally known as Busted: A Tale of Corruption and Betrayal in the City of Brotherly Love, which was written by investigative journalists Wendy Ruderman and Barbara Laker and published in March of this year. The two women won a Pulitzer Prize for their work, which was first published in the Philadelphia Daily News for a 10-month stretch in 2009 under the moniker “Tainted Justice.”
They uncovered a stream of corruption that “started” back in 2003 when Benny Martinez became an informant within the Philadelphia Police Department’s narcotics squad, which led to tons of arrests and busts; but they all overshadowed a pretty shitty way of achieving justice. Like The Shield turned up to 11, these guys would terrorize citizens, loot stores, rape women and more. That is, until Martinez started talking to Ruderman and Laker, and the rest is dark, dark history.
It looks like Parker would be taking one of the main journalist roles, and SKE and Anonymous Content are waiting until they have a full cast rounded up before shopping it around to networks, according to Deadline. It’s easy to see this kind of series working on HBO or FX, but I can’t imagine this project being any good if it ends up on a basic cable network. ABC would dilute it down to nothing and Fox would cancel it right after the opening credits.
Busted is getting adapted by Don Roos, who is writing the pilot. His career goes back to the classic 1980s series Hart to Hart, but he’s most recently known for penning Marley & Me and creating the Showtime comedy Web Therapy with Lisa Kudrow. Marley & Me director David Frankel will helm the pilot, making this something of a reunion for all, as both men worked with executive producer and SKE President of Production Carla Hacken when she was with Fox 2000, and Frankel handled a half-dozen episodes of Sex in the City.
Feel free to stay tuned for more information about Busted. We promise not to rough you up if you don't.
