Saved! creators set sights on small screen

After putting the feature world on notice with their first film, the out duo responsible for Saved! are looking to make a splash in television. Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban have inked a deal with indie comedy producer Carsey-Werner (That '70s Show) to develop a half-hour project targeted for fall 2005. The concept for the show is yet to be determined, with Dannelly and Urban bouncing around several ideas. "I think the main thing is that currently on TV, there are so few shows that reflect the times that we live in," said Dannelly, who directed the critically praised Saved! from a script he wrote with Urban. "We live in these exciting, divided, really interesting times, and I think there is a way to address those issues in a smart, funny way." Urban echoed that sentiment. "We live in a very divided time, so you have to be careful not to exclude the red states and the blue states; you want to try to develop something that will bring that together," he said. "And we're always interested in the outsider, so the stories that we are developing reflect that: people who are trying to find their place in the world." Dannelly and Urban will write and executive-produce the project, with Dannelly attached to direct. Dannelly made his TV directorial debut in the summer with the Showtime comedy pilot Weeds, starring Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins. Saved!--a quirky coming-of-age dramedy set in the world of Christian education--starred Macaulay Culkin, Mandy Moore, and Jena Malone. "The characters were phenomenal, and to be able to skewer organized religion in a good-natured way--it's actually a feel-good movie in its own way--that's great writing," said Kathy Busby, the company's senior vice president and head of development.