20th launching 'Action News'

Grammer, Heaton in talks to star on show
By JOSEF ADALIAN


Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton are in talks with 20th Century Fox TV to topline a half-hour comedy from producers Christopher Lloyd ("Frasier") and Steve Levitan ("Just Shoot Me").

Assuming a final deal can be worked out, 20th will immediately begin pitching the project to nets.

Levitan and Lloyd wrote the laffer on spec. Dubbed "Action News," it revolves around the reteaming of two local news anchors, to be played by Heaton and Grammer.
Not surprisingly, it's expected 20th will be seeking a major financial commitment to the project. Grammer and Heaton commanded seven- and mid-six-figure per-episode fees, respectively, for their work on "Frasier" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Levitan and Lloyd don't work cheap, either.

Historically, such star-packed packages have provoked bidding wars among the nets.
About 18 months ago, CBS and NBC nearly came to blows with Warner Bros. TV for the rights to both "The Class" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Neither one of those projects had onscreen talent attached at the script stage.

If the project goes forward, it would rep the first major production for Levitan and Lloyd's 20th Century Fox TV-based production pod, which set up shop at the studio last summer.

Grammer has been weighing the idea of a TV comeback for a few months. In October, he told Daily Variety he was considering one idea for a project, perhaps one he'd produce himself via his overall deal at CBS Paramount Network Television.

Heaton was attached to topline a pilot for ABC last development season, but the Alphabet ultimately passed. Grammer has been a prolific producer at CBS Par.