FX gets Close to legal skein

Network takes legal thriller
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER


FX has ruled in favor of "Damages," picking up 13 episodes of the Glenn Close legal thriller.
Drama will head back to production in New York in May; cabler is targeting a late summer launch for the show, produced by Sony Pictures TV and FX Prods.

"All guns are a blazin' here in New York," said Todd A. Kessler, who created the show with Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler. "Having a series in New York City has been a dream come true for the three of us."

"Damages" reunites FX and Close, who starred in the fourth season of "The Shield."
This time out, Close plays Patty Hewes, a litigator who targets bigtime corporate execs (including a character played by Ted Danson).

Zelman described the show as "a legal thriller riding on top of a character drama," while Kessler said the show's overarching theme asks, "What price success in America?"

Show also stars Rose Byrne as a first-year associate who sees Close's character as a mentor; Tate Donovan as a partner at the law firm; and Zeljko Ivanek as the attorney for Danson's character.

"This is not like any legal show that I've ever seen," said FX prexy-general manager John Landgraf, who noted that the show doesn't enter the courtroom at all. Landgraf said the pilot, directed by Allen Coulter, will air as is, with no reshoots or changes.

Kessler lauded FX for "encouraging us to take creative risks and nurturing it," adding, "They really have fostered an environment over there for creative freedom," he said.

"There is no better combination than the right show at the right network, and we know 'Damages' is both at FX," Sony Pictures TV programming/production co-prexy Zack Van Amburg said.

FX is now eight for 10 with drama pilot pickups. Cabler execs pointed out that FX has produced only 10 drama pilots in its history and has ordered eight of them. Net will make a decision on whether to renew the Courteney Cox series "Dirt" in the coming weeks and decide on the currently airing, critically hailed entry "The Riches" later this year.