Lonestar Finds an Exec Producer (and Director): The Dead Guy from Thirtysomething

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Jun. 28 2010 at 10:38 AM

Categories: From the RTF Dept.

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Developer Jack Matthews has promised to chat more this week about his movie and teevee production facility in the Cedars -- just as soon as he returns from his summer vacay. For now, though, he says this via e-mail: "We have been working on this many years ... however what you see in the agenda is just the response to a short-term situation. There are different solutions being looked at and discussed for the long-term situation." Council agreed last week to kick in $100,000 toward a $400,000 redo, contingent upon the thing actually being built and used for, you know, movie and teevee productions.

Which won't affect FOX's Lonestar, which will be moving into The Deep End's old digs at the Studios at Las Colinas when it comes to town next month to begin shooting. There is, though, this news this morning concerning that series about a con man leading a double life: It'll be executive produced by Peter Horton, the former thirtysomething star turned director who held the same title on Grey's Anatomy. Reports Variety this morning, he'll direct several episodes -- at least the first and last in the network's initial 12-episode order -- and oversee the series' entire run, despite not having directed the pilot (that was handled by Marc Webb back when it was known as Midland). Writes Michael Schneider:

The helmer said he was struck by the depth of the show's concept -- about a con artist juggling two lives while scheming to clean out a wealthy Texas oil family. "I rarely produce series that I didn't direct the pilot," Horton said. "But this is a unique show, especially for network TV. It's so wonderfully constructed and says so much about what it means to be a human being."

In related news: I have two Good Guys T-shirts (featuring the Dallas skyline), a coffee mug (which bears a replica of a certain 'stache) and two pair of Bradley Whitford knockoff sunglasses to give away to the first folks who, ya know, just ask for 'em. In the comments. Which are now working. (Update: All items are gone.)

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