'Drop Dead Diva' Producers' At Work On New Series For Fox and NBC

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the producers behind the blockbuster smashes of "Chicago" and "Hairspray" on the big screen are hard at work on two new hour-long television series for Fox and NBC, respectively.

This announcement comes just after their lifetime hit, "Drop Dead Diva," which guest starred the likes of Paula Abdul, Diedrich Bader, Delta Burke, Jorja Fox, Elliot Gould, Steve Valentine, Tim Gunn, Sharon Lawrence, Liza Minnelli, Mark Moses, Kathy Najimy, Rosie O'Donnell, Teri Polo, Nia Vardalos, Gina Torres, and Chuck Woolery, amongst others, was renewed by Lifetime. 

For Fox, the duo has collaborated with writer Dana Calvo ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip") for "Laney Sparrow," a character-driven legal drama to be produced by 20th Century Fox TV. Zadan, Meron and Calvo are executive producing.

For NBC, Zadan and Meron are working on "Inside Mary Baxter," a dramedy set in a women's prison. Maria Maggenti ("Without a Trace") is writing the script and executive producing with Zadan and Meron.

Both projects have secured script commitments.

"Diva," which Zadan and Meron are executive producing with creator Josh Berman, premiered in July with Lifetime's best debut ratings for an original drama series since the 2007 launch of "Army Wives." Together, Zadan and Meron produced the blockbuster "Hairspray" and the critically acclaimed "Chicago," which was the first musical in 34 years to win the top honor of Best Picture Oscar at the 2002 Academy Awards. They also produced the made for television "A Raisin in the Sun", and had a recent collaboration with Lifetime on the film "Living Proof" featuring Rene Zellweger, Harry Connick, Jr. and Bernadette Peters.