“Jane the Virgin” is winding down but creator Jennie Snyder Urman’s career is revving up. She and Lifetime’s former senior vp of scripted development, Joanna Klein, are launching their own production company at CBS Television Studios. According to Variety, there are already several projects in the works at their Sutton St. Productions, including The CW’s potential “Jane” spinoff.
“Jennie and Joanna are singular talents and a potent combination,” said CBS TV prez David Stapf. “Jennie’s writing and producing skill and Joanna’s ability to shepherd a project will place them in a select class of production entities. We are extremely proud of our partnership with them.”
Comedies “You’re Killing Me” and “Riches to Rags” and drama “Family Emergency” are among the projects on Sutton St.’s slate. “You’re Killing Me” is a CBS All Access series about a woman who is haunted by her late, overbearing mother. “Jane the Virgin” lead Gina Rodriguez is among its exec producers. “Jane” star Jaime Camil is attached to “Riches to Rags,” a CBS show about an “outrageously wealthy trust fund baby” who must finally work for a living after his father cuts him off. Also for CBS is “Family Emergency,” which sees three sisters working together in an emergency room.
Not many plot details are available about the “Jane” spinoff yet, but the project will reportedly be an anthology series based on Jane’s romance novels. Each season would portray the events of one book, and Rodriguez will potentially narrate.
Most recently, Urman co-developed The CW’s remake of “Charmed.” Its midseason finale aired Sunday. Urman has also written for and produced series such as “Emily Owens M.D.,” “90210,” “Lipstick Jungle,” and “Gilmore Girls.” She penned the rom-com “Something Borrowed.”
During her tenure at Lifetime, Klein developed and produced series including “UnREAL,” “You,” and the upcoming “American Princess,” about a woman who joins the Renaissance Faire after she breaks up with her fiancé. Klein has also served as The CW’s senior vp of scripted series and as vp of scripted series at Regency TV and Lionsgate. “Over the course of her career, she has developed more than 500 scripted pilots and worked on more than 50 produced pilots and series,” Variety details. Among them are “Jane,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and “Weeds.”
“Jane the Virgin” will return for its fifth and final season this March.
