Showtime Greenlights Three New Pilots

Showtime's entertainment chief David Nevins continues to put his stamp on the premium cable network's lineup, giving the go-ahead to three new pilots.

The first of the trio is Masters of Sex, an adaptation of Thomas Maier's book of the same name. The one-hour drama, from Sony Pictures TV, centers on the lives and unusual relationship between influential sexual education researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Masters, which in its title alone offers a premium-cable skew, is being written by Michelle Ashford (The Pacific, John Adams). Ashford is also set to executive produce with Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly (Justified, A Gifted Man).
 
The second order went to Andrew Gurland's first-person, half-hour docu-comedy Gurland on Gurland. Gurland (The Last Exorcism, Now and Again) is set to write, direct and star in the project, which draws from his own life and focuses on the challenges associated with entering the next phase of his career. It hails from corporate sibling CBS TV Studios, with Gurland and Glenn Gordon Caron (Medium) attached to executive produce.
 
Finally, a one-hour dark family drama titled Ray Donovan, from Ann Biderman (Southland, Public Enemies). The Showtime-produced project, which has comedic undertones, focuses on a L.A.-based fixer for the rich and famous who in his personal life is broken. Bryan Zuriff and Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds) of The Mark Gordon Company will exec produce.

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