sugarloaf

We told you a couple of weeks ago that A&E was adding more scripted dramas to its lineup after the cancellations of 'The Beast' and 'The Cleaner.' One of those shows talked about was a new drama titled 'Sugarloaf,' and now The Hollywood Reporter says that the show has been picked up for thirteen episodes.

The show is about a Chicago detective who is framed for something he didn't do (of course) so he decides to move down to Florida and the small town of Sugarloaf. If that sounds sorta kinda similar to 'Burn Notice,' it's probably not coincidental. The show will be produced by the same studio that does the USA Network show (Fox TV Studios - they do 'White Collar' too), and VP David Madden pointed to both of those shows as guides when talking about 'Sugarloaf.'

But that's OK. Good shows are good shows for reasons other than plot. 'Sugarloaf' will star Matt Passmore. Also in the cast is Kiele Sanchez, who you might remember as Nikki from 'Lost.' To me she'll always be Susan on 'Married to the Kellys.'

A&E is shifting gears with its latest foray into scripted television.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network has picked up 'Sugarloaf' for a 13-episode run. The show stars Matt Pasmore (pictured), and is named after the Florida resort town where Passmore's character -- a homicide detective -- winds up after he's wrongfully accused of sleeping with his captain's wife. Once he arrives, he realizes, of course, that things are much more complicated than he initially expected.

Of the series, A&E Senior Vice President of Drama Programming Tana Nugent Jamieson said, "It takes a typical gritty police procedural but has fun with the main character against the blue-sky backdrop of rural Florida. It's pure entertainment."

It's great to see A&E getting into more scripted shows and not just concentrating on reality shows and documentaries. But they're not just taking everything. This week they're passing on one drama but going ahead with another one.

The drama 'Sugarloaf' has been given the green light. It's about a Chicago cop who gets accused of something he didn't do so he decides to move to a small Florida town and become an officer there.

The drama the network passed on? 'The Quickening.' No, it wasn't another version of 'Highlander,' it was actually about a homicide detective who is bipolar. Sounds a bit like 'Monk' only maybe a little bit more serious? Anyway, we probably won't be seeing that one.

Like a lot of people who live in New England, every single time I hear the name 'Sugarloaf' I'm going to think of a cold ski resort, not a warm small town in Florida.

A&E is warming up for summer drama. The network has greenlit an hourlong pilot for 'Sugarloaf' and nabbed Aussie hunk Matt Passmore to star, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

'Sugarloaf' features Passmore as Jim Longworth, a beleaguered ex-cop from Chicago who's kicked off the force after his partner shoots him and wrongfully accuses him of having an affair with his wife. With payout in hand, Longworth heads for the sunnier climes of a small town in Florida, where he joins the state police.

Clifton Campbell wrote the pilot, and is executive producing it with Gary Randall, while Peter O'Fallon is directing. A&E had been interested in the project for some time, but reportedly stayed mum until it had its star.