USA greenlights Mid East drama

USA Network has ordered a pilot of Middle Eastern drama Stanistan and put a slate of series into develpment for the 2014/15 season.

Stanistan follows the staff at the US compound in a fictional Middle Eastern country where state department workers, covert CIA officers and journalists strike a delicate balance of danger and silliness.

The show, from Universal Cable Productions, is written by Andy Parker, who is also supervising producer. Richard Scarth, Mary Louise Vitelli and Maureen Ryan (Project Nim) are co-exec producers while Steve Scheffer is exec producing.

The order follows the US cablenet’s recent pick-ups of dramas Rush, Satisfaction and Complications.

Meanwhile, USA Network has announced its 2014/15 development slate, which includes a comedy from Amy Poehler and a single-cam comedy about a ski resort.

The network’s upcoming drama slate includes Boom (ABC Signature), about a young couple who move to North Dakota in pursuit of the American dream. Writer-director Josh Pate (Surface) co-wrote the project with author Rodes Fishburne (Going to See the Elephant) and exec produces with Tony Krantz (24).

The channel’s other dramas include Brand (FremantleMedia North America/Landscape Entertainment), Colony (Legendary Television, Universal Cable Productions), The Farm (Grady Girl Productions, Platinum Dunes, Warner Horizon Television), Control (Fox Television Studios) and Mr Robot (Universal Cable Productions), while Border Lord (Universal Cable Productions) and The Swap (Sony Pictures Television) are in limited series development.

Upcoming comedies include Poehler comedy Difficult People (Universal Cable Productions), Love the One You’re With (Universal Television, David Janollari Entertainment), Majordomo (Universal Cable Productions), Moguls (Universal Cable Productions) and Royals (Sony Pictures Television).