TV moves (VAR, EW, VUL, THR, DH)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Moore

Below a round up of recent TV deals.

Fox has given put pilot commitments to two new comedy projects and a drama outing.

Mike Royce's "Little Brother" is about a man who finds out he has a half-brother he never knew about who also happens to be an ex-con. Royce will write and produce with 20th Century Fox TV, Adelstein Prods. and Hat Trick. Fintan Ryan, who wrote an earlier version of the script, will serve as a co-exec producer, Variety reports.

Royce, the creator and exec producer of the late "Men of a Certain Age," sealed an overall deal with 20th earlier this month.

Fox also committed to "The Goodwin Games," from the "How I Met Your Mother" gang of Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. The comedy revolves around three siblings who reconnect after the death of their father. Show is a possible fall 2012 series.

Vulture notes that several networks were interested in the concept but Fox stepped up by agreeing to make a pilot.

CBS placed a midseason order for Rob Schneider's comedy about a longtime bachelor who marries into a tight-knit Mexican-American family. Cheech Marin, Lupe Ontiveros, Claudia Bassols, Eugenia Derbez, Diana Maria Riva and Ricky Rico costar.

The comedy was developed last spring for fall consideration.

Meanwhile, Mark Gordon has sold comedy "How to Survive a Home Invasion" to ABC. The David Katz-scripted project centers on a home security expert who can't keep his own family members from moving back in with him.

The Hollywood Reporter says Andrea Shay and Gordon will serve as executive producers.

VAR:

Nets have been high on the laugh track since the upfronts in May. But the solid perf of new and returning comedies so far in the fall season launch has added more wind to the sails of high-profile comedy projects with proven auspices.

On the drama front, Kevin Williamson has landed a put pilot commitment at Fox for a pitch described as an edge-of-the-seat thriller about a diabolical serial killer who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers, and the FBI agent who finds himself in the middle of it.

Deadline reports that Williamson will write and executive produce.