Fox Nabs ‘The Counsel’ Drama From Sunny Hostin & Scott Free With Penalty

Fox has given a script commitment with penalty to The Counsel (fka Untitled Sunny Hostin Project) a one-hour drama from Sunny Hostin, Scott Free Productions and Universal Television. The project is a co-production of Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Fox Entertainment.

Written by Erica Shelton (The Good Wife), the project is inspired by the extraordinary political and personal experiences of Sunny Hostin. In it, four thirtysomething women of color, who are leaders in their respective fields of journalism, law, politics and public relations, must rely on their lifelong friendship to overcome a scandal that threatens to unravel everything they’ve achieved.

Shelton and Hostin executive produce with Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Jordan Sheehan and Clayton Krueger via Scott Free Productions. Regina Jansen on Hostin’s team was also a key player in developing the project.

Three-time Emmy winner Hostin has been a co-host of The View since 2016. Hostin previously served as a host and legal analyst at CNN, as well as a fill-in co-anchor for ABC News’ World News Now and America This Morning. Last winter, Hostin hosted and executive produced a six-episode documentary series, Truth About Murder With Sunny Hostin on Investigation Discovery. Most recently she released her debut book, I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice and Living Between Worlds (HarperOne), which features an introspective look into the challenges she faced while being raised by teenage parents in housing projects, the obstacles she overcame, and her path to becoming a successful television journalist. Next summer Hostin will release her novel, the first of a three-book series, titled Summer on the Bluffs (William Morrow). A gifted storyteller, her depth of knowledge carries over to politics and the criminal justice system. After graduating from Notre Dame Law School, Hostin began her career as an appellate law clerk and went on to become a trial attorney for the Justice Department and a federal prosecutor.

Shelton most recently served as a consulting producer on FBI. Her other previous credits include Being Mary Jane (executive producer), The Good Wife (co-executive producer) and Covert Affairs (supervising producer).

Current Scott Free Productions include the HBO Max sci-fi epic, Raised by Wolves, helmed by Ridley Scott; The Good Fight, the critically-acclaimed CBS All Access spin-off of The Good Wife recently ordered to season five; inventive heist anthology series, Jigsaw, to shoot in 2021 for Netflix; the investigative drama series The Beast Must Die for UK’s Britbox, starring Jared Harris; and an upcoming adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Great Expectations for FX/BBC1.

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