A&E Greenlights Sugarloaf

A&E has greenlighted Sugarloaf, an hour-long pilot starring Matt Passmore. Sugarloaf, from Fox TV Studios, centers on Jim Longworth (Passmore), an ex-Chicago cop who gets kicked off the force after being shot by his ex-captain, who wrongfully accused him in having an affair with his wife. After receiving a payout, Longworth, an observant detective with a sly sense of humor, moves to a small Florida town and joins the state police. Clifton Campbell wrote Sugarloaf and is executive producing the pilot with Gary Randall. Peter O’Fallon is directing.

A&E had been high on the project for a while but didn’t want to commit to a production order until it found the right lead actor. “It was such a great script with such a unique character who is very good at what he does but also has a sense of humor,” A&E senior vp drama programming Tana Nugent Jamieson said. “When Matt walked into the room, we knew we had the right guy — he is so charismatic and so likable.” At the time, Passmore was tied to the 20th Century Fox TV-produced pilot Masterwork, in which he played the lead. He was released from that project this week, leading to a quick deal for Sugarloaf. The show is tentatively set for a summer 2010 premiere.