Jennie Snyder Urman, Joanna Klein Launch Prodco at CBS Television Studios

By Danielle Turchiano

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Jane The Virgin” creator Jennie Snyder Urman and development executive Joanna Klein have partnered to launch their own production company, Sutton St. Productions, Variety has learned.

The duo has multiple projects in development under their new production banner, including the comedies “You’re Killing Me” for streaming service CBS All Access and “Riches to Rags,” which is in development at CBS, and the dramas “Family Emergency,” in development at CBS and the “Jane The Virgin” spinoff in development at the CW .

Jamie Camil has signed on to star in and executive produce “Riches to Rags.”

“Jennie and Joanna are singular talents and a potent combination,” said CBS Television Studios president David Stapf. “Jennie’s writing and producing skill and Joanna’s ability to shepherd a project will place them in a select class of production entities. We are extremely proud of our partnership with them.”

“You’re Killing Me” centers on a woman named Gracie who always thought she had an overbearing mother — but then her mother dies and haunts her for real and she realized her true worst nightmare. Gina Rodriguez is attached to executive produce the series from CBS Television Studios, Sutton St. Prods. and I Can and I Will Prods. David Rosenthal and Emily Gipson will also executive produce with Urman and Klein.

“Riches to Rags” centers on an “outrageously wealthy trust fund baby” whose father cuts him off, forcing him and his wife to move into her sister’s condo where they learn to delight in the “charms” of the working class while mourning the loss of being the “1% of the 1%.” Camil will executive produce through ECABA, his production company. Joining him, Urman and Klein, are Alex Herschlag and Ben Silverman as executive producers. Herschlag will also write. The show comes from CBS Television Studios, Sutton St. Prods. and Propagate.

“Family Emergency” follows three sisters who “often clash but always have each others’ backs” as they worked together in a busy emergency room, navigating the complications of love, family and medicine. Michael Rauch will write and executive produce the co-production between CBS Television Studios and Sutton St. Prods.

Story details of the “Jane The Virgin” spinoff are still underwraps, but the show is set up through CBS Television Studios, Sutton St. Prods., I Can and I Will Prods. and Propagate. Rodriguez, Urman, Klein, Silverman, Gipson, Gary Pearl and Jorge Granier will executive produce, with Valentina Garza writing and executive producing and Brad Silberling directing and executive producing.

In addition to “Jane The Virgin,” Urman serves as executive producer on the CW’s “Charmed” reboot. Her television previous writing and producing credits include “Emily Owens, MD,” “Gilmore Girls,” “90210” and “Lipstick Jungle.” She also wrote the screenplay for the 2011 feature film “Something Borrowed.”

Klein recently served as senior vice president of scripted development at Lifetime. There she was responsible for developing and producing scripted programs including “Unreal,” “You” and the upcoming “American Princess.” Prior to Lifetime, Klein worked at the CW as senior vice president of scripted series, as well as at Regency TV as vice president of scripted series, and at Lionsgate as vice president of scripted series. Over the course of her career, she has developed more than 500 scripted pilots and worked on more than 50 produced pilots and series, including “Weeds,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Jane The Virgin,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Riverdale.”