'Lipstick Jungle' Brandishes Goldstick

Zap2It.com | July 31, 2007

'Lipstick Jungle' stars Lindsay Price, Brooke Shields and Kim Raver

'Ugly Betty' veteran takes over as showrunner

NBC's midseason dramedy "Lipstick Jungle" has settled its showrunner situation, bringing on writer-producer Oliver Goldstick to oversee the day-to-day running of the series.

Goldstick, a co-executive producer on "Ugly Betty" last season, will take an exec producer title on "Lipstick Jungle," which is based on Candace Bushnell's novel of the same title. He's also signed a two-year deal with Universal Media Studios, which produces the show.

"Oliver does a nice job of writing drama with great comic flair, and he has an inspired sense of romance. We're thrilled to be in business with him," Elisa Roth, the studio's head of drama programming, tells The Hollywood Reporter.

He takes over showrunner duties from DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler ("Three Sisters," "Committed"), who departed two weeks ago after NBC and the studio opted to make a "change in the creative direction" of the series, which stars Brooke Shields, Kim Raver and Lindsay Price as a trio of powerful New York women.

Goldstick has worked on both comedies and dramas during his career, racking up writing credits on "Caroline in the City," "Popular," "Everwood" and "Desperate Housewives," among others. He also co-created NBC's short-lived drama "Inconceivable" in 2005 and co-wrote the teleplay for last season's Hallmark Hall of Fame movie "Crossroads."