The taboo-breaking 2006 memoir in graphic novel format, Cancer Vixen by New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto (RH/Pantheon), is being set up at HBO for a series. Cate Blanchett will produce and star. Deadline reports that “the prospect of having the Oscar-winning actress in the lead role makes this a priority project. Blanchett has been sweet on the book for some time” (she bought the rights shortly after the book was published).

Marchetto survived her cancer and is now living in NYC with her husband, restaurateur Silvano Marchetto.

Fulfilling rumors and fervent hopes, Shirley MacLaine will return for the fourth season of Downton Abbey, Deadline confirms.

That may make up for the loss of the Machiavellian maid, O’Brien.

The show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, recently signed to write and produce a new series for NBC called The Gilded Age, featuring the robber barons of 19th C New York City. It is being called, of course, “The American Downton.” Reportedly, Gwyneth Paltrow is being courted to star.

Fellowes made news in an NYT interview last  month by saying that, if the series goes forward, he would have to turn over the writing of Downton Abbey to others. The producers assured Deadline, however, that he has written all of the season four’s episodes.

Cable and PBS have led the way with successful TV series based on books. The networks are  following suit this pilot season, ordering what Deadline refers to as “a slew” of projects based on books. That’s a bit of an overstatement — of the over 100 pilots that have been green lighted, only a dozen are based on books and only a handful of those are familiar to readers. The real news will be which make it to series and, for book people, which bring new readers to the books.

Among those with a built-in audience are two based on YA titles:

The Selection —  CW — based on the first book in the best-selling dystopian trilogy by Kiera Cass (HarperTeen), in show biz speak, it is described as a “cross between The Bachelor and Hunger Games,” as young women in the future compete for the chance to marry the Prince. The pilot is finally moving ahead, after the script was sent back for a rewrite last year. UPDATE: Pilot rejected

Delirium — FOX — based on the first book in another best selling dystopian trilogy (HarperCollins), this one by Lauren Oliver. Set in the future, a young woman defies the order that she be treated for an outlawed condition, love (“the delirium”). The two leads have been cast; Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew, Scream 4, and Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous) and Daren Kagasoff (Secret Life).

A few are based on well-known adult titles:

About a Boy — NBC — may be based more on the movie, starring Hugh Grant, than the book by Nick Hornby (Penguin/Riverhead). Minnie Driver and David Walton (New Girl) cast as leads.  UPDATE: On MidSeason schedule, Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

Girlfriend in a Coma — NBC — Christina Ricci has been cast in the lead of this pilot about a woman who wakes up from a coma to discover that she has a 17-year-old daughter. It is based on Douglas Coupland’s 1998 novel (HarperCollins). UPDATE: Ricci walked away from the lead, delaying the project.

Stephen King’s Under the Dome — CBS — this one skipped the pilot stage and is already scheduled to premiere on June 24. Expectations are high, as evidenced by the network’s investment in a SuperBowl ad. First look released, 4/1/13. UPDATE: to premiere on CBS on Monday, June 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Cable — we’re focusing on the network pilots, but should also note the high-profile adaptations in progress for cable. A pilot has been ordered by FX for The Strain, based on the first book in the vampire trilogy by director Guillermo Del Toro and co-author Chuck Hogan (HarperCollins). HBO is moving forward with The Leftovers, based on Tom Perrota’s novel and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

Two are based on books by Scandinavian writers that have not yet been published here:

I Am Victor — NBC — features a high-powered divorce lawyer, based on Jo Nesbo’s upcoming book. UPDATE: Rejected

Backstrom — CBS — based on  a series by Leif G.W. Persson about an overweight detective.   UPDATE: Pilot rejected by CBS — picked up by Fox, Deadline, 1/7/14

Two are based on comics/graphic novels:

S.H.I.E.L.D. — ABC  —  Stands for the Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistic Directorate, a secret intelligence organization that has appeared in various Marvel series, including Iron Man, Captain America and The Ultimates. Began shooting, Jan, 2013. Title changed to MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.UPDATE: Scheduled for Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

The Sixth Gun — NBC — Based on the Oni Press graphic novel, a supernatural Western series that follows the story of six mythical guns, the sixth being the most powerful and dangerous. UPDATE: Rejected

Three are modern-day interpretations of classics that might not even be recognized by their original authors:

Venice — ABC — about a forbidden romance between the offspring of two rival families in Venice, California. UPDATE: Not mentioned in Upfronts, so may be rejected

Wonderland — NBC — in which a girl named Clara wages war in Wonderland against an evil Queen once known as Alice. UPDATE: Production pushed back. However, debuting on ABC is the similarly-titled Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, a spinoff of the Once Upon a Time series.

Sleepy Hollow — FOX — a time warp lands a captain from the Revolutionary War named Ichabod into the present day, where he becomes a detective. UPDATE: Series scheduled for Mondays at 9 p.m. in the fall.

Netflix’s gamble on streaming original programming paid off with their first effort, House of Cards. Good thing; another series follows quickly, Hemlock Grove, based on the debut werewolf novel by screenwriter Brian McGreevy which was released as a trade paperback original (jacket above, left; tie-in jacket on the right; from Macmillan/FSG) last year to strong prepub reviews. The 13-episode series will be available on April 19.

Netflix is currently at work on another series based on a book, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman (RH/Spiegel & Grau, 2010). It is being directed by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan.

Tie-in:

Hemlock Grove [movie tie-in edition]
Brian McGreevy
On Sale Date: April 16, 2013
9780374534462, 0374534462
Paperback / softback
$15.00 US / $17.00 Can.

Promo for the  third season of HBO’s Game of Thrones is kicking into high gear in advance of the premiere on Sunday, March 31. Below is the new trailer:

Tie-ins:

A Storm of Swords (HBO Tie-in Edition): A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three
George R.R. Martin
On Sale Date: March 26, 2013

Trade Pbk; 9780345543974, 0345543971
$18.00 US / $21.00 Can.

Mass Mkt. Pbk; 9780345543981, 034554398X
$9.99 US / $11.99 Can.

Called “Downton Abbey for Grownups” (Laura Miller, Salon) and “The Better Downton Abbey” (The New Yorker), the BBC/HBO mini-series adaptation of Ford Madox Ford’s series of four novels, Parade’s End, begins on HBO on February 26. A hit when it aired in the UK last summer, it’s recently been nominated for a number of awards.

In her audio column, “The Listener,” on Salon, Laura Miller notes that “Downton comparisons will abound, though some viewers will be disappointed to find Parade’s End lacks a mansion and wisecracking old ladies — not to mention the complete absence of attention paid to the servant class,” adding, “Although [Benedict] Cumberbatch, cast against type  [in the lead role], delivers an impressive performance … You can only really appreciate what the actor does with this deliberately inexpressive man if you’ve read the books.”

Miller recommends the audio version, to be released next week as a tie-in by S&S Audio (also from Recorded Books as both CD and downloadable) for “Steven Crossley’s sensitive naration.” Miller applauds Crossley for making the many characters distinct and for handling women particularly well; “Not for Crossley the risible practice of adopting an artificially high-pitched, drag-queen voice whenever a woman is speaking.”

Official Series Web Site: HBO.com/Parades-End

Stephen King is making news this week. In an interview on Entertainment Weekly, he talks about Doctor Sleep, (S&S/Scribner; 9/24/13; S&S Audio), his eagerly anticipated followup to The Shining, which answers the question, “Whatever happened to Danny?”

And, a SuperBowl ad ran yesterday for a CBS series based on another of his books, Under the Dome, which begins this summer. The tie-in will be published May 14 (S&S/Gallery).

.

Netflix begins streaming an original series today, House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. The first two episodes of the 13-part series are directed by David Fincher (The Social Network). It is based on a BBC series (with the setting changed from the House of Commons to the House of Representatives), which in turn is based on a trilogy of novels by former British Conservative Party Chief of Staff and best-selling author in Britain, Michael Dobbs:

• House of Cards (1989)
• To Play the King (1992)
• The Final Cut (1994)

The novels are no longer in print in the U.S., but several libraries own them.

NPR covers the new venture today  and NPR’s movie critic, David Bianculli, gives House of Cards a thumbs up, saying it “is to Netflix what The Sopranos was to HBO…an identity maker and a game changer.” He also gives kudos to the original, a “wonderful British miniseries from 1990, which starred Ian Richardson as a career politician who spoke to the camera directly as he schemed and charmed his way through the corridors of power.”  That series is owned by libraries; if it is languishing on your shelves, now is the time to put it on display.

Netflix is currently at work on another series, based on a book, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman (RH/Spiegel & Grau, 2010). It is being directed by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan.

The CW network has gone back and forth on a series based on Kiera Cass’s YA novel, The Selection (HarperTeen, 2012), but now it appears to be back on track. According to Deadline, a new script has the support of the CW’s President and will be made into a pilot.

Meanwhile, the book already has its own trailer:

The second title in the planned trilogy, The Elite (HarperTeen) arrives April 23.

The film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s 2009 Newbery Medal winner, The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins), is in the news again. Ron Howard is in negotiations to take over the director’s chair for Disney, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Previously planned as an animated film directed by Henry Selick, who directed the adaptation of Gaiman’s Coraline, it is now planned as a live-action film.

Sonia Sotomayor continued her heavy Inaugural Week schedule with an appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night. Her memoir, My Beloved World (RH/Knopf; RH Audio; BOT;  Mi mundo adorado, Vintage Espanol), continued to rise on Amazon and in library holds.

Part One is below, click to the site for Parts Two and Three of the extended interview.

The real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, was featured on yesterday’s CBS Sunday Morning. The lady of the house, The Countess of Carnarvon conducted a tour of the Castle and talked about her predecessor, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, and the subject of her book, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey (RH/Broadway; Tantor Media). As a result, the book rose to #3 on Amazon’s sales rankings and libraries are showing increased holds.

Segment host Martha Teichner says, “the true story of the fifth Earl and his wife Almina beats TV drama…She was the illegitimate daughter of the fabulously wealthy banker, Alfred de Rothschild. She needed respetability as much as the Earl needed cash, to indulge his passions, which included archeology.” He made good use of that cash, to fund  the excavation that lead to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, headed by archeologist, Howard Carter.

Yet another Edwardian period drama is on its way to these shores. The BBC/HBO mini-series based on Ford Madox Ford’s series of four novels, Parade’s End will premiere on HBO February 26 to 28. Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay for the series directed by Susanna White. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall and Adelaide Clemens.

The series aired on BBC Two in 2012. Last year, the New Yorker‘s “Culture Desk” blog predicted the books would make “The Better Downton Abbey.”

Now that the calendar has turned, get ready for Downton Abbey fever with the U.S. debut of Season 3 this Sunday on PBS.

Interest is being whetted by a sneak peak at the first ten minutes of the show on Facebook (reference question of the day, what does “hobbledehoy” mean?).

No worries, the sneak peek does not contain the Season 4 spoiler that appeared in the Downton Abbey Christmas special in the UK.

HGTV offers a look at Highclere Castle, where the series is filmed, as part of their Castles on Camera: Royal Residences on TV special premiering this Friday:

The Washington Post offers suggestions for a viewing party menu. For those who want more, there’s 150 recipes in this collection:

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook: From Lady Mary’s Crab Canapes to Mrs. Patmore’s Christmas Pudding – More Than 150 Recipes from Upstairs and Downstairs Emily Ansara Baines Retail Price: $21.95 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Adams Media – (2012-09-18) ISBN / EAN: 1440538913 / 9781440538919

The companion volume to the third season was released here in November.

The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era Jessica Fellowes, Matthew Sturgis Retail Price: $29.99 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press – (2012-11-13) ISBN / EAN: 1250027624 / 9781250027627

Librarians will heartily agree with this lead-in to an interview which airs on Rock Center with Brian Williams tomorrow night, “When you line up all of James Patterson’s books, there seems to be no end in sight.”

As is well known, he has some help. Patterson answers Harry Smith’s question about whether he is an author or an assembly line, in this brief clip:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy