ABC grabs disgraced journalist drama from Liz Heldens and Carol Mendelsohn

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - ABC has given a hefty pilot commitment to a journalism-themed drama from scribe Liz Heldens and Carol Mendelsohn's Sony Pictures TV-based banner.

Project revolves around a male journalist who winds up disgraced and forced to work for his former intern, who has launched a high-metabolism Internet news outlet ala Buzzfeed or Popsugar (neither of those sites are formally involved with the property, however).

Heldens is writing the pilot and exec producing with former "CSI" showrunner Mendelsohn and Carol Mendelsohn Prods.' Julie Weitz. Both Heldens and Mendelsohn Prods. have overall deals at Sony Pictures TV.

The untitled Heldens project marks the second big sale to date this development cycle for Mendelsohn's banner, which moved to the Sony lot in June after a decade at CBS. Mendelsohn also stepped down as showrunner of "CSI" at the close of last season after 14 years at the helm.

Mendelsohn Prods. and Sony TV previously nabbed a pilot production commitment from NBC for "Game of Silence," a mystery-thriller based on a Turkish format.

Heldens has landed three shows on the air since 2009, all dramas for NBC: "Mercy," "Camp" and "Deception." She also spent three seasons as a co-exec producer on NBC's "Friday Night Lights."

Mendelsohn Prods. and Heldens are repped by WME.