McG develops detective show about detective who watches detective shows, as TV universe folds in upon itself

Pretty much the last thing television needs is another detective show (unless it involves vampires and zombies, of course!), but perhaps the solution to the glut of TV crimefighters is a detective show that winkingly acknowledges its own formulaic premise? That’s the intention of Prison Break creator Paul T. Scheuring and taurine-infused director McG, anyway, who are currently developing the ABC drama I, PI, about a private investigator who learned his business by watching Magnum, P.I., Simon And Simon, and the like, and “as a result, he tends to subconsciously emulate those TV shamuses while out on the streets.” (A tip of the Donegal cap to Variety for bringing back the word “shamus.”) That McG is also behind Chuck probably speaks to the sort of tone they’re going for, but to us it also sounds slightly reminiscent of Andy Richter’s short-lived Andy Barker, P.I.—though here’s betting Barker is one of the only detectives who doesn’t get name-checked. Speaking of wagers, who wants to bet on a Tom Selleck cameo before the end of the first season?