British comedy Suburban Shootout is to be adapted for US audiences by the ABC network - three years after it was piloted for HBO.

The dark comedy, created by UK indie Feelgood Fiction, centres on a group of middle-aged women who fight each other for their power in an apparently sleepy community.

The development is being written by Byron Balasco for an hour-long adaptation. Balasco has previously written on crime drama Without a Trace and most recently been a writer and co-executive producer on Detroit 1-8-7.

Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and Feelgood Fiction are producing the adaptation. Laurence Bowen and Philip Clarke are executive producing from Feelgood with Kaplan and Balasco.

ABC is currently home to surburban comedy-drama Desperate Housewives, now in its final season.

Suburban Shootout was originally a comedy co-pro between Channel 5 and Paramount.

Starring Anna Chancellor, Felicity Montagu and Amelia Bullmore, two series were made and later sold to US cable network Oxygen.

HBO ordered a pilot based on the format in 2008, which was written by Michelle Ashford and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black).

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