Marietta resident and Oz favorite Eric Haney has just gone Hollywood. Haney, who is married to Dianna Edwards, longtime Atlanta ad pro and copywriter as well as Oz friend and consultant, is taking his experience in Delta Force to television. CBS Network has purchased the rights to an original television series based on Haney's best selling memoir, "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit."

The series, working-title, "The Unit, " will be produced through 20th Century Fox Television Division by the team of Eric Haney, Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, screen writer, and director, David Mamet, and Shawn Ryan, creator/executive producer of the hit FX television series, "The Shield." Haney will write/produce as well as supervise the extensive physical training that will be required from the cast. Haney and Mamet will begin writing the pilot as soon as the ink is dry on the contract. The series will air in fall 2005.

Haney and Mamet first met and worked together during the production of Mamet's most recent film, "Spartan, " starring Val Kilmer and William H. Macy. Haney also helped develop and starred in a five part reality series on The Learning Channel titled, "Spymaster."

Until he leaves for the West Coast, Haney will be putting the finishing touches on his second book, a specially prepared adaptation of "Inside Delta Force" for the young adult market, due out from Bantam Dell early in 2005. We here at Oz wish him the best in this new endeavor.