SHORT TAKES : ABC Orders TV Pilot of ‘K-9’

ABC-TV has asked Universal Television to produce an hour pilot episode based on the film “K-9” for consideration as a TV series, the Hollywood Reporter trade newspaper said Wednesday.

The tried and true method of transforming hit feature films into TV series candidates already prompted CBS-TV to order 13 episodes of “Uncle Buck” from Universal for next year.

“K-9,” starring Jim Belushi as a cop whose partner was an expressive German shepherd, grossed about $40 million in the United States after it was released in April.