 |
 |
[03/21/11 - 10:59 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 21
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
|
|
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
ANGLER (HBO, New!) - Barton Gellman's book of the same name - about former Vice President Dick Cheney - is being developed as a potential mini-series at the pay channel. Rick Cleveland ("Six Feet Under") is penning the adaptation, which will track Cheney's life from "his early days as Donald Rumsfeld's protege in the Nixon administration, to the nation's youngest Chief of Staff under President Ford, to serving as Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, through two controversial terms as Vice President under President George W. Bush." Spring Creek Productions and Fair Catch Productions are co-producing with Paula Weinstein, Jeffrey Levine, David Kennedy and "Frontline's" David Fanning and Michael Kirk executive producing.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Jonathan Cake ("Six Degrees") is set to join the cast of the long-running soap. He'll play Aaron, "a handsome, sexy, college-educated police detective with strong family values who becomes involved with Bree (Marcia Cross) when he comes to Wisteria Lane to investigate a case," in an upcoming four-episode arc before returning as a regular next season.
EATING WITH THE ENEMY (HBO, New!) - James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") is set to star in and executive produce a potential docudrama at the pay channel about the true story of Bobby Egan, the owner of a Hackensack, New Jersey rib joint who became involved in back channel negotiations with North Korea to stop producing nuclear weapons. Said project is based on Egan and Kurt Pitzer's book of the same name, subtitled "How I Waged Peace With North Korea from My BBQ Shack in Hackensack." Egan improbably made inroads with the North Korean government after showing up at the doorstep of their consulate near the U.N. and offering his friendship. He subsequently made several trips to North Korea itself, where he was approached by the State Department to be their conduit in backdoor nuke talks. As for the film, Mark Armstrong, Nancy Sanders, Jane Rosenthal, Brandon Brito and Megan Lyvers will executive produce for Tribeca Productions and Gandolfini's Atta Boy Productions with Pitzer and Kimberly Levin co-producing. No other auspices were given.
FREE AGENTS (NBC) - Kathryn Hahn ("Hung") is set to star opposite Hank Azaria in the comedy pilot, about "the attraction between two quirky PR executives working together - Alex (Azaria) and Helen (Hahn) - who both are on the rebound, Alex from a divorce and Helen from the loss of a fiance." Todd Holland is directing the Universal Media Studios-based half-hour, from creator John Enbom. Mo Mandel also stars.
LOSING IT WITH JILLIAN (NBC) - Network sources have confirmed the Jillian Michaels-led series, in which "The Biggest Loser" trainer travels across the country to transform one family at a time, won't be returning for a second. Said effort was absent from the Peacock's summer lineup, which was revealed earlier today.
MORE AS THE STORY DEVELOPS (A.K.A. UNTITLED AARON SORKIN PROJECT) (HBO) - Jeff Daniels is reportedly in talks to topline the Aaron Sorkin-penned drama pilot, set behind the scenes of a nightly cable news show. He'd play Will McCallister, "a famous cable newsman of the Anderson Cooper/Brian Williams mold who is smart and talented guy but just a pain in the ass to work with and for." Sorkin and Scott Rudin are the executive producers.
PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC) - Benjamin Bratt ("The Cleaner") is on track to join the cast of the veteran drama. Details about his role are being kept under wraps, however it's understood he'll be introduced in the season finale. Said casting is designed to fill the void left by Audra McDonald, who's departing the series at the end of the season.
R.E.M. (NBC) - Cherry Jones ("24") and Michaela McManus ("The Vampire Diaries") have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Mark Britten (Jason Isaacs), a police detective living in two different realities following a horrible car accident: one in which his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) lives, another in which his wife Hannah lives - each with their own partner and psychiatrist. In addition, co-star Laura Allen has been recast as Hannah ("stunning, warm"). The actress was previously attached as Tara ("long, slender, like someone who not only plays a sport for a living, but does it well"), Rex's tennis coach and trusted confidante. Said role will now go to McManus. Jones then is set as Stephanie Evans, Mark's psychiatrist in the reality where Rex lives. The previously cast B.D. Wong conversely is Mark's psychiatrist in the reality where Hannah lives, while Steve Harris and Wilmer Valderrama play Mark's respective partners. David Slade is directing the Kyle Killen-penned hour, from 20th Century Fox Television.
SECRET CIRCLE (The CW) - Natasha Henstridge ("Eli Stone") and Australian actor Louis Hunter have both landed roles on the drama pilot, about Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), a California teen who moves to her mom's hometown of New Salem, Maine and discovers that she comes from a family of witches. She'll play Dawn Chamberlain ("a strikingly beautiful woman in her late 30's"), the vice principal at Cassie's school and an old friend of her mother's; while Hunter is on board as Nick Armstrong ("good physique, and he knows it"), Cassie's new neighbor, another member of the circle, a coven of young witches. Jessica Parker Kennedy, Phoebe Tonkin, Shelley Hennig and Thomas Dekker also star in the hour, which Liz Friedlander is directing from a script by Andrew Miller.
TITANIC (ABC, New!) - Simon Vaughn's long-in-the-works mini-series has found a U.S. broadcast home at the Alphabet. Said effort will chronicle the famous ship's maiden and final voyage through multiple points of view, using both fictional and historical characters. Production is set to begin in Hungary shortly for a premiere in April 2012 - the 100th anniversary of the boat's sinking. Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park") penned the project with ITV Studios, Lookout Point, Deep Indigo Productions, Sienna Films and Mid Atlantic Films co-producing.
VINCE UNCENSORED (CBS) - Elizabeth Perkins ("Weeds") has booked the female lead on the comedy pilot, about Vince Donohue (Michael Chiklis), "a man who decides to take a more honest approach to life after a life-altering experience." She'll play his Wife, Janet, a middle school teacher and mother to their three daughters. Kelsey Grammer is directing the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, from creator Phoef Sutton.
|
|
|
 [march 2011]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[05/22/24 - 03:30 PM]
Late-Night Partiers Bet Against the Las Vegas Parking Laws in "Sin City Tow," Premiering Tuesday, June 18 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
In the series, a group of tow truck drivers roam the bustling streets of Las Vegas amidst car crashes, angry drivers and unhinged revelers - working to clean up the mess while raking in the money.
|
[05/22/24 - 03:03 PM]
Boston Celtics Victory Over Indiana Pacers on ESPN Delivered Largest NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Audience Since 2018
Game 1 averaged 6,433,000 viewers across ESPN and ESPN2, up eight percent from last year's Eastern Conference Finals Game 1.
|
[05/22/24 - 01:16 PM]
TNT Sports to Present College Football Playoff Games Through Sublicense with ESPN
TNT Sports will present two first-round College Football Playoff games during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
|
[05/22/24 - 12:08 PM]
"FOX College Football Friday" Kicks Off in Primetime This Fall
FOX Sports' 2024 full early season college football schedule is set to be released on Thursday, May 30.
|
[05/22/24 - 11:31 AM]
Video: "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman" Season 5 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Dave sits down with Grammy winner Miley Cyrus and basketball icon Charles Barkley for a fresh set of revealing interviews about their lives and careers.
|
[05/22/24 - 11:31 AM]
NBC's "Sunday Night Football" Finishes TV Season as Primetime's No. 1 Show for Record 13th Consecutive Year, with Best Viewership Since 2015
"Sunday Night Football" averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 21.4 million viewers for the 2023 season - the show's best viewership since 2015 and up 8% from last season (19.9 million).
|
[05/22/24 - 11:12 AM]
Paramount+ Takes Viewers on an Immersive High-Stakes Police Patrol in the Skies in New Docuseries "Chopper Cops"
The all-new docuseries takes viewers into the cockpit of an elite Florida police team of helicopter pilots as they attack crime from the skies.
|
[05/22/24 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "The Great Lillian Hall" - Official Trailer - HBO
The film, starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Jesse Williams, and Pierce Brosnan, premieres May 31 on HBO.
|
[05/22/24 - 11:00 AM]
"Tracker" Was Television's #1 Show in 2023-24
The series averages 11.58 million viewers with live plus 7-day viewing.
|
[05/22/24 - 10:59 AM]
Video: Prime Video and Amazon Freevee Release the Official Trailer for "Counsel Culture," A Podcast Turned Talk Show Hosted by Nick Cannon, Premiering June 6
The show, which seeks to help destigmatize topics around male mental health, will address issues including grief, loyalty, financial security, marriage, trust, and emotional vulnerability.
|
[05/22/24 - 10:57 AM]
Naturi Naughton and Tanyell Quian Set to Star in "Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie," Lifetime's Second of Three Black Girl Missing Movies Executive Produced by Garcelle Beauvais
The film will premiere on television July 20 on Lifetime and serves to highlight the growing epidemic of missing Black women and girls particularly those who come from disadvantaged communities.
|
[05/22/24 - 10:30 AM]
Video: WE tv and ALLBLK Drop Trailer for First-Ever Music Competition Reality Series "Deb's House" Premiering Friday, June 14
The new series follows famed music mogul Deb Antney, who pioneered the careers of several high-profile artists such as Gucci Mane, French Montana and Nicki Minaj, as she embarks on a nationwide hunt for rap's next female superstar MC.
|
[05/22/24 - 10:13 AM]
The History Channel Commemorates the 80th Anniversary of D-Day with New Two-Part Documentary Series "D-Day: The Unheard Tapes" Premiering Thursday, June 6 at 8PM ET/PT
A co-production with BBC Factual, the series relives the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Normandy through the voices and words of those who were there, from all sides.
|
[05/22/24 - 09:30 AM]
CBS Wins Tuesday Night with "FBI" Block Finales
The "FBI" (8pm) season finale was the #1 broadcast of the night with averaged 6.06m viewers, up +5% from last week.
|
[05/22/24 - 09:05 AM]
Video: MGM+ Series "Emperor of Ocean Park" Reveals Trailer and Premiere Date, Announces More Cast
Executive produced by Sherman Payne, the series is set to premiere with its first episode on July 14 on MGM+, with new episodes airing on Sundays until September 15.
|
|
|
|
