or


[04/18/03 - 12:00 AM]
Pilot Update: April 18
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from various wire reports each morning:

The Family Friendly Programming Forum is considering 15 scripts from four of the major broadcast networks for funding through its Family Friendly Script Development Fund. The Forum, which consists of 40 major national advertisers, is designed to encourage the broadcast networks to, as you might have guessed, develop more family friendly programming. Previous recipients include the WB's "Gilmore Girls" and "Family Affair," NBC's "American Dreams," as well as ABC's "Eight Simple Rules" and "Veritas: The Quest."

The fund works by giving seed money to the broadcast networks to purchase family friendly scripts deemed worthy by the Programming Forum. Those scripts that get pilot orders then return the money to the fund for the following development season. Those that then make it to series then have the group's seal of approval of being "safe" for viewers to watch with their families. The idea is that since the Programming Fund eats the cost of any failed family-friendly scripts, networks are more likely to develop programming that fits the group's profile.

Among the submitted scripts:

The WB: "Immediate Family" (Spelling TV), "Eddie's Father" (Warner Bros. TV/Pariah), "Run of the House" (Warner Bros. TV/The Tannenbaum Co.), "Exit 9" (Warner Bros. TV) and "Like Family" (Warner Bros. TV), all of which have pilot orders for fall 2003 consideration. Also submitted was "Mr. Logan" (Paramount Pictures TV), starring Bow Wow, which has been pushed back to midseason.

CBS: "Family Show" (Sony) and "Untitled Rob Long/Dan Staley Project," about a widower with two kids who works at the family bar (Paramount). Both are cast-contigent pilot orders.

NBC: "Untitled Tracy Morgan Project" (Carsey-Werner-Mandabach/NBC Studios/SNL Studios), which has received a pilot order.

While there is no limit to the number of scripts the group would deem family friendly, the amount of reimbursement money is limited to how many advertisers participate in the Fund. This year, 16 companies are participating. Previous contributors include AT&T, FedEX, Ford, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg, PepsiCo., Sears, Sprint and Verizon.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters




  [april 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· AMERICAN DREAMS (NBC)
· EDDIE'S FATHER (WB)
· EIGHT SIMPLE RULES (ABC)
· EXIT 9 (WB)
· FAMILY AFFAIR (WB)
· FAMILY SHOW (CBS)
· GILMORE GIRLS (CW)
· LIKE FAMILY (WB)
· RUN OF THE HOUSE (WB)
· SAVING JASON (WB)
· SUMMERLAND (WB)
· TRACY MORGAN SHOW, THE (NBC)
· UNTITLED LONG & STALEY PROJECT (CBS)
· VERITAS: THE QUEST (ABC)




[02/25/26 - 03:35 PM]
"20/20: The Au Pair, The Affair and Murder" About a Twisted Love Triangle Delivers Best Adult 25-54 Performance in 10 Months and Strongest Delivery in Adults 18-49 in 11 Months
Hitting new season highs for the second straight week, "20/20" improved on the previous week in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.
[02/25/26 - 02:59 PM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Season Two Casts New Roles
The newly added cast will join previously announced Eric Bana, Shea Whigham and Kelly Hu.
[02/25/26 - 02:46 PM]
ABC News Is No. 1 Broadcast Network for Coverage of the State of the Union, Beating NBC by 1.4 Million and CBS by 1.7 Million
Said coverage ranked No. 1 among the broadcast networks in all key target demos: Total Viewers (4.912 million), Adults 25-54 (1.125 million) and Adults 18-49 (886,000).
[02/25/26 - 10:30 AM]
Medical Mysteries Take Over Wednesdays on TLC Starting Wednesday, March 4 at 8PM ET/PT
Highlights include the return of "Untold Stories of the ER" on August 19 at 9:00/8:00c.
[02/25/26 - 10:12 AM]
The CW Network Sets Season 4 Premiere of Hit Series "Sullivan's Crossing"
The series will return for its highly-anticipated 10-episode fourth season on Monday, April 20 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT).
[02/25/26 - 10:01 AM]
Martin Clunes to Guest Star on "Best Medicine"
Clunes, the BAFTA award winning original star of the UK's "Doc Martin," guest stars as Martin's father, Robert Best on Tuesday, March 3 on FOX.

[02/25/26 - 09:07 AM]
FOX Sports, AV8 Productions, Allez! Sports, and Hello Sunshine Announce New Documentary Special "You See L.A." Premiering March 1 on FS1
The one-hour documentary special explores the human stories, emotional stakes, and deep community surrounding UCLA's Women's Basketball team during one of the most pivotal seasons in its program's history.
[02/25/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere" - Official Trailer - Netflix
With rare access and no holds barred, the acclaimed documentarian investigates a growing ultra-masculine network and its controversial influencers.
[02/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
Peacock Launches the Official "House of Villains" Podcast Hosted by "Survivor" Fan-Favorite and "House of Villains" Season Three Competitor Tyson Apostol
Each week, Tyson invites a fellow Season Three villain to unpack their strategic betrayals, shifting alliances, and iconic meltdowns - diving into the psychology of villainy and savoring the act of making excellent reality TV.
[02/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Homicide: New York" - Season 2 Official Trailer - Netflix
Detectives and prosecutors revisit their most challenging murder cases in this chilling true-crime documentary series from the creator of "Law & Order."
[02/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
Matt Dillon to Star in MGM+'s Drama Series "The Magnificent Seven"
Dillon, who also serves as an executive producer, will reprise the iconic role of Chris Adams, originally played by Yul Brynner, who becomes the leader of seven gunslingers who sign onto the task of protecting a group of innocent villagers from a mercenary land baron hellbent on stealing their land.

[02/25/26 - 08:00 AM]
HBO Renews "Industry" for a Fifth and Final Season
"We're privileged to have joined the small, esteemed club of dramas that have run for five seasons on HBO," said creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay.
[02/25/26 - 07:01 AM]
HBO Max to Premiere "Song of the Samurai" - New Live Action Series from Hit Japanese Studio The Seven
The new series is the latest Japanese title to launch exclusively on HBO Max through WBD's partnership with U-NEXT and is set to premiere internationally on May 9.
[02/25/26 - 07:01 AM]
CNN Films Boards "Homecoming: The Tokyo Series" as Streaming Partner
The film will begin streaming on Friday, March 27 exclusively for CNN's streaming subscribers.
[02/25/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Pretty Lethal" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, are barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest.