or


[05/16/03 - 12:00 AM]
Telefilm Roundup: May 16
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest telefilm news, culled from recent wire reports:

10.5 (NBC) - Kim Delaney ("Philly") is in final negotiations to star in the Peacock's four-hour miniseries about a deadly earthquake hitting the West Coast. She will play a gifted seismologist at the University of Washington. When an earthquake in the Northwest triggers a series of shakes of increasing magnitude, she warns that the quakes are interrelated and a likely precursor to a big one -- but her theory is met with skepticism. She is proved right as the tremors get worse and massive evacuations as well as a plan to use nuclear warheads are putinto action.

CAESAR (TNT) - TNT's two-part mini-series about the Roman emperor is set to debut Sunday, June 29 and Monday, June 30 at 8:00/7:00c. Jeremy Sisto ("Six Feet Under") toplines an all-star cast that includes Christopher Walken ("The Deer Hunter," "Pulp Fiction"), Chris Noth ("Sex and the City"), Valeria Golino ("Rain Man") and the late Richard Harris ("Gladiator," "Harry Potter").

GIGOT (TNT, New!) - William H. Macy and Steven Schachter ("Door to Door") are set to reteam for another Johnson & Johnson sponsored telefilm. This time around the duo is remaking the 1962 Jackie Gleason comedy "Gigot" in which Macy will play the title role, a kindhearted janitor who befriends the daughter of a prostitue. Like on "Door," Macy and Schachter are writing the script with the latter directing.

JOHN CHRISTMAS (CBS, New!) - The Eye network is set to make a sequel to its popular 2001 telefilm "A Town Without Christmas" with Peter Falk reprising his role as Max the angel. The new telefilm tracks the search for the mysterious "John Christmas," a Chicago firefighter who left town after saving many lives in a school inferno and has yet to be heard from in 20 years. Valerie Bertinelli ("Touched by an Angel") will play one of three people looking to track down the man for various reasons with Max aiding the trio. Production is set to begin at the end of June in Nova Scotia, Canada.

THE LIBRARIAN (TNT, New!) - Dean Devlin ("Independence Day," "Godzilla") is set to executive produce a new action-adventure telefilm for the cable channel. Written and co-produced by David Titcher ("Around the World in 80 Days"), the film centers on the guardian of a cache of mythical objects secreted beneath the New York Public Library, including the Golden Fleece and the Ark of the Covenant. Devlin hopes the telefilm can be the first in a series of films a la TNT's own upcoming "Bad Apple," starring Chris Noth. Marc Roskin will produce with Devlin under the latter's Electric Entertainment banner. No cast or production dates have been announced.

LUCKY 7 (ABC Family) - Patrick Dempsey, Gail O'Grady, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Brad Rowe have signed on to the cable channel's new telefilm which is set to debut in July. The romantic comedy tells the story of a lawyer (Williams-Paisley) whose success has been based on following her late mother's (O'Grady) timeline which includes the fact she can't marry until she finds love for the seventh time. The trouble is she's head over heels in love with No. 6 (Rowe) and now must find a substitue No. 6 (Dempsey) in order to meet the timeline's demands. Production is underway on the project in Victoria, B.C. Lions Gate Entertainment will produce the project with Jessica Barondes writing the script and Harry Winer ("Alias," "Now and Again") directing. Judy Polone and Williams-Paisley are the executive producers.

PRINCE CHARMING (TNT) - Robert Halmi, Sr.'s update of the classic fairy tale is set to debut Sunday, July 13 at 8:00/7:00c. Christina Applegate ("Jesse") headlines the all-star cast, which features Martin Short ("Alice In Wonderland," "Merlin"), Bernadette Peters, ("Annie Get Your Gun"), Billy Connolly ("Mrs. Brown," "The Impostors"), Andrea Martin ("Wag The Dog") and newcomer Sean Maguire ("Out of Depth").

RED WATER (TBS) - Lou Diamond Phillips, Kristy Swanson and rapper-actor Coolio are set to star in the cable channel's latest thriller which centers on a bull shark that wreaks havoc in a Louisiana river. Phillips and Swanson play a divorced couple searching the river for natural gas when their boat is hijacked by a pair of criminals (Coolio, Jaimz Woolvett) on a quest for stolen money dropped in the river. Recovery of the cash is complicated by relentless shark attacks. Production is underway on the telefilm which is scheduled to premiere on August 10. Charlie Carner is directing from a script by Christopher Mack and J.D. Feigelson with Michael Larkin ("Murder in the Heartland") and Mitch Engel ("George Wallace") producing.

SECOND NATURE (TNT) - The Alec Baldwin-led psychological thriller is set to debut on Sunday, June 22 at 8:00/7:00c.

TWELVE MILE ROAD (CBS, New!) - Tom Selleck will topline a new telefilm based on Robert Boswell's novel "Mystery Ride: My Life." The project, which was originally developed as a feature 10 years ago, centers on a rough divorced rancher (Selleck) who struggles to reconnect with his angst-ridden 15-year-old daughter, who returns to the farm for the first time in 10 years to spend the summer with him. Production is scheduled to begin in early June in Canada with Richard Friedenberg ("A River Runs Through It") writing the adaptation.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· 10.5 (NBC)
· ALIAS (ABC)
· BAD APPLE (TNT)
· CAESAR (TNT)
· DOOR TO DOOR (TNT)
· FINDING JOHN CHRISTMAS (CBS)
· JESSE (NBC)
· LIBRARIAN, THE: QUEST FOR THE SPEAR (TNT)
· LUCKY SEVEN (ABC FAMILY)
· NOW & AGAIN (CBS)
· PHILLY (ABC)
· PRINCE CHARMING (TNT)
· RED WATER (TBS)
· SECOND NATURE (TNT)
· SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)
· SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
· TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL (CBS)
· TOWN WITHOUT CHRISTMAS, A (CBS)
· TWELVE MILE ROAD (CBS)
· WOOL CAP, THE (TNT)





[03/26/25 - 11:08 AM]
New Series "Beer Budget Reno" & New Episodes of "Zombie House Flipping" Premiere this April on A&E!
Everyone dreams of a home makeover, but budgets often get in the way. Enter Kristen Coutts, who specializes in life-changing renovations for those told they can't afford them.

[03/26/25 - 11:01 AM]
Zoinks! Netflix Sets New Era of Mysteries and Mischief with First Live-Action "Scooby-Doo" Series
The all-new eight-episode live-action series will uncover how everyone's favorite mystery-solving gang, and their beloved dog, first teamed up to crack the haunting case that started it all.

[03/26/25 - 10:05 AM]
TNA Wrestling Presents a Special Re-Broadcast of the Showcase Sacrifice Event, Airing Thursday, March 27 at 10:30pm ET on AXS TV and Sunday, March 30 at 6pm ET on Sportsnet 360
Originally filmed live in El Paso, Texas on March 14, Sacrifice was truly a historic occasion for the promotion, boasting its largest attendance in the U.S. in over a decade.

[03/26/25 - 10:03 AM]
Paramount+ Acquires "The Children Of October 7," Featuring Montana Tucker, to Premiere April 23
A linear run on MTV will follow.

[03/26/25 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" to Debut This Summer
The two-part documentary is an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting.

[03/26/25 - 09:10 AM]
IFC and AMC+ Renew Dark Comedy "Sisters," Starring Real-Life Best Friends Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley, for a Second Season
Donal Logue and Sophie Thompson are confirmed to reprise their roles as Jimmy and Sheryl, respectively, in the six-episode, thirty-minute series.

[03/26/25 - 09:03 AM]
Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales Heads Into 2025 Upfront Bringing Advertisers a Safe Haven of Entertainment Programming with New Original Premieres and Branded Opportunties in the Game Show Vertical
Game Show Network is premiering two new strip series, "Bingo Blitz," based on Free-to-Play App Bingo Blitz, to be hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and revived classic "Tic Tac Dough" hosted by the incomparable Brooke Burns.

[03/26/25 - 06:43 AM]
NBC Sports and Breeders' Cup Extend Partnership, Breeders' Cup World Championships to Be Presented on NBC, Peacock, and USA Network Through 2030
NBC Sports will have served as the home of the Breeders' Cup in 41 of its 47 years at the conclusion of this new agreement.

[03/26/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "A Tragedy Foretold: Flight 3054" - Sneak Peek - Netflix
The untold stories and human tragedy behind Latin America's deadliest air disaster are investigated in this three-part documentary series.

[03/26/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV+ Debuts Sneak Peek at Second Installment of Animated Trilogy "WondLa"
Hailing from Skydance Animation and based on Tony DiTerlizzi's New York Times bestselling book series "The Search for WondLa," the series is showrun and executive produced by Bobs Gannaway.

[03/26/25 - 06:00 AM]
Video: Get en Pointe! Prime Video Releases Trailer and Key Art for "Etoile"
"Étoile" will premiere all eight episodes on April 24, exclusively on Prime Video, in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[03/26/25 - 04:17 AM]
BBC and Netflix Release First-Look at Forthcoming Drama "The Bombing of Pan Am 103"
On December 21, 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over Lockerbie, killing 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans.

[03/25/25 - 09:01 PM]
Video: "Resident Playbook" Trailer Promises Warmth, Humor, and Heartfelt Journeys of Young Doctors
First-year OBGYN residents at Yulje Medical Center navigate the chaos of their work and personal lives, all in their quest to become exceptional doctors.

[03/25/25 - 04:11 PM]
Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Three-Part Reunion Begins Tuesday, April 1 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen joins Garcelle Beauvais, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, Sutton Stracke and new housewife Bozoma Saint John as they revisit an emotional season 14 that saw monumental changes and new beginnings for the ladies of 90210.

[03/25/25 - 03:24 PM]
ESPN Platforms Scores Second Most-Watched First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Women's Tournament on Record
Through two rounds, the 2025 Women's Division I Basketball Tournament is averaging 602,000 viewers, the second-highest audience through this point since 2009.