or


[07/29/03 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: July 29
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

THE BOOK OF RUTH (CBS, New!) - Christine Lahti ("Chicago Hope") is set to star in the Eye's small screen adaptation of Jane Hamilton's best-selling novel. The project tracks a young woman with low self-esteem who lives in the shadow of her bright brother and clashes with her strong-willed, domineering mother, played by Lahti. Suzette Couture ("Martha Inc.") will write the adaptation while Robert Greenwald will executive produce the telefilm, which is scheduled to begin shooting in September to air sometime next season.

BOOMTOWN (NBC) - Nina Garbiras, who plays journalist Andrea Little on the series, will not return for the show's second season. Her character is being written out of the series as the drama will now shift focus to being primarily about the cops' (Gary Basaraba, Jason Gedrick, Donnie Wahlberg and Mykelti Williamson) point-of-view instead of that of the reporters, paramedics and politicians. Also as part of the shift, Lana Parrilla's paramedic character will now enter the police academy while actress Vanessa Williams is set to join the cast for at least 10 of the season's first 13 episodes. She'll play Katherine Pierce, a detective investigating the murder of the two cops from last season's final episodes. Also set to appear this season are Stacy Keach ("Titus") as father to Neal McDonough's character, along with Kelly Hu ("X2") and Rebecca DeMornay as jewel thieves. The drama returns to NBC's schedule on August 8 where it will move to its fall home of Fridays at 10:00/9:00c.

EVERWOOD (WB) - Actor Mike Erwin, who plays Colin Hart on the series, has signed a talent holding deal with the network. The Frog will place the actor in one of its new projects targeted for fall 2004.

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (CBS) - Actor Brad Garrett is looking to renegotiate his current contract on the series, the first of many moves expected by the comedy's supporting players as the series potentially wraps its run this season. Much of the rumbling comes from the fact the majority of the cast (Patricia Heaton, Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts) is set to receive significant pay raises should the show return for a ninth season in 2004-05. But now with that seeming unlikely, the cast will undoubtedly looking to push some of that money to the current season. In Garrett's case, he's not even signed through the ninth season. In addition, unlike Ray Romano or co-creator Phil Rosenthal, the rest of the cast has no backend income from the show's lucrative sale into syndication.

STEPHEN KING'S KINGDOM HOSPITAL (ABC) - Andrew McCarthy, Diane Ladd and Bruce Davison have all signed on to the project, which is set to kick off with a two-hour premiere on Thursday, February 5 at 9:00/8:00c. McCarthy (recently a guest on "Monk") will play Dr. Hook, a surgeon who lives in the hospital basement and collects medical equipment while Ladd ("Rambling Rose") is set as the psychic hypochondriac Mrs. Druse, a regular in Kingdom Hospital's emergency room. Davison ("X2") will play Dr. Stegman, an arrogant, inept physician. The project, based on the Danish miniseries "The Kingdom" from Lars Von Trier, revolves around a bizarre hospital where patients and staff have chosen to ignore tell-tale signs of mysticism and unseen powers. King calls the series "ER" meets "The Shining." All three actors have options to return for a second season of the series with production set to begin on August 11 on the 15 hours ordered.

UNTITLED STEVEN SPIELBERG PROJECT (TNT) - The prolific producer has signed with the cable channel to develop an ambitious 12-hour epic about the settlement of the Western frontier. Dreamworks Television's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will be co-executive producers of the project which tracks two multi-generational American and Native American families, with each telling the stories of the development of the West from their own point of view. No directors, writers or actors are attached to the project which isn't set to start production until summer 2004 for a 2005 air date. The limited series is expected to follow the "Band of Brothers" model used at HBO where the mini-series is broken up into weekly episodes, instead of a straight night-by-night run as was the case for Spielberg's "Taken" mini-series for Sci Fi.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [july 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BAND OF BROTHERS (HBO)
· BOOK OF RUTH, THE (CBS)
· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· CHICAGO HOPE (CBS)
· ER (NBC)
· EVERWOOD (WB)
· EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (CBS)
· INTO THE WEST (TNT)
· MARTHA, INC.: THE STORY OF MARTHA STEWART (NBC)
· MONK (USA)
· ROBINSONS, THE: LOST IN SPACE (WB)
· STEPHEN KING'S KINGDOM HOSPITAL (ABC)
· STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS: TAKEN (SCI FI)
· TITUS (FOX)





[07/07/25 - 02:01 PM]
"Alice in Borderland" Season 3 Premieres September 25
Once again directed by Shinsuke Sato, Season 3 stars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, along with an exciting lineup of new and returning actors.

[07/07/25 - 11:15 AM]
John Slattery, Jessica Henwick, Ellen Robertson and More Join Netflix's "Vladimir"
Kayli Carter, Miriam Silverman, Mallori Johnson, Matt Walsh, Tattiawna Jones and Louise Lambert will also recur on the series.

[07/07/25 - 11:09 AM]
2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby Exclusively on ESPN Platforms July 14
Karl Ravech will return for his 9th year to call the action, alongside analysts Eduardo Pérez and Todd Frazier and reporters Buster Olney and Alden González.

[07/07/25 - 10:31 AM]
Tubi to Launch AMC Studios' Sci-Fi Comedy Series "Demascus" as a Tubi Original
The six episode half-hour comedic sci-fi series follows Demascus (Okieriete Onaodowan), a Black man who goes on a journey of self-discovery using an experimental reality-bending technology.

[07/07/25 - 10:17 AM]
"LEGO Masters Jr." with Host Kelly Osbourne to Air Over Four Weeks Beginning Monday, August 18 at 8/7c on FOX
Hosted by television personality Kelly Osbourne, the series features celebrity contestants including Ravi V. Patel, Andy Richter, Jordin Sparks, Alison Sweeney and Porsha Williams.

[07/07/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "My Life With the Walter Boys" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Hoping for a fresh start in Silver Falls, Jackie discovers second chances aren't guaranteed when unresolved feelings and small-town tensions resurface.

[07/07/25 - 08:02 AM]
Nickelodeon Sets Launch for "Tim Rex in Space," Brand-New Animated Preschool Series, on Monday, Aug. 4
The series follows a Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) named Tim, his big brother Tommy, little sister Tia, and triceratops bestie Kai, as they tackle kid-shaped adventures with dino-sized solutions in space.

[07/07/25 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "The Sandman" Season 2 - Volume 2 Official Teaser - Netflix
When the Kindly Ones turn a sorrow-stricken mother into a vessel of vengeance, their combined power puts Lord Morpheus' realm - and life - in jeopardy.

[07/07/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "She Said Maybe" - Official Teaser - Netflix
From Hamburg to Istanbul. One journey, two worlds, and a decision that changes everything.

[07/06/25 - 10:31 PM]
Video: "Vir Das: Fool Volume" - Official Trailer - Stand-Up Comedy Special - Netflix
Vir Das is back to make you laugh, think, and feel all the feels with his brand new special.

[07/05/25 - 02:11 PM]
Yeeee-haw! "My Life with the Walter Boys" Season 2 Premieres August 28
Netflix confirmed the news on social media this afternoon.

[07/05/25 - 01:31 PM]
From Action-Packed Adventures to Chilling Supernatural Tales: Netflix Invites Viewers to Discover Their Next Favorite Anime
In addition to debuts for "BEASTARS" Final Season, "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2," "Record of Ragnarok III" and "My Melody & Kuromi," Netflix offered sneak peeks at "The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity," "The Summer Hikaru Died" and "SAKAMOTO DAYS," with new episodes launching weekly beginning July 14.

[07/05/25 - 01:01 PM]
First Look at "Reasonable Doubt" Season 3 Premiering September 18 on Hulu
Jax is coming in red hot.

[07/04/25 - 03:31 PM]
Video: Tyler Perry's "Miss Governor" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Tyler Perry's comedy series "She The People" starring Terri J. Vaughn returns with all the laughs and a new name.

[07/04/25 - 02:31 PM]
Video: Tyler Perry's "Beauty in Black" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
As she takes the reins of the Bellarie empire, Kimmie confronts a vicious family power struggle, where betrayal, greed and danger lurk at every turn.