or


[10/21/03 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: October 21
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

AMBUSH MAKEOVER (Syndication) - Banyan Productions ("Trading Spaces") has been given the go ahead to produce 40 additional episodes of the series. "Ambush," a makeover series currently airing on a select group of Fox owned-and-operated stations, bowed in June.

COMMANDO NANNY (WB, New!) - "Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett is once again trying to get into the scripted game, landing a put pilot commitment for a new comedy at the Frog. The project is inspired by Burnett's real life experience as a young ex-British commando who moved to the U.S. and became the nanny of a posh Beverly Hills family. The Warner Bros. Television-based producer hasn't yet found a writer for the pilot which will rely heavily on the "fish out of water" aspect to the story. Burnett, who will executive produce the project with partner Conrad Riggs, spent the past development season on the reality/scripted hybrid "Are We There Yet?"

GLOBAL FREQUENCY (WB, New!) - Mark Burnett ("Survivor") and John Rogers ("The Core") are set to team for a small screen adaptation of Warren Ellis' DC/Wildstorm comic book of the same name. The comic revolves around "an independent defense intelligence organization connected by a worldwide telecommunications web that uses ordinary individuals as agents around the world to fight black ops projects, unexplained phenomena and other problems the government agencies have struggled with," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Warner Bros. Television is behind the project, which has a script commitment at the network.

NOWHERE (ABC, New!) - Feature writer Jeff Lieber ("Tuck Everlasting") and producer Aaron Spelling are set to team for a new drama project that focuses on what happens when 35 people survive a horrific plane crash, find themselves stranded on a Pacific island and are forced to build a new society. Lieber will write and executive produce the project, which has a premium script commitment, for Spelling and Touchstone Television. The series, which is targeted for fall 2004, plans to focus heavily on nine of the survivors, particularly two half-brothers who have recently met after the death of their father.

THE REAGANS (CBS) - The Eye has scheduled the four-hour mini-series for Sunday, November 16 and Tuesday, November 18 at 9:00/8:00c.

SMALLVILLE/FEARLESS (WB) - "Fearless" regular Ian Somerhalder has signed on to appear in six episodes of "Smallville" this season while the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama is being retooled. He'll play Adam, a young man that lost his parents in a fire who winds up bonding with Kristin Kreuk's character. Somerhalder's first episode is likely to air in January. (Special thanks to the folks at KryptonSite.com for this news.)

THE SURREAL LIFE (WB) - The Frog has revealed the cast for the second season of its reality series. Among those involved are former televangelist's wife Tammy Faye Messner, porn legend Ron Jeremy, rapper Vanilla Ice, "ChiPs" icon Erik Estrada, former "Baywatch" actress Traci Bingham and "Real World: Las Vegas" cast member Trishelle. Six episodes are set to be produced for the new season, each of which will feature a weekly celebrity guest star. Cris Abrego, Rick Telles, Mark Cronin, Jay Renfroe and David Garfinkle are the executive producers of the series, which comes from Mindless Entertainment and Brass Ring Entertainment.

UNTITLED GLENN GORDON CARON PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Glenn Gordon Caron ("Now & Again") has set up his first-ever project at the Peacock, a drama series about a woman with psychic abilities. Caron will write and executive produce the project, which is based on the life of Allison DuBois, a self-described "research medium and criminal profiler" based in Arizona. The series will then explore how an ordinary woman comes to balance her "gift" with being a wife (to a scientist no less) and mother. Kelsey Grammer and Steve Stark of the former's Paramount-based Grammnet Productions are also on board as executive producers of the project, which has a premium script commitment with a small penalty attached should it not go to pilot.

UNTITLED GODFREY DANCHIMAH PROJECT (ABC, New!) - 7UP pitchman and comedian Godfrey Danchimah has signed a talent holding deal with Alphabet network to topline a comedy project for the network targeted for fall 2004.

UNTITLED LYNDA LOPEZ PROJECT (Syndication, New!) - Universal Domestic Television is looking to develop a new syndicated vehicle for Lynda Lopez, the sister of pop diva/actress Jennifer Lopez. The project will feature four hosts who will discuss pop culture, news, lifestyle, celebrities, beauty and fashion. Casting is underway to round out the rest of the hosts. Jennifer Lopez herself (through her Nuyorican production banner) will produce the project along the company's Julio Caro. It's expected the series will be pitched to the various NBC owned-and-operated stations however UDT, the talent agency that packaged the deal, also has a pact with Tribune Entertainment to co-develop at least one first-run project for the Tribune stations for fall 2004.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [october 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· AMBUSH MAKEOVER (SYNDICATION)
· ARE WE THERE YET? (WB)
· BAYWATCH (SYNDICATION)
· COMMANDO NANNY (WB)
· FEARLESS (WB)
· GLOBAL FREQUENCY (WB)
· LOST (ABC)
· MEDIUM (CBS)
· NOW & AGAIN (CBS)
· REAGANS, THE (SHOWTIME)
· REAL WORLD, THE (FACEBOOK)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· SURREAL LIFE, THE (VH1)
· SURVIVOR (CBS)
· UNTITLED GODFREY DANCHIMAN PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED LYNDA LOPEZ PROJECT (SYNDICATION)





[10/17/25 - 01:16 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Hits Season Highs with Best Audience Performance Since July
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 139 consecutive weeks across all key measures.

[10/17/25 - 10:38 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues Historic Hot Streak - Rising for Fourth Straight Week Since Premiere with 6 Million Total Viewers
Plus: "High Potential" dominated the 10 p.m. hour with 4.15 million Total Viewers and a 0.33 rating among Adults 18-49.

[10/17/25 - 10:01 AM]
51st Season of "Saturday Night Live" Continues with Three Back-to-Back Shows in November
Miles Teller is on tap to host on November 1, followed by Nikki Glaser on November 8, and Glen Powell on November 15.

[10/17/25 - 09:05 AM]
All-New Season of "The Last Woodsmen" Premieres Friday, November 14 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery
Deep in the untamed wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, veteran logger Jared Douglas returns to put everything on the line in the new season.

[10/17/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia" - Sneak Peek - Netflix
A brutal mob war between John Stanfa and Joey Merlino plunges '90s Philadelphia into chaos and bloodshed in this captivating true-crime series.

[10/17/25 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Me late que si" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A desperate, ordinary man, fed up with his misfortune, hatches a daring heist and assembles a very unusual group to attempt the impossible: stealing a live lottery jackpot.

[10/17/25 - 08:00 AM]
"Weapons" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max October 24
When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at 2:17 a.m., a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

[10/17/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "My Secret Santa" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A vivacious single-mom (Alexandra Breckenridge) in need of a job decides to disguise herself as a man in order to get hired as the seasonal Santa at a luxury ski resort.

[10/17/25 - 07:01 AM]
"Euphoria" Season 3 Is Coming Spring 2026
Newly announced cast members include Gideon Adlon, Bill Bodner, Colleen Camp, Danielle Deadwyler, Homer Gere, Jessica Blair Herman, Natasha Lyonne, Hemky Madera, Kwame Patterson, Trisha Paytas, Rebecca Pidgeon, Bella Podaras, Cailyn Rice, Eli Roth, Madison Thompson, Jack Topalian, Sam Trammell, Matthew Willig.

[10/17/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Eloa the Hostage: Live on TV" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This gripping documentary explores the case of a teenage girl who was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in one of Brazil's most shocking hostage situations.

[10/17/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple Is the Exclusive New Broadcast Partner for Formula 1 in the U.S.
Apple TV will deliver comprehensive coverage of Formula 1, with all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix available to Apple TV subscribers.

[10/16/25 - 02:11 PM]
Video: National Geographic Unveils First Look at "Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember" - A Powerful and Heartfelt Special Featuring the Global Movie Star on His Most Personal Journey Yet
The one-hour documentary, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa, Jane Root's Nutopia, and Chris Hemsworth and Ben Grayson's Wild State, premieres November 23 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

[10/16/25 - 12:58 PM]
Lifetime Announces Annual "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" Holiday Movie Slate Kicking Off November 29th
Featured talent this year includes Brandy Norwood, Kane & Katelyn Brown, Loretta Devine, Debbi Morgan, Arielle Kebbel, Tyler Hilton, James Lafferty, Vivica A. Fox, Jackée Harry, Sy'Rai Smith, Nischelle Turner, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and others.

[10/16/25 - 12:31 PM]
Video: "The Witcher" Season 4 - Character Trailer - Netflix
Scattered to fates unknown, Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri traverse the war-torn Continent and its countless enemies in the hope of finding each other again.

[10/16/25 - 11:32 AM]
A+E Global Media and Rachael Ray's Free Food Studios Cook Up Expanded Programming Partnership with Over 100 New Episodes Ordered
The network has ordered 110 new episodes of Ray's programming, including new episodes of "Meals in Minutes," that will continue to focus on her approachable and comforting cooking style.