or


[01/30/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: January 30
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

COMMANDO NANNY (WB) - The Frog has greenlighted production on the comedy pilot, which is based on executive producer Mark Burnett's ("Survivor") experience as a young ex-British commando working as a live-in nanny for a Beverly Hills family. Dave Flebotte ("The Bernie Mac Show") is set to write the pilot which will be executive produced by Flebotte, Burnett and Conrad Riggs. The WB had previously given a put pilot commitment to the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television and Brunett's self-titled production company.

DARK SHADOWS (WB) - Dan Curtis Productions has confirmed to ShadowGram, the official newsletter of "Dark Shadows," that the WB has greenlit production on a pilot for the show's latest incarnation. Casting is set to begin shortly on the pilot, which is executive produced by Curtis and John Wells ("ER," "Third Watch," "The West Wing") and set to be written by Mark Verheiden ("Smallville"). The Frog had previously given a put pilot commitment to the project, which also comes from Warner Bros. Television and John Wells Productions.

DR. VEGAS (CBS) - The Eye has given a cast-contingent green light to the project, a drama about a young, unconventional doctor who lives and works in an old-school, Palms-like hotel-casino in Las Vegas. John Herzfeld ("15 Minutes") will write, direct and executive produce the pilot, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, CBS Productions and Bender-Brown Productions, along with Lawrence Bender ("Kill Bill"), Mark Sennett ("K Street") and Kevin Brown ("Roswell").

DRAGON STORM (Sci Fi) - Saturday's premiere of the telefilm was seen by 3.03 million viewers making it the most-watched original movie in the network's history. The show's 2.3 household rating also tied "Epoch" as Sci Fi's highest-rated original movie ever.

GARY THE RAT (Spike TV) - In an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," executive producer Kelsey Grammer confirmed the series has been canceled by Spike TV.

HAPPY FAMILY (NBC) - Executive producers David Guarascio and Moses Port have signed a new two-year, mid-seven-figure overall deal with NBC Studios. The pact, which goes into effect this summer, calls for the duo to continue as showrunners on the comedy should it return for a second season as well as create, develop and executive produce new projects for the studio.

HUB (NBC) - Blair Underwood ("City of Angels," "Sex and the City") has been cast in the pilot, an offbeat ensemble drama set behind the scenes at a major U.S. international airport. Underwood is set to play Roger DeSouza, the airport's second-in-command.

PLAN B (ABC) - The Caroline Rhea-led comedy has been given the go ahead to produce a pilot by ABC. Rhea plays a thirtysomething woman who finds herself struggling with career issues, weight gain and romance troubles. Josh Sternin and Jeff Ventimilia ("That '70s Show") are behind the project, which comes from Universal Network Television.

STARGATE SG-1 (Sci Fi) - A strong performance by the veteran sci-fi drama helped drive Sci Fi to its best ever January performance, where the network averaged a 1.1 household rating (951,000 households or 1.4 million viewers) in primetime for the month. That 1.1 average household rating also makes it the second most-watched month in the network's history, second only to December 2002, which drew a 1.65 household rating thanks to the premiere of "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken." Overall, Sci Fi ranked 10th among all non-news, advertising-supported cable networks for the month. As for "Stargate," the January 9 winter premiere of new episodes of the series drew a 2.2 household rating, the highest for an original Sci Fi episode of "SG-1" to date, and 2.66 million viewers, the most-watched original segment of the show in the series' cable run and the most-watched episode of any original series in Sci Fi Channel history.

STRAIGHT DATES BY GAY MATES (Bravo, New!) - The cable channel has ordered a pilot for a new reality series about two gay guys who endeavor to help a hapless heterosexual woman find love. Vin Di Bona Productions ("America's Funniest Home Videos," "That's Funny") is behind the project, which is based on the British series of the same name. "Gay Mates" tracks the duo as they find two potential dates for a woman eack week, based on her wishes as well as her style. The episode then follows their dates and has her decide whether she wants to continue dating one of the men, both or neither. Di Bona and fellow executive producer Peter J. Schankowitz bought the rights to the show from the U.K.'s Prospect Pictures and show creator Richard Hastings last year. Joel Klein ("Fear Factor") has signed on to co-executive produce the pilot along with Di Bona and Schankowitz. Casting is underway for the two hosts with production set to begin in Los Angeles shortly.

SUDBURY (A.K.A. PRACTICAL MAGIC) (CBS) - Sandra Bullock's small screen version of the 1998 feature "Practical Magic" has been given a cast-contingent pilot commitment by CBS. Like the film, the series will revolve around two sisters (played by Bullock and Nicole Kidman in the movie) who struggle with the blessing and curse of harboring magical abilities. Bullock will executive produce the project, which comes from her Fortis Films and Warner Bros. Television, along with Denise Di Novi ("The District") and writer Becky Hartman-Edwards ("American Dreams").

UNTITLED SHONDRA RHIMES PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Feature writer Shonda Rhimes ("Introducing Dorothy Dandridge") has landed a pilot commitment from ABC for a new drama that follows the professional and personal lives of residents in surgical training at a San Francisco hospital. Rhimes will write and executive produce the project, which has been dubbed internally by ABC executives as "Sex and the Surgery," along with Mark Gordon ("Speed"). No studio was announced as being attached.

WANTED (CBS) - The Eye has given a cast-contingent pilot commitment to a new suspense series about the L.A.P.D.'s fugitive-apprehension team. Feature writer Cynthia Cidre ("The Mambo Kings") is behind the project, which is set up at Sarah Timberman's 25C Productions, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Productions. The news marks 25C's second project picked-up as part of its three-for-one production commitment from CBS (read the story), the other being writer Theresa Rebeck's "The Webster Report." Cidre, Timberman and Carl Beverly will executive produce "Wanted," which is based on an idea by Robert Crais, along with Thomas Carter ("Save the Last Dance"), who's expected to direct the pilot should it go forward.

WE ARE FAMILY (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has picked up a new comedy pilot about a man and his estranged father, both of whom have babies at the same time. Rob Long and Dan Staley ("Cheers") will write and executive produce the project, which comes from Touchstone Television, along with Tim Fall ("Men, Women and Dogs").

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· AMERICAN DREAMS (NBC)
· AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (ABC)
· BERNIE MAC SHOW, THE (FOX)
· CITY OF ANGELS (CBS)
· COMMANDO NANNY (WB)
· DARK SHADOWS (WB)
· DISTRICT, THE (CBS)
· DR. VEGAS (CBS)
· DRAGON STORM (SCI FI)
· EPOCH (SCI FI)
· ER (NBC)
· FEAR FACTOR (MTV)
· GARY THE RAT (SPIKE TV)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HAPPY FAMILY (NBC)
· K STREET (HBO)
· LAX (NBC)
· MEN, WOMEN AND DOGS (WB)
· PLAN B (ABC)
· PRACTICAL MAGIC (CBS)
· ROSWELL (UPN)
· SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· STARGATE: SG-1 (SCI FI)
· STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS: TAKEN (SCI FI)
· STRAIGHT DATES BY GAY MATES (BRAVO)
· SURVIVOR (CBS)
· THAT '70S SHOW (FOX)
· THAT'S FUNNY (SYNDICATION)
· THIRD WATCH (NBC)
· WANTED (CBS)
· WE ARE FAMILY (ABC)
· WEBSTER REPORT, THE (CBS)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[07/31/26 - 08:01 AM]
Rebecca Hall to Join Netflix Series Based on Dan Brown's "The Secret of Secrets"
She'll play Katherine Solomon for the upcoming series adaptation of the mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown, the sixth installment in his "Robert Langdon" series.

[07/31/26 - 08:00 AM]
ESPN to Carry More Than 445 MLB Games Across Its Platforms in August
The month-long schedule includes seven newly selected exclusive matchups on ESPN and ABC, ESPN Unlimited MLB Games of the Day and more than 400 out-of-market MLB.TV games available through the ESPN App.

[07/31/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Moria" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this highly stylized fictionalization, Moria Casán transforms her life story into a symbolic spectacle of fame, controversy and ceaseless reinvention.

[07/31/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Shards" - Official Trailer 3 - FX
Real friends stab you in the front.

[07/31/26 - 06:04 AM]
"ESPN Jeopardy!" Is Now Streaming on Disney+, Hulu and the ESPN App
The series features ESPN commentators and celebrity sports fans competing on the iconic Alex Trebek Stage.

[07/31/26 - 05:23 AM]
ESPN Announces New Shaboozey Track "High Noon" Featuring Gunna as 2026-27 College Football Season Anthem
ESPN has collaborated with musical artists for the past 13 years to create an anthem that drives excitement and awareness around ESPN's comprehensive college football coverage.

[07/31/26 - 04:56 AM]
Netflix Introduces the "Chumbak" Family, Moving Into Every Home on August 28
"Chumbak" is a feel-good multi-generational comedy set in a contemporary urban Indian neighbourhood where no celebration is too small, no crisis ever stays private and everyday comes with a healthy dose of hungaamaa.

[07/30/26 - 11:33 PM]
Video: "Vadhandhi" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Prime Video
When skeletal remains are unexpectedly discovered at a highway site, SI Moosa Raaza races against time to unveil the truth.

[07/30/26 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "Mousetrap" - Official Teaser - Netflix
A reclusive writer wakes to find his identity stolen - and must ally with a ruthless loan shark to reclaim his life from a man known as "The Rat."

[07/30/26 - 03:37 PM]
HBO Orders New Limited Series "The Trial of Louise Woodward"
Based on a true story, the five-episode limited series stars two-time Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy.

[07/30/26 - 11:11 AM]
Video: We TV and All Reality Share Sneak Peek at New Original Unscripted Series "Love After Lockup: Relationship Rehab" Premiering This October
Five fan-favorite couples from the hit "Love After Lockup" franchise will join psychiatrist and nationally recognized relationship expert, Dr. Ish Major, to repair their broken bonds.

[07/30/26 - 10:37 AM]
NFL Network Added to the ESPN App, Further Expanding Year-Round NFL Coverage for Fans, All in One Place
The addition brings one of football's most established dedicated destinations for live games, replays of unforgettable matchups, studio programming and original content directly into the ESPN App.

[07/30/26 - 09:49 AM]
"American Experience" Announces New Slate of Limited-Series Documentaries for PBS and a Surge in Digital Growth
The new broadcast and digital lineup kicks off with "Lindbergh," a highly anticipated three-part documentary series premiering in May 2027.

[07/30/26 - 09:17 AM]
Paramount+ Greenlights "Clueless" Event Series Starring Alicia Silverstone
Picking up 30 years after the original film, beloved Beverly Hills icon Cher Horowitz has figured out a lot: She's successful in business and has mastered motherhood - that is, until her daughter's high school years, and Cher finds that parenting a teenager makes her feel "clueless" all over again.

[07/30/26 - 09:03 AM]
Video: "A Beautiful Obsession" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Coming soon - an unflinching four-part docuseries capturing the final chapters of Pep Guardiola's dramatic decade at Man City.