or


[02/10/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: February 10
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

Looking to keep track of all the various pilots and other projects in development? Be sure to check out our detailed production chart listings by clicking here.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Felicity Huffman ("Sports Night," "Out of Order") has been added to the ensemble cast of the drama pilot, a darkly humorous look at the secretive lives of four women living in an Anytown, USA, cul-de-sac. She'll play one of the wives, a former corporate lawyer turned stay-at-home mom. Huffman joins the previously cast Eva Longoria ("L.A. Dragnet") in the project, which comes from Touchstone Television and executive producers Marc Cherry and Chuck Pratt.

DOING IT (ABC) - D.B. Sweeney ("Strange Luck"), Lisa Darr ("Popular") and Jessica Lucas ("Edgemont") have joined the cast of drama pilot, a coming-of-age drama about the sexual antics of three teen boys in Seattle. Sweeney and Darr wil play parents to Sean Faris' character while Lucas will join Kelly Osbourne and Missi Pergrym as the teen female leads. Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah are behind the project, which comes from Touchstone Television.

HARRY GREEN AND EUGENE (ABC) - Jason Segel ("Freaks & Geeks") will star opposite Mark Valley in the drama pilot, which comes the "Keen Eddie" team of Joel Wyman, Simon West, Warren Littlefield and Paramount Network Television. Segel will play the inept brother of Mark Valley's character, a private investigator in Los Angeles.

HAWAII (NBC) - Michael Madsen ("Vengeance Unlimited") has come aboard the drama pilot, which comes from NBC Studios. He'll play a talented cop and devoted father on the project, an ensemble drama about the Oahu police department. Madsen joins the previously cast Sharif Atkins, Ivan Sergei and Eric Balfour. Jon Avnet ("Boomtown") is directing the pilot from a script by Jeff Eastin ("Shasta McNasty").

OAHU (A.K.A. THE BIG ISLAND) (FOX) - Kristoffer Polaha ("Tru Calling") has landed a lead role in the drama pilot, which now features the title "Oahu." He'll play the manager of the hotel in the project, an "Upstairs, Downstairs"-esque drama about the guests and staff at a luxury hotel in Hawaii. Polaha's involvement is the result of a talent deal the actor signed with FOX back in August (read the story). Peter Elkoff ("Mr. Beautiful") and Kevin Falls ("The West Wing") are behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based pilot, which is being directed by Peyton Reed ("Bring It On").

NEVER MIND NIRVANA (NBC, New!) - Writer/producer Ajay Sahgal has landed a cast-contigent pilot pick-up for a new comedy about what happens when an Indian-American doctor's immigrant parents move in with him and his Caucasian wife. Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke and their NBC Studios-based The Untitled Burke/Tarses Project is behind the project, which will be executive produced by the duo along with Sahgal.

PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (Syndication) - The syndicated series has been cleared on Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago for a fall 2004 launch. The news means the Sony Pictures Television-distributed series is now a go in 18 of the top 20 markets in the country, including stations in the Viacom, Tribune, Raycom, Scripps Howard, Lin, Belo, Young Broadcasting, Clear Channel, Media General, ACME and Weigel groups.

UNTITLED JASON KATIMS/DAVID E. KELLY PROJECT (ABC) - Michael Dinner ("Karen Sisco," "The Street") is set to direct the romantic drama pilot, which centers on three sisters who are wedding planners. The project is set up at David E. Kelley Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.

THE WEBSTER REPORT (CBS) - Emmy winner Stanley Tucci ("Winchell," "Murder One") has signed on for the lead role in the pilot, a drama about an offbeat New York private investigator. Tucci's involvement lifts the cast-contingency on the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, 25C Productions and CBS Productions. Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men In Black") is on board to direct the pilot from a script by Theresa Rebeck ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent").

WEEKENDS (NBC, New!) - Writer/producer Craig Doyle has landed a pilot commitment from the Peacock for a new half-hour comedy about an Orange County couple with a kid who still long for the carefree days of their youth. No other details were released about the project, other than it is set up at NBC Studios.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· DEMARCO AFFAIRS (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· FREAKS & GEEKS (NBC)
· HARRY GREEN & EUGENE (ABC)
· HAWAII (NBC)
· KAREN SISCO (ABC)
· KEEN EDDIE (FOX)
· LA DRAGNET (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (USA)
· LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (ABC)
· NEARLY NIRVANA (NBC)
· NORTH SHORE (FOX)
· OUT OF ORDER (SHOWTIME)
· PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (SYNDICATION)
· POPULAR (WB)
· SHASTA (UPN)
· SPORTS NIGHT (ABC)
· STREET, THE (FOX)
· TRU CALLING (FOX)
· WEBSTER REPORT, THE (CBS)
· WEEKENDS (NBC)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[01/09/26 - 09:05 AM]
Ohtani, Judge, Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Yankees, Cubs-Cardinals, and Additional Premium Matchups Headline "Sunday Night Baseball" Schedule as Major League Baseball Returns to NBC and Peacock
Highlights include the special July 5 "Star-Spangled Sunday" featuring all 15 MLB games exclusively presented nationally on Peacock and NBC.

[01/09/26 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Program Advisory: "Harlan Coben's Final Twist"
Beginning Tuesday, January 13, "Harlan Coben's Final Twist" will air original episodes Tuesdays at 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT, with encore episodes airing Wednesdays at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT.

[01/09/26 - 08:47 AM]
ESPN's Second Most-Watched NBA Regular Season Ever
Through 21 games, the NBA on ESPN networks is averaging 2.6M viewers, up 35 percent from last season.

[01/09/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art and New Images for "The 'Burbs"
All 8 episodes will premiere on Peacock Sunday, February 8, 2026.

[01/09/26 - 02:35 AM]
Paapa Essiedu Returns for "The Capture" Series 3 with New Pictures and Further Casting for the Hit Thriller Announced
The BBC has released new pictures from the series which show Paapa alongside Holliday Grainger who leads the cast as Rachel Carey.

[01/08/26 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Undercover Miss Hong" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A tenacious investigator goes undercover at a securities firm to expose corruption, but her mission is complicated by its new CEO - her former lover.

[01/08/26 - 02:00 PM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record-Breaking Viewership for 2025-26 FCS Playoffs and Championship
The 2026 FCS Championship Game averaged 2.3 million viewers on ESPN, ranking as the third-best FCS Championship audience ever.

[01/08/26 - 01:17 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Demos
In fact, "Nightline" is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 3rd straight year.

[01/08/26 - 01:16 PM]
ABC News' Primetime Special "The Year: 2025" Earns Nearly 4 Million Total Viewers - Growing by Double Digits Over Last Year in Multiplatform Viewing
The 15th annual year-end special earned 3.857 million Total Viewers, growing impressively over last year's performance by +37% (vs. 2.818 million), after three days of viewing on ABC, Disney+, Hulu and digital platforms.

[01/08/26 - 01:15 PM]
"Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV" Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 14, on ABC and Streams Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
By exploring the psychological forces that shaped the talk TV genre, the series reveals how these shows transformed from trusted confessional spaces into lightning rods of controversy, leaving a lasting impact on culture, media and the people caught in the chaos.

[01/08/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for New Docuseries "Handsome Devil: Charming Killer"
The three-part docuseries premieres Tuesday, January 20, exclusively on Paramount+.

[01/08/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "School Spirits" - Season 3 Official Trailer - Paramount+
Maddie Nears and her friends dive into a deeper, darker mystery as the veil between worlds grows dangerously thin, delivering twists that challenge everything they thought they knew.

[01/08/26 - 09:35 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Added on January 16; Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors Added on January 30
These matchups replace the previously scheduled Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets game and LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets game, respectively.

[01/08/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "What Drives You with John Cena" Season 2 - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Find out what fuels Mookie Betts, Kane Brown, Charlotte Flair and Saweetie to succeed in an all new season.

[01/08/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Finding Her Edge" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A former ice dancer returns to the rink with an exciting new partner while holding onto feelings for her old one - her first love.