or


[12/28/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: December 27-28
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (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.

THE 4,400 (USA) - The show's first season finished the year as the most-watched rookie series on cable among adults 18-49, averaging 2.9 million viewers in the key demographic per week. Also finishing in the top five in adults 18-49 for 2004 were TBS' "The Real Gilligan's Island" (1.973 million for six episodes), FX's "Rescue Me" (1.935 million for 13 hours), MTV's "'Til Death Do Us Part" (1.921 million for seven episodes) and MTV's "The Ashlee Simpson Show" (1.834 million for eight episodes).

THE ASSISTANTS (NBC, New!) - Offspring Entertainment has scored a script order for a new one-hour dramedy about a group of assistants who work in the same building in a number of different industries. The project, described as an "Upstairs, Downstairs" look at assistants and their bosses, is set up at 20th Century Fox Television. Bryan Fuller ("Wonderfalls") created the series and will executive produce alongside Offspring principals Adam Shankman ("Bringing Down the House") and Jennifer Gibgot.

THE CLOSER (TNT) - Robert Gossett ("Arlington Road") and G.W. Bailey ("Police Academy") are the latest additions to the Kyra Sedgwick-led drama pilot, about the female deputy chief (Sedgwick) heading up a special unit of the L.A.P.D. that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Gossett will play Capt. Taylor, the head of the robbery/homicide division of the L.A.P.D. while Bailey is set as Detective Lt. Provenza, a hard-line politically incorrect cop.

THE INSIDE (FOX) - Adam Baldwin ("Firefly") has joined the cast of the midseason drama, about a young, ambitious F.B.I. agent (Rachel Nichols) who is assigned to the agency's Los Angeles Violent Crimes Division. Baldwin will play a tough, seasoned F.B.I. agent in the project, a man's man with 25 years on the job. Jay Harrington also stars as the partner of Nichols' character.

INTO THE WEST (TNT) - Sean Astin ("Jeremiah"), Beau Bridges ("10.5"), Gary Busey ("I'm With Busey"), Jessica Capshaw ("The Practice"), Tyler Christopher ("General Hospital"), Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That"), Balthazar Getty ("Traffic"), Daniel Gillies ("Spider-Man 2"), Lance Henriksen ("Millennium"), Emily Holmes ("Taken"), Christian Kane ("Angel"), Zahn McClarnon ("Momentum") and Will Patton ("The Agency") have been revealed as additional cast members on Steven Spielberg's epic 12-hour mini-series. The project, currently in production, is set to premiere during the summer of 2005.

NOBODY'S WATCHING (The WB) - Paul Campbell ("Battlestar Galactica") has been cast in one of the lead roles in the comedy pilot, about two Midwestern guys who win a reality show contest and get to create their own TV comedy series. The duo then live on a soundstage where their every move is filmed, unaware of the fact that they are actually the show. Bill Lawrence, Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan are behind the project, which is set up at NBC Universal Television and Lawrence's Doozer banner.

PRISON BREAK (FOX) - Stacy Keach ("Titus") has joined the cast of FOX's ambitious drama pilot, about an engineer (Wentworth Miller) who inserts himself into a prison he designed to help his brother (Dominic Purcell), a death row inmate who insists he is innocent, escape. Keach plays a warden at the prison in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which is being directed by Brett Ratner from a script by Paul Scheuring. Sarah Wayne Callies, Peter Stormare, Amaury Nolasco, Marshall Allman, Robin Tunney and Jessalyn Gilsig also star.

THE SIMPSONS (FOX) - Ricky Gervais, the creator and star of the U.K. hit "The Office," is set to write an upcoming episode of the animated comedy. Said episode, details of which weren't available, will also feature Gervais in a voice cameo. It's not clear when the episode is planned to air.

SIX FEET UNDER (HBO) - Jenna Fischer ("The Office: An American Workplace") is set to appear on the show's upcoming fifth and final season in a guest-starring role. She'll play a dental hygienist who dates Freddy Rodriguez's character.

UNTITLED CHERI OTERI/J.J. ABRAMS PROJECT (ABC) - The Cheri Oteri-led/J.J. Abrams-produced comedy, the premise of which has yet to be revealed, is understood to revolve around a woman who works at a children's TV show. ABC has made a script commitment to the project, which is set up at Abrams' Touchstone Television-based Bad Robot banner.

UNTITLED DEBI GUTIERREZ PROJECT (Lifetime, New!) - Comedian Debi Gutierrez is set to topline a new comedy pilot at the cable channel, which revolves around Gutierrez's real-life experiences as a mother who raises her three kids with the help of her husband and ex-husband. Sally Lapiduss ("The Nanny") is writing the script to the project, which reportedly has been given the green light to produce a pilot. It's understood Lifetime plans to shoot at least four to six pilots as part of its 2005-06 development slate.

UNTITLED SCOTT BAIO PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Scott Baio is looking to return to the small screen as the actor is set to topline a new comedy pilot at the Peacock about a fortysomething man (Baio) who moves in with a guy in his 20s, turning his life upside down. The project, which has a script commitment from the network, is set up at HBO Independent Productions and Tagline Productions. Blake McCormack is on board to write the pilot script with Jace Richdale ("Oliver Beene") executive producing.

WILDFIRE (ABC Family) - Micah Alberti ("All My Children"), Greg Serano ("Kingpin"), Nicole Tubiola ("Undressed") and Nana Visitor ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") have been named the principal cast members of the two-hour backdoor pilot telefilm, about a girl in her late teens who ends up working with a racehorse. Michael Piller ("The Dead Zone") is behind the project, additional details of which were not available.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [december 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· 10.5 (NBC)
· 4400, THE (USA)
· AGENCY, THE (CBS)
· ANGEL (WB)
· ASHLEE SIMPSON SHOW, THE (MTV)
· ASSISTANTS, THE (NBC)
· BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SCI FI)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· DEAD ZONE, THE (USA)
· FIREFLY (FOX)
· I'M WITH BUSEY (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· INSIDE, THE (FOX)
· INTO THE WEST (TNT)
· JEREMIAH (SHOWTIME)
· KINGPIN (NBC)
· MOMENTUM (SCI FI)
· NOBODY'S WATCHING (NBC)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· OLIVER BEENE (FOX)
· PRACTICE, THE (ABC)
· PRISON BREAK (FOX)
· REAL GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE (TBS)
· RESCUE ME (FX)
· SIMPSONS, THE (FOX)
· SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
· STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS: TAKEN (SCI FI)
· 'TIL DEATH DO US PART: CARMEN & DAVE (MTV)
· TITUS (FOX)
· TRAFFIC (USA)
· UNTITLED ABRAMS & OTERI PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED DEBI GUTIERREZ PROJECT (LIFETIME)
· UNTITLED SCOTT BAIO PROJECT (NBC)
· WILDFIRE (ABC FAMILY)
· WONDERFALLS (FOX)





[06/30/25 - 11:02 AM]
"Sinners" with Black American Sign Language (BASL) Debuts July 4 on Max in the U.S.
This groundbreaking release marks the first time a streaming platform will exclusively debut a film interpreted in BASL.

[06/30/25 - 10:38 AM]
Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest to Air July 4 on ESPN Networks
Returning to the iconic corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Coney Island is 16-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, Joey Chestnut.

[06/30/25 - 10:01 AM]
NASA+ Is Coming to Netflix This Summer
Audiences now will have another option to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and breathtaking, live views of Earth from the International Space Station.

[06/30/25 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Apocalypse in the Tropics" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Through a deep examination, this documentary from Oscar nominee Petra Costa explores the profound impact of evangelism on Brazil's political landscape.

[06/30/25 - 09:23 AM]
All-New Series "Survival Mode" Premieres Monday, July 7 on NBC
Across nine episodes, the series chronicles some of the most recent devastating disasters - including the Maui wildfires, the Amtrak 501 derailment, Superstorm Sandy, and the sinking of the Costa Concordia - through firsthand accounts from survivors and rare archival footage.

[06/30/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Going, Going, Gone: The Magic of the Home Run" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
This one is dedicated to the dinger. Comedian Roy Wood Jr takes us on a baseball journey all about the long ball.

[06/30/25 - 09:01 AM]
"Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful" Visual Album Coming to Disney+ and Hulu July 16
The visual album premiered June 6 at the Tribeca Festival ahead of its one-night theatrical release in the U.S. and Canada on June 12.

[06/30/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys" - Official Trailer - Netflix
On August 19, experience the historic rise of one of the greatest teams in all of sports.

[06/30/25 - 07:26 AM]
Disney+ Adds Three New Premium Reality Commissions to Its Growing Slate of UK Unscripted Original Series
Highlights include the return of Britain's original and much-loved dating series "Blind Date", reimagined for a contemporary audience.

[06/30/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "My Oxford Year" - Official Trailer - Netflix
An ambitious American fulfilling her dream of studying at Oxford falls for a charming Brit hiding a secret that may upend her perfectly planned life.

[06/30/25 - 06:37 AM]
ESPN Reveals Special Honorees for The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One Airing Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Streaming Live on ESPN+
Oscar Robertson will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Katie Schumacher-Cawley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and David Walters and Erin Regan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

[06/30/25 - 01:01 AM]
Video: Netflix Unleashes Teaser for "Troll 2"
When a dangerous new troll is awakened, unleashing devastation across Norway, beloved adventurers Nora, Andreas and Captain Kris are thrust into their most perilous mission yet.

[06/29/25 - 10:31 PM]
A Secret Society, Ritualistic Killings, and a Century-Old Curse Netflix and YRF Entertainment's "Mandala Murders" Premieres July 25
"Mandala Murders" is a first-of-its-kind mythological-crime thriller that promises to pull audiences into a world where every clue leads deeper into a long-buried prophecy.

[06/27/25 - 11:48 PM]
Development Update: Week of June 23-27
Updates include: Scott Speedman to topline ABC's "RJ Decker" pilot; Joel Kim Booster to pen latest "Pitch Perfect" spin-off at Peacock; and "Doctor Odyssey," "Grosse Pointe Garden Society" among the latest cancellations.

[06/27/25 - 02:29 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Gears Up for Summer Rising Week to Week in All Key Measures
Wednesday, June 11, was the most-viewed day of the week among Total Viewers (2.164 million).