or


[01/28/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: January 28
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

DEAD LIKE ME (Showtime) - MGM executives have confirmed the company is looking into syndicating repeats of the recently axed Showtime drama to other cable networks as well as local stations across the country. Any deals however are secondary to finding a new first-run home for the series, which MGM says is still a very real possibility. "We're now talking to basic cable networks about moving it, and we ultimately will syndicate that," Jim Packer, MGM's executive vice president of television distribution for North America recently told Multichannel News. "It's a model that we are very comfortable with." To date, 30 hours of "Dead Like Me" have been produced.

LOVE MONKEY (CBS, New!) - The Eye has given a cast-contingent pilot presentation order to a small screen adaptation of Kyle Smith's book of the same name, about four male friends at different stages of life and love as told through the eyes of a single, thirtysomething record executive. Michael Rauch ("In the Weeds") will write and executive produce the project, which is set up at Sony Pictures Television and Paramount Network Television. Mark Johnson is also on board as an executive producer.

MONK/QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY (USA/Bravo) - NBC Universal Television Distribution is in the process of packaging each show's off-network run for syndication on other cable networks as well as local stations across the country. "We're in the process of planning on 'Monk' and 'Queer Eye,'" Arthur Hasson, executive vice president of NBC Universal Television Distribution, cable and ancillary, told Multichannel News. "When we look at any product, be it off NBC or USA � whatever � we look at maximizing our revenues."

QUEER AS FOLK (Showtime) - The pay channel is hoping to offer repeats of the show's expected 86-episode run into off-network syndication. Showtime, who apparently has the domestic off-network rights to the series, plans to follow in the footsteps of HBO, which has found success in the syndicated sales of "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos." No timetable however has been set. "So we're looking to place the first couple of seasons and get someone to license that," Matthew Duda, Showtime's executive vice president of acquisitions, planning and distribution, said in an interview with Multichannel News. "We've had a lot of conversations already. It looks like we're very close to getting that placed."

REVVED (FOX, New!) - Feature writer Greg Coolidge ("Sorority Boys") have landed a pilot commitment from FOX about two brothers in North Carolina NASCAR country who, working out of a chop shop, try to protect local residents from threats of big business and corrupt government. 20th Century Fox Television is behind the project, with Coolidge writing the pilot script and executive producing alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

THE SOPRANOS (HBO) - The pay channel is expected to announce today that either TNT or A&E has emerged as the winner of the syndicated rights to "The Sopranos" for a record $2.1 million per episode. Other cable networks said to be bidding were USA, Spike TV, FX and Lifetime however it appears only TNT and A&E are still in the hunt. With as many as 78 episodes expected to be completed by the time "The Sopranos" wraps, HBO could pocket as much as $163.8 million from the deal, nearly two and a half times the amount it earned from its sale of "Sex and the City" to TBS ($68 million).

Industry speculation says TNT will come out on top as it is a corporate sibling of HBO however the network insists it is shooting for top dollar, regardless of any implied corporate loyalty. Should A&E snag the rights, the cable channel reportedly will strip the show weeknights at 7:00/6:00c and 11:00/10:00c with the latter being an "uncut" version of the earlier broadcast. In addition, with so much money involved the winner may snag the exclusive rights to the show, meaning HBO couldn't sell weekend repeats to local stations. HBO also wouldn't put a cap on the number of episodes it plans to deliver, leading many industry insiders to believe the network may be attempting to squeeze a seventh season of the series from creator David Chase.

STARGATE ATLANTIS (Sci Fi) - MGM's syndication arm has cleared the series on 28 Fox owned-and-operated stations for a fall 2005 launch. Said stations, most of which already carry repeats of the show's parent series, reach about 40% of the country. Additional clearances are expected to be announced shortly which will likely put the show in the 90-95% range.

TICKET TO RIDE (FOX, New!) - Laurie McCarthy and Gwendolyn Parker ("C.S.I.: Miami") have scored a pilot order from FOX for a new drama about 20 people from all walks of life who share a lottery ticket that wins $386 million. The project, which is set up at Regency Television, would then deal with the complications that come from winning so much money. The pair will write the pilot script with McCarthy executive producing and Parker co-executive producing.

TWISTED TALES (FOX, New!) - "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane is developing a new half-hour anthology series for the network that will focus on various tales of horror, fantasy or sci-fi. McFarlane himself plans to serve as a Rod Serling-esque host by introducing each episode from a fake basement. The project is set up at Fox TV Studios' alternative division in association with Angry Films ("The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen") and McFarlane's own banner. Trey Callaway ("I Still Know What You Did Last Summer") is also on board to shepherd the project, which will be executive produced by Callaway, McFarlane, Terry Fitzgerald, Rick Benattar, Susan Montford and Don Murphy. FOX has ordered a pilot script and bible for the series, which is loosely based on McFarlane's comic series of the same name.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· CSI: MIAMI (CBS)
· DEAD LIKE ME (SHOWTIME)
· IN THE WEEDS (FOX)
· LOVE MONKEY (CBS)
· MONK (USA)
· QUEER AS FOLK (SHOWTIME)
· QUEER EYE (BRAVO)
· REVVED (FOX)
· SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· STARGATE ATLANTIS (SCI FI)
· TWISTED TALES (FOX)
· WINDFALL (NBC)





[07/14/25 - 02:13 PM]
Lifetime Announces Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies Debuting Saturdays This Fall
Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jon McLaren, Marilu Henner, Brielle Robillard, Sam Trammell, Steve Byers, Ashley Jones, Holly Barrett, Doug Savant, Maggie Lawson, and Courtney Stodden are among the featured talent.

[07/14/25 - 01:10 PM]
Season 10 of the Hit Dating Series "Ready to Love" Returns to Philadelphia as the Journey to Find Love Continues This Summer on OWN
Beginning Friday, August 1 at 8 PM ET/PT on OWN, viewers return to the City of Brotherly Love to reignite the search for lasting love among its most eligible singles.

[07/14/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix and MVP's Taylor-Serrano 3 Goes the Distance with Nearly 6 Million Global Viewers
In the US, an estimated AMA of 4.2 million viewers tuned in to the main event (Live+1) according to VideoAmp and Netflix, making it the most-watched professional women's sports event of 2025.

[07/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "SEC Football: Any Given Saturday" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Follow college football's most elite players and coaches in this unfiltered documentary series that goes behind the scenes of the 2024 SEC season.

[07/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Hosted by Ken Jeong & Erin Andrews, "99 to Beat" Premieres Wednesday, September 24 Following the Season Four Premiere of "The Floor," Hosted by Rob Lowe
In "99 to Beat," 100 contestants go head-to-head in a range of visually distinctive and hilarious games in an arced competition game show like we've never seen before.

[07/14/25 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces 2025 San Diego Comic-Con Programming
Featured are beloved returning series including "Gen V," "Upload," "Hazbin Hotel," "The Legend of Vox Machina," and highly anticipated new series like "Helluva Boss," "The Mighty Nein," and "Butterfly."

[07/14/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Hulu Reveals Official Trailer for "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball"
Additionally, it's been announced that the series will make its franchise-first debut at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26.

[07/14/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Debuts Trailer and Key Art For Spy Thriller "Butterfly," Starring and Executive Produced by Daniel Dae Kim
As previously announced, all six episodes will debut on Wednesday, August 13.

[07/14/25 - 08:15 AM]
Sean Hannity to Host "Wanted: Dead or Alive" on FOX Nation
Set to premiere on Wednesday, July 16, new episodes will be released weekly and tackle the stories of the infamous John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and Ma Barker.

[07/14/25 - 08:00 AM]
Gabby Windey Sets Sail as Host of Hulu's New Unscripted Series "Love Overboard"
Step aboard the ultimate luxury yacht, where sexy singles are ready to mix and mingle... and find love.

[07/14/25 - 08:00 AM]
HBO Original "Harry Potter" Television Series Begins Production
The series will debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max where it's available, including in upcoming launch markets Germany, Italy, and the UK.

[07/14/25 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases First-Look Images and Teaser Trailer for Upcoming Psychological Thriller "The Girlfriend"
All six-episodes will be available September 10 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[07/14/25 - 07:41 AM]
Welcome to Atlanta: FOX Sports Assembles All-Star Cast for MLB's 95th Midsummer Classic
Live from Truist Park, FOX MLB's lead duo of Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Davis and first-ballot Hall of Famer John Smoltz (eight-time All-Star with the Atlanta Braves) reunite in the booth for their fourth All-Star Game together.

[07/14/25 - 07:15 AM]
Prime Video Announces Six Additional Cast for New Original Series "Bloodaxe"
Karlis Arnolds Avots, Rod Hallett, Alina Tomnikov, Sisse Marie, Rune Temte, and Jesper Christensen join the cast of the historical drama.

[07/14/25 - 07:14 AM]
Icon Award, Presenters, Attendees, and Musical Performances Announced for "The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One," Airing Live Wednesday, July 16 at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT on ABC and Streaming on ESPN+
During this year's event, ESPN will honor former WNBA player Diana Taurasi and former USWNT player Alex Morgan with the Icon Award in recognition of their incredible careers and significant impact on the world of sports.