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[04/19/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: April 19
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 projects in development? Click here to visit our newly revamped "Series in Development" charts. Visitors can now filter our listings by network, genre and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!

CRIMSON FORCE/HAMMERHEAD: SHARK FRENZY (Sci Fi, New!) - The cable channel has released details about its two Saturday night original movie offerings in June. "Crimson Force," which premieres June 4 at 9:00/8:00c, is described as follows: "With Earth's energy reserves rapidly dwindling, a manned mission is sent to Mars in hopes of unlocking a recently detected energy source. But the astronauts crash-land after plunging into the crossfire of a previously unknown Martian civilization's brutal civil war. Tony Amendola (Stargate SG-1) stars."

And on June 18 at 9:00/8:00c, look for the debut of "Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy": "An alienated scientist invites his former colleagues to a remote island, to test the results of his experimental new cancer research. But the guests soon find themselves the prey in a "most dangerous game" scenario that pits them against their spurned associate's bloodthirsty mutant hammerhead-shark creature. William Forsythe (SCI FI Pictures' Larva) and Jeffery Combs (SCI FI Pictures' Beyond Re-Animator) star."

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL (FOX) - Sam Pancake ("Will & Grace") has joined the cast of the single-camera comedy pilot, about a bad-boy, down-on-his-luck chef (Bradley Cooper) who takes over at a top New York restaurant and must fight off all the urges of his former lifestyle. According to the show's casting notice, it's believed his role is that of Cameron: "This gay "veteran" is a waiter at Bistro Pino. Snobby and efficient, he is admittedly attracted to Jack [Cooper] - especially after Jack gives a rousing pep talk to the staff. Later, he has no intention of having the chef write something sentimental on a personal cake, until he's told there's a tip in it for him." He'll join the previously cast Nicholas Brendon, John Francis Daley, Jaime King, Bonnie Somerville and Owain Yeoman in the project, which comes from executive producers Darren Star, David Hemingson, David Knoller and Jim Rosenthal and is set up at 20th Century Fox Television, New Line Television and Darren Star Productions.

QUEEN B (FOX) - Scott Holroyd ("As the World Turns") has joined the cast of comedy pilot, about a narcissistic woman (Alicia Silverstone) who used her manipulation skills to become the most popular girl in high school but now finds it harder to use those unlikable traits to her advantage in her late 20s. He'll reportedly play a love interest for Bea (Silverstone's character) in the 20th Century Fox Television/Imagine Television-based project, which is executive produced by Jennifer Crittenden, David Nevins and Brian Grazer with Silverstone and Carolyn Kessler serving as co-executive producers.

THE UNIT (CBS) - Max Martini ("Taken") has been confirmed as an additional cast member on the drama pilot, about an elite Special Forces unit and their families. Amy Acker, Scott Foley, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Blaine, Michael Irby, Regina King, Robert Patrick and Regina Taylor also star in the project, which comes from 20th Century Fox Television and creators David Mamet and Shawn Ryan.

VENUS & SERENA: FOR REAL (A.K.A. UNTITLED VENUS & SERENA WILLIANS PROJECT) (ABC Family) - The tennis stars' upcoming reality series is now running under the title "Venus & Serena: For Real." Here's how the cable channel's press materials describe the project: "This July ABC Family will take viewers off-court to see the everyday lives of Venus and Serena Williams. Find out what they do for fun and see them interacting with family and friends."

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





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· BEYOND REANIMATOR (SCI FI)
· CRIMSON FORCE (SCI FI)
· HAMMERHEAD: SHARK FRENZY (SCI FI)
· KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL (FOX)
· LARVA (SCI FI)
· QUEEN B (FOX)
· STARGATE: SG-1 (SCI FI)
· STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS: TAKEN (SCI FI)
· UNIT, THE (CBS)
· VENUS & SERENA: FOR REAL (ABC FAMILY)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)





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