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[05/26/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: May 25-26
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!

ABC FAMILY PILOTS (ABC Family, New!) - The ABC cable sibling has ordered three new drama pilots for series consideration next year: "Three Moons Over Milford," about a small East Coast town in which residents literally live "for the moment" because the town is located beneath a falling comet that could destroy their world at any time; "Kyle XY," about a suburban family that takes in a mysterious teen naive to the world around him; and "Balancing Act," about a young cop who moves his family back to the inner-city neighborhood where he was raised in hopes of making a difference.

All three projects are set to begin production in July and casting is underway. Holly Goldberg Sloan ("Angels in the Outfield") and Gary Rosen ("Major Payne") are behind the Touchstone Television-based "Moons" with Laura Ziskin ("Tarzan") in talks to also come aboard as an executive producer. Also set up at Touchstone is "Kyle XY," which comes from creators Eric Bress and J. Mackeye Gruber ("The Butterfly Effect") who will executive produce along with David Himmelfarb ("My Wife and Kids") and the Benderspink banner. Finally, Seth Freeman ("Lou Grant") is behind "Act," which is set up at Disney Cable Networks Group. Meanwhile on the comedy front, the cable channel has confirmed it has passed on the pilots "East of Normal, West of Weird" and "Door to the Throne" while Carter Covington's "Just a Phase," about a teen uncertain of his sexual identity, remains in play.

ATTACK OF THE SABRETOOTH/BLOODSUCKERS (Sci Fi, New!) - July will see the premiere of two more of Sci Fi's Saturday originals. The first is "Attack of the Sabretooth" (premieres July 9), which is described as: "A resort owner in Fiji expects to get rich running a wildlife preserve stocked with previously extinct animals. Then a smilodon fatalis � a vicious, gigantic sabretooth tiger � gets loose and turns the theme park into a killing field." The other is "Bloodsuckers" (premieres July 30) and is described as: "Joe Lando (Alien Nation: The Enemy Within and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) and Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers, TV's SeaQuest DSV) star in this high-tech adventure about intergalactic vampire-hunters."

CATTLE DRIVE/THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR (E!) - Both newcomers have been slated to premiere on Sunday, August 7 in yet-to-be-determined time periods. "Drive" tracks the children of the rich and famous (including the kids of Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel and rocker Pat Benatar) as they are sent to work a cattle drive while "Girls" is an eight-part series which chronicles the lives of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends at the Playboy Mansion.

CELEBRITY FIT CLUB/HOGAN KNOWS BEST (VH1) - The cable channel has moved up "Celebrity Fit Club's" second season premiere to Sunday, July 10 at 10:30/9:30c. Leading into the broadcast will be the series premiere of "Hogan Knows Best" at 10:00/9:00c. Both series will then air regularly on Sundays at 9:30/8:30c ("Hogan") and 10:00/9:00c ("Fit Club") respectively.

I WANT TO BE A HILTON (NBC) - The summer entry will be the latest NBC series to get repurposed on cable sibling Bravo. The series, which premieres Tuesday, June 21 on NBC, will be rebroadcast on Bravo several times next month: Thursday, June 23 at 11:00/10:00c (episodes 1 & 2), Friday, June 24 at 6:00/5:00c (episodes 1 & 2), Sunday, June 26 at 6:00/5:00c (episode 1 only) and 11:00/10:00c (episode 2 only). It's expected the remaining episodes will also get second runs on Bravo in unspecified time periods.

OVER THERE (FX) - Fox Home Entertainment plans to release the show's pilot on DVD less than a week after its Wednesday, July 27 bow on FX. (A previous report had incorrectly indicated the show would launch Friday, July 22.) As for the DVD, which streets on August 2, the single-disc release will also include a 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette and sell for a suggested retail price of $9.98. "Over There" tracks the lives and struggles of seven American soldiers and their sergeant stationed in Iraq on their first tour of duty.

PIZZA MY HEART (ABC Family) - The cable channel's latest original movie will debut on Sunday, July 24 with broadcasts at both 7:00/6:00c and 9:00/8:00c. Here's how ABC Family's press materials describe the project: "A modern day Romeo and Juliet set in the town of Verona, New Jersey. Because of a family feud dating back to the old country, the Prestolanis and the Montebellos have taken to extremes their fight over who truly has the best pizza. The situation is about to come to a head when Joe Prestolani meets Gina Montebello and they begin a secret romance. Will the families be able to survive this union or will their pizza empires flop? Starring Michael Badalucco and Shiri Appleby, directed by Andy Wolk and executive produced by Jane Goldenring."

UNTITLED DAVID M. ISRAEL/JIM O'DOHERTY PROJECT (NBC) - Writer/producers Jim O'Doherty and David M. Israel ("The Tracy Morgan Show") have signed a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with NBC Universal Television. The pact calls for the pair to develop new half-hour projects for the studio. The duo previously were developing a semi-improved comedy at NBC proper, about the behind-the-scenes goings-on at a documentary company charged with producing fare for networks like the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. That project appears to have been shelved.

YOU'RE NOT THE MAN I MARRIED (Lifetime) - The cable channel has postponed the show's previously reported summer launch until an unspecified date in the fall. The series tracks neglected wives who have their husbands compete in comedic challenges - such as approaching complete strangers at the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., to tell them why they love their wife - to prove they really are the men their wives married.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





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· ATTACK OF THE SABRETOOTH (SCI FI)
· BLOODSUCKERS (SCI FI)
· CELEBRITY FIT CLUB (VH1)
· DOOR TO THE THRONE (ABC FAMILY)
· EAST OF NORMAL, WEST OF WEIRD (ABC FAMILY)
· FILTY RICH: CATTLE DRIVE (E)
· GIRLS NEXT DOOR, THE (E)
· HOGAN KNOWS BEST (VH1)
· I WANT TO BE A HILTON (NBC)
· JUST A PHASE (ABC FAMILY)
· KYLE XY (ABC FAMILY)
· LINCOLN HEIGHTS (ABC FAMILY)
· MOVING PICTURES (NBC)
· MY WIFE & KIDS (ABC)
· OVER THERE (FX)
· PIZZA MY HEART (ABC FAMILY)
· TARZAN (WB)
· THREE MOONS OVER MILFORD (ABC FAMILY)
· TRACY MORGAN SHOW, THE (NBC)
· YOU'RE NOT THE MAN I MARRIED (LIFETIME)





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