or


[02/21/06 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: February 21
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 branded "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!

DAMAGES (FOX) - Kristin Lehman ("Killer Instinct") is set to star opposite Cole Hauser in the drama pilot, about "the pathology and personal hazards" a group of Chicago-based lawyers face in juggling their careers and personal lives. Lehman, who signed a talent holding deal with the network earlier this season, will play Susan Keever in the hour, which comes from 20th Century Fox Television and creator Jonathan Lisco. Jon Amiel is directing the pilot form a script by Lisco.

DAY BREAK (ABC) - Ramon Rodriguez and Moon Bloodgood are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about an L.A.-based cop (Taye Diggs) who's trying to stop the murder of a loved one while trying to find the person who framed him for murder. They'll play Rita and Damien respectively in the Touchstone Television-based hour. Rob Bowman is directing the pilot from a script by creator Paul Zbyszewski. Matthew Gross also serves as an executive producer along with Zbyszewski.

INSEPARABLE (CBS) - Rachel Boston ("American Dreams") has been cast in the comedy pilot, about a young couple who moves to the woman's hometown in Michigan and has to deal with her complicated extended family. Boston is set as Steph, said woman in the NBC Universal Television-based half-hour, which comes from creators Joe Port and Joe Wiseman. Moses Port and David Guarascio also serve as executive producers.

JULIE RENO, BOUNTY HUNTER (A.K.A. BUST) (FOX) - Michael Ross's ("Andy Richter Controls the Universe") comedy project at the network has been given the green light to produce a pilot. The single-camera half-hour centers on a single mom in Reno, Nevada, who decides to apply her anger issues to the profitable field of bounty hunting. Ross penned the pilot and is executive producing along with 20th Century Fox Television-based Phase Two's Sandy Grushow and Paul Shapiro.

LIPSTICK JUNGLE (NBC) - Gina Gershon is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about three powerful New York businesswomen who will do anything to get ahead and stay on top. She'll play one of the lead roles in the project, however which character wasn't specified. Candace Bushnell and Robin Schiff are behind the NBC Universal Television-based hour.

OCTOBER ROAD (ABC) - Geoff Stults ("The Break Up"), Brad William Henke ("North Country") and Evan Jones ("Jarhead") have all been cast in the drama pilot, about a Manhattan-based screenwriter who moves back home to his small New England hometown, where he becomes a teacher and must readjust to life with his family and old friends. They'll play an unspecified character, Owen and Ikey respectively in the Touchstone Television-based hour, which comes from executive producers Scott Rosenberg, Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum and Gary Fleder.

OUR THIRTIES (ABC) - Heather Stephens ("Desperate Housewives") has joined Rachel Blanchard in the Touchstone Television-based comedy pilot, about a group of thirtysomethings in San Francisco dealing with adulthood. She'll play Alice in the project, which comes from creator Dave Walpert and executive producer Warren Littlefield.

PLAY NICE (CBS) - Sara Rue ("Less Than Perfect") and Timm Sharp ("Undeclared") have both booked roles in the comedy pilot, about a responsible sister and irresponsible brother who run the family toy factory together. The pair will play said lead roles, (unspecified) and Scott MacCaffrey respectively, in the CBS Paramount Network Television-based half-hour, which comes from creators Lew Schneider and Tucker Cawley. Rue's involvement is understood to be in second position to her duties on "Perfect." Fred Willard also stars. Schneider and Cawley penned the pilot script and are executive producing with Phil Rosenthal.

SEX, POWER, LOVE & POLITICS (CBS) - Amy Sloan ("The Aviator") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about four underachieving staffers in their mid-30s who work on Capitol Hill and live next to each other. She'll play Charlotte in the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, which also stars Jay Harrington and Jane Krakowski. Pamela Fryman is directing from a script by creator Greg Malins.

SIX DEGREES (ABC) - Erika Christensen has joined the ensemble cast of the drama pilot, about a group of six post-college young adults whose lives intertwine in various ways. She joins the previously cast Jay Hernandez and Dorian Missick in the Touchstone Television-based hour, which comes from creators Raven Metzner and Stu Zicherman. The pair are also serving as executive producers along with J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and Thom Sherman of Bad Robot Productions. Rodrigo Garcia directs.

UNTITLED AQUAMAN PROJECT (The CW) - Ving Rhames ("Kojak") and Denise Quinones have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, a contemporary reinterpretation of the DC Comics character Aquaman (Will Toale). Rhames will play McCaffery, who's described in the casting notice as: "It's difficult to say how old McCaffery is. If you were to look at him, you'd probably guess 60ish. But you'd be way off. That's because McCaffery is from Atlantis. Since coming to the surface world, McCaffery has led a largely reclusive life as the lighthouse keeper at Atlas Point. He has watched A.C. grow up from afar, but always knew that one day their lives would intersect. This encounter leads to a long lasting friendship. McCaffery takes A.C. under his wing and explains not only his true origin but also his destiny. He is Obi Wan to A.C.'s Luke Skywalker. He is the voice of wisdom and experience who acts as a guide and mentor to the often hotheaded A.C. McCaffery is always bailing A.C. out of trouble and is someone A.C. can turn to when it comes to all things nautical. Having grown up underwater, McCaffery knows all the myths and legends of the ocean. He's also familiar with the creatures, both known and unknown to man, that inhabit the ocean's dark waters. Highly intelligent and fiercely loyal, McCaffery possesses an acerbic wit and doesn't suffer fools lightly. Star Name preferred."

Quinones then is set as Rachel Starling: "18-24 years old. Rachel is a natural beauty with a radiant face and the perfectly toned body of an athlete. She has a sharp mind and a killer sense of humor. But if you look beyond her warm smile, you'll find something haunted about her. A drowning accident as a teenager has scarred her. While enjoying a "Semester at Sea", the boat capsized and she was stuck below deck. Although she blacked out, that last thing she remembers is being pulled free by a mysterious young boy wearing a seahorse necklace. Rachel comes from a well-heeled New York family. Her father was a successful newspaper editor but he died when she was 14. She took his death very hard and decided to embark on the "Semester at Sea" as a way of getting over her grief. Her relationship with her mother, an award winning Broadway playwright, has remained strained. Her mother is an ultra liberal and doesn't approve of her joining the military. When she was selected to train at the Liberty Key West Naval Air Station, she achieved her dream of becoming a Top Gun, but she also has to face the fear of returning to the same area as her boating accident. Although there is a mutual attraction between Rachel and A.C., their relationship is complicated by the fact that Rachel is secretly engaged to another naval trainee, JESSE HICKS. Rachel finds herself torn between the safety and security that Jesse offers and the danger and mystery that seem to define A.C." Greg Beeman is directing the Warner Bros. Television-based hour from a script by executive producers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough.

VANISHED (FOX) - Joanne Kelly ("Jeremiah"), Chris Egan ("Empire") and Margarita Levieva ("The Invisible") are the latest additions to the pilot, a serialized drama about the search for a missing senator's wife. Kelly will play said wife, Sara Collins, in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which comes from creator Josh Berman. Egan then is set as Ben Wilson with Levieva as Marcy Collins. Mimi Leder is directing the pilot from a script by Berman. Gale Harold also stars.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· AMERICAN DREAMS (NBC)
· ANDY RICHTER CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE (FOX)
· AQUAMAN (CW)
· DAMAGES (FOX)
· DAY BREAK (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· EMPIRE (ABC)
· INSEPARABLE (CBS)
· JEREMIAH (SHOWTIME)
· JULIE RENO: BOUNTY HUNTER (FOX)
· KILLER INSTINCT (FOX)
· KOJAK (USA)
· LESS THAN PERFECT (ABC)
· LIPSTICK JUNGLE (NBC)
· OCTOBER ROAD (ABC)
· OUR THIRTIES (ABC)
· PLAY NICE (CBS)
· SEX, POWER, LOVE & POLITICS (CBS)
· SIX DEGREES (ABC)
· UNDECLARED (FOX)
· VANISHED (FOX)





[10/31/24 - 02:31 PM]
NBC Will Groove Into the Holiday Season with "A Motown Christmas" Special Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey
The special will include performances featuring more than 25 Motown hits, performed by Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Temptations.

[10/31/24 - 02:15 PM]
ABC News Announces 72+ Hours of Coverage and Analysis of the 2024 Election with Special Programming on ABC, ABC News Live and ABC News Digital Platforms, Including the ABC News App, Hulu and Disney+
"World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir will lead the network's coverage.

[10/31/24 - 01:16 PM]
BET+ Renews Emmy-Nominated "The Ms. Pat Show" for a Fifth Season
Additionally, BET Media Group also extended its overall deal with star Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams.

[10/31/24 - 01:00 PM]
It's Holiday Time at The CW! Celebrate the Season with Festive Programming
Highlights include the series finale of "Superman & Lois" (December 2); the return of "Children Ruin Everything" (November 29); and "Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night" (December 15).

[10/31/24 - 12:01 PM]
Video: "Squid Game" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Heralding the return of the worldwide hit, a new chapter unfolds as Gi-hun comes back with an agenda, having given up on leaving for the US.

[10/31/24 - 11:04 AM]
Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" Three-Part Reunion Begins Thursday, Nov. 7 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen sits down with housewives Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson, Jennifer Pedranti and new housewife Katie Ginella to revisit the epic season that saw dramatic highs and staggering lows.

[10/31/24 - 10:01 AM]
TNT Sports' "The Match: Superstars" Special Two-Night Primetime Event to Showcase Some of Biggest Names in Sports and Entertainment - Thursday, Nov. 21 and Friday, Nov. 22, on TNT & Max
"The Match: Superstars" will be headlined by iconic celebrities across sports and entertainment, including Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Blake Griffin, competing from Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach, FL.

[10/31/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Trailer for New Original Series "Eat Slay Love"
The series brings together Grammy-nominated singer Nivea and her girl gang - Eva Marcille, Tammy Rivera and London Hughes - as they journey through Vietnam to celebrate Nivea's 41st birthday and embark on new adventures.

[10/31/24 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Releases First Look Images from the New Original Drama Series "It: Welcome to Derry"
The series will debut in 2025 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

[10/31/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Releases Bewitching New Trailer for Season Two of "Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches" Premiering January 5 on AMC and AMC+
Starring Alexandra Daddario, Jack Huston, Harry Hamlin, Tongayi Chirisa and Alyssa Jirrels, the new season will debut Sunday, January 5 on AMC+ and AMC.

[10/31/24 - 08:02 AM]
"Saturday Night Live's" 50th Season Continues with Back-to-Back Shows This November
Bill Burr (November 9) and Charli xcx (November 16) are on tap to host in the coming weeks.

[10/31/24 - 08:00 AM]
CBS Presents "The Making of Gladiator II," A Primetime Special Featuring an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Paramount Pictures Film, Monday, Nov. 18 on CBS
This inside look offers unprecedented access encompassing all aspects of production, from the grand scope of the set - including reconstructing Ancient Rome - to characters, combat training, costumes, historical accuracy, scoring and more.

[10/31/24 - 07:55 AM]
Multimillion Selling Pop Band Ace of Base Reveal Their Full Story to the Present in Documentary Series "Ace of Base: All That She Wants" Premiering in US Thursday, December 5 Only on Viaplay
This uncensored documentary captures Ace of Base's fascinating story - where grandiose pop dreams, charts and money collide with relentless adversity, performance anxiety and shattered friendships.

[10/31/24 - 07:47 AM]
Peacock Announces January 9 Premiere Date for the Third Season of Emmy Award Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors"
The Emmy Award-winning competition-reality series returns for a third season with an all-new lineup of familiar faces, hosted again by the impossibly stylish and devastatingly witty Alan Cumming.

[10/31/24 - 07:22 AM]
The CW Network Brings Shoppable TV to ACC Football in Innovative Partnership with Shopsense AI
Beginning November 2 with the Virginia Tech at Syracuse game, viewers will be able to shop game-day essentials and team merchandise directly from their mobile devices with technology powered by Shopsense's latest enterprise Commerce Operating System (Commerce OS).