or


[03/29/06 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: March 29
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!

52 FIGHTS (ABC) - Constance Zimmer (Brianna on "In Justice") has joined the cast of the Touchstone Television-based half-hour, about a couple's (Christine Taylor, Matt Letscher) transition from dating to marriage. She'll play best friend of Taylor's character, who is facing the demise of her own marriage. As expected, Zimmer's involvement is in second position to her duties on "Justice" should it return next season. Alex Taub is behind the project, which also stars Chris Diamantopoulos.

CABLE RATINGS ROUND-UP (Various) - HBO's "The Sopranos" once again topped all cable series for the week of March 20-26 with 8.9 million viewers tuning in. Lead-out "Big Love" also finished in the top 10 with an audience of 3.7 million (#8), up a tick from its sophomore outing (3.4 million). Also faring well: the season finale of FX's "The Shield" (3.2 million, #12), MTV's "The Gauntlet" (3.1 million, #14), USA's "WWE Raw" (5.1 million, #5) and a repeat of "Monk" (3.3 million, #10), the season premiere of Comedy Central's "South Park" (3.5 million, #9) and the special "Ron White: You Can't Fix Stupid" (4.5 million, #7). Outside of the top 15, Bravo offered up the premieres of "Blow Out 3" (521,000 viewers) and "The Real Housewives of Orange County" (430,000) last Tuesday. Both broadcasts fell short of "Top Chef" (720,000 viewers) that week.

EBAUM'S WORLD (USA) - Martin Sargent (G4's "Unscrewed With Martin Sargent") and former WWE star Chris Jericho have been tapped to host the pilot, which features a mix of humorous and shocking "viral videos" from the popular web site of the same name. Production is set to begin next month on the one-hour project, with Fox TV Studios and Simon Andreae's Incubator banner producing.

FLIRT (The CW) - Barry Wernick's comedy project, originally in the works at UPN, has been given a pilot order from the CW with former daytime talk show host Wayne Brady attached to star. The Touchstone Television-based half-hour revolves around the only man (Brady) working at a women's magazine. Barry Wernick penned the pilot script and will executive produce along with Kevin Kelly Brown, Lawrence Bender and Claudia Lonow. Gary Halvorson, who's already helming Jace Richdale's comedy pilot at NBC and "Play Nice" at CBS, is on board to direct.

MY EX-LIFE (CBS) - Kelsey Grammer, who directed the pilot to "Out of Practice" this past season, has signed on to helm the comedy pilot, about two divorced couples and the way they deal with their lives after divorce. He'll take over for Andy Cadiff on the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which comes from creator Richard Appel. Gillian Vigman and Thomas Cavanagh star.

SCRUBS (NBC) - Tad Quill, a recently named executive producer on the veteran comedy, has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with Touchstone Television. The pact, which begins on July 1, will keep Quill on board the NBC half-hour should it return next season as well as call for him to develop original projects for the studio.

SHARK (CBS) - Danielle Panabaker (Phoebe North on "Yours, Mine and Ours") is set to play daughter to James Woods in the drama pilot, about a celebrity attorney (Woods) who becomes a prosecutor. She joins the previously cast Alexis Cruz, Jeri Ryan, Romy Rosemont, Sarah Carter and Sophina Brown in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which comes from executive producers Brian Grazer, David Nevins and Ian Biederman. Spike Lee is directing from a script by Biederman.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [march 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· 52 FIGHTS (ABC)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BLOW OUT (BRAVO)
· CHALLENGE, THE (MTV)
· EBAUM'S WORLD (USA)
· FLIRT (CW)
· IN JUSTICE (ABC)
· MONK (USA)
· MY EX-LIFE (CBS)
· OUT OF PRACTICE (CBS)
· PLAY NICE (CBS)
· REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY, THE (BRAVO)
· SCRUBS (ABC)
· SHARK (CBS)
· SHIELD, THE (FX)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· SOUTH PARK (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· TOP CHEF (BRAVO)
· UNTITLED JACE RICHDALE PROJECT (NBC)
· WWE RAW (NETFLIX)





[04/13/26 - 12:29 PM]
Video: "The Freak Brothers" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
After magical weed knocks out three '70s stoners and their cat, they awaken 50 years later to find themselves in the bizarre rat race of the 2020s.

[04/13/26 - 11:01 AM]
Alan Ritchson Is Bringing a New Survival Competition Series to Netflix
The "War Machine" star is bringing a new survival competition series from Bunim/Murray Productions to Netflix that tests the resilience and grit of a group of high-profile influencers and headline-makers.

[04/13/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Nemesis" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A relentless LAPD cop becomes obsessed with taking down the master thief behind a string of daring heists - and only one can come out on top.

[04/13/26 - 09:12 AM]
ABC Renews Dramas "Will Trent" and "The Rookie"
They'll be back for their fifth and ninth seasons, respectively.

[04/13/26 - 09:01 AM]
Disney+ and Hulu to Live Stream the World Premiere of "The Devil Wears Prada 2" on April 20
The livestream begins at 5:30 p.m. ET, with a full replay available following the event.

[04/13/26 - 08:39 AM]
Josh Oshinsky Joins ESPN as Senior Director of Original Content Development
Oshinsky brings more than 20 years of experience in content development, with a track record of launching successful long-form and multi-platform projects.

[04/13/26 - 08:02 AM]
New Cast Announced as Filming Begins on John le Carre's "Legacy of Spies" Produced by The Ink Factory for BBC and MGM+
Agnes O'Casey joins as Liz Gold with Felix Kammerer as Hans-Dieter Mundt; Volker Bruch, Saskia Rosendahl, Patrick Güldenberg, Safia Oakley-Green, Jake Dunn and Ariyon Bakare join the ensemble cast with Dan Stevens taking on the iconic role of Bill Haydon.

[04/13/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Little House on the Prairie" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet the Ingalls family as they discover what "home" really means.

[04/13/26 - 08:01 AM]
ESPN Presents "Youth Sports Week" as Part of Take Back Sports Initiative
The effort will spotlight the people, programs and organizations working to ensure sports remain accessible, positive and impactful for the next generation.

[04/13/26 - 07:33 AM]
FOX Nation to Premiere Season Two of "Greg Gutfeld's What Did I Miss?" on April 27th
Episode two will follow on May 4 with episode three debuting on May 11.

[04/13/26 - 07:01 AM]
Game, Set, Stream: First Looks and Dates for Electrifying 2026 Tennis Slate Only on Netflix
With unprecedented access, powerful storytelling, and a front-row seat to the intensity of the global tennis stage, these titles are set to make a major impact both on and off the court.

[04/13/26 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video Exclusively Presents the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Plus First-and Second-Round Playoff Games
"NBA on Prime's" inaugural postseason coverage begins with the Play-In Tournament on April 14 featuring the Miami Heat vs the Charlotte Hornets followed by Portland Trail Blazers vs the Phoenix Suns.

[04/13/26 - 07:00 AM]
Multiple ESPN Studio Shows Surge to Record First Quarter Viewership
Overall, the shows averaged 485K viewers during Q1, an increase of 14% over the first quarter of 2025.

[04/13/26 - 06:03 AM]
National Geographic Invites Fans to "Step Into Wonder" with 2026 Earth Month Sweepstakes, Offering a Chance for a Trip of a Lifetime
The winner and their guests will have the opportunity to explore either the awe-inspiring landscapes and wildlife of Alaska, where glaciers and vast wilderness redefine what's possible, or the legendary Galápagos Islands, a sanctuary for unique species found nowhere else on the planet.

[04/13/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Boroughs" - Official Teaser Trailer - Netflix
In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don't have - time.