or


[05/12/06 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: May 9-12
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!

BIG SHOT (Showtime, New!) - Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner's Hazy Mills Productions is developing a new unflinching drama at the pay channel about pop icon Billy Joel's early years. Paul Chart ("Children of Men") is on board to write the pilot script, which opens in the mid-1970s and follows Joel's first marriage to his then-business manager Elizabeth Weber. Hayes, Milliner and Andrew Harrison Leeds - along with Joel himself - then will serve as executive producers. No other details were given.

CABLE RATINGS ROUND-UP (Various) - HBO's "The Sopranos" continued its cable dominance for the week of May 1-7 with 8.5 million viewers tuning in. Lead-out "Big Love" drew 4.0 million viewers, taking seventh place overall for the week. Outside the top 15, Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" signed off with a series-high 923,000 viewers on May 2 while "Nashville Star" closed its fourth season to the tune of 3.0 million viewers that same night (down 11.76% from its season three finale).

CROSSING JORDAN (NBC) - Jon Cowan, Robert Rovner and Kathy McCormick have been tapped as co-showrunners of the Peacock drama. They'll take over for creator Tim Kring, who's moving on to his new NBC drama "Heroes." The trio will serve alongside fellow returning executive producers Alan Arkush and Dennis Hammer. As part of the promotions, Cowan and Rovner have each signed two-year overall deals with producer NBC Universal Television while McCormick has inked a one-year deal. The former pair then is expected to focus on development for the second year of the pact.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC) - Denise Cramsey ("House Wars") has been upped to executive producer/showrunner on Endemol USA's veteran alternative series. Cramsey, who had been a co-executive producer since 2004, will take over Tom Forman, who's leaving as part of a new overall deal at CBS Paramount Network Television.

FAST INC. (MTV) - Promos currently running on the cable channel indicate the series, about the company of the same name as they "utilize their connections, craftiness, and charisma to field vintage and muscle car requests from celebrities, models, and eccentric millionaires," will launch on Monday, June 5 at 10:30/9:30c.

GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - Writer/producer Debora Cahn ("The West Wing") has inked a two-year overall deal with Touchstone Television. The pact, financial details of which weren't specified, calls for Cahn to join "Grey's Anatomy" next season as a supervising producer as well as develop new projects for the studio.

HBO ORIGINAL PROJECTS (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is said to be close to issuing pilot orders to two projects - "12 Miles of Bad Road," a comedy series about a Dallas matriarchy, and an untitled hour from "Deadwood" creator David Milch and author Kem Nunn ("Tapping the Source") set in the world of surfing. The former project comes from creators/executive producers Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason ("Emeril") while the latter will be co-written by Milch and Nunn with the pair also executive producing alongside Howard Rosenman. Surf legend Herb "Herbie" Fletcher and wife Dibi are also expected to serve as consultants. No specifics however were released about either project. Meanwhile, pre-production reportedly has begun on "In Treatment," a serialized drama told from the point of view of therapists and their patients. HBO is in talks to order five episodes of the series, which is based on the Israeli series "BeTipul." Hagai Levi and Steve Levinson are the executive producers.

KINGS OF SOUTH BEACH (A&E) - "Boomtown" alums Donnie Wahlberg and Jason Gedrick are set to topline the original movie, about the true story of nightclub impresario Chris Paciello, who revived the South Beach scene with aid of the mob. Tim Hunter ("Cold Case") is directing the project, which begins production this month in Puerto Rico, from a script by Nick Pileggi ("Goodfellas"). Sonny Grosso and Larry Jacobson's Grosso-Jacobson Communications is producing the movie in association with Sony Pictures Television. Delia Fine and Clay Kahler also serve as executive producers.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 12 MILES OF BAD ROAD (HBO)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BIG SHOT (SHOWTIME)
· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· COLD CASE (CBS)
· CROSSING JORDAN (NBC)
· EMERIL (NBC)
· EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (HGTV)
· FAST INC. (MTV)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HEROES (NBC)
· HOUSE WARS (USA)
· IN TREATMENT (HBO)
· JOHN FROM CINCINNATI (HBO)
· KINGS OF SOUTH BEACH (A AND E)
· NASHVILLE STAR (NBC)
· REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY, THE (BRAVO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[11/12/26 - 07:01 AM]
Disney Entertainment Announces New Interactive Experience from Hulu and the Escape Game Inspired by Season 6 of "Only Murders in the Building," Opening Dec. 9 in New York
"Only Murders in London" returns December 8 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally.

[11/12/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple TV Unveils First Look at "She's Fine," New Comedy Starring and Executive Produced by Elizabeth Banks
The 10-episode season premieres globally on Apple TV on Wednesday, January 27, 2027 with the first two episodes, followed by one episode every Wednesday until March 24, 2027.

[11/12/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Ray Gunn" - Official Trailer #2 - Netflix
Starring Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Waits, Bobby Cannavale, Alan Tudyk, Matt Berry, Michelle Rodriguez, and more.

[11/12/26 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Maestro in Blue" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
The fourth and final season premieres December 18, only on Netflix.

[11/12/26 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Russell Brand: Open Secret" - Announcement - Netflix
From comedy stardom to a criminal trial, this documentary charts Russell Brand's meteoric rise and steep fall following allegations of sexual offenses.

[11/11/26 - 04:44 PM]
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" Ranks No. 1 in Late Night Every Week This Season
On Tuesday, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" marked the midterm elections with a special airing that garnered 2.38 million Total Viewers and shot to a 0.32 rating among Adults 18-49.

[11/11/26 - 04:01 PM]
Netflix Announces "The Twilight Between Us," a New Period Romance Epic From the Makers of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" and "Queen of Tears"
The romance-action period drama follows Mu-yeong and Su-ryeon, heirs to two houses locked in a century-long feud, who are forced into marriage by royal decree - a union intended by the king to end generations of conflict, but one that soon spirals in unforeseen directions.

[11/11/26 - 12:01 PM]
NBC Gets Lit for the Holidays with "Christmas with Snoop"
The star-studded holiday party features appearances and musical performances from Wayne Brady, Kristin Chenoweth, Adam Devine, Anelise Foxx, Jamie Foxx, Jane Handcock, October London, Craig Robinson, Nicole Scherzinger, Gwen Stefani and Martha Stewart.

[11/11/26 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Powers Into Winter 2027 with Global Franchise "Baywatch," Compelling New Drama "The Interrogator" and a Standout Lineup of Returning Hits
Newly announced return dates include "The Masked Singer" (January 6), "Extracted" (January 7), "Murder in a Small Town" (February 1), "Memory of a Killer" (February 1), and "Next Level Chef" (February 18).

[11/11/26 - 11:02 AM]
FX's "Adults" Renewed for Third Season
The renewal of the breakout ensemble comedy from Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw comes as Kronengold and Shaw have also set a new overall deal with FX Productions.

[11/11/26 - 11:01 AM]
Trisha Paytas Is Playing Matchmaker in New Tubi Original Dating Series "Don't Date Alone with Trisha Paytas"
Each 30-minute episode follows one best friend as they vet three potential matches for their queer friend in a vibrant luxury setting, with help from none other than Trisha herself.

[11/11/26 - 11:01 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of November 2
"The Terminal List," "Campus Drivers," "Carrie," "Reacher," and "The Greatest" led all original series worldwide.

[11/11/26 - 10:29 AM]
FOX Entertainment Studios, Moriah Media, and Gal Gadot & Jaron Varsano's Pilot Wave Team Up for "Don't Feed the Lion" Screen Adaptation
Published by Arcadia Children's Books, "Don't Feed the Lion" follows Theo Kaplan, a 13-year-old soccer co-captain, his younger sister Annie and their classmate Gabe as their lives are upended when Theo's soccer hero posts an antisemitic message online that goes viral.

[11/11/26 - 10:04 AM]
Game On! Discovery Channel's All-New "Men v. Food" Kicks Off Tuesday, December 8 at 9PM ET/PT with a Towering Burger Challenge of Epic Proportions
Touching down in some of America's biggest football cities, the pair go head-to-head in the ultimate eating competitions as they tackle towering dishes and colossal creations in the battle for food glory.

[11/11/26 - 10:01 AM]
Polymarket UFC 334: Gane vs. Hokit Streaming Live on Paramount+ from Madison Square Garden This Saturday, November 14
Newly crowned undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (14-2, 1 NC) makes his first title defense against No. 4-ranked contender Josh Hokit (10-0).