or


[04/03/07 - 05:41 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, April 3
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 signature "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!


3 KINGS (MTV, New!) - RDF USA ("Wife Swap") and Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Films ("Punk'd") are developing a U.S. version of the British reality format of the same name. Said project, which will be shot in front of an audience, revolves around a set of masked contestants - possibly Kutcher himself or other celebrities - competing in a series of offbeat challenges focused on three separate areas: speed, skill and pain. Among the possibilities: tossing items at a bull until the bull chases them out of a ring. The winner then assumes the role of "king" while the losers are unmasked. MTV has given a pilot order to the project, which will be executive produced by Chris Coelen, Greg Goldman, Jason Goldberg and Kutcher via their respective companies.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Ashton Kutcher, Chris Coelen, Greg Goldman, Jason Goldberg
Studios: Katalyst Films, RDF USA


DAMAGES (A.K.A. UNTITLED KESSLERS & ZELMAN PROJECT) (FX) - The cable channel has given a series order of 13 episodes to the project, a legal drama toplined by Glenn Close. Production is set to begin next month in New York for a late summer premiere. Noah Bean, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan, Ted Danson and Zeljko Ivanek also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which comes from co-creators Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler and Todd A. Kessler. Allen Coulter directed the pilot.

Commitment: Ordered to series (13 episodes)
Cast: Glenn Close (Patty Hewes), Noah Bean (David), Rose Byrne (Ellen Parsons), Tate Donovan (Tom Kent), Ted Danson (Arthur Frobisher), Zeljko Ivanek (Ray Fiske)
Writers: Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler
Director: Allen Coulter
Executive Producers: Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler
Studio: Sony Pictures Television


THE GREAT AMERICAN SINGING BEE (NBC, New!) - The Peacock and Britain's ITV are both developing a new game show format in which contestants "sing in the blanks" when presented with partial song lyrics. The Gurin Co.'s Phil Gurin ("Weakest Link") and Juma Entertainment's Bob Horowitz ("Battle of the Network Reality Stars") are behind both projects, the ITV version of which is expected to hit the airwaves first. As for specifics, each episode reportedly starts with 28 contestants onstage who are then eliminated by being asked to sing a word, phrase or entire verse of a song, depending on the round. The winner then will take home an unspecified prize. NBC is said to be close to ordering a pilot for the project with an eye towards fast-tracking its production.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bob Horowitz, Phil Gurin
Studios: The Gurin Company, Juma Entertainment


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [april 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· BATTLE OF THE NETWORK REALITY STARS (BRAVO)
· DAMAGES (AUDIENCE)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· PUNK'D (BET)
· SINGING BEE, THE (CMT)
· THREE KINGS (MTV)
· WEAKEST LINK, THE (NBC)
· WIFE SWAP (PARAMOUNT)





[02/19/26 - 11:50 AM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Deliver Audience Milestones as Romance Blooms With Valentine's Day Episodes
"Shifting Gears" earned 6.90 million Total Viewers and 0.99 rating among Adults 18-49, after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[02/19/26 - 11:01 AM]
Oscar Winners Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldana Return to the Oscars Stage
All return to the Oscars stage after winning last year in their respective acting categories.

[02/19/26 - 10:32 AM]
Baseball Returns! ESPN to Stream More MLB Spring Training Games Than Ever
The offerings include four national games on ESPN, six games on ESPN Unlimited, and more than 250 out-of-market games via MLB.TV on ESPN platforms.

[02/19/26 - 10:00 AM]
Daring Dark Polish Comedy "The Stroke" Exclusive U.S. Debut Thursday, March 12, 2026 Only on European Streamer Viaplay U.S.
In a fearless performance, Jacek Poniedzialek plays a celebrated culinary critic and TV personality, brilliant and caustic, who built a career skewering bourgeois taste while privately unraveling.

[02/19/26 - 09:36 AM]
Nickelodeon to Air "Bedtime Stories with Ryan," Starring Ryan Reynolds, Beginning Monday, March 2, on Nick Jr. Channel
In the series, Ryan Reynolds reads new and classic bedtime stories as the tales magically come to life around him - creating a warm, playful and imaginative wind-down experience for kids and parents to enjoy together.

[02/19/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The series premieres on Thursday, March 19, 2026, only on Netflix.

[02/19/26 - 08:46 AM]
Netflix Announces New Adult Animated Comedy Series "DANG!", Starring Stephanie Hsu, Poppy Liu and Andrew Law
The series follows a brother and sister duo whose fun, messy lives in New York City are interrupted when their worst nightmare comes true: their high-achieving older sister shows up and wants to hang out with them.

[02/19/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "House of the Dragon" Season 3 - Official Teaser - HBO Max
From fire comes darkness.

[02/19/26 - 08:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces Season Two Premiere Date and New Key Art for "House of David"
Season two premiere will debut on March 27, 2026 globally on the service, with all episodes available to stream at launch.

[02/19/26 - 07:59 AM]
ESPN to Launch "Women's Sports Sundays," A First of Its Kind Summer Weekly Primetime Franchise Showcasing the Best of Women's Sports in Premium Windows
Debuting in Summer 2026, the new Sunday night destination will feature top-tier WNBA and NWSL on ESPN presented by Ally matchups, elevating the biggest moments, rivalries and stars across women's sports on ESPN networks in premium windows.

[02/19/26 - 07:30 AM]
Prime Video Announces Ensemble Cast of "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat"
The highly anticipated followup will feature Alex Bonifer, Blair Beeken, Emily Pendergast, Erica Hernandez, Jerry Hauck, Jim A. Woods, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Rachel Kaly, Rob Lathan, Ryan Perez, Stephanie Hodge, Warren Burke, and Wendy Braun.

[02/19/26 - 07:03 AM]
ESPN's 2026 UFL Commentator Lineup Features Signature Voices, Veteran Spring Football Experts
The three teams, with all 13 voices returning from the 2025 season, will once again bring fans inside the game in innovative and engaging ways, utilizing the full breadth and depth of on-field technology to showcase the action and go inside the sideline strategy.

[02/19/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black" Season 2 - Part 2 Official Trailer - Netflix
Under threat from Jules and the Bellaries, Kimmie forges fragile alliances in an empire where surviving at the top means dancing with the devil.

[02/19/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - "Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese"
Three teenage girls share an unbreakable bond until terrible secrets threaten to emerge on social media. When one friend vanishes, the search for answers unearths a web of lies, betrayal, and murder - sending shockwaves through an unsuspecting community.

[02/19/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Hunt" - Official Trailer - Apple TV
The most dangerous enemy is the one you can't see. Benoît Magimel and Mélanie Laurent star in the gripping thriller - streaming March 4 on Apple TV.