 |
 |
[05/04/07 - 06:09 PM]
Development Update: Week of April 30-May 4
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!
CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS) - Chris Mundy, a co-executive producer on the series, has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with co-producer the ABC Television Studio. The pact covers his duties on the veteran drama, which is a lock to return next season. He'll also develop new series projects for the studio.
DIVORCE COURT/JUDGE ALEX (Syndication) - Twentieth Television has extended both syndicated series through the 2008-09 season. The former, hosted by Lynn Toler, is currently in its eighth season while the Alex Ferrer-hosted latter is in the middle of its sophomore run.
FAITHFUL/THE SPORTSWRITER (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is developing a pair of sports-themed mini-series. First up is a small screen take on Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan's tome "Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season." Bill Diamond is on board to pen the project, which would track how the team - through the eyes of fans, players and the front office - ended its 86-year drought and won the 2004 World Series over the course of six one-hour installments. Bill Haber, via his Ostar Productions will executive produce while Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner is expected to receive a producing credit. Also in the works is an adaptation of Richard Ford's Pulitzer Prize-winning book trilogy about the life of New Jersey sportswriter Frank Bascombe. The books - "The Sportswriter," "Independence Day" and "The Lay of the Land" - tell the story of Bascombe's life from Vietnam to 9/11. James Mangold ("Walk the Line") is set to direct the planned six-hour project, which will be written by Mark Bomback ("Live Free or Die Hard") with Mangold and Cathy Konrad executive producing through their Tree Line banner.
FARMER WANTS A WIFE (The CW, New!) - The netlet has given an eight-episode order to a new reality dating series in which 10 women fed up with big city dating are introduced to a country-fried bachelor who offers the promise of the simple life. FremantleMedia North America's Cecile Frot-Coutaz and Super Delicious principals Adam Cohen, Cara Tapper and Joanna Vernetti are all behind the project, which is based on a UK format. As for specifics, it's understood the women will compete for "the farmer's" attention via a series of challenges designed to test their adeptness at farm living with one woman being sent home each week.
THE LIFE & TIMES OF TIM/PLAYING CHICKEN (FOX) - Veteran producer Tom Werner has signed a two-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. The news comes on the heels of the dissolution of his Werner-Gold-Miller banner with former partners Eric Gold and Jimmy Miller. The pact, which won't affect his current commitments to the FOX comedy pilots "The Life & Times of Tim" and "Playing Chicken," calls for him to develop new series projects for the studio alongside the company's former chief Mike Clements.
OUR THIRTIES (ABC) - Warren Littlefield has signed a two-year overall deal with the ABC Television Studio. The pact will keep his Littlefield Co. based at the studio where he'll continue to develop new series projects with his company's chief Andy Bourne. His last effort - the ensemble comedy "Our Thirties" for ABC - didn't make the cut for the 2006-07 season.
PEEP SHOW (Spike TV, New!) - The cable channel is the latest network to take a crack at importing the popular British comedy, about the lives and romantic pursuits of two very different twentysomething men. Robert Weide ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") is on board to potentially write and direct the half-hour as well as executive produce alongside Andrew O'Connor, Phil Clarke and RDF USA's Chris Coelen. U.K.-based Objective and RDF subsidiary Pangea then will co-produce. It's not clear how the U.S. version will vary from the U.K. original, which often featured P.O.V. shots from the characters themselves.
SUNSET TAN (E!, New!) - The cable channel has issued a six-episode order to a new reality series about the lives and loves of staffers and clients of a Los Angeles tanning salon. The project, from Mechelle Collins and Kevin Dill's Intuitive Entertainment ("Blow Out"), is set to bow on Monday, May 28 at 10:30/9:30c following the fifth season launch of "The Simple Life." Subsequent episodes then will air on Sundays at 10:30/9:30c. Among the storylines mentioned for the first season: twins who want to tan their names on their bodies; a dead person whose final wish was to be tan; and a Hawaiian Santa Claus looking to get bronzed.
TMZ (Syndication) - "Intervention" executive producer Bryn Freedman has been tapped as the day-to-day showrunner of the upcoming syndicated newsmagazine. Technically though, she'll serve as a co-executive producer reporting to executive producers Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com, and Jim Paratore, founder of paraMedia Inc. Also signing on: Charles Latibeaudiere as a supervising producer, Lee Brownstein as the show's director and Dana DeMars as the executive in charge of production. Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution is behind the half-hour, which has been cleared on stations covering 95% of the country for a September 10 launch.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [may 2007]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[01/16/26 - 01:08 PM]
"20/20" Is the Most-Watched Program Across Broadcast and Cable on Friday Night - Scoring Largest Viewership in Over 7 Months
For the second week in a row, "20/20" posted Total Viewers increases versus the previous week and the corresponding year-ago telecast.
|
[01/16/26 - 12:04 PM]
All-New Season of "Naked and Afraid" Premieres Sunday, February 15 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
This season, survivalists face hell on Earth and the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit as they are dropped into five of the world's most brutal and diverse locations, armed only with their determination and without water, food or clothing.
|
[01/16/26 - 09:01 AM]
Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell Star in "The Madison" Premiering on Paramount+ March 14
The series is Taylor Sheridan's most intimate work to date, unfolding across two distinct worlds - the beautiful landscape of Montana and the vibrant energy of Manhattan - as it examines the ties that bind families together.
|
[01/16/26 - 09:00 AM]
Video: We TV Releases a Sneak Peek of the Highly Anticipated New Season of "Mama June"
This season, as Jessica and Shyann plan their wedding, June and Shyann's mother, Trina, battle it out butting heads on just about everything.
|
[01/16/26 - 08:22 AM]
"The Tonight Show" Goes for Gold with Special Post-Olympic Opening Ceremony Episode on Friday, Feb. 6
The episode will feature a guest lineup worthy of the podium, including Chris Hemsworth, MrBeast and a musical performance from Lil Uzi Vert.
|
[01/16/26 - 08:09 AM]
Video: Oxygen Unveils Premiere Date and Official Trailer for "Love, Ted Bundy"
As America's most notorious serial killer Ted Bundy awaited execution, he exchanged a series of death row letters with the woman who loved him like a brother - his cousin, Edna Martin.
|
[01/16/26 - 07:02 AM]
Video: "A Father's Miracle" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A devoted father is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, leaving his daughter to fend for herself as he fights to prove his innocence.
|
[01/16/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Star Search" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The reimagined talent competition series returns as a live, five-week event hosted by Anthony Anderson, featuring an all-star judging panel with Jelly Roll, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Chrissy Teigen.
|
[01/16/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: NBC Releases First Official Promo and Key Art for New Comedy Series "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins"
Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, and Jalyn Hall star in the series.
|
[01/15/26 - 05:01 PM]
"Culinary Class Wars" Returns for Season 3, Raising the Stakes with a Team-Based Showdown
Building on two consecutive seasons of global success, Season 3 raises the stakes with four-person teams representing a single restaurant, transforming the competition into a collective fight for pride, reputation, and survival.
|
[01/15/26 - 03:22 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - February 2026
Highlights include "The Muppet Show," "The Artful Dodger," and "Paradise."
|
[01/15/26 - 02:01 PM]
Video: Tubi Debuts Chaotic Trailer for New Original Film "Terri Joe: Missionary in Miami"
In this wild farce, Southern Belle Terri Joe ventures to Miami to outrun wacky criminals and find a new church where she can atone for her sins.
|
[01/15/26 - 02:01 PM]
NBC Commissions Drama Pilot from Dean Georgaris and John Fox
Professor Georgia Ryan is a trailblazing psychologist who challenges the field of criminology by shifting the investigative focus to the victim rather than just the perpetrator in order to uncover the crucial clues that more traditional methods leave behind.
|
[01/15/26 - 01:38 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Christmas Week Shoots to a Season High Among Total Viewers - Scoring Show's Best Performance in 10 Months
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 152 consecutive weeks across all key measures.
|
[01/15/26 - 12:39 PM]
Apple TV Lands New Thriller Starring and Executive Produced by Dakota Fanning, and Created by Emmy Award-Winner Alex Cary
Fanning will star as an undercover Treasury agent in a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate who becomes conflicted between her mission and a belief that her principal target is at his core a good man and worthy of her love.
|
|
|
|
