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[12/21/07 - 06:31 PM]
Development Update: Week of December 17-21
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
AMC ORIGINAL SERIES (AMC, New!) - The cable channel has added four new projects to its development slate. Said efforts will eventually result in one of two pilots the network plans to order next year. The other pilot will be based off its previously announced projects. As for the newcomers, they are: "Fort Smith," from "24's" Robert Cochran, about Isaiah Parker, who polices the Five Points - comprised of five different Indian tribes - with his posse in the lawless post-Civil War West; an untitled hour from Alison Anders and Terry Graham, about Comanche leader Quanah Parker, who fights the U.S. Army for the rights to his tribe's land; "Greenfields," from playwright Nicky Silver ("Raised in Captivity"), about a psychiatrist who breaks his patient out of jail; and "Uninvited Guest," from "Less Than Zero" screenwriter Harley Peyton and Mandalay's Peter Guber and Elizabeth Stephens, about a character who suffers from multiple personality disorder.
THE AMERICAN MALL (MTV, New!) - MTV is teaming with "High School Musical" producers Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush for a romantic comedy/musical set at a mall in the vein of the Disney Channel sensation. Nina Dobrev and Rob Mayes will topline the project, about Ally, a high school grad/singer-songwriter (Dobrev), who battles to save her mother's music store and to keep the boy she loves (Mayes), a musically gifted young janitor who fronts a garage band. Autumn Reeser also stars as Ally's mean-girl adversary Madison, the spoiled and ruthless heiress to the owners of the mall, while Wade Allain-Marcus, Bianca Collins, Rodney To, Neil Haskell, Brooke Lyons, David Baum, Blythe Auffarth, Yassmin Alers, Bresha Webb, Neil Haskell and Al Sapienza round out the cast. Production is set to begin next month at a mall in Provo, Utah with Shawn Ku ("Pretty Dead Girl") directing. Borden is producing "Mall," which was originally set up as a feature at Columbia Pictures prior to "Musical's" release, with Rosenbush and Arata Matsushima serving as executive producers. "Mall" then will premiere this summer with a DVD release a couple of days later.
BACKYARDS & BULLETS (NBC) - The Peacock has opted not to move forward with the drama pilot, about a suburban Neighborhood Watch group gone awry. The news comes as a result of the network letting its options on the cast expire. The show's ensemble included Abigail Spencer, Billy Burke, Casey LaBow, Enuka Okuma, Jessalyn Gilsig, Kristen Lehman, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mathew St. Patrick and Richard Ruccolo. Charles McDougall directed the Sony Pictures Television/Pariah-based hour from a script by Ed Decter and John J. Strauss. Pariah's Gavin Polone and Jamie Tarses also served as executive producers.
COCO CHANEL (Lifetime, New!) - The cable channel is developing a biopic/mini-series about the famed fashion icon featuring Barbora Bobulova and Shirley MacLaine as the designer in the early and later periods of her life, respectively. Christian Duguay ("Human Trafficking") is on board to direct the Alchemy Television Group-based project, which is currently filming. Enrico Medioli ("Once Upon a Time in America") penned the script while Lux Vide SpA, Pampa Productions, Rai and France 2 are co-producing alongside Alchemy. The two-part effort, which is being done in cooperation with Chanel's estate, tracks her upbringing in an orphanage outside Paris through her move to reinvent herself in her 70s, after spending years in exile.
KAYA (MTV) - MTV development chief Tony DiSanto confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter this week the series, the network's first scripted effort in more than five years, won't be returning for a second season. "Kaya" opened its 10-episode run on Monday nights following "The Hills" before being banished to Saturday nights after failing to capitalize on said lead-in. DiSanto however was quick to note the network still plans to push forward in the scripted genre as several projects are in the works, including an untitled effort from Adam Ripp and Steven Wolfson as well as "Darius," from "Law & Order" veteran Michael S. Chernuchin.
SAINT OF CIRCUMSTANCE (FOX, New!) - "The Office" alum David Denman is set to topline a new single-camera comedy pilot for FOX about a man going through a midlife crisis who quits his dead-end office job to be a paramedic on the night shift. "Scrubs" star Zack Braff is in talks to direct the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which was created by Braff's brother, Adam ("Andrew Henry's Meadow"). Denman then will play the lead role of Wayne with the Braffs executive producing alongside Emile Levisetti. Production on the pilot is expected to begin after the WGA strikes concludes.
UNTITLED CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER PROJECT (ABC) - ABC Studios has extended the options on the entire cast of the multi-camera comedy pilot, about a family man (Cedric the Entertainer) who always has been the proud breadwinner but has difficulty adjusting when his wife's (Regina Hall) hobby turns into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Production on the project, which also stars Charles Malik Whitfield, Jasmine McNeal, Melissa Peterman, Peter Mackenzie and Steven Wash, Jr., was completed in October. Ken Whittingham directed from a script by co-creators Cedric the Entertainer, Michael Soccio and Rock Reuben.
WIFE SWAP (ABC) - Lifetime's purchase of the show's off-network rights from Disney-ABC Domestic Television on Tuesday (read the story) is said to be valued at $250,000 per episode. The four-year pact, which begins in October, gives the cable channel the right to play reruns of the series twice a day.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[05/02/25 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" Rounds Out Ingalls Family Cast
Introducing Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline, Luke Bracey as Charles, Skywalker Hughes as Mary, and Alice Halsey as Laura.
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[05/02/25 - 09:26 AM]
ESPN's WNBA Coverage Returns in Full Force: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe Lead Broadcast Team; Expanded Pregame Shows and Star Talent Highlight 2025 Season
Play-by-play voice Ryan Ruocco and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe return for their 13th season together as ESPN's lead WNBA broadcast team.
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[05/02/25 - 09:11 AM]
Video: Disney Drops Music Video for First Single "The Place to Be," From This Summer's Music-Fueled "Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires"
The latest installment of the music-fueled franchise - premieres Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel and streams the next day, Friday, July 11, on Disney+.
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[05/02/25 - 09:03 AM]
FOX Sports Films Premieres Second Season of Popular Dirt Racing Docuseries "Dirt" May 6 on FS1
FloSports will stream every episode of the second season 24-hours after its debut on FS1 on the FloRacing YouTube channel.
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[05/02/25 - 09:01 AM]
Rachael Ray's "Meals in Minutes" and "Global Soul Kitchen" with Deborah VanTrece Return May 26 on FYI Network
Both series are part of A+E Networks' Home.Made.Nation multi-platform lifestyle programming block.
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[05/02/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix's "Little House on the Prairie" Found Its Laura Ingalls
Alice Halsey will play Laura Ingalls.
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[05/02/25 - 07:00 AM]
Global Hit Series "The Chosen" Season 5 Premieres Exclusively on Prime Video June 15, 2025 in the U.S. and Will Stream Internationally in Select Territories in July
Season 5 will debut in three parts over three weeks, with the first two episodes premiering on June 15, followed by three episodes on June 22 and the last three episodes on June 29.
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[05/01/25 - 01:18 PM]
Video: Following a Standout Sundance World Premiere, National Geographic Documentary Films Unveils Trailer for Critically Acclaimed and Award-Winning "Sally," Ahead of National Space Day
The film will premiere on National Geographic on Monday, June 16 at 9:00/8:00c and be available to stream globally the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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[05/01/25 - 12:31 PM]
Video: Official Trailers - Peacock Emerging Artist Series
"Older Hotter Wiser," "The Kouncil," "The Warehouse Phase" and "People Like Me" will all premiere May 19, only on Peacock.
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[05/01/25 - 11:46 AM]
Video: MTV's "Jersey Shore Family Vacation" Unveils Explosive Season 8 Trailer
This season marks the 15th anniversary since the crew's first wild summer in Seaside Heights - and includes an epic reunion at the OG shore house!
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[05/01/25 - 11:31 AM]
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[05/01/25 - 11:01 AM]
"Human Footprint" Season 2 Premieres June 25, 2025 on PBS
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[05/01/25 - 11:01 AM]
Shudder Checks Into "Hell Motel," An All-New Limited Series from "Slasher" Creators Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter Premiering Tuesday, June 17
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[05/01/25 - 11:00 AM]
Season Three of the HBO Original Drama Series "The Gilded Age" Debuts June 22
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[05/01/25 - 10:20 AM]
Video: Official Trailers - "Revival" Season 1 & "Resident Alien" Season 4 - Syfy
"Revival" premieres Thursday, June 12 at 10:00/9:00c; while "Resident Alien" returns Friday, June 6 at 11:00/10:00c.
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