or


[03/21/08 - 05:51 PM]
Development Update: Friday, March 21
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!


DAVID'S SITUATION (HBO, New!) - Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are returning to HBO as the pair have landed a pilot order for a new comedy featuring Cross (playing himself) as he leaves Hollywood to move into a suburban, gated community where he has two roommates, a right-wing conservative and a liberal hippie. The pair, who actually broke the news about the project on their web site last week, further detail it as follows: "HBO has officially picked up the pilot Bob and I pitched them and wrote. We should be shooting in LA in the beginning of MAY. We'll keep you posted on exactly when and where (we'll have room for 150 audiencers). We are both very, very excited about it and feel it's really strong and important to the health of America. We know that America is hurting right now and old people like to say that "Laughter's the best medicine" So, keep hope old people, an injection of 10cc's of funny is about to be shot all up in your funny bones!" Odenkirk will also direct the pilot as well as executive producing alongside Stu Smiley with Dionne Kirschner producing.


MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL (CBS) - "Dancing With the Stars" alum Jennie Garth and Eric Ladin ("Generation Kill") are the latest additions to the comedy pilot, about two best friends and co-owners of a bike shop whose relationship becomes complicated when one (Tim Peper) begins dating the ex-wife (Garth) of the other (Josh Cooke). Garth will play said girl while Ladin is set as a guy described as "the world's worst salesman." Mike Sikowitz is behind the half-hour, which is based at Sony Pictures Television.


NIGHT LIFE (A.K.A. SAINT OF CIRCUMSTANCE) (FOX) - Bruno Campos ("Nip/Tuck") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about a man (David Denman) going through a midlife crisis who quits his dead-end office job to be a paramedic on the night shift. Campos will play Dr. Steve Larouche, a role which is billed as possibly recurring. It's described in the casting notice as follows: "40s. Please resubmit all ethnic choices - Open Ethnicity. Dr. Steve Larouche loves himself, a medical attending who works in the trauma room at St. Anthony's hospital, Steve generally works in a furious hurry, and forgets his last patient as soon as he moves on to the next one. A tough-minded, highly skilled and competent doctor, Steve is used to losing a patient every so often, and gets busted by Wayne for his allegedly callous behavior in laughing outside a room full of grieving family members." Ashley Williams, Glynn Turman, Karolina Muller, Kerry Bishe, Nate Mooney and Tommy Ford also star in the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which Zach Braff is helming from a script by Adam Braff. The Braffs are also executive producing alongside Emile Levisetti.


UNTITLED AL D'AMATO PROJECT (Syndication, New!) - Former U.S. senator Al D'Amato (R-New York) is reportedly set to topline a new court show targeted for the 2009-10 season. Multiple syndicators are said to have expressed interest in the project, which would feature "Senator Pothole" as he was dubbed for his willingness to meet with constituents and help them with their individual cases. Following his stint in the Senate, D'Amato penned the book "Power, Pasta & Politics: The World According to Senator Al D'Amato" in 1995 and founded the consulting firm Park Strategies four years later.


UNTITLED BRENDA HAMPTON PROJECT (ABC Family) - Shailene Woodley ("Felicity: An American Girl Adventure") has scored the lead role on Brenda Hampton's upcoming drama, about a pregnant teen (Woodley). Her character, Amy Nicholson, is further detailed in the casting notice as: "Legal 18 or emancipated to play 15 years old, any ethnicity, pretty, freshfaced, wholesome-looking, Amy is a Good Girl: she's polite to her parents, dresses like a young lady, and plays the French Horn; she's intelligent, thoughtful and has a pretty good sense of self esteem. Unfortunately, Amy fell for the slick charms of teen seducer Ricky Richardson, lost her virginity during band camp over the summer, and is now pregnant. Aware that her life could be ruined by any or all of the choices facing her, Amy is wholly unsure of her next move, and for the moment is trying to navigate her regular high school routine with a terrible secret." Ron Underwood is directing the show's pilot from a script by Hampton.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [march 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC)
· DAVID'S SITUATION (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FELICITY: AN AMERICAN GIRL ADVENTURE (WB)
· GENERATION KILL (HBO)
· MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL (CBS)
· NIGHT LIFE (FOX)
· NIP/TUCK (FX)
· SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· UNTITLED AL D'AMATO PROJECT (SYNDICATION)





[03/27/26 - 03:16 PM]
Official Trailer for HBO's Harry Potter Series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," Shatters Records as HBO and HBO Max's Most-Watched Ever by More Than Double, Amassing +277 Million Organic Views in 48 Hours
The series will debut Christmas 2026 on HBO and will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.

[03/27/26 - 01:01 PM]
Hugely Popular "Chicago" Series Set to Return to NBC in the Fall
"Chicago Fire" will begin its 15th season in the fall, "Chicago P.D." its 14th and "Chicago Med" its 12th.

[03/27/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Rounds Out Cast of "Kennedy" with Production Underway in London
The new drama series based on Fredrik Logevall's book, "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956," will explore the triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family from Chernin Entertainment.

[03/27/26 - 09:48 AM]
FOX Sports Assembles Top-Tier Roster for 2026 Major League Baseball Regular Season Coverage
Entering their fifth season together, first-ballot Hall of Famer John Smoltz and Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Davis call FOX Sports' top regular season and playoff games.

[03/27/26 - 09:46 AM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers in Late-Night, Friday Night and Sunday Morning
"20/20" scored its best Adults 25-54 performance in 11 months.

[03/27/26 - 09:21 AM]
"The Morning Show" News Incoming - Sean Hayes Joins the Cast of Season 5
Apple TV confirmed the news on social media this morning.

[03/27/26 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary Series "The Dark Wizard" Debuts April 14
The four-part documentary series is an up-close and unflinching portrait of Dean Potter, one of the world's most influential and controversial climbers, BASE jumpers, and highline walkers.

[03/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Original "Why Not Us: UMES Volleyball" to Premiere March 30
Presented by Andscape and produced by Sport & Story, the latest installment follows the inspiring journey of the newly formed men's volleyball team at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore - the first men's volleyball program at a Division I HBCU.

[03/26/26 - 02:05 PM]
"The Madison" Marks Taylor Sheridan's Biggest Debut Season Launch with 8 Million Views Globally for Paramount+
The debut of the six-part series also marks the biggest freshman season launch for the prolific creator among women 35+.

[03/26/26 - 12:49 PM]
Apple Original Films Lands New Sci-Fi Thriller "Liminal"
Starring Vanessa Kirby and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the feature will be directed by Louis Leterrier.

[03/26/26 - 12:01 PM]
"After the Flood" Returns to BritBox: Tensions Rise in High-Stakes Season Two Premiere
Other April highlights include "A Taste For Murder," "Silent Witness," and "Death in Paradise."

[03/26/26 - 12:00 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Added on April 8
The game replaces the previously scheduled Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons matchup.

[03/26/26 - 11:30 AM]
BET and Paramount+ Announce the Sixth Season Renewal of Multi-Emmy-Nominated Comedy "The Ms. Pat Show"
The upcoming season will be among the first BET originals to stream on Paramount+, which becomes the new streaming home for BET content beginning in June, bringing the beloved series to a global platform with nearly 80 million subscribers.

[03/26/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Springs Into April with Back-to-Back Episodes
Jack Black and Colman Domingo will host on April 4 and April 11, respectively.

[03/26/26 - 10:03 AM]
Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales Heads Into 2026 Upfront Bringing Advertisers Branded Content Opportunities Within High Volume of Originals and a Safe Harbor of Entertainment Programming
The studio continues to elevate its media investment opportunities for advertisers through Game Show Network, a top 10 cable network and a top five general entertainment network.