 |
 |
[04/25/08 - 06:16 PM]
Development Update: Friday, April 25
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!
CASTLE (ABC) - Nathan Fillion ("Desperate Housewives") is in negotiations to topline the drama pilot, about a famous mystery novelist helping the NYPD solve crimes. Fillion would play the title character, Nick Castle. Rob Bowman is directing the ABC Studios-based project from a script by Andrew Marlowe.
CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS) - A&E and ION Media Networks have each acquired the off-network rights to the veteran CBS drama. The former, whose license fee is estimated to in the $650,000-$700,000 per episode range, will begin airing weekly repeats of the series starting next month with a five-night-a-week expansion in the fall of 2009. ION, who is said to have forked over $175,000 per episode, will likewise begin its strip of the series in the fall of 2009. The pact with co-producers ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television is capped at eight seasons. In terms of comparable off-network sales, the combined $825,000-$875,000 per episode fee falls behind recent acquisitions such as "Cold Case" (TNT, $1.4 million), "Without a Trace" (TNT, $1.4 million) and "CSI: NY" (Spike TV, $1.9 million) but ahead of "Bones" (TNT, $450,000).
LAW & ORDER (NBC) - Tom Everett Scott ("Cashmere Mafia") is set to appear in the show's final two episodes this season. He'll play Governer Shalvoy in said installments, one of which will also feature Alison Elliott ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford") as his wife, Rita. No other details about their roles were given.
LITTLE GIRL LOST: THE DELIMAR VERA STORY (LMN, New!) - Judy Reyes ("Scrubs"), Ana Ortiz ("Ugly Betty") and A Martinez ("General Hospital") have all signed on to star in a new original for the Lifetime sibling. The project, due later this year, is based on the true story of Luz Cuevas (Reyes), who believed that her infant daughter, Delimar, had perished in a fire in their Philadelphia apartment, only to spot her at a birthday part six years later. Ortiz will play Valerie Valleja, a distant relative of Luz's, while Martinez is as Angel Cruz, a councilman who helps Luz. Paul Kaufman, Joey Plager, Larry Thompson and Harvey Kahn of Front Street Productions are executive producing the project, which Kaufman is directing. Lifetime is co-producing in association with TF1.
THE MEANT TO BE'S (CBS) - Tom Hollander ("Pirates of the Caribbean") has joined the cast of the pilot, a romantic drama about a young woman (Amy Smart) who dies, but in order to "pass over," she must return to Earth and help people improve their lives. He'll play the head of the Fate division who is bending the rules to save lives. Ioan Gruffudd also stars in the project, which comes from CBS Paramount Network Television and creator Glenn Gordon Caron.
MY BROTHER'S HOT (AND OTHER DILEMMAS) (A.K.A. UNTITLED KRISTIN NEWMAN PROJECT) (ABC) - Alyssa Milano ("My Name Is Earl") is in talks to play the lead role in the comedy pilot, about a thirtysomething woman (Milano) who tries to break free of her overbearing and dysfunctional family, friends and boss. Her character, Louisa "Lou," is further detailed in the casting notice as follows: "Early 30s, Female, a bit rumpled and girl-next-door pretty, intelligent, with a sense of humor, selfless. Lou has never gotten married or even managed much of a life of her own because she's always been caught up in the lives of her parents: her larger-than-life, selfish, charming mother, Elizabeth, and her irresponsible father, Joe, both of whom got divorced when she was 12. Something of a mother figure to Joe's young children by his second wife, Lou works at a literacy program funded by a famous playboy athlete, and is pretty much put herself in call to the catastrophes/demands of both her parents. Urged by her best friend Sasha to get some "me" time and go out of town to hook up with The Nice Chicago Guy, Lou finds her plans put off - again - when her dad drops his latest bomb: he's marrying again, his kids are in rebellion, his new fiance has a hunky 35 year old son who's perfect for Lou, and worst of all--her mother chooses this moment to decide to devote the rest of her life to her relationship to Lou." The single-camera half-hour comes from creator Kristin Newman and co-producers ABC Studios and DreamWorks Television.
THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY (ABC) - Aunjanue Ellis ("Justice") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, a gothic family soap inspired by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" set in the world of the Detroit auto industry. She'll play Cora Neel in the ABC Studios-based project, which comes from co-creators Hamish Linklater and Jessica Goldberg. Her character is detailed in the casting notice as follows: "40s-50s, African-American, "Diana Ross sexy and Condi Rice ruthless," she's a member of Hamilton's board who is absolutely appalled by the information that Billy is the new owner of Hamilton Motors. She believes the best idea is to sell the entire company to a German manufacturer. She and Paul Riley have a tense relationship, and no one except Cora knows why William Hamilton appointed Cora to the board in the first place."
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [april 2008]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Peacock - 15-Time #1 Primetime Show - Unveils 2026 Schedule
It all begins with the NFL's season opener as the New England Patriots visit the champion Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday, September 9 on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
FOX NFL's Loaded 2026 Regular Season Schedule Features Most Windows of Any Network
In Week 10, FOX NFL presents its first tripleheader in over a decade, opening coverage on Sunday, November 15, at 9:30 AM ET with an international game from Munich between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
ESPN to Deliver Company's Largest NFL Game Portfolio Ever, Headlined by Top-Tier Matchups on "Monday Night Football" and the International Series on NFL Network
Comprised of "Monday Night Football" and NFL Network, the company will present 28 games during the regular and postseason, plus Super Bowl LXI, marking game 29.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
"NFL on CBS" Follows Record-Breaking Season with Showstopping 2026 Schedule Led by TV's No. 1 Program
Building on last season's historic viewership and with more than 100 regular-season games, CBS Sports continues to demonstrate the unmatched power and reach of its multiplatform approach across broadcast television and streaming on Paramount+.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces 2026 "Thursday Night Football" Schedule
An exciting mix of cross-divisional games, elite quarterback showdowns, and the first ever NFL regular season game at the Bills' brand-new Highmark Stadium highlight the regular-season slate.
|
[05/14/26 - 11:10 AM]
TLC Introduces "Little Singles" A New Relationship Series About Love, Friendship, and Life Without Limits
The new relationship series follows a vibrant, tight-knit group of little people for a rare opportunity to date, connect, and build community.
|
[05/14/26 - 10:34 AM]
FOX Sports Films Announces New Documentary Special "The 500: Immortality at Indy" Premiering May 16 on FOX
Hosted by James Hinchcliffe, the special reveals the defining moments at the Indianapolis 500 that turn drivers into legends.
|
[05/14/26 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Bad Thoughts" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Tom Segura unleashes hilarious chaos with a fresh set of twisted tales from the darkest recesses of his imagination.
|
[05/14/26 - 10:07 AM]
"Rooster" Capped Off a Standout First Season, Becoming HBO's Most-Watched Comedy Debut in Over 15 Years
The series is averaging 6.5 million U.S. viewers per episode, with the finale reaching 2.2 million viewers in its first three days.
|
[05/14/26 - 10:01 AM]
Home Run! ESPN Scores Most-Consumed College Softball Regular Season on Record
The 2026 campaign featured four of ESPN's eight most-watched regular season games of all-time and delivered a record-high 10 games with more than 500,000 viewers.
|
[05/14/26 - 10:01 AM]
Kelsey Plum Joins WNBA on Prime as Player Contributor
Throughout the season, Plum will join the WNBA on Prime studio team to help highlight key storylines around the league, provide on-court insight and authentic analysis.
|
[05/14/26 - 10:00 AM]
BET and Paramount+ to Premiere "Tyler Perry's The Oval" Season 7 on May 20
The 22-episode season will air weekly, concluding on Wednesday, September 30.
|
[05/14/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Outlast: The Jungle" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this ultimate survival game, the contestants must outlast not only the jungle and its elements but also the psychological and social challenges posed by their fellow competitors.
|
[05/14/26 - 09:11 AM]
Date Announcement: Hulu's "Never Change!"
In 2008 the graduating class of North Meadows High School had their senior year cut short due to a disastrous tornado. Now in their mid 30's they're being forced to return home and finish high school once and for all.
|
[05/14/26 - 09:08 AM]
New Season of "Maine Cabin Masters" Premieres May 25 on Magnolia Network
There's no shortage of work for Maine-based builder Chase Morrill, whose specialty is renovating rustic cabins and camps all over the Pine Tree State.
|
|
|
|
