or


[05/05/08 - 05:38 PM]
Development Update: Monday, May 5
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!


AMERICAN DAD/CLEVELAND/FAMILY GUY (FOX) - Franchise mastermind Seth MacFarlane has finally inked a new overall deal with producer 20th Century Fox Television. The massive five-year pact - which is valued in the nine-figure range - will keep the prolific writer/producer/voice talent at the studio through 2012. As for specifics, said deal will cover his duties on mainstays "Family Guy" and "American Dad" as well as the upcoming "Cleveland" spin-off and other future development from his Fuzzy Door banner, including an untitled multi-camera comedy with "Family Guy" consulting producer Gary Janetti. It will also keep "Guy" on the air through 2012 as well as give MacFarlane a larger piece of the show's syndication and DVD sales. MacFarlane and 20th had been in talks for nearly two and a half years, a stalemate which delayed the start of production on "Guy's" sixth season.


COURTROOM K (FOX) - Megan Dodds ("Not Going Out") has been tapped as the female lead on the drama pilot, about the antics of a Milwaukee Superior Court. She'll play a big-hearted public defender in the project, which also stars Jonathan Sadowski. Paul Attanasio is behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which is being directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.


GHOST WHISPERER (CBS) - The show's off-network run - to be split between Sci Fi, ION and WE: Women's Entertainment - is said to be valued in the $650,000-$700,000 per episode range for CBS Television Distribution. All three parties will carry repeats of the series starting in the fall of 2009 however exact rollout plans are still to be determined.


HEROES (NBC) - Brea Grant ("Friday Night Lights") has joined the cast of the show's third season, due this fall. She'll play Joy, a new hero with speed-based powers. No other details about her character were given. Production on the new season began last week.


LA STRINGERS (TruTV, New!) - truTV has ordered six half-hour episodes of a new reality series which aims to tell the behind-the-scenes stories behind various 10-second clips that air during local and national newscasts. 44 Blue Productions ("Lock Up") and Buena Vista Productions are behind the project, which will likely roll out in September, with 44 Blue's Rasha Drachkovitch executive producing alongside truTV's Lori Siegel. Marc Karzen is the producer.


MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC) - Mike O'Malley ("My Name Is Earl") is set to star opposite Christian Slater on the upcoming drama, about a middle-class suburban dad whose alter ego is a super spy. He'll play Tom Grady (a.k.a. "Raymond") in the Universal Media Studios-based hour, who's detailed in the casting notice as follows: "Mid-Late 30s. Henry's amiable friend and co-worker at AJ Sun Consulting. He's a married man and all-around good guy who teases Henry about his lack of toughness and admits he thinks Henry's wife is hot. Tom's alter ego is Raymond, a tough as hell, brusque and violent secret agent (just like Edward) with a devilish sense of humor who works for Janus. Raymond has to extract the hapless Henry from a brutal Russian interrogation and return him to safety. As Tom, he has no idea that Raymond exists, but Raymond knows about Tom and his family." David Semel is directing the show's pilot from a script by creator Jason Smilovic.


UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (ABC) - Andrea Anders ("The Class") is the first to be cast in the pilot, a single-camera comedy about a man whose morals are tested working for a large, faceless mega-corporation. Victor Fresco is behind the half-hour, which is based at 20th Century Fox Television.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· AMERICAN DAD (FOX)
· BETTER OFF TED (ABC)
· CLASS, THE (CBS)
· CLEVELAND SHOW, THE (FOX)
· COURTROOM K (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FAMILY GUY (FOX)
· FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DIRECTV)
· GHOST WHISPERER (CBS)
· HEROES (NBC)
· MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
· MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC)
· NOT GOING OUT (BBC AMERICA)
· STRINGERS: LA (TRUTV)





[03/18/26 - 01:13 PM]
"Saturday Night Live" Launches New Short-Form Digital Original Series, "The Rundown"
Guests will stop by Studio 8H to select a favorite segment from the show's history to add to the iconic Rundown board, building an all-star episode along the way.

[03/18/26 - 01:03 PM]
All New Series "Conspiracies & Coverups" Premieres April 1 at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
Former CIA covert intelligence officer Andrew Bustamante exposes the truth behind some of the most sensational, "ripped from the headlines" conspiracy theories in the all-new series.

[03/18/26 - 12:32 PM]
The Ultimate Test of Survival: "Lord of the Flies" Debuts May 4 on Netflix
Innocence descends into savagery when a group of English schoolboys becomes desert island castaways in the first television adaptation of William Golding's landmark dystopian classic.

[03/18/26 - 12:31 PM]
Darren Star & David Schulner Uncork New Napa Valley Rom-Com Series for Netflix
"Uncorked" delves into the life of a talented but self-destructive winemaker who returns to Napa for her second chance at love, legacy and that elusive 100 point wine.

[03/18/26 - 11:59 AM]
ID's Titans of True Crime Return with New Seasons of "Homicide Hunter: American Detective with Joe Kenda" and "On the Case with Paula Zahn"
The series will premiere back-to-back beginning Wednesday, April 15 at 9:00/8:00c.

[03/18/26 - 11:48 AM]
FOX Advertising Announces a Season-Long Major Brand Partnership with Toyota and the Reimagined FOX Primetime Series "Baywatch"
The series will showcase the Toyota Tacoma as the official Baywatch lifeguard vehicle which will be fully customized to authentically reflect the LA County lifeguard vehicles.

[03/18/26 - 11:31 AM]
Jinkies! Netflix Casts Mckenna Grace, Tanner Hagen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Maxwell Jenkins in the Live-Action "Scooby-Doo" Series
The series will uncover how this mystery-solving crew, and their beloved dog, first teamed up to crack the haunting case that started it all.

[03/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
TBS Orders New Season Pick-Up of "Impractical Jokers," Cable's #1 Original Series of the Year, Amid Record-Breaking Ratings
The final two episodes of season 12 air Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 following NCAA coverage on TBS.

[03/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
"Million Dollar Secret" Season 2 - Only on Netflix April 15
This season, the stakes are higher than ever as players face trickier agendas, grueling challenges and navigate the ever-changing game of deception.

[03/18/26 - 10:01 AM]
Peacock Reveals July 16 Premiere Date & Releases First Look Images for "The Five Star Weekend"
The series stars Jennifer Garner, D'Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant.

[03/18/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Nemesis" - Official First Look, Teaser Art & Date Announcement
The series, due on May 14, is the story of two men on either side of the law, the tale of what happens when an unstoppable force (an expert criminal) meets an immovable object (a brilliant police detective).

[03/18/26 - 10:00 AM]
Rewatch "Ready or Not" on Hulu Before the Highly Anticipated Sequel "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" Hits Theaters This Friday
Audiences can revisit the film that started it all and get a special look for what's to come.

[03/18/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Sheng Wang: Purple" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this special, Sheng delves into what it means to be a grown-up and explores ordinary life moments: sharing prized berries with your friends' kids, cooking with shallots, braving the ghosts in your house, finding joy in nature and much more.

[03/18/26 - 09:28 AM]
Vice Studios Secures Worldwide Adaptation Rights for Iconic Video Game IP "Payday" Partnering with Starbreeze Entertainment to Expand the Video Game Franchise Into Film and Television
Over 15 years of continuous development have made the "Payday" name synonymous with heisting, serving a massive community of more than 50 million players.

[03/18/26 - 09:07 AM]
"Be My Guest with Ina Garten" Welcomes Allison Janney, Jon Batiste, Hoda Kotb and Michael Barbaro in New Season
The new episodes premiere Saturday, April 11th at 12pm ET/PT on Food Network and stream the next day on HBO Max and discovery+.