 |
 |
[05/21/08 - 05:23 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, May 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!
BURN NOTICE (USA) - Creator Matt Nix has signed an overall deal with producer Fox Television Studios. The pact covers the writer/producer's duties on the cable drama as well as calls for him to develop new series projects for the studio. Already in the works is a new untitled dramedy for USA about a cop who's relegated to the "small property crimes division" only to uncover larger crimes from what initially appear to be minor infractions.
FINNEGAN (ABC) - Teri Polo ("The West wing") has booked the title role on the drama pilot, about a tough female detective who heads LAPD's organized crime and vice division. Her character, Erin Finnegan, is further detailed by the casting notice as follows: "34-42, Female, open to all ethnicities. Whip-smart, tough and complicated, she's the head of the LAPD's Organized Crime and Vice Division. Sometimes aggressive to the point of volatility, sometimes genuinely warm and charming, then, in private moments, sometimes as vulnerable as a child, she lives and works on an emotional pendulum. Her unpredictability is the one thing you can count on. Able to intimidate villains as well as her subordinates, in her 15 years with LAPD she's earned grudging respect from gangsters and FBI agents alike. Her intelligence and ferocious determination to get what she wants has driven her professional rise, but the same qualities, combined with her emotional unpredictability, have contributed to a trail of personal and relationship disasters behind her. While the details of her past are yet to be revealed, we know she's divorced from ADA Brian Clark, though they maintain a close and effective working relationship. He is the one person to whom she can reveal her insecurities. When one of her confidential informants is killed right before a major bust, Finnegan is determined to catch the men responsible for his death - going on an emotional rollercoaster ride as she steamrolls through the system, demonstrating her willingness to go anywhere and risk anything to get what she wants - justice." Gary Fleder is helming the ABC Studios-based presentation from a script by Trent Jones. Domenick Lombardozzi, Jacob Vargas, Malachi Weir, Tasha Smith and Tzi Ma also star.
MIAMI INK (TLC) - The Miami Herald reported this week the TLC staple won't be returning for a fifth season, wrapping its run at 81 episodes. According to the story, stars Ami James and Chris Nunez "declined to extend Discovery Communications' option to order more episodes of the TLC show after the network delayed signing them on for another season. He said no talks are under way to shoot more episodes of their lives as South Beach tattoo artists." The show's fourth (and now final) season is currently airing on Thursday nights at 10:00/9:00c.
ROYAL PAINS/WHITE COLLAR (USA) - The cable channel has given cast-contingent 90-minute pilot orders to both projects. Production on both pilots then is being eyed for later this summer, with "Pains" likely filming in New York. "White Collar," from Fox Television Studios and creator Jeff Eastin, is detailed by the network as follows: "The world's most creative con man escapes out of a maximum-security prison by walking out the front door to find the lost love of his life. His nemesis at the FBI tracks him down and uses him as a consultant to catch other notorious and elusive criminals."
"Royal Pains" then comes from The Firm and creator/co-executive producer Andrew Lenchewski. Rich Frank and Paul Frank are the executive producers with John Rogers producing. It's described as: "Anyone who's anyone in the Hamptons has a lawyer on retainer. Now meet the newest accessory -- the concierge doctor. Young doctor Hank Lawson had it all...thriving career, beautiful girlfriend, and swank NYC apartment. With one fateful and principled decision in the ER, Hank loses it all. Months later, single and blackballed from the medical community, Hank goes for a weekend in the Hamptons with his best friend. Crashing a party at a mega-mansion on the beach, Hank jumps into action when a guest requires medical attention that only he is able to diagnose. The next morning, Hank is summoned to another mansion. And then another. Hank's career is revived, but in a way he's not exactly happy about, as he becomes the on-call doctor for the rich, famous and infamous."
SUBURBAN SHOOTOUT (HBO) - Judy Greer ("Miss/Guided") has scored the lead role on the pilot, a dark comedy about a woman (Greer) who escapes the city for suburban bliss only to find herself caught between two rival gangs of homicidal housewives as they vie for control of their idyllic town. Greer's involvement is technically in second position to the ABC/20th Century Fox Television comedy, whose option expires on June 30. Kelly Preston, Kerri Kenney and Rachael Harris also star in the project, which Barry Sonnenfeld is directing from a script by Michelle Ashford.
WIZARD'S FIRST RULE (Syndication) - Craig Horner ("Blue Water High") and Bridget Regan ("Is He Dead?") have been tapped to star in the upcoming syndicated series, based on Terry Goodkind's book series of the same name. Horner will star as woodsman Richard Cypher, who transforms into a magical leader and joins with a mysterious woman named Kahlan (Regan) to stop a bloodthirsty, sinister tyrant. Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios are behind the project, which has been cleared in 95% of the country for a fall launch. Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle and John Shiban are the executive producers.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [may 2008]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[01/08/26 - 02:00 PM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record-Breaking Viewership for 2025-26 FCS Playoffs and Championship
The 2026 FCS Championship Game averaged 2.3 million viewers on ESPN, ranking as the third-best FCS Championship audience ever.
|
[01/08/26 - 01:17 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Demos
In fact, "Nightline" is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 3rd straight year.
|
[01/08/26 - 01:16 PM]
ABC News' Primetime Special "The Year: 2025" Earns Nearly 4 Million Total Viewers - Growing by Double Digits Over Last Year in Multiplatform Viewing
The 15th annual year-end special earned 3.857 million Total Viewers, growing impressively over last year's performance by +37% (vs. 2.818 million), after three days of viewing on ABC, Disney+, Hulu and digital platforms.
|
[01/08/26 - 01:15 PM]
"Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV" Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 14, on ABC and Streams Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
By exploring the psychological forces that shaped the talk TV genre, the series reveals how these shows transformed from trusted confessional spaces into lightning rods of controversy, leaving a lasting impact on culture, media and the people caught in the chaos.
|
[01/08/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for New Docuseries "Handsome Devil: Charming Killer"
The three-part docuseries premieres Tuesday, January 20, exclusively on Paramount+.
|
[01/08/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "School Spirits" - Season 3 Official Trailer - Paramount+
Maddie Nears and her friends dive into a deeper, darker mystery as the veil between worlds grows dangerously thin, delivering twists that challenge everything they thought they knew.
|
[01/08/26 - 09:35 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Added on January 16; Detroit Pistons vs. Golden State Warriors Added on January 30
These matchups replace the previously scheduled Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets game and LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets game, respectively.
|
[01/08/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "What Drives You with John Cena" Season 2 - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Find out what fuels Mookie Betts, Kane Brown, Charlotte Flair and Saweetie to succeed in an all new season.
|
[01/08/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Finding Her Edge" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A former ice dancer returns to the rink with an exciting new partner while holding onto feelings for her old one - her first love.
|
[01/08/26 - 09:00 AM]
HBO Original Two-Part Documentary "Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!" Debuts January 22
One of Hollywood's most daring satirists from the early years of television sketch comedy through his film and stage hits, Brooks has held a funhouse mirror up to the human condition and used laughter as a path to resilience, connection, and joy for nearly a century.
|
[01/08/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "It's Not Like That" - Official Trailer - Wonder Project
From the writers of "Life As We Know It" and "Parenthood," comes a story of two families who find the courage to begin again.
|
[01/08/26 - 08:11 AM]
Video: "Like Water For Chocolate" - Official Teaser - HBO Max
A kiss says more than a thousand words...
|
[01/08/26 - 08:02 AM]
Video: MGM+ Unveils "The Hillside Strangler" Official Trailer
The series premieres Sunday, January 18 at 9:00/8:00c on MGM+.
|
[01/08/26 - 08:01 AM]
The History Channel to Premiere New Series "History's Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe" Celebrating Rare Collectibles on Sunday, February 22
Produced by Cineflix, the eight one-hour episode series will follow Mike as he dives into the intriguing stories and astonishing values behind legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history.
|
[01/08/26 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Reveals Official Trailer and Key Art for Season Two of Hit Crime Thriller, "Cross"
From Paramount Television Studios starring and executive produced by Aldis Hodge, the new season will premiere February 11, 2026 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
|
|
|
|
