or


[06/09/08 - 05:21 PM]
Development Update: Monday, June 9
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!


DIRT (FX) - The cable channel has officially pulled the plug on the Courtney Cox-led drama after two seasons. Just 1.06 million viewers turned into the show's final episode on April 13 (including a 0.6 rating/2 share in adults 18-49), literally a third of its premiere audience from 2007 (3.74 million viewers, 1.8 rating/5 share in adults 18-49). ABC Studios and FX Productions were behind the hour, which was executive produced by Matthew Carnahan, Joe Fields, David Arquette and Courtney Cox.


THE INSIDER (Syndication) - Lara Spencer has reupped her contract with the "Entertainment Tonight" spin-off. The new pact will see her move permanently from New York to Los Angeles for the show's fifth-season premiere on September 8. Said date also marks the show's switch to high definition as well as the debut of its new set. As for Spencer, she'll serve as the de facto anchor following former co-anchor Pat O'Brien's decision to reduce his duties to that of special correspondent (alongside Victoria Recano and Steven Cojocaru).


NEVER BETTER (ABC) - Jane Lynch ("Two and a Half Men") and Kathleen Rose Perkins ("Tell Me You Love Me") have both come aboard the comedy pilot, about Keith (Damon Wayans), a recovering alcoholic trying to be a good husband and father. Lynch is playing Linda, Keith's AA sponsor, while Perkins is set as Claire, an AA member who has a contentious relationship with Keith. They join the previously cast Matt Winston and Nicole Ari Parker in the ABC Studios-based half-hour. David Walpert penned the pilot script which Marc Buckland is directing.


THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY (ABC) - Morris Chestnut ("The Game Plan") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, a gothic family soap inspired by "Hamlet" that centers on Billy (Warren Christie), a young Harvard philosophy professor forced to return to Detroit to take over the family's auto company and reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Meg (Piper Perabo). He'll play the recurring role of Leo Moore, who's detailed in the casting notice as: "32, African-American, gorgeous, gallant, and intelligent, he is Meg's boyfriend of over a year who works with Meg's father, Paul. Leo is crazy about Meg but senses unfinished business between Meg and Billy." Andie MacDowell, Aunjanue Ellis, Benny Ciaramello and John Carroll Lynch also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which Jack Bender is directing from a script by Hamish Linklater and Jessica Goldberg.


SAMURAI GIRL (ABC Family) - Stacy Keibler ("What About Brian") has landed a role on the upcoming limited series, about a 19-year-old Japanese girl named Heaven (Jamie Chung) who sets out to take down her adopted father's evil empire. She'll play Heaven's rival and the ex-fiancee of her love interest, Jake (Brendan Fehr). Anthony Brandon Wong, Kenneth Choi, Kyle Labine, Saige Thompson, Darryl Quon and Steven Brand also star in the project, which was created by Luke McMullen. ABC Studios and Alloy Entertainment are co-producing.


SCREAM QUEENS (VH1, New!) - The cable channel's latest reality search will focus on 10 unknown actresses as they compete for a "major" role in an upcoming horror movie from Lionsgate Films. The project, which Lionsgate is producing alongside Joke Productions, will also feature the aforementioned actresses as they are schooled by acting coach John Homa while their skills and progress will be judged by a yet-to-be-named director. VH1 has committed to eight hourlong episodes of the series, which is being targeted for a fall launch. Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina are the executive producers with Jim Ackerman, Dave Hamilton and Jeff Olde overseeing the project for VH1.


UNTITLED BOBBY LEE PROJECT (Comedy Central) - The Bobby Lee-led comedy has been given the green light to produce a pilot. Troy Miller ("Flight of the Conchords") has been tapped to direct and executive produce the half-hour, which focuses on the "Mad TV" veteran's point of view on living in a multicultural world. The pilot then will see Lee trying to bridge the racial divide between blacks and Koreans. Lee co-wrote the project alongside Dick Blasucci and Michael Hitchcock. The trio will also executive produce via Miller's Dakota Pictures banner.


THE UNUSUALS (ABC) - Amber Tamblyn ("Joan of Arcadia") is the latest addition to the pilot, a dramedy set at a New York police precinct. She'll play Casey Shraeger, a smart detective who also is the black sheep of her wealthy family. Adam Goldberg, Harold Perrineau and Monique Gabriela also star in the project, which comes from Sony Pictures Television and creator Noah Hawley. Stephen Hopkins is directing.


VIRTUALITY (FOX) - Joy Bryant, Sienna Guillory, Nelson Lee, Omar Metwally and Richie Coster have all joined the ensemble cast of the two-hour drama pilot, about Earth's first starship, which is equipped with advanced virtual reality modules. They'll play Alice Thibadeau, Rika Goddard, Kenji Yamaguchi, Dr. Eyal Meyer and Jimmy Johnson, respectively. The group joins the previously cast James D'Arcy, Jimmi Simpson and Kerry Bishe. Peter Berg is helming the Universal Media Studios-based project, which was created by Michael Taylor and Ronald D. Moore.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [june 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIRT (FX)
· ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT (SYNDICATION)
· FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO)
· INSIDER, THE (SYNDICATION)
· JOAN OF ARCADIA (CBS)
· NEVER BETTER (ABC)
· PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY, THE (ABC)
· SAMURAI GIRL (ABC FAMILY)
· SCREAM QUEENS (VH1)
· TELL ME YOU LOVE ME (HBO)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
· UNTITLED BOBBY LEE PROJECT (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· VIRTUALITY (FOX)
· WHAT ABOUT BRIAN (ABC)





[05/05/25 - 03:04 PM]
Hugely Popular #OneChicago Franchise Returns to NBC for 2025-26 Season
The current seasons of "Chicago Med," "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago P.D." have reached nearly 46 million total viewers this season to-date across NBC and Peacock.

[05/05/25 - 03:00 PM]
Video: The First Look Trailer of Paramount+ Original Series "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" Is Available Now
The 10-episode series is the newest installment of the global NCIS franchise and will premiere this fall on Paramount+.

[05/05/25 - 11:03 AM]
ABC News Live Announces Daily Show on the Trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, Hosted by Eva Pilgrim and Launching Friday, May 9
The series will deliver real-time updates and analysis of the defense and prosecution as Combs faces federal charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

[05/05/25 - 11:00 AM]
Meet the Brick-Tastic Duos Heading Into Season 5 of "LEGO Masters," Returning May 19 at 8/7c on FOX!
Hosted by actor and executive producer Will Arnett, hit unscripted series returns this summer with an epic fifth season featuring a new batch of talented teams and unique themed-out episodes throughout the series.

[05/05/25 - 10:29 AM]
Dive Into Summer with Your Favorite Disney Movies During Freeform's "30 Days of Disney" This June
Highlights include the world television premieres of Disney Pixar's "Elemental" and Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Strange World" and a lineup of must-watch films from the Walt Disney film catalog.

[05/05/25 - 09:55 AM]
Keith Urban to Be Honored with AMC Triple Crown Award at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards Live on Prime Video
Urban will be honored with numerous performances of his songs by fellow artists at the Academy of Country Music Awards Presented by Carnival Cruise Line.

[05/05/25 - 09:41 AM]
BET+ Greenlights "Tyler Perry's Divorced Sistas", From Tyler Perry Studios, Starring LeToya Luckett, Khadeen Indrea, Porscha Coleman, Briana Price, and Jennifer Sears in the Ensemble Cast
A fresh extension of the "Sistas" universe, the series will premiere on Monday, June 9, on BET, the day of the 2025 BET Awards, and will be available to stream on BET+ starting Tuesday, June 10.

[05/05/25 - 09:30 AM]
Showtime Original Series "The Chi" Adds Kyla Pratt, Punkie Johnson, Reagan Gomez and Tammy Townsend
"The Chi" will premiere Friday, May 16 on demand and on streaming for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, May 18, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

[05/05/25 - 09:01 AM]
Paramount+'s Smash Hit "Tulsa King" Adds Kevin Pollak for Season Three
Pollak will play the series regular role of Special Agent Musso, an FBI agent who has an axe to grind.

[05/05/25 - 09:00 AM]
"Ocean with David Attenborough" to Debut June 7 on National Geographic and Stream Globally Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu on World Oceans Day
Presented by the celebrated 98-year-old broadcaster and produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, the film shares with a global audience the importance of the world's oceans and the story of how we can, and must, restore the glory of Earth's vast, interconnected waters.

[05/05/25 - 08:36 AM]
Video: "Highest 2 Lowest" - Official Teaser - Apple TV+
Denzel and Spike are back for collab #5. Can you handle it?

[05/05/25 - 08:22 AM]
MTV Announces New Series "Caught in the Act: Double Life" Premiering Tuesday, June 3rd at 9PM ET/PT
This new addition to the "Caught in the Act" franchise delivers the high-stakes investigations, juicy reveals and emotional confrontations fans expect, now with a fresh focus on exposing secret lives across various relationships.

[05/05/25 - 08:03 AM]
New Cover Edition of "We'll Always Have Summer" Featuring Lola Tung, Chris Briney, and Gavin Casalegno Revealed
Amazon will offer an exclusive hardcover edition that will be available for purchase through Amazon on Thursday, June 12.

[05/05/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Cast of Adult Animated Comedy Series "Long Story Short"
The ensemble includes Lisa Edelstein, Paul Reiser, Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, Max Greenfield, Angelique Cabral, Nicole Byer, as well as recurring guests Dave Franco and Michaela Dietz.

[05/05/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video's "Motorheads" Shifts Into Gear With Official Trailer and Key Art Debut
All 10 episodes will be available on May 20, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.