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[06/09/08 - 05:21 PM]
Development Update: Monday, June 9
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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
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[06/18/25 - 07:31 AM]
Netflix Announces "Bad Thoughts," Tom Segura's Dark and Twisted Comedic Series, Has Been Picked Up for Season 2
Said Segura: "It was such a thrill to get the opportunity to entertain and horrify audiences with our very Bad Thoughts on Netflix. We're all so excited to push things further with season 2. I promise your family will not approve of what we do."
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[06/18/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Attend Nevermore Academy with Wednesday Addams - Netflix
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[06/18/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple's Reimagined Original Series "Yo Gabba GabbaLand!" Returns for Season Two
Apple TV+ also announced that the full, four-season library of the original Emmy Award-nominated series "Yo Gabba Gabba!" will launch globally on Friday, June 20.
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[06/18/25 - 03:31 AM]
Video: One Man Against All Odds - "Ziam" Trailer Teases Thrilling Thai Martial Arts Zombie Combat
In a fight for survival against a horrifying army of zombies, a former Muay Thai fighter must use skill, speed and grit to save his girlfriend.
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[06/17/25 - 03:31 PM]
"My Brilliant Career" Series Adaptation Now in Production in South Australia for Netflix
First published in 1901, "My Brilliant Career" resonated deeply with a rising generation of young Australian women who longed for the freedom to shape their own destinies.
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[06/17/25 - 03:03 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers"
On Wednesday, "Nightline" scored its most-watched telecast (1.049 million) in 5 months and strongest delivery in Adults 25-54 (404,000) in 1 year.
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[06/17/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of June 9: "Tyler Perry's Straw" Has Biggest Week for a Film in 2025
"Ginny & Georgia's" third season maintained its No. 1 spot on the English TV List with 16.9 million views, as fans saw their favorite characters pushed "to the limit."
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[06/17/25 - 09:46 AM]
Video: HBO Max and Magnolia Network Debuts "Back to the Frontier" Trailer and Takes the 1880s on the Road This Summer with Covered Wagon Pop-Ups in LA and NY
The eight-part series, executive produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, follows three modern families as they attempt to live as if it's the 1880s, off the grid, without modern conveniences, and fully immersed in frontier life.
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[06/17/25 - 09:02 AM]
Paramount+ Original Series "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" Reveals Official Key Art and Premiere Date
The 10-episode series is the newest installment of the global "NCIS" franchise and will premiere on Thursday, September 4, with three episodes.
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[06/17/25 - 09:01 AM]
Hulu Reveals Key Art & Premiere Date for "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball"
Produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, the series will launch Monday, July 28, exclusively on Hulu.
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[06/17/25 - 09:01 AM]
Home.Made.Nation Heats Up with the Return of "Jake Makes It Easy," "Oceanfront Property Hunt," and "48 Hours to Buy"
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[06/17/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "I Kissed A Boy" - Season 2 Official Trailer - Hulu
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[06/17/25 - 09:00 AM]
It's Time for Seconds: "Sausage Party: Foodtopia" Returns!
All eight episodes of the animated comedy will be served all at once in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[06/17/25 - 08:06 AM]
"CMA Fest presented by Sofi" Reveals Lineup for Primetime Concert Special Airing Thursday, June 26, at 8/7c on ABC and Next Day on Hulu
The three-hour concert event features can't-miss collaborations and unforgettable performances that took place during the 52nd CMA Fest in Nashville earlier this month.
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[06/17/25 - 08:01 AM]
HGTV Serves Up Fantasy-Filled Real Estate on Friday Nights with New Episodes of "My Lottery Dream Home" and "Zillow Gone Wild"
Both series return back-to-back on Friday, July 18 starting at 9:00/8:00c.
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