or


[06/19/08 - 05:28 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, June 19
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!


CAPTAIN COOK'S EXTRAORDINARY ATLAS (ABC) - Nicole Yorkin and Dawn Prestwich ("The Riches") have signed on to help shepherd the drama pilot, about a young girl (Jodelle Ferland) who finds a magical atlas that reveals a secret world underneath our own. They'll act as consulting producers on the pilot with an eye towards serving as its showrunners if it goes to series. Tom Wheeler penned the pilot script, which he's executive producing alongside director Thomas Schlamme. Nathan Gamble, Janel Moloney and Patrick Breen also star in the project, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television.


THE EMANCIPATION OF ERNESTO (FOX, New!) - "That '70s Show" co-star Wilmer Valderrama has been tapped to star in a new "The Jerk"-esque comedy for the network about a guileless innocent embarking on an epic quest to find his father and a long-lost love amid a Los Angeles landscape polluted with excess. Emily Kapnek ("Emily's Reasons Why Not") is behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which was sold on spec with Valderrama attached. FOX has committed to a pilot for the potential series - the first-ever hourlong to come out of the network's comedy department - with Kapnek executive producing and Valderrama serving as a co-executive producer. As for further details, Ernesto - who narrates the show - was raised in a Mexican prison and is working in a Twinkie factory when the events of the pilot catch up to him.


THE END OF STEVE (Showtime, New!) - Matthew Perry ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip") is set to topline a new comedy at the pay channel about an afternoon talk show host on local TV who is genial onscreen but embittered when the camera's off. Showtime has given a pilot commitment to the Sony Pictures Television-based project, which Perry will co-write with Peter Tolan ("Rescue Me"), with significant penalty attached. As for specifics, the half-hour will depict Perry's character trying to find professional and personal happiness, which includes love with the station's morning show host.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [june 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· CAPTAIN COOK'S EXTRAORDINARY ATLAS (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EMILY'S REASONS WHY NOT (ABC)
· END OF STEVE, THE (SHOWTIME)
· ERNESTO (FOX)
· RESCUE ME (FX)
· RICHES, THE (FX)
· STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP (NBC)
· THAT '70S SHOW (FOX)





[08/29/25 - 10:46 AM]
National Geographic Documentary Films Announces Global Acquisition of Streaming Rights to Werner Herzog Documentary "Ghost Elephants" Following Venice World Premiere
The documentary will make its U.S. premiere at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend.

[08/29/25 - 10:08 AM]
"Prison Break" Turns 20: Executive Producer Dawn Olmstead Curates Episode Collections on Hulu
It's been 20 years since Michael Scofield entered Fox River State Penitentiary on a mission: break brother Lincoln out.

[08/29/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "French Lover" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a jaded actor meets a down-on-her-luck waitress in Paris, their unexpected love story begins - but will it survive the glare of the spotlight?

[08/29/25 - 08:02 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Paris Trailer and New Cast for the Final Episodes of "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
Joining the series in recurring roles are Corinna Brown, Fernando Cattori, Isaline Prevost Radeff, and Jahz Armando.

[08/29/25 - 05:43 AM]
"Sounds of Summer" - Feel-Good, Music-Packed Movie About Swedish Pop Icons Gyllene Tider Makes Exclusive US Debut Thursday, September 18, 2025 on Viaplay
Directed by Per Simonsson and named after the band's most enduring hit, "Sounds of Summer" is a breezy, very inspiring 97-minute ride that follows Gessle from small-town outsider to pop trailblazer.

[08/29/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "RIV4LRIES" - Official Trailer - Netflix
At a middle school in Pisa, no one has ever challenged the cool kids - until new girl Terry arrives with bold ideas and the rivalries begin.

[08/29/25 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: UK" Season 2 - The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Who's saying "I still do?" Emma and Matt host this season's couples and special guests as tea is spilled and secrets are revealed in a fiery reunion.

[08/28/25 - 02:03 PM]
Wonder Project Announces October 5 Streaming Subscription Launch Date on Prime Video and Premiere Date for "House of David" Season Two; Unveils First Look Images of the Hit Drama Series
Season Two of the biblical drama series House of David from Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios follows the aftermath of the battle between David and Goliath and David's rise to the throne.

[08/28/25 - 12:12 PM]
Video: "The Hospital" - A Comedy Improv Sketch Show - Premieres Wednesday, September 10
The Hospital offers a "behind-the-scenes" look at what happens when you mix improv comedy with total medical negligence.

[08/28/25 - 11:02 AM]
Shudder Launches Biggest Ever Programming Event "Season of Screams" - Featuring a Monster Lineup of New Films, Series and Live Watch Parties on Shudder TV - From September 1 Through December 31
Shudder's "Season of Screams" features highly anticipated films such as the acclaimed Dangerous Animals, a new installment in the popular "V/H/S" franchise - "V/H/S/Halloween" - and the found footage breakout hits "House on Eden" and "Hell House LLC: Lineage."

[08/28/25 - 11:01 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights "Words + Music," Inspired by the Critically Hailed Audible Original Series, Featuring Grammy Winners Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, John Legend and Alanis Morissette
"Words + Music" is set to premiere this fall on MGM+ in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

[08/28/25 - 10:06 AM]
ESPN Unveils Deep Roster of NBA Game Commentators for 2025-26 Season
Veteran analyst Tim Legler will join ESPN's lead NBA broadcast team, which includes Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Breen, analyst and NBA Champion Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters.

[08/28/25 - 10:05 AM]
HBO Original Two-Part Documentary "Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television" Debuts September 9
The project takes audiences on a two-part journey through the history of Black representation on television, showcasing how Black artists and creators both shaped and revolutionized the medium while confronting the systemic challenges that have often undermined their contributions.

[08/28/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: National Geographic Documentary Films Unveils Trailer for "Lost in the Jungle," the Unbelievable Story of Four Indigenous Children Who Survived a Plane Crash in the Amazon, Ahead of World Premiere at Telluride Film Festival
For the first time ever, the four Indigenous children who survived the Colombian plane crash on May 1, 2023 - and then endured 40 days alone in the jungle - share their extraordinary story of survival, told in their own words.

[08/28/25 - 09:38 AM]
Video: Tubi Debuts Trailer for Stand-Up Comedy Special "Rel Talk" from Lil Rel Howery
"It feels amazing to bring this special to my city, my people, and now to the millions of folks watching on Tubi," said Howery.