 |
 |
[08/04/08 - 06:48 PM]
Development Update: Monday, August 4
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 IDOL (FOX) - Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has announced he's departing the top-rated series to concentrate on fellow top draw "So You Think You Can Dance" as well as a new business venture with fellow executive producer Simon Fuller. Fuller's 19 Entertainment produces both shows with Lythgoe serving as president of said banner. It's not clear if Lythgoe will retain an executive producer credit on "Idol," as is sometimes custom for those executives who get a show off the ground. It's believed that Ken Warwick, also an executive producer on "Idol," will assume the day-to-day duties previously held by Lythgoe.
DROP DEAD DIVA (Lifetime) - Margaret Cho ("'Til Death") and Jackson Hurst ("Living Proof") have both been cast on the drama pilot, about Deb, a dead aspiring actress/model who is reincarnated in the body of Jane (Brooke Elliott), a chubby, brilliant attorney. Cho will play Teri, who's detailed in the casting notice as follows: "30s-40s, African-American or Latina and attractive. She is Jane's efficient, caring assistant. Patient with Jane's "amnesia," she tells Jane (who's just come back to work after a brush with death), "I don't know what's going on, but I'm here for you." Teri's got that "can-do-cheerleader-routine" down perfectly but does not suffer fools." Hurst then is set as Grayson Kent: "Late 20s-Mid 30s, all ethnicities and "so handsome it hurts". He is an attorney, a good-natured, caring, genuinely nice guy, still in touch with his inner dork. He is engaged to beautiful but vapid Deb who is killed in an accident with a tangerine truck. Soon after, he lands a plum job with firm where Jane works, unaware, of course, that his lovely but dead girlfriend has taken up residence in Jane's body." Josh Berman is behind the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which James Hayman is directing.
THE EMANCIPATION OF ERNESTO (FOX) - Sarah Wright ("7th Heaven") and Angela Sarafyan ("In Plain Sight") have both scored roles on the hourlong pilot, which stars Wilmer Valderrama as a guileless innocent embarking on a quest to find his father amid a Los Angeles landscape polluted with excess. Wright is attached to play Madizon Cutler, whom the casting notice describes as: "Early/Mid 20s, Caucasian, strikingly beautiful but with eyes of steel. She's the daughter of Brentwood millionaire Phil Cutler. She could've gone the way of all the other rich, young heiresses we read about in tabloids, but there is a spark in Madizon. Madizon met Ernesto when they were both 8 years old, and she still has fond memories of the friend with whom she spent a long happy day in Disneyland. Accidentally reunited with Ernesto, she is attracted to him, but has no idea that he is romantically intent on wooing and winning her. Madizon feels there is something missing from her life, will Ernesto fill the empty space in her heart?" Sarafyan then has been tapped as Sydney: "20s, all ethnicities. Madizon's roommate, Sydney is a Khloe Kardashian/Paris Hilton type. She's the typical rich, heiress type...without Madizon's sweet spark. She meets Ernesto while shopping at a Melrose Avenue boutique. After hurting her ankle on a slippery waxed floor, she's given a quick adjustment by Ernesto -- and is so grateful that she buys the "vintage" clothes that he is peddling." Emily Kapnek created the project, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television.
LIE TO ME (FOX) - Kelli Williams ("The Practice") and Brendan Hines ("The Middleman") are the final additions to the drama pilot, about Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), a cutting-edge researcher in the field of "deception detection." Williams will play Dr. Gillian Foster, the female lead, who is detailed as follows in the casting notice: "35-45, any ethnicities. She's an attractive, confident, youthfully feminine psychologist, full of natural sparkle and joie de vivre. Lightman's colleague at his consulting firm, she is as perceptive as she is idealistic and loyal - attributes that have endeared her to Lightman, who relies on her for her truthfulness and insight. Happily married to a man who may be secretly deceiving her, Foster has no idea that Lightman hides a secret crush on her. For now, she's just happy to assist him on their challenging, fascinating cases." Hines then is set as Will Loker: "Late 20's, any ethnicities. Another of Lightman's colleagues, Will is a bright, eccentric but winning guy, who is constitutionally incapable of telling a lie. Will's "radical honesty" makes him a bit socially awkward at times, but he's a refreshing comrade for the deception-detecting Lightman, who finds Will's uncensored candor a rare virtue in a weary world." Monica Raymund also stars in the 20th Century Fox Television/Imagine Television-based hour, which Robert Schwentke is directing from a script by Sam Baum.
LITTLE MISS PERFECT (WE, New!) - NorthSouth Productions ("Wrecked: Life in the Crash Lane") has scored a six-episode commitment from the cable channel for a new reality series which follows Florida families entering their 5- to 11-year-old daughters in a beauty competition. The hourlong project is being targeted for the first quarter of 2009 with the company's Charlie DeBevoise executive producing.
THE PHILANTHROPIST (NBC) - The Peacock and Universal Media Studios are reportedly looking for an international partner for the upcoming drama, about a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need no matter the risks or costs. Said co-producer would shoulder half the production costs - much like fellow NBC newcomers "Crusoe" (Power Entertainment), "Merlin" (BBC) and "The Listener" (CTV) - as well as open up the possibility of shooting the series on location in different countries. Talks are still underway with James Purefoy for the lead role with David Eick executive producing and Peter Horton directing the pilot.
PUSHING DAISIES (ABC) - Entertainment Weekly reports Stephen Root ("NewsRadio") has signed on for a four-episode arc on the show's upcoming second season. He'll play a character who "has a shared history with both Ned's dad and Chuck's dad," creator Bryan Fuller told the publication. "He stirs up a lot of hullabaloo for everyone, particularly Aunts Lily and Vivian." Look for the new season on October 1.
UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (ABC) - Writer/producer Victor Fresco ("My Name Is Earl") has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with ABC Studios. Fresco currently has an untitled single-camera pilot presentation for 20th Century Fox Television at network sibling ABC, about a moral guy (Jay Harrington) trying to do right in an amoral world. The pact then would call for him to develop new projects for the studio.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [august 2008]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[04/04/25 - 10:48 AM]
Video: Watch A First Look - ID's "All Access PD: Grand Rapids" Premieres Tuesday, April 8 at 10/9c on ID
The new series offers unprecedented access to the inner workings of the Grand Rapids Police Department.
|
[04/04/25 - 10:32 AM]
New Season of "Gold Rush: White Water" Premieres Friday, April 25 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
Last year, Dustin Hurt's crew struck a 6-ounce, $70K nugget - the biggest in Gold Rush history. This season, he's risking everything for more.
|
[04/04/25 - 09:01 AM]
Hit the Gas! Prime Video Releases Premiere Date and First-Look Images for Electrifying New YA Drama "Motorheads"
All 10 episodes will debut exclusively on Prime Video on Tuesday, May 20 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
|
[04/04/25 - 08:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Wolf Man" Beginning April 18
Directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Leigh Whannell, the film stars Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth, Benedict Hardie and more.
|
[04/04/25 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Film "Mountainhead," Written and Directed by Jesse Armstrong, Debuts May 31
The film finishes production this week in Park City, Utah and marks Armstrong's feature directorial debut.
|
[04/04/25 - 07:45 AM]
Prime Video Greenlights "Taurasi"
The three-part docuseries chronicles the extraordinary story of basketball legend Diana Taurasi, whose relentless pursuit of greatness has transcended the boundaries of sport.
|
[04/04/25 - 07:02 AM]
Video: "Earnhardt" - Larger Than Life Teaser - Prime Video
The new original series is coming to Prime Video on Memorial Day Weekend.
|
[04/04/25 - 07:01 AM]
Paramount+'s New Series "MobLand" Breaks Record as Biggest Global Series Premiere Ever with 2.2 Million Global Viewers on Premiere Day
"'MobLand' is a runaway success thanks to the visionary work of Guy, Jez, Ronan and David Glasser and brought to life by the exceptional Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren who transport us into a world audiences clearly cannot get enough of," said Chris McCarthy.
|
[04/04/25 - 02:26 AM]
"Rotten Legacy", Starring Jose Coronado, Premieres on Netflix May 16
In "Rotten Legacy," Federico (Jose Coronado) is forced to step away from his communication companies to recover from an illness that kept him sidelined for two years.
|
[04/03/25 - 02:00 PM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art for "Not Just A Goof" Available Now
Just in time for the 30th anniversary of "A Goofy Movie," this documentary follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, facing disappointment upon release, only for the film to gain a passionate following decades later.
|
[04/03/25 - 12:06 PM]
Twelve Rebellious Chefs Are Set for Battle on NBC's Bold New Cooking Competition Series "Yes, Chef!" Hosted by Emmy-Award Winning Chefs Jose Andres and Martha Stewart
The series will premiere on Monday, April 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC following "The Voice."
|
[04/03/25 - 12:01 PM]
ABC Renews "9-1-1," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "Will Trent" for 2025-26 Season
The network confirmed the pickups on social media this afternoon.
|
[04/03/25 - 12:00 PM]
CBS to Present MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for the First Time, Airing Live Sunday, Sept. 7 from UBS Arena, and Streaming on Paramount+
The 2024 VMAs delivered its biggest multi-network audience in four years and ranked as the most social VMAs in show history, with 66.7 million social interactions.
|
[04/03/25 - 11:53 AM]
Awesomeness Aquires the Rights to "Racing Hearts," Highly Anticipated Debut Novel from Ann Adams
Set in the cinematic world of competitive rowing, "Racing Hearts" is a coming-of-age romance that follows Olympic hopeful Katherine Parker, who is sent home to Berkeley after another failed race to work with a new coach, Adrian.
|
[04/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Gives First Look at "The Equalizer" Spin-Off Featuring Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz
In the episode, airing April 20, McCall is contacted by Samantha Reed, whose father, ex-CIA agent Elijah Reed, is missing.
|
|
|
|
