or


[09/19/08 - 07:02 PM]
Development Update: Friday, September 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!


BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE (FOX) - Jonathan M. Goldstein ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") has been tapped as an executive producer on the pilot, a high-concept comedy set in the future and focused on the mundane world of a spaceship captain when he's not on a mission. RCG's Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") are all behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which is set to film this fall. FOX has also commissioned five additional scripts for the project, which is based on an idea from "Sunny" writers' assistant Adam Stein. 3 Arts Entertainment's Michael Rotenberg and Nick Frenkel also serve as executive producers.


DR. OZ (Syndication) - Sony Pictures Television has cleared the "Oprah" spin-off on stations covering 40% of the country for a fall 2009 launch. Said clearances including 13 of the top 20 TV markets, such as the Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York (WNYW), Los Angeles (KTTV) and Chicago (WFLD). Other station groups on board include Gannett, Post-Newsweek, Belo, Scripps Howard, Fisher, McGraw Hill and Hearst-Argyle. Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions is producing the project, which is being targeted for late afternoons.


FLASH FORWARD (ABC, New!) - "Threshold's" David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga have booked a pilot at the Alphabet for a new drama which chronicles the chaos that ensues after everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes, 17 seconds and has a mysterious vision of the future that changes lives forever. The network has also given a series penalty to the project, which is based on Robert J. Sawyer's novel of the same name. Goyer and Braga penned the hour, which was originally developed by HBO (who retains a piece of the backend), on spec with Goyer attached to direct. Braga however won't be involved with the day-to-day operations of the series due to his commitment to the current season of FOX/20th Century Fox Television's "24." Jessika Borsiczky Goyer ("Revelations") will also executive produce alongside Vince Gerardis and Ralph M. Vicinanza ("Jumper"), who own the rights to the book. ABC Studios is in negotiations to produce.


GOSSIP GIRL (The CW) - Wade Allain Marcus ("American Mall") has scored a multi-episode arc on the much buzzed about soap. He'll play Max, an attractive (but manipulative) 19-year-old hipster photographer with ties to the New York fashion and art world. It's not clear when his first episode will air.


LETTERS TO SANTA: A MUPPETS CHRISTMAS (NBC) - Uma Thurman and Jesse L. Martin have both joined the cast of the holiday special, in which "Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo and the rest of the gang mistakenly avert three letters from making their way to Santa Claus." Thurman will play Joy, a ticket clerk for the North Pole Airlines who also serves as Santa's flight attendant, with Martin as a singing and dancing postal worker. The pair join the previously cast Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Sirico, Steve Schirripa, Richard Griffiths and Madison Pettis. Muppets Productions is behind the hour (airing December 17), which will also feature songs by "The Muppet Movie" songwriter Paul Williams.


KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST (Bravo) - The cable channel has ordered a fifth season of the two-time Emmy winning reality series. The news comes despite rumblings Kathy Griffin would take the show elsewhere due to her at times tenuous relationship with the network. While no air date was specified for the new season, "D-List" historically has rolled out each summer since 2005.


SAVE US THEN THE WHALES (FOX, New!) - Asad Gardezi ("Mind of Mencia") has landed a cast-contingent pilot order from the network for a new comedy set at a politically incorrect nonprofit organization. 20th Century Fox Television and Peter Engel ("Last Comic Standing") are behind the half-hour, which centers on Herbie Grueber, a middle-aged wheeler-dealer who works for a nonprofit that's trying to stay current. Gardezi will pen the pilot and presumably executive produce alongside Engel.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [september 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 24 (FOX)
· AMERICAN MALL, THE (MTV)
· BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DR. OZ (SYNDICATION)
· FLASH FORWARD (ABC)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FXX)
· KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST (BRAVO)
· MIND OF MENCIA (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE, THE (CBS)
· OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, THE (SYNDICATION)
· REVELATIONS (NBC)
· SAVE US THEN THE WHALES (FOX)





[12/10/25 - 11:06 AM]
"LA Firestorm" Presents the Harrowing Heartbreaks and Heroics From Battles Against the Blazes that Burned Through Los Angeles Like a Blowtorch
The series premieres Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 8pm ET/5pm PT with all three parts airing back-to-back.

[12/10/25 - 11:01 AM]
Introducing - For the First Time in "The Masked Singer" History - America's Insider!
Singer, actress, dancer and social media personality Kylie Cantrall is unmasking pre-premiere and bringing fans along for the insane ride behind-the-scenes on the all-new season.

[12/10/25 - 10:03 AM]
All-New Season of "Moonshiners" Premieres Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
This season, history repeats itself as liquor prices skyrocket and trade wars cripple the legal market.

[12/10/25 - 10:01 AM]
"The Lincoln Lawyer" Season 4 - First Look & Date Announcement
Netflix's hit drama series returns for its fourth season on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

[12/10/25 - 10:01 AM]
Revisit the Beloved Classic Films from Academy Award-Winning Writer/Director/Producer James L. Brooks, Ahead of 20th Century Studios' Release of "Ella McCay," Coming to Theaters Friday
"Broadcast News," "Big," "Say Anything," "The War of the Roses," and "How Do You Know" are all available on Hulu.

[12/10/25 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Music Box: Happy and You Know It" Debuts December 25
The film explores the underestimated and wildly popular genre, delving behind the scenes to tell the origin stories of some of the top names in the field.

[12/10/25 - 10:00 AM]
Celebrate Christmas Morning with "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade," Thursday, Dec. 25, on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu
This year's special features performances by Gwen Stefani, Lady A, Bebe Rexha, Nicole Scherzinger, and more.

[12/10/25 - 09:54 AM]
ABC Unwraps Holiday Presentations of Fan Favorite Shows
"Dancing with the Holidays" was the top-performing holiday-themed special across the broadcast networks among Adults 18-49 in two years.

[12/10/25 - 09:07 AM]
Candace Cameron Bure, Aaron Ashmore, and Robin Dunne Star in, "Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Watchmaker," Streaming Exclusively on Great American Pure Flix, January 1
In the latest installment, Ainsley McGregor thought craft markets and book clubs, not corpses, would define her new life back home in Sweet River.

[12/10/25 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Boxing disruptor Jake Paul challenges heavyweight powerhouse Anthony Joshua live in a career-defining super fight from Most Valuable Promotions.

[12/10/25 - 09:01 AM]
A New Doc Series About Natalee Holloway Recounts the Teen's Infamous Disappearance
For the first time, Natalee's mother, Beth Holloway, tells the full, definitive story of the case that's haunted her for the past 20 years - from the day of Natalee's disappearance to the dramatic confession two decades later.

[12/10/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces "The CEO Club," Sets Premiere Date and Debuts Key Art
Serena Williams, Thalia, Dee Hilfiger, Loren Ridinger, Winnie Harlow, Hannah Bronfman, and Isabela Grutman will star in this highly anticipated docu-series, premiering February 23.

[12/10/25 - 09:00 AM]
25 Years Later, ID Uncovers the Cult Influence Behind Andrea Yates' Shocking Act in New Docuseries
"The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story" will premiere Tuesday, January 6 from 8-11PM ET/PT on ID.

[12/10/25 - 09:00 AM]
Star-Studded Performance Lineup Announced for "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash," Airing Dec. 31 on CBS and Paramount+
The five-hour special will feature performances by Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Riley Green, Marcus King, Megan Moroney, Zach Top, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Dwight Yoakam.

[12/10/25 - 08:44 AM]
"Wildcard Kitchen" Returns for Third Season of Underground Culinary Card Game with All-Star Players
In each episode hosted by Eric Adjepong, three all-star chefs who know each other well bet, bluff and backstab for cold hard cash and bragging rights.