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[09/26/08 - 06:24 PM]
Development Update: Friday, September 26
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!
BUNKER HILL (A.K.A. MORSE CODE) (TNT) - The Donnie Wahlberg-led drama has been given a pilot commitment by the network. Wahlberg plays Mike Moriarty in the project, "a crime drama about a young war hero/Drug Enforcement Administration officer who works in his hometown of Boston." Walon Green and Jon Avnet are behind the Warner Horizon Television-based hour, which Avnet is directing from a script by Green. Wahlberg himself is also executive producing.
LIFE ON MARS (ABC) - Director Gary Fleder, who most recently helmed the pilots to ABC's "Finnegan" and "Life on Mars," has reupped his overall deal with sibling ABC Studios. Under the pact, he's developing an untitled hour with "Jericho" co-creator Jonathan Steinberg about a 25-year-old who becomes a senator. He'll executive produce the project via his Mojo Films banner alongside the company's development chief Mary Beth Basile. Earlier this week, Fleder signed on to direct The CW pilot "Light Years" from creator Liz Tigelaar.
THE NEW MCTOMS (FOX, New!) - Boyce Bugliari and Jamie McLaughlin (The CW's "Dash 4 Cash") are developing a new hybrid multi- and single-camera half-hour about a conservative matriarch who must face the reality of her three children marrying ethnically diverse spouses. The project is set up at Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez's ABC Studios-based Ventanarosa banner. Bugliari, McLaughlin, Hayek and Tamez then are executive producing the comedy, which has a script commitment from the network.
PROJECT RUNWAY (Bravo/Lifetime) - In a surprise move to all parties involved, a New York judge has granted a preliminary injunction on the Weinstein Co., temporarily barring the show's move from Bravo to Lifetime or marketing any such move. Said decision could derail the show's sixth season launch in January on Lifetime. Production nevertheless is continuing in Los Angeles. Lifetime inked a blockbuster five-year, $150 million deal with the Weinstein Co. back in April to acquire the series (read the story), which included 10 additional cycles of "Runway" (two 14-episode seasons per year) as well as spin-offs "The Models of Project Runway" and "Project Pygmalion" (14 episodes each) not to mention the broadcast rights to 70 Weinstein movies. NBC Universal subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Co. claiming it didn't give NBC Universal-sibling Bravo proper notification that another party had made an offer for "Runway." The claim stems from a January 2007 agreement which reportedly gave Bravo the right of first refusal for any outside bid. In any case, Judge Richard Lowe III has ordered NBC Universal to post a minimum $20 million bond as part of the trial proceedings. A timetable on how the case will proceed is expected to be set in the next month.
TRUE BLOOD (HBO) - Mehcad Brooks, Todd Lowe, Deborah Ann Woll and Michelle Forbes have been named series regulars on the show's recently ordered second season. All four actors currently recur on the inaugural season - Brooks as Benedict "Eggs" Talley, a mellow, guitar-strumming refugee from a hard life; Lowe as Terry Bellefleur; Woll as Jessica; and Forbes as Maryann.
UNTITLED DAVID GUARASCIO/MOSES PORT PROJECT (FOX, New!) - "Aliens in America" alums Moses Port and David Guarascio have booked a new single-camera comedy at the network about a twentysomething man who starts taking a mood enhancer called Blisstilan and, after snapping out of his funk, takes a job at the pharmaceutical company behind the product. The man must now navigate working for his new boss, a high-powered female executive who boasts the nickname "The Velvet Hammer." No studio was listed as being attached. Port and Guarascio will pen the pilot and executive produce.
UNTITLED DOUG JUNG PROJECT (TNT, New!) - The cable channel is in final negotiations with Jerry Bruckheimer for a new drama pilot from creator Doug Jung ("Big Love") based on an original idea by Danny Cannon. The untitled hour, which Cannon will direct from a script by Jung, is described as a "character-based police drama that follows a squad of young undercover LAPD officers as they walk the line between doing their job and being seduced into the easy money and corruption of the crime world." Cannon, Jung and Bruckheimer then will executive produce alongside Jonathan Littman for Warner Horizon Television.
THE WONDERFUL MALADYS (HBO, New!) - Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") is set to topline and executive produce a potential new comedy at the pay channel about the dysfunctional lives of three adult siblings in New York who lost their parents at a young age. Feature writer Charles Randolph ("The Interpreter") is behind the half-hour, which he penned on spec last year. Gellar's character then is detailed as having "a kind of zealous immaturity - like a drug addict with a to-do list." It's understood HBO is fast-tracking the project to begin production early next year. Gellar and Randolph are executive producing alongside Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[11/13/26 - 03:16 PM]
"Darius, Dolly and 60 Years of Celebration: Countdown to the CMAs with Robin Roberts" Honoring Country Music Legends and the CMA Awards' Milestone 60th Anniversary Airs Tuesday, Nov. 17, on ABC
Marking her 16th year as part of the annual tradition, "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts returns to host the one-hour primetime special that will celebrate six decades of unforgettable performances, iconic artists and defining moments in country music.
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[11/13/26 - 02:55 PM]
NBA on ESPN November 11 Doubleheader Delivered 1.8M Viewers, Up 29 Percent from Last Year
The Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks matchup averaged 1.9 million viewers, while the Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets matchup averaged 1.7 million viewers.
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[11/13/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: "Honest Renovations: A Holiday Home Makeover 3" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Jessica Alba and Lizzy Matins race to make a deserving family's home spotlight-ready before Christmas.
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[11/13/26 - 11:05 AM]
Video: "The Trio" - A Network Original - Official Trailer
When college student Hugo rents a room from a wealthy family, he embarks on a euphoric summer as he forms an irresistible connection with Thora, a beautiful descendant of old money, and her childhood best friend August, who dreams of art.
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[11/13/26 - 11:01 AM]
Netflix Reveals First Look Photo, Launch Year, and Title of "Magic: The Gathering" Animated Series, "Planeswalker"
The upcoming Netflix saga, created in partnership with Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast, is a fresh adaptation of the popular card game that's enchanted players for more than 30 years.
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[11/13/26 - 10:01 AM]
NBC Releases Premiere Date & First Look for "Sunset P.I."
"Sunset P.I." is a single-camera workplace comedy following Mickey Wilder (Jake Johnson) and the other private investigators at his Hollywood detective agency.
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[11/13/26 - 09:54 AM]
Star-Studded "Grammy Night" on "Dancing with the Stars" Shoots to Season Highs Ahead of Semi-Finals
In fact, "Dancing with the Stars" stood as the No. 1 program overall on Tuesday among Adults 18-49 (1.59 rating).
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[11/13/26 - 09:00 AM]
Peacock Unravels a Twisted Tale of Deception with New Documentary "Love Trapped: The Case of Laura Owens" (wt) Premiering in 2027
Based on the popular podcast, the documentary chronicles the extraordinary story of former "Bachelor" star Clayton Echard and his tumultuous relationship with a woman named Laura Owens.
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[11/13/26 - 08:42 AM]
ABC News Wins Sunday Morning and Late-Night
"Nightline" was up over the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
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[11/13/26 - 06:31 AM]
Netflix Renews "Virgin River" for a Ninth Season
Alongside the renewal, Netflix also revealed that the fan-favorite series has reached another milestone this year, officially passing the half-billion views mark.
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[11/13/26 - 06:07 AM]
Taylor Swift To Perform at "The 60th Annual CMA Awards"
A two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, Swift is nominated this year for Single of the Year with "I Knew It, I Knew You," marking her 26th career CMA nomination.
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[11/13/26 - 05:31 AM]
The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Returns Live on NBC and Peacock Nov. 26, Bringing Holiday Magic to Life for Millions
For its 100th celebration, the Parade will once again bring millions together nationwide and feature an all-star lineup of music's biggest names, alongside iconic character balloons, imaginative floats and a special appearance by the one-and-only Santa Claus.
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[11/13/26 - 05:19 AM]
NFL Quarterback Sam Hartman Named "The Bachelor" for Season 30
A Charlotte, North Carolina, native, Hartman plays for the NFL's Washington Commanders and is a standout alum of Wake Forest and Notre Dame, where he set legendary ACC records, including most career touchdown passes and 300-yard passing games.
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[11/13/26 - 02:38 AM]
Video: "Dhindora" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
After a lottery ticket changes their lives, Bhuvan and his middle-class family soon find themselves caught up in a series of comic mishaps.
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[11/13/26 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "The Riot" - Official Trailer - Netflix
1989 in a newly democratic Poland. A hardened prisoner and a politician on the rise must race to avert bloodshed at Mroki prison, where old ways die hard.
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