 |
 |
[10/01/08 - 06:08 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 1
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!
EVERYBODY HURTS (HBO, New!) - Iconic producer Norman Lear is developing a new drama at the pay channel about a family running a pro-wrestling business in 1970s New York, the lives of their wrestlers and their fans. Aaron Blitzstein ("The Riches") is penning the pilot script, which Lear will executive produce alongside Lara Bergthold via his Act III Productions banner. Blitzstein then will serve as a co-executive producer.
GLEE (FOX) - Cory Monteith ("Kaya") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a Spanish teacher (Matthew Morrison) suddenly called upon to coach the glee club at the high school - one of the worst in the nation. He'll play Finn Hudson, who's detailed in the casting notice as follows: "18+ or emancipated to play high school. A handsome jock, who looks too kind to be hanging out with the rest of the slope-browed Neanderthals on the Harrison High football team, Finn in fact has an excellent singing voice, and a slumbering passion for classic 80s rock. A kid who has the collected works of Journey committed to memory, Finn is blackmailed by Will Schuester into joining the Glee Club, and in fact Finn finds music to be more fun than grunting and butting heads with other guys. Mercilessly mocked by his buddies for joining the Glee Club, Finn proves to have an acerbically accurate vision of the nature of high school society, and clearly regards it all as an exercise in futile time-wasting." Jayma Mays and Lea Michele also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which comes from co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.
THE GRAYSONS (The CW, New!) - "Smallville" executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson are set to team with "Supernatural" executive producer McG for a small screen take on the life of DC Comics hero Dick "DJ" Grayson before he takes on the iconic Robin identity and aligns himself with Batman. The netlet has given a put pilot commitment to the hour, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television and McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision banner. Souders, Peterson, McG and Wonderland's Peter Johnson then are the executive producers with Souders and Peterson penning the script. No specifics about the show's mythology however were given.
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY (NBC, New!)/UNTITLED JEFF RAKE DRAMA PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Jeff Rake ("Cashmere Mafia") has booked a pair of projects at NBC and FOX. First up is a single-camera take on the classic 1970-74 sitcom "The Partridge Family." Reveille, Geffen Records and Sony Pictures Television are co-producing the half-hour, which will be reimagined to feature a struggling, sort of well-meaning mom pimping her kids in order to create a wholesome-slash-sexy cash cow. Over at FOX, Rake has an untitled hour inspired by the government's real-life Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The project then tracks "a Pentagon-based inventor who decided he couldn't live another day standing on the sidelines while Rome burns and accordingly set out put his inventions to very real use, behind the back of friends, family and the entire U.S. government." Mitch Hurwitz, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum's Sony Television-based Tantamount is behind the hour, which Anthony and Joe Russo are attached to direct. Both projects have a script commitment with a penalty attached should they not move forward.
THE TOWER (CBS) - "K-Ville" alum Cole Hauser has sealed a talent deal with CBS and its studio sibling CBS Paramount Network Television. The pact calls for the pair to develop a new series project for the actor, who starred in the recent CBS pilot "The Tower," or cast him in one of their existing projects in development.
UNTITLED VALERILE BERTINELLI PROJECT (TBS) - Nadia Dajani, Kevin G. Schmidt and Dean Collins are the latest additions to the comedy pilot, which stars Valerie Bertinelli as Claire Peterson, a newly separated woman who is raising two teens while running a lumber business. Dajani will play Lisa Capelli, whom the casting notice details as follows: "Late 30s, all ethnicities, with a larger-than-life personality, Lisa is Claire's next door neighbor, best friend and confidante. A tough-minded single woman who makes a decent living as a magazine photo-journalist, Lisa has held Claire's hand throughout her divorce from the infamously irresponsible Gary Peterson. It's not just a one-way street; Lisa gets to chow down on Claire's vanilla pecan waffles in exchange for her gruff, down-to-earth advice about men and divorce and post-divorce trauma. Lisa's also good in a pinch for a short-term loan to help Claire cover this month's mortgage."
Schmidt then is set as Daniel Peterson - "To play 16 years old, insecure but bright and quick-witted. Daniel is Claire's son, and the divorce will force him to grow up faster than either one of them would like, complicating their relationship. His lousy job at a cheese store is barely tolerable, since it will pay this avid fisherman enough to buy a new dinghy, and let him fish his beloved Wisconsin lakes. Best friends with the mischievous and somewhat unreliable Hunter, Daniel is having a hard time dealing with his parents' divorce, but he's hiding it quite well. When his mom balks at spending money to repair the dryer, Daniel gets fed up with wearing sopping jeans, and buckles down to the grinding task of installing a new motor in the dryer, with Hunter's questionable aid. It's his first decision as the man of the house." with Collins as Hunter - "About 16, all ethnicities. Hunter is Daniel's mischievous, kinda girl-crazy best friend. Not the most dependable guy on Earth, Hunter is just as obsessive about fishing as Daniel -- but with Hunter, fishing is just another of a long series of time-wasters. Not a detail-oriented guy (Hunter would rather ogle than focus), he assists Daniel in the dull task of putting a new motor in the dryer, and Daniel fixes the appliance in spite of Hunter's questionable help." The trio joins the previously cast Anjelah Johnson and Juliette Goglia on the project, which comes from creator Dave Caplan.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [october 2008]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[05/07/26 - 02:00 PM]
Class Is in Session: FOX Announces New Celebrity Game Show "Nation's Dumbest" - The Only Competition You Don't Want to Win
Taking attendance as host is acclaimed comedian Jack Whitehall, who presides over the chaos as contestants relive the highs and humiliations of school life - from pop quizzes and report cards to recess and parent teacher conferences - all while trying to stay out of last place.
|
[05/07/26 - 01:10 PM]
ESPN Debuts Short Documentary "Messi: The Forgotten Tape / Messi: La Cinta Olvidada"
Debuting Sunday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, the documentary highlights the pivotal moment that helped shape Lionel Messi's international future and altered the trajectory of global football.
|
[05/07/26 - 12:21 PM]
FOX Television Network Renews "Murder in a Small Town" for Season Three
Joining the cast is Peter Gallagher as Rod Finlayson, a charismatic, uber-independent, capable yet unreliable figure.
|
[05/07/26 - 11:01 AM]
First Look & Date Announcement - Hulu Original "Hannah Berner: None of My Business"
The special will premiere on Friday, June 5 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S., and on Disney+ internationally.
|
[05/07/26 - 10:46 AM]
CNN Original Series "This Land" Premieres Sunday, June 7 at 9pm ET/PT
Produced by October Films, the series will air two episodes weekly on Sundays at 9pm and 10pm ET/PT on CNN.
|
[05/07/26 - 10:09 AM]
BET Announces the Return of the Black + Iconic Soiree on May 23, 2026 at MGM National Harbor, Hosted by Laverne Cox, Celebrating Culture, Community, and Impact
The Black + Iconic Soirée brings together luminaries, advocates, and changemakers for an intimate evening of recognition, reflection, and celebration.
|
[05/07/26 - 10:02 AM]
New Episode Of HBO Original Documentary Series "The Yogurt Shop Murders" Debuts May 22
The first four episodes of the series are currently available to stream on HBO Max.
|
[05/07/26 - 10:00 AM]
Starz Sets June 12 Premiere Date for Visceral and Haunting Drama "The Listeners," Starring BAFTA and Golden Globe Nominee Rebecca Hall
Adapted from Jordan Tannahill's bestselling novel of the same name, the female-driven series centers on Claire Kutty, a popular English teacher who suddenly begins to hear a low, persistent hum that no one else around her can hear.
|
[05/07/26 - 10:00 AM]
Performers Announced for "The 52nd American Music Awards" Live Monday, May 25
Hootie & the Blowfish, KATSEYE, Keith Urban, Maluma, Riley Green, SOMBR, Teddy Swims and Twenty One Pilots will all deliver can't-miss performances featuring some of today's biggest hits and fan favorites.
|
[05/07/26 - 09:30 AM]
PBS America @ 250 Continues with Semiquincentennial-Themed Programming to Mark the Nation's Historic Anniversary
New programming will air throughout 2026 and will include rebroadcasts of Ken Burns's groundbreaking 12-hour film, "The American Revolution."
|
[05/07/26 - 09:06 AM]
Tubi Greenlights YA Original Film "Sidelined 3" as Final Installment of the Hit Franchise
Stars Noah Beck and Siena Agudong are confirmed to reprise their roles as Drayton and Dallas, with Charlie Gillespie also returning in his role as Skyler.
|
[05/07/26 - 09:04 AM]
Video: "Wonder Dogs" - Official Promo - Wonder Project
Six ranchers. Six puppies from the same litter. One year to turn them into working dogs - and one will be crowned Wonder Dog champion.
|
[05/07/26 - 09:01 AM]
TNT Sports Unveils Commentator Roster for 2026 Roland-Garros
Live coverage from Paris will be presented across TNT, truTV and HBO Max in the U.S., combining elite match analysis, signature studio programming and expansive cross-platform storytelling.
|
[05/07/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Criminal Minds: Evolution" Season 19 Trailer & Key Art Announcement
This season will premiere with two episodes, with each episode dropping weekly thereafter through the season finale on July 23.
|
[05/07/26 - 09:01 AM]
The History Channel Partners with The White House on New "Mission to Honor: A 250th Salute to American Veterans" Initiative
At the heart of the initiative is a series of first-person video profiles featuring veterans from World War II through the Global War on Terror.
|
|
|
|
