or


[01/14/09 - 06:41 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, January 14
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!


2009-10 BROADCAST NETWORK PILOTS (Various) - The Hollywood Reporter has published a list of scripts that are reportedly in the mix for pilot pickups. Previously announced projects include the "Untitled Ian Biederman Project," "Wild Boys," "Two Dollar Beer" and "The Station" at FOX; "The Witches of Eastwick" and "The Return" at ABC; "The Streets of San Francisco," "Hawaii 5.0," "Confessions of a Contractor" and the "NCIS" spin-off at CBS; and "Melrose Place" at The CW.

Newly revealed efforts include (creators and details, if available, in parenthesis) dramas "Masterwork" (Paul Scheuring, a thriller in the vein of "The Da Vinci Code"), "Untitled Jack Orman Project," "Untitled Adi Hasak Project," "Human Target" (Jon Steinberg, based on the comic book of the same name), "Reincarnationist" (David Hudgins), "Forge" (Jason Richman) and "Untitled Manny Coto/Brian Helgeland Project" at FOX; comedies "Walorsky" (Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka), "Don't Trust the Bitch at Apt. #23" (Dave Hemingson and Nahnatchka Khan) and "Sons of Tucson" (Greg Bratman and Tommy Dewey), also at FOX; dramas "Day One" (Jesse Alexander), "Girls Chasing Men" (Kerry Ehrin), "Garrick" (Ben Elton), "Trauma" (Dario Scardapane and Peter Berg) and "Untitled Hank Steinberg Project" at NBC; dramas "Happy Town" (Scott Rosenberg, Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec) and "The Gates" (Richard Hatem) at ABC; comedy "No Heroics" (Jeff Greenstein and Drew Pearce) at ABC; untitled medical dramas from the duos of Curtis Hanson & Carol Barbee and Jerry Bruckheimer & Jeffrey Lieber, respectively, at CBS; and the drama "Vampire Diaries" (Kevin Williamson) at The CW.


CBS AT THE TCA - During the Eye's executive session at the TCA Winter Press Tour, network topper Nina Tassler confirmed a slew of developments. Among them: they've ordered an extra 23rd episode of "The Mentalist"; "Swingtown," as long expected (co-stars Jack Davenport and Brittany Robertson have already moved on to new pilots), won't return for a second season on CBS or anywhere else; the network's 2009-10 development slate should include 10 pilots - five comedies and five dramas; a proposed "NCIS" spin-off will be set up via a backdoor pilot episode of the series later this season; and lastly, musician John Mayer is close to a deal to host a potential new variety series for the network, which could air weekly or as seasonal specials.


EVA ADAMS (FOX) - Rhea Seehorn ("Head Cases") has scored the title role on the drama pilot following a lengthy search. The project, which also stars James Van Der Beek and David Denman, centers on Adam Evanson, an egotistic, sexist agent who, under a witch's spell, turns into a woman so he can endure the harassment he has been dishing out. Kevin Falls is behind the Sony Pictures Television-based hour which Mark Waters is directing. Jamie Tarses and Jessica Tuchinsky are also executive producing alongside the duo.


GOSSIP GIRL (The CW) - The first details about a proposed spin-off of the much buzzed about soap emerged on Wednesday. It's understood the project will focus on the pre-"Gossip Girl" adventures of Kelly Rutherford's Lily van der Woodsen as a wild teenager in 1980s Los Angeles. Mark Piznarski, who helmed the parent show's pilot, will do the same for the spin-off, from a script by co-creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Said installment will air as a backdoor pilot on May 11. As for specifics, the series will track Lily Rhodes (her maiden name) as she moves in with her sister, the black sheep of the family, after a falling out with her parents, where she'll have to make the transition from a wealthy Montecito boarding school to a public school in the San Fernando Valley. Additionally, the untitled hour will also eventually - but not initially - explore Lily's pre-"Gossip Girl" relationship rocker Rufus Humphrey (played as an adult by Matthew Settle). Schwartz and Savage are executive producing alongside Alloy Entertainment's Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein for Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Network Television.


SHOWTIME AT THE TCA - Network chief Bob Greenblatt shared the first details of the pay channel's proposed "The L Word" spin-off featuring Leisha Hayley's character Alice Pieszecki. It's understood she'll be sent to prison - for reasons yet to be revealed on the parent show - and the new series will focus on her experiences there in what's being dubbed as the female "Oz." Melissa Leo, Famke Janssen and Laurie Metcalf all guest starred in the pilot and may or not may not become regulars should the series move forward. Greenblatt reportedly hopes to make a decision about the project's future in the next couple of months after a cut is turned in. Meanwhile, the network also confirmed "The Tudors" will roll out its eight-episode third season on Sunday, April 5. As previously announced, the new season features singer Joss Stone as Henry VIII's (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. The producers also confirmed a potential fourth season would be its last as executive producer Michael Hirst and company hope to subsequently move on to "Camelot," their take on the King Arthur myth, at the network.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· CAMELOT (STARZ)
· CONFESSIONS OF A CONTRACTOR (FOX)
· DAY ONE (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DON'T TRUST THE BITCH IN APARTMENT 23 (ABC)
· EASTWICK (ABC)
· EVA ADAMS (FOX)
· FORGE (FOX)
· GARRICK (NBC)
· GATES, THE (ABC)
· GIRLS CHASING MEN (NBC)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· HAPPY TOWN (ABC)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· HEAD CASES (FOX)
· HUMAN TARGET (FOX)
· L WORD, THE (SHOWTIME)
· MAGGIE HILL (FOX)
· MASTERWORK (FOX)
· MELROSE PLACE (CW)
· MENTALIST, THE (CBS)
· MIAMI MEDICAL (CBS)
· NCIS (CBS)
· NCIS: LOS ANGELES (CBS)
· NO HEROICS (ABC)
· OZ (HBO)
· PAST LIFE (FOX)
· RETURN, THE (ABC)
· SONS OF TUCSON (FOX)
· STATION, THE (FOX)
· STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE (CBS)
· SWINGTOWN (CBS)
· THREE RIVERS (CBS)
· TRAUMA (NBC)
· TUDORS, THE (SHOWTIME)
· TWO DOLLAR BEER (FOX)
· UNTITLED ADI HASAK PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED COTO & HELGELAND PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED GOSSIP GIRL SPIN-OFF PROJECT (CW)
· UNTITLED HANK STEINBERG PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED JACK ORMAN PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED JOHN MAYER PROJECT (CBS)
· UNTITLED L WORD SPIN-OFF PROJECT (SHOWTIME)
· VAMPIRE DIARIES, THE (CW)
· WALORSKY (FOX)
· WILD BOYS (FOX)





[02/06/26 - 12:49 PM]
TBS Unveils First Superstar Guests for "Foul Play with Anthony Davis" with More A List Names to Come
LeBron James, Draymond Green, Jordan Chiles, and Rickea Jackson will kick off series premiere on Monday, April 6.

[02/06/26 - 09:16 AM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Heads to Hawaii for Season 2
Season two of the hit mystery thriller series will take place in Hawaii, as a new case brings Eric Bana's Kyle Turner to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

[02/06/26 - 08:00 AM]
All Six Seasons of "Schitt's Creek" Arrive on HBO Max Tomorrow in the U.S.
The beloved comedy follows rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose, his soap-star wife Moira, and their two kids, son David and socialite daughter Alexis.

[02/06/26 - 07:36 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams "Wicked: For Good" Beginning March 20
The feature's Peacock debut will be accompanied by a sing-along version of the film and a full collection of bonus content.

[02/06/26 - 07:12 AM]
"Disaster: The Chernobyl Meltdown" Coming Soon from CNN Original Series, National Geographic International and Windfall Films
Co-produced by CNN Original Series, National Geographic EMEA and Windfall Films, the series will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, March 1 at 9:00/8:00c.

[02/06/26 - 07:01 AM]
NHL on ESPN Networks: Viewership Up Nearly 40% Year-Over-Year Through First Four Months
Through 22 games, the NHL on ESPN networks is averaging 795K viewers, +39% YoY.

[02/06/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Strangers in the Park" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A former communist militant and a "live and let live" man form an unlikely friendship on a park bench, sharing their life stories with humor and heart.

[02/06/26 - 12:31 AM]
Next on Netflix Thailand 2026: The Widest Variety of Thai Stories, All in One Place
Netflix is deepening its commitment to Thai storytelling with its most ambitious slate to date: three new series, four films, and Netflix's first local documentary feature.

[02/05/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Pavane" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Three lonely strangers meet at their department store jobs and find solace in each other's company while they explore connection and the nature of love.

[02/05/26 - 02:03 PM]
Great American Media Signs Exclusive Multi-Picture Deal with Fan-Favorite Actress, Merritt Patterson
The company also announces the first film of the new deal is "Meet Me in the Margins," adapted from bestselling author Melissa Ferguson's novel of the same name.

[02/05/26 - 12:42 PM]
"20/20" Ranks No. 1 in the Two-Hour Time Period Across the Board
Hitting new season highs on January 30, "20/20" grew from the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

[02/05/26 - 11:31 AM]
Apple Original Films Lands Global Rights to Sundance Film Festival Selection "The Last First: Winter K2"
Director Amir Bar-Lev tells a complex, harrowing and moving story that unpacks the industry of extreme mountain climbing and its changing culture.

[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original "Murder in Glitterball City," A Two-Part Documentary, Debuts February 19
Inspired by the non-fiction book "A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City" by David Dominé, the film chronicles a 2010 murder case that starts with a 911 phone call that leads police to the gruesome discovery of a body buried in the basement of a Victorian mansion.

[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer and Key Art for New Original Feature Film, "Deb Is Boss" Premiering Thursday, March 5
Before becoming a powerhouse music executive who launched Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, and French Montana, Deb Antney (Lil Mama) was a street-smart survivor navigating the dangerous underworlds of Queens, NY and Boston, MA.

[02/05/26 - 10:31 AM]
Nicolette van Dam and Bas Smit Present the Dutch Version of "Love Is Blind"
"Love Is Blind: Netherlands" arrives on Netflix in 2026.