or


[02/25/09 - 06:48 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, February 25
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!


100 QUESTIONS FOR CHARLOTTE PAYNE (NBC)/AB FAB (FOX) - Sitcom veteran James Burrows ("Gary Unmarried") has signed on to helm both multi-camera comedy pilots. "Ab Fab," which has just completed casting, revolves around neurotic fashion publicist Eddie (Kathryn Hahn) and her best friend, Patsy (Kristen Johnson), an outrageous fashion editor. "Payne," which is still cast-contingent, then revolves around a young woman navigating life with friends in New York City. Christine Zander penned the Sony Pictures Television-based former and Chris Moynihan is behind the Universal Media Studios-based latter.


BROTHERS & DETECTIVES (ABC) - Nine-year-old newcomer Dakota Goyo and "October Road" alum Brad William Henke have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a low-level detective (Jimmy Wolk) whose genius 11-year-old brother helps him solve crimes. Goyo will play the latter role with Henke as the detective's partner and best friend. Daniel Cerone created the hour, which is based at ABC Studios.


HAPPY TOWN (ABC) - Amy Acker ("Alias") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a small town which had enjoyed a seven-year peace after a series of kidnappings until it is hit by another crime. She'll play the wife of Geoff Stults's character, the town's sheriff. Gary Fleder is helming the two-hour, ABC Studios-based project, which was written by co-creators Andre Nemec, Josh Applebaum and Scott Rosenberg.


I'M A CELEBRITY... GET ME OUT OF HERE! (NBC, New!) - The Peacock is reportedly looking to revive the short-lived ABC series, in which celebrities live in harsh tropical conditions and compete in challenges to earn rewards such as food and other basic comforts. At least a dozen episodes are expected to be ordered by the network to roll out this summer. While ABC's incarnation lasted just 15 episodes, the original U.K. series recently wrapped its eighth season (featuring such U.S. notables as Martina Navratilova and George Takei). Granada America is behind the project, which will likely run as a weekday strip.


MELROSE PLACE (The CW) - Michael Rady ("Swingtown") is the first to be cast on the netlet's revival, which Davis Guggenheim is directing from a script by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer. Rady will play Jonah Miller, "a cute and quirky 25-year-old aspiring filmmaker who makes his living as a videographer of weddings and bar mitzvahs for the rich and famous after moving to Los Angeles with his fiancee a year ago," a role which is likened to Andrew Shue's Billy Campbell on the original series.


MERCY (NBC) - Taylor Schilling has booked one of the lead roles on the drama pilot, about three nurses bound together in friendship. She'll play Veronica Callahan, who works as nurse at Mercy Hospital after a tour in Iraq. Elizabeth Heldens penned the Universal Media Studios-based hour, which is being directed by Adam Bernstein.


THREESOME (ABC) - Eric Christian Olsen ("Brothers & Sisters") is the first to be cast on the comedy pilot, about a guy in his thirties who is caught between his girlfriend - a single mom - and his slacker best friend. He'll play Shawn, said guy, in the half-hour, which comes from creator Ricky Blitt and Warner Bros. Television.


THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (ABC) - "Lipstick Jungle" co-star Lindsay Price has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about three young witches who come into their powers. She'll play one of the trio, Joanna, a hardworking, shy reporter for the local newspaper. Price's involvement is technically in second position to her duties on the technically still alive "Jungle." Pilot wunderkind David Nutter is directing the Warner Bros. Television-based hour from a script by Maggie Friedman.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· 100 QUESTIONS (NBC)
· ABFAB (FOX)
· ALIAS (ABC)
· BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EASTWICK (ABC)
· GARY UNMARRIED (CBS)
· HAPPY TOWN (ABC)
· I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE! (NBC)
· LIPSTICK JUNGLE (NBC)
· MELROSE PLACE (CW)
· MERCY (NBC)
· OCTOBER ROAD (ABC)
· ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED (ABC)
· SOLVING CHARLIE (ABC)
· SWINGTOWN (CBS)





[01/07/26 - 01:01 PM]
AMC/AMC+ Unveil First Look at "The Audacity," The Highly Anticipated Drama from Emmy Award-Winner Jonathan Glatzer
The series stars Billy Magnussen, Sarah Goldberg, Zach Galifianakis, Lucy Punch, Simon Helberg, and more.

[01/07/26 - 01:00 PM]
51st Season of "Saturday Night Live" Returns Jan. 17 with Three Back-to-Back Shows
Teyana Taylor and Alexander SkarsgÄrd will follow the previously announced Finn Wolfhard as the first hosts in 2026.

[01/07/26 - 12:32 PM]
Bowl Season on ESPN Networks Delivers Strongest Audience Since 2015-16
ABC delivered its largest non CFP bowl audience in 12 years, averaging 6.2 million viewers across six games.

[01/07/26 - 11:00 AM]
"Real Time with Bill Maher" Renewed Through 2028, With Season 24 Debuting January 23
Hosted by Bill Maher, the long-running series continues its mix of a sharp opening monologue, one-on-one interviews, roundtable discussions, and the show's signature segment "New Rules."

[01/07/26 - 10:13 AM]
Nominations Announced for the 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
The event will stream live globally on Netflix Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall.

[01/07/26 - 09:34 AM]
FX's "The Lowdown" Renewed for Second Season on FX and Hulu
Production on season two will begin in Tulsa this spring.

[01/07/26 - 09:29 AM]
In 2025, Fans Power ESPN and "ESPN on ABC" to Its Most-Watched Year in Over a Decade
ESPN networks increased industry-leading sports share to 35 percent, up from 31 percent in 2024.

[01/07/26 - 09:11 AM]
Netflix Announces New Comedy Series "A Hundred Percent" Starring Nick Kroll, Sam Richardson, Jason Mantzoukas, and Vanessa Bayer
The half-hour comedy is about a group of friends working inside the Thought Leader industrial complex.

[01/07/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Relationship Goals" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Stream the film, starring Kelly Rowland and Cliff "Method Man" Smith, February 4 on Prime Video.

[01/07/26 - 08:32 AM]
FOX Entertainment Introduces FOX Creator Studios New Creator-Led, Digital-First Division to Partner with Next-Gen Talent, Developing New Formats, Building Future of Global IP and Reaching Audiences Where They Are
The new studio debuts with a focus on food content and an inaugural roster boasting some of the world's most influential culinary voices, including Gordon Ramsay, Rosanna Pansino, Jolly, Sorted Food, Food Theorists, and Little Remy Food.

[01/07/26 - 08:00 AM]
Television Legend Judge Judy Sheindlin Marks 30-Year Milestone with All-New Season of "Judy Justice" on Prime Video January 19
The series will debut with three episodes on premiere day and new episodes released every weekday until April 10.

[01/07/26 - 06:01 AM]
What Next? Netflix Reveals Series, Films and Games Coming in 2026
Upcoming season premieres include "Beef" on April 16; "Sweet Magnolias" on June 11; and "Virgin River" on March 12.

[01/07/26 - 06:00 AM]
Video: The Heist You Can't Miss - Prime Video's "Steal" Trailer and Key Art Debut
All six episodes will be available on January 21, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[01/07/26 - 05:32 AM]
Video: TV One Drops Exclusive First Look for "Fatal Attraction: I'd Kill to Be You"
The series explores real stories of friendships that turn into dangerous fixations, romantic envy, and co-worker rivalries gone wrong.

[01/07/26 - 04:03 AM]
Netflix Supports Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Commitment to Merger Agreement
After a comprehensive and rigorous review process with its independent financial and legal advisors, the WBD Board reaffirmed its conclusion that the transaction with Netflix is in the best interests of WBD stockholders.