 |
 |
[03/27/09 - 06:24 PM]
Development Update: Friday, March 27
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!
BEN HUR (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet is set to team with Alchemy Television Group and Spain's Drimtim Entertainment for a new mini-series about the renegade hero in ancient Rome. William Wyler's 1959 film about the subject took home 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Steve Shill ("Rome") will direct the $22.5 million production from a script by Alan Sharp ("Rob Roy"). Casting is underway on the project, which will begin filming in May in Spain, Morocco and Canada. David Wyler, William Wyler's son, is executive producing alongside Alchemy's Simon Vaughan and Drimtim's Roger Corbi. It's understood ABC plans to air the project as a limited series however no air date has been set.
EMPIRE STATE (ABC) - David Call is the latest addition to the drama pilot, "a contemporary Romeo-and-Juliet tale about the love between the blue-collar Sam (Mike Vogel) and the wealthy Annabelle (Beau Garrett) whose fathers are nemeses." He'll play the man's younger brother in the project, which comes from writer Michael Seitzman, director Jeremy Podeswa and ABC Studios.
MASTERWORK (FOX) - Aussie Matt Passmore and Brit Tom Ellis have both landed lead roles on the drama pilot, a thriller about a race against time to recover the world's most sought-after artifacts. They'll join the previously cast Natalie Dormer. Passmore will play an FBI agent specializing in the acquisition of stolen art who teams with Dormer's character, an MI-5 agent. Ellis then plays her fiance, a special agent at Scotland Yard. Paul T. Scheuring penned the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which Jeffrey Nachmanoff is directing.
NEW YORK GOES TO WORK (VH1, New!) - Tiffany "New York" Pollard is set to topline another series for the cable channel in which she undertakes various jobs suggested by text-messaging viewers. The series, from reality house 51 Minds Entertainment - home to previous Pollard efforts "I Love New York" and "Flavor of Love," will launch on Monday, May 4 at 10:00/9:00c. Here's the network's official description: "Each week America will choose from a list of three possible job opportunities and vote via their mobile phones by texting which job they would like to see Tiffany try. Will she be a Cal Trans sewer worker, a mortuary beautician, or a fast food employee? It will be up to you. And don�t think it will be easy for Tiffany. She�ll be worked, in all aspects of the job! Why again is she doing this? For the money of course. If she can impress her new employers, she�ll receive a $5,000 bonus each week. But, if she quits, fails, or gets fired, she�ll get absolutely nothing." Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego are the executive producers.
STATE OF ROMANCE (NBC) - Stephen Rannazzisi ("Big Day") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about the "Pride & Prejudice"-esque relationship between Mike (Steve Howey) and Emily (Lindsey Broad). He'll play Mike's roommate in the project, which comes from Universal Media Studios and co-creators Barbara Wallace and Tom Wolfe.
VICTORIA SILVSTEDT: MY PERFECT LIFE (E!, New!) - The cable channel has acquired the rights to the rights to the U.K.-produced reality series, which tracks the life of the former Playboy Playmate of the Year. Set to roll out Thursday, April 2 at 8:00/7:00c, the project bowed on E!'s counterpart in the U.K. back in November.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [march 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[11/17/25 - 01:00 PM]
Cynthia Erivo to Open the 99th "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade"
The most-watched entertainment program of the year across broadcast television kicks off the holiday season November 27 at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones across NBC and Peacock.
|
[11/17/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Announces Its 2025-2026 Midseason Primetime Schedule
New series premieres include "Harlan Coben's Final Twist," "CIA," "Y: Marshals," and "America's Culinary Cup."
|
[11/17/25 - 10:01 AM]
Hold on to Your Wigs! "The Hunting Wives" Season 2 Is Now in Production
Season 2, filming in the US, will release exclusively as a Netflix branded series in nearly all countries Netflix is available.
|
[11/17/25 - 10:00 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Closes Out 2025 with Three Back-to-Back Shows in December
Melissa McCarthy, Josh O'Connor, and Ariana Grande will host the final shows of 2025.
|
[11/17/25 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Music Box: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley" Debuts December 4
Subsequent films in the upcoming series include: "Wizkid: Long Live Lagos" (December 11); "Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?" (December 18); and "Happy And You Know It" (December 25).
|
[11/17/25 - 09:31 AM]
Tom Segura Returns to Netflix for His Fifth Netflix Stand-Up Special
"Tom Segura: Teacher" premieres globally on Netflix on December 24.
|
[11/17/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Stranded with my Mother-in-Law" - Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
To win a life-changing prize, couples embark on a journey to an earthly paradise and confront challenges... with the assistance of their mothers-in-law.
|
[11/17/25 - 07:13 AM]
Lifetime and Vaseline Debut Original Social-First Scripted Short Starring Reality TV Heartthrobs Justin and Marshall Glaze
The campaign supports Lifetime's "Love of a Lifetime" romance movie stunt in November, as well as Vaseline's "New Vaseline Lotions Don't Play - They Perform"!
|
[11/17/25 - 07:06 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Exclusive New Clip from Universal Pictures' "Wicked: For Good" in Surprise Drop
The film comes to theaters on November 21.
|
[11/17/25 - 07:00 AM]
New-Look ESPN "NBA Countdown" Team to Debut November 19
Senior Writer Brian Windhorst, who recently reached a multi-year extension with ESPN, will join the NBA Countdown cast.
|
[11/17/25 - 06:03 AM]
The Country Music Association Reveals Presenters and Special Guests for "The 59th Annual CMA Awards"
Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the live broadcast airs from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, November 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC and streaming next day on Hulu.
|
[11/17/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Detective Benoit Blanc teams up with an earnest young priest to investigate a perfectly impossible crime at a small-town church with a dark history.
|
[11/17/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "After The Hunt" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Who should you believe? Starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield and directed by Luca Guadagnino, "After The Hunt" is streaming on Prime Video November 20.
|
[11/17/25 - 05:40 AM]
Video: "The Beatles Anthology" - Official Trailer - Disney+
The most influential band of all time in their own words.
|
[11/17/25 - 05:31 AM]
Netflix's Emmy Award-Winning Series "My Next Guest with David Letterman" Returns with Special Guest Adam Sandler
The special standalone episode of the seven-time Emmy Award-nominated series will premiere on December 1.
|
|
|
|
