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[03/30/09 - 06:08 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 30
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!
ACE IN THE HOLE (CBS) - Newcomers Skylar Astin and Darien Provost have joined the cast of the Adam Carolla-led comedy pilot, which stars Carolla as a husband and father who works as a driving instructor. Provost will play his nine-year son while Astin is set as his teenage stepson. Carolla and Kevin Hench co-created the half-hour, which is set up at CBS Paramount Network Television.
DIAMONDS (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has picked up the broadcast rights to a new four-hour mini-series from Alchemy Television. The ensemble drama, featuring Judy Davis, James Purefoy, Derek Jacobi, Louise Rose and Joanne Kelly, tells five storylines linked to the "personal and political effects of the blood diamond trade on a global scale." Sienna Films is behind the $15 million production, which was originally filmed in South Africa and Canada for the CBC and the U.K. It's understood it will turn up here in late May following the sweeps period. As for specifics, Davis stars as "a U.S. senator who travels to Africa to find out why her daughter was killed at a diamond mine in Sierra Leone." Andy Wilson helmed the project from a script by David Vainola wrote.
HAPPINESS ISN'T EVERYTHING (CBS) - Mary Steenburgen ("Joan of Arcadia") is returning to the small screen, this time on the comedy front. She's been cast as Audrey Veill, the mother of Jason Biggs's character in the comedy pilot, about adult siblings (Biggs, Ben Schwartz) and their parents (Dreyfuss, Steenburgen) who are overly involved in one another's lives. James Vallely and Mitch Hurwitz are behind the project, which comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount banner.
THE SHARK TANK (ABC) - The network has ordered seven episodes of the series, in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ventures to five multimillionaire tycoons each week. Mark Burnett is behind the project, which is based on a Japanese format. BBC America currently airs its U.K. incarnation, "The Dragon's Den." Production was completed on a pilot last fall, which featured such beefed up elements as "a huge auditorium and placing the investors behind an intimidating desk." Burnett however admits said changes took away from "the interpersonal tension between ambitious entrepreneurs struggling to convince five strangers to part with their money" and will now be dialed down. On board as "the sharks" then are Robert Herjavec (focus: internet), Kevin Harrington (infomercials), Barbara Corcoran (real estate), Kevin O'Leary (venture capitalist) and Daymond John (clothing). No air date has been set.
STATE OF ROMANCE (NBC) - "Mad TV" alum Bobby Lee has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, which is described as a modern day "Pride and Prejudice" set in Chicago. He'll play Andrew, an unspecified character. Barbara Wallace and Tom Wolfe are behind the half-hour, which is based at Universal Media Studios.
UNTITLED JUSTIN ADLER PROJECT (NBC) - Leslie Bibb ("Kings") and John Michael Higgins ("Kath & Kim") have both joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about adult siblings and their controlling mother. Bibb is set as Vanessa, the eldest child, a perfect domestic goddess. Higgins, whose casting is in second position to "Kath & Kim," then will play Charles, her husband, a wealthy professional polo player. Justin Adler penned the half-hour, which comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount.
UNTITLED ANITA RENFROE PROJECT (ABC) - "The Drew Carey Show" alum Ryan Stiles is set to star opposite Anita Renfroe in the comedy pilot, about a couple raising kids. He'll play her husband Paul, the pastor of their town. Amy Welsh and Rob Hanning are behind the project, which likewise comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount.
WAITING TO DIE (CBS) - T.J. Miller ("Carpoolers") and comedian Nick Thune have been tapped for the lead roles on the comedy pilot, about two simple guys who are happy with their lives - no matter how bad things might look from the outside. They'll play Lonnie Ponce and Jeff Helmut, respectively. Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen co-created the half-hour, which again comes from the ever-busy Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[03/03/21 - 03:46 PM]
Season Two of E!'s "True Hollywood Story" Returns Monday, March 15 at 10PM ET/PT
From stories of resounding success to unfathomable loss and the darker side of fame, these specials offer exclusive interviews with new insights and never-before-heard details from the celebrities, family members, journalists and industry executives with first-hand experience.
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[03/03/21 - 02:00 PM]
Apple Orders International Series "Dr. Brain" from Visionary Filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon and Starring Lee Sun-Kyun
The series marks the first Korean-language project for Apple TV+.
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[03/03/21 - 01:49 PM]
Seven Bucks Productions & FlynnPictureCo.'s "Teddy and the Guardians of the Night" Lands at Netflix
In the film, stuffed teddy bears from around the world secretly come to life in order to protect children everywhere from all the things that go bump in the night.
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[03/03/21 - 01:49 PM]
Apple's Animated Feature "Wolfwalkers" Earns 10 Annie Award Nominations
In addition, "Stillwater" landed a nomination for Best Preschool Series.
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[03/03/21 - 01:06 PM]
A&E Network Greenlights Documentary Programming Events "Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution" (wt) and "Secret Origins of Hip Hop" Featuring Busta Rhymes, Eve, Fat Joe, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T and More
Across four hours, "Right to Offend" explores black comedy through a unique lens, tracing the evolution and social awakening of the courageous comedians who dared to push against the social constraints of their time and spoke truth to power.
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[03/03/21 - 01:05 PM]
The History(R) Channel Greenlights "Fight the Power: The Protests That Changed America" from Executive Producers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales
This partnership marks the second collaboration between the network and Abdul-Jabbar, who received an Emmy nomination for outstanding narrator in "Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution."
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[03/03/21 - 01:04 PM]
The History(R) Channel Announces Slate of Premium Historical Programming Extending Its Hit "That Built" Franchise Exploring the Fascinating History Behind America's Biggest Entrepreneurial Titans and Rivalries
The announcement comes off the heels of the successful premiere of season two of "The Food That Built America," which chronicles the origin stories behind the titans who fought their way to the top of the food chain and tells the fascinating history of the rivalries between some of food's most beloved brands.
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[03/03/21 - 01:03 PM]
Lifetime Welcomes Reba McEntire to the Family with Two Picture Deal
The first of the projects will be "Christmas In Tune" (working title), which will be featured as a tentpole movie for the network's annual holiday slate, "It's a Wonderful Lifetime."
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[03/03/21 - 01:02 PM]
Lifetime and A&E Greenlight the Cross-Network Documentary Event "Janet," Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Music Icon Janet Jackson's First Album
Producers Workerbee have been filming the incredible documentary for three years and have been granted exclusive access to archival footage and Janet's never before seen home videos, along with star-studded interviews.
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[03/03/21 - 01:01 PM]
A+E Networks(R) First to Announce 2021 Upfront Slate, More Than 2500 Hours of New Programming, Including 70 Hours of Premium Docs, More Than 200 Movies
The company is touting more than 2500 hours of new programming in the pipeline for 2021/2022, including 70 hours of premium documentaries and 221 movies.
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[03/03/21 - 12:17 PM]
IMDb TV Expands Its Lineup of Premium Original Content with New Spinoff Series of Fan Favorite Drama "Bosch"
Based on Michael Connelly's best-selling books, the new series will begin filming later this year with stars Titus Welliver, Mimi Rogers and Madison Lintz reprising their roles.
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[03/03/21 - 12:00 PM]
Nickelodeon Sets the Stage for "Drama Club," An All-New Mockumentary-Style Comedy Series
From creators and executive producers Monica Sherer and Madeline Whitby, the series follows a group of middle schoolers as they shine a light on the inner workings of their school's overlooked drama club.
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[03/03/21 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "Seaspiracy" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species - and uncovers alarming global corruption.
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[03/03/21 - 11:01 AM]
Video: All-New Promo for "The Moodys," Premiering Thursday, April 1 on FOX
The single-camera comedy series follows a tight-knit, but slightly dysfunctional, family through their misadventures.
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[03/03/21 - 10:15 AM]
Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard and Rege-Jean Page Round Out Cast for "The Gray Man"
The Netflix film is based on the novel by Mark Greaney, first published in 2009 by Jove Books.
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