or


[08/19/09 - 06:41 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, August 19
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!


CLIVE BARKER'S HOTEL (ABC, New!) - Screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton ("Saw IV" and "Saw V") are set to team with horror guru Clive Barker for a new drama at the Alphabet about "a series of ghoulish incidents at a haunted hotel." Dunstan and Melton will pen the Warner Bros. Television-based hour and executive produce alongside Barker with McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision also potentially attached. No other details were given.


EMPIRE STATE (ABC)/HOUSE RULES (CBS) - Michael Seitzman, who penned both of the aforementioned pilots this past development season, has inked a two-script deal with ABC Studios. The pact calls for the prolific writer/producer to pen two new efforts for the studio, which he'll develop under his Michael Seitzman's Pictures banner.


FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC) - Jurnee Smollett ("The Great Debaters") is the latest addition to the show's upcoming fourth season. She'll play Jess, "the daughter of a onetime NFL hopeful who knows the game and helps raise her siblings with the help of her father." It's not clear when her arc will begin.


FULL COLOR FOOTBALL: THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Showtime, New!) - The pay channel is set to air a new five-part documentary about "the birth of the only league to successfully rival the NFL from its wild beginnings to the most stunning upset in pro football history and the eventual powerhouse merger." The NFL Films-produced project will air Wednesdays at 8:00/7:00c starting September 16 leading into "Inside the NFL" at 9:00/8:00c. The network itself details the premiere installment as follows: "In episode 101, the series premiere, AFL founder Lamar Hunt hatches the idea for a rival football league after the NFL rebuffs his efforts to purchase an expansion franchise, and teams such as the L.A. Chargers are born from humble beginnings."


LOST (ABC) - John Hawkes ("Deadwood") has landed a recurring role on the show's final season. He'll play Lennon, "the scruffy, edgy and charismatic spokesperson and translator for the president of a foreign corporation who is far more powerful than it seems from his position." Not surprisingly, full details about the character are being kept under wraps.


MELROSE PLACE (The CW) - Jenna Dewan ("Step Up") is set for a multi-episode arc on the netlet's "Melrose" revival. According to Entertainment Weekly, she'll play "a young movie studio exec who takes a liking to wannabe Tarantino, Jonah (Michael Rady), in at least two episodes." It's not clear when her first episode will air.


PARENTHOOD (NBC) - Joy Bryant ("Virtuality") has been upped to recurring on the freshman drama, due at midseason on the Peacock. She'll continue on as Jasmine - "a sexy single mom who moves back to the Bay Area to give her professional dance career a second try and to introduce her 5-year-old son, the product of a fling, to his father" - after guest starring in the pilot. No other specifics were released.


SOUTHLAND (NBC) - "Prison Break" alum Amaury Nolasco has joined the cast of the sophomore drama. He'll play "the aggressive new partner of Det. Lydia Adams (Regina King) who drives her crazy." The show's freshman run wrapped with Lydia's current partner (Tom Everett Scott) in critical danger.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [august 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· CLIVE BARKERS HOTEL (ABC)
· DEADWOOD (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EMPIRE STATE (ABC)
· FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DIRECTV)
· FULL COLOR FOOTBALL: THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE (SHOWTIME)
· HOUSE RULES (CBS)
· INSIDE THE NFL (CW)
· LOST (ABC)
· MELROSE PLACE (CW)
· PARENTHOOD (NBC)
· PRISON BREAK (FOX)
· SOUTHLAND (TNT)
· VIRTUALITY (FOX)





[11/30/25 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Cashero" - Official Teaser - Netflix
An ordinary man who inherits super strength discovers a greater evil out to steal his power. The one catch? Every use drains money from his wallet.

[11/29/25 - 11:06 AM]
Flex Games! Nikola Jokic and Nuggets Host Kevin Durant and Rockets; Cade Cunningham and Pistons Visit Jaylen Brown and Celtics on "Peacock NBA Monday" Doubleheader, Dec. 15, on Peacock and NBCSN
One quarter of the NBA's top 20 scorers (Jokic, Cunningham, Brown, Durant, and Jamal Murray) are on the four teams in the doubleheader.

[11/28/25 - 04:32 PM]
NBC's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Sets All-Time Viewership Record
The 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade delivered 34.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, its biggest combined audience on record, outperforming last year's parade by +8% (2.5 million viewers).

[11/28/25 - 01:59 PM]
Thanksgiving Day Hoops Scores FOX's Most-Watched CBB Game in History
Michigan State's Thanksgiving Day win over UNC in the Fort Myers Tip-Off scored 5,488,000 viewers on FOX - the most-watched college basketball game ever on the network.

[11/28/25 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Are You Sure?!" Season 2 - Teaser Trailer - Disney+
Jimin and Jung Kook are back for another unforgettable trip.

[11/27/25 - 04:01 PM]
Paramount and UFC Announce Debut Event on Paramount+: UFC 324: Saturday, January 24 - T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
On Saturday, January 24, fans can watch UFC 324, the first of 13 marquee numbered events scheduled in 2026-all included with a Paramount+ subscription, at no additional cost, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

[11/27/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Pro Bono" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a respected judge's world falls apart overnight, he joins a top law firm's pro bono team - where hope and purpose wait in humble, unexpected places.

[11/27/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "A Time For Bravery" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A psychoanalyst on community service aids an agent shattered by infidelity; together, they will confront danger and discover second chances.

[11/27/25 - 04:01 AM]
Paramount+ Introduces the "Canada Shore" Cast as Series Debut Set for January 22, 2026
Produced by Insight Productions and filmed last summer on the shores of Kelowna, British Columbia, the series brings together ten bold and unapologetic Canadian singles for a whirlwind season of romance, friendships, and full-throttle fun.

[11/26/25 - 08:01 PM]
Video: "Raat Akeli Hai - The Bansal Murders" - Official Teaser - Netflix
When members of the Bansal family are found murdered, Inspector Jatil Yadav uncovers a trail of greed, betrayal and secrets tied to a deadly conspiracy.

[11/26/25 - 05:01 PM]
Get Ready to Swoon with Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-been's "Spring Fever" on Prime Video
The series will premiere on January 5, with two new episodes released weekly in over 240 countries and territories, exclusively on Prime Video.

[11/26/25 - 03:01 PM]
Animated Series "Love Through a Prism" Casts New Light on Romance Between Aristocrat and Exchange Student in London
In 1914 London, a young Japanese woman enrolls in a renowned art school, only to be surprised when rivalry with a talented classmate turns to romance.

[11/26/25 - 02:31 PM]
"20/20" Is the Most-Watched in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 in Time Period vs. CBS and NBC
"20/20" posted substantial increases week to week across the board.

[11/26/25 - 02:30 PM]
With Largest Viewership in 7 Weeks, ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Demos
"Nightline" improved on the previous week in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[11/26/25 - 02:21 PM]
"Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary" Is the Season's Most-Watched Primetime Entertainment Special
The telecast delivered 6.32 million viewers and was the most-watched entertainment program Monday night.