or


[08/27/09 - 06:48 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, August 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!


CHUCK (NBC) - Brandon Routh ("Superman Returns") has booked a multi-episode arc on the show's third season. He'll play Shaw, "a mysterious new spy who takes control as the new leader of Operation Bartwoski, becoming a mentor to Chuck and a rival in his affections for Sarah." Routh then will make his first appearance in the season's fourth episode.


DAMAGES (FX) - Campbell Scott, fresh off his recurring stint on "Royal Pains," is set to join the cast of "Damages's" third season. Entertainment Weekly reports details about his character however are being kept under wraps. Production on the new season begins next month for a January premiere.


GIULIANA & BILL (Style) - The cable channel has commissioned a second season of the reality series, about "the lives of the long-distance marriage of E! correspondent Giuliana Rancic in Los Angeles and her Chicago-based husband." Through three weeks the series has "drawn 75% more viewers than Style's primetime average, nearly doubling the network's performance among women 18-49." The show's 10-episode freshman run wraps on October 7 with production on season two set for September. Carmen Mitcho and Jay James of Comcast Entertainment Productions, Sarah Weidman and Merah Chung of Style and the Rancics themselves are the executive producers.


HEATHERS (FOX, New!) - Mark Rizzo ("Zip") is looking to revive the 1989 Christian Slater/Winona Ryder feature as a weekly television series. Sony Pictures Television and Lakeshore Entertainment are behind the project, which would reimagine Veronica Sawyer (Ryder) for the 21st century. The feature film incarnation revolved around Veronica's attempts to navigate a clique of mean girls - all named Heather - only to have them "accidentally" start dying at her and new kid J.D.'s (Slater) hands, "who cover up the deaths by faking them as suicides." No details however were given about the updated take. "Sex and the City" alum Jenny Bicks is on board to executive produce the TV version alongside Rizzo, Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg.


HITCHED (CBS, New!) - "Chuck's" Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller are set to team for a new multi-camera comedy at the Eye about "a twentysomething newlywed couple navigating their new life together" following their honeymoon. The project, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television, is loosely based on the pair's recent marriages.


LEGEND OF THE SEEKER (Syndication) - Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen's Stars Road Entertainment has inked a two-year, first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. The pact gives the studio first crack the company's non-horror output for primetime. (Said genre will remain the focus of Raimi's Ghost House Pictures banner.) Robert Zotnowski, fresh from his run as senior VP of drama at CBS, is spearheading the company's TV efforts.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [august 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· CHUCK (NBC)
· DAMAGES (AUDIENCE)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GIULIANA & BILL (E)
· HEATHERS (PARAMOUNT)
· HITCHED (CBS)
· LEGEND OF THE SEEKER (SYNDICATION)
· ROYAL PAINS (USA)
· SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)
· ZIP (NBC)





[09/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of August 24
"Reacher," "Sterling Point," "Off Campus," "Ride or Die," and "The Traitors" led all original series worldwide.

[09/02/26 - 12:00 PM]
Judge Judy Gets Candid About Life and Celebrates 30 Years as a TV Icon During "Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable," A Primetime Special Airing Tuesday, Sept. 22 on CBS
This groundbreaking special reveals how the last three decades cemented Judy Sheindlin (aka "Judge Judy") as one of television's most iconic personalities.

[09/02/26 - 11:31 AM]
"Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to The Office" Makes Its Exclusive Streaming Premiere on Peacock September 7
The six-part docuseries explores the enduring legacy, cultural impact and devoted fanbase behind the beloved series through never-before-heard stories, original interviews with cast and creatives including Kathy Bates, Seth Rogen and Andy Buckley, archival interviews and more.

[09/02/26 - 11:31 AM]
BritBox Announces "Ludwig" Christmas Special Starring David Mitchell and Sir David Suchet
Set in Yorkshire, the 60-minute Christmas episode sees John, Lucy and Henry arrive at a remote Christmas themed hotel for what should have been a much-needed escape, when a sudden blackout turns the festivities into a locked-room murder mystery.

[09/02/26 - 11:01 AM]
NBC Debuts First Look Images for "Newlyweds"
A later-in-life love story about a free-spirited woman, Jeanie (Téa Leoni), and a buttoned-up professor, James (Tim Daly), who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship.

[09/02/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Hell's Kitchen" Is Serving Up a Fiery New 25th Season This Fall with an Ambitious New Class of Chefs, All Under 25!
Don't miss the season premiere airing Thursday, September 24 at 8:00/7:00c on FOX and next day Hulu.

[09/02/26 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "The Widower: 'Til Death Do Us Part" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this documentary, a journalist and a detective uncover the truth about a killer whose charm masked a trail of failed marriages and suspicious deaths.

[09/02/26 - 10:23 AM]
Video: "Marshals" Season 2 - Official Trailer - CBS
Kayce Dutton is back. "Marshals" returns for Season 2, kicking off CBS Premiere Week, Sunday, October 4.

[09/02/26 - 10:02 AM]
Shaquille O'Neal, Authentic Brands & TNT Sports' "Dunkman" to Expand in 2027, Introducing Team Competitions, Junior Division & Global Regional Qualifiers Series
The world's first professional dunk league will officially return in 2027, highlighted by an expanded slate of premium events.

[09/02/26 - 10:00 AM]
Video: Starz Releases Explosive Trailer for "S.W.A.T. Exiles"
The spin-off of the fan favorite, hit series "S.W.A.T.," raises the stakes of the legacy series, introducing a bold new era.

[09/02/26 - 09:33 AM]
"Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana" Returns For Second Season
The three-part second season continues Jinich's journey, inspired by the Pan-American Highway.

[09/02/26 - 09:31 AM]
Drew Binsky Brings His Travels to Netflix September 19
Beginning September 19, members can watch a curated collection pulled from Drew's content library, including his latest episode "Entering The World's Narrowest Island (100 Feet Wide)," with new episodes dropping day-and-date alongside Drew's channels.

[09/02/26 - 09:16 AM]
New Series "Playing with Matches" Pits Undercover Couples Against Each Other
In the upcoming unscripted series, a group of undercover couples from all walks of life will compete in the ultimate game of romantic deception.

[09/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
Nimesh Patel Makes His Netflix One-Hour Stand-Up Debut with "Buy the Dip"
In this hilarious, no-punches-pulled special, Nimesh takes aim at the absurdity of parenting, the insanity of his Indian family, and the rampant corruption in DC.

[09/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Being Heumann" - Official Teaser - Apple TV
Judy didn't wait for change. She fought to make it happen.