or


[08/31/09 - 06:21 PM]
Development Update: Monday, August 31
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!


24 (FOX) - Mido Hamada ("Path to 9/11") is the latest addition the show's ever-expanding season eight ensemble. He'll play the recurring role of Mehran, "the leader of a group of operatives in an Islamic country working against their president." No other details were given.


DROP DEAD DIVA (Lifetime) - "American Idol" alum Paula Abdul has filmed a cameo for the show's September 20 episode. In said installment, she appears in a dream sequence as a judge (wearing "a chunky belt and glittery skirt below a flowing top crafted from a black judge robe") who motivates Brooke Elliott's character "to sue a clothing retailer that only sells small dresses."


HOUSE (FOX) - Michael Weston is set to reprise his role as Lucas Douglas on an upcoming episode of the series, Entertainment Weekly reports. The actor recurred last season as a private eye House hires to spy on his colleagues. Said role was apparently considered for a potential spin-off series however nothing materialized.


MERCY (NBC) - "Star Trek: Voyager" alum Kate Mulgrew is set to recur on the freshman drama, about a group of nurses and their relationships. She'll continue on as Jeannie Flanagan, the alcoholic mother of the Taylor Schilling's character, after guest starring in the pilot. No other details were released.


PARKS & RECREATION (NBC) - Entertainment Weekly reports Fred Armisen has booked a guest role on the show's sophomore season. He'll play the counterpart to Amy Poehler's character from Pawnee's sister city. "Leslie arranges for [Armisen and his colleagues] to come for a visit, but they're from a city in Venezuela," co-creator Michael Schur told the publication. "They're very confused because in Venezuela the government is so powerful; their parks department travels with military escorts and motorcades and stuff. They have all the money in the world because of their oil and they [don't understand] why Pawnee's parks department is so rinky-dink."


UNITED STATES OF TARA (Showtime) - Joshua Leonard ("Humpday") is set to recur on the show's upcoming second season. He'll play Ricky, a "boho-trustifarian." No other specifics were given about the role.


UNTITLED MATT WILLIAMS PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Former ABC mainstay Matt Williams ("Home Improvement," "Roseanne") has scored a script commitment from the network for a new multi-camera comedy about "a sports psychologist and father of three who runs his office out of his home and faces the challenges of being an involved dad in today's world." Williams will pen and executive produce the half-hour alongside his Wind Dancer Productions partners Carmen Finestra and David McFadzean. ABC Studios is behind the project, which has a penalty attached if it doesn't go to pilot.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [august 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· 24 (FOX)
· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DROP DEAD DIVA (LIFETIME)
· HOUSE (FOX)
· MERCY (NBC)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· PATH TO 9/11, THE (ABC)
· STAR TREK: VOYAGER (UPN)
· UNITED STATES OF TARA, THE (SHOWTIME)
· UNTITLED MATT WILLIAMS PROJECT (ABC)





[03/04/26 - 11:31 AM]
"Disney Animation's Songs in Sign Language" to Debut on Disney+ April 27
Directed by veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, the featured songs are "The Next Right Thing" (from Frozen 2), "We Don't Talk About Bruno" (from Encanto) and "Beyond" (from Moana 2).

[03/04/26 - 11:03 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases First Teaser from the DC Studios Series "Lanterns," Starring Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Kelly Macdonald
The series is slated to debut later this August on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Season 2 Production Kicks Off in Hawaii
The series will film on location on O'ahu and the island of Hawaii.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
MTV Announces the Final 18 Episodes of "Jersey Shore Family Vacation," One of TV's Most Influential Reality Franchises, Premiering on Thursday, May 7 at 8PM ET/PT
This farewell season marks the culmination of a franchise that entertained millions with major life milestones, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the unfiltered chemistry that defined an era of reality television.

[03/04/26 - 09:46 AM]
"The Verdict," Hosted by Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, Returns to Vice TV For Season Two, Taking on the Biggest Debates in Sports
In each episode, Russo and a lineup of sports insiders, journalists, and analysts get to the bottom of the hottest debates in sports history, presenting both sides through a fast-paced documentary debate format.

[03/04/26 - 09:45 AM]
Lifetime Raises the Bar by Expanding Into Premium Vertical Storytelling with "Tides of Temptation," A Micro Drama Feature Executive Produced by Taye Diggs
Serving as a digital offshoot of the just announced upcoming original movie "Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You," the project expands the film's universe through a cinematic, mobile-first format designed with feature-level production value.

[03/04/26 - 09:44 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights Three New Original Movies for 2026 Love of a Lifetime Slates Featuring All-Star Casts
Valerie Bertinelli, Henry Czerny, Eric McCormack, Taye Diggs, Heather Hemmens, and Cynthia Bailey are among the featured talent.

[03/04/26 - 09:43 AM]
Lifetime Reteams with Robin Roberts for "Angel in the Rubble" Starring Sherri Shepherd in Remembrance of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
Slated to premiere in September in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the movie is based on Genelle Guzman-McMillan's memoir "Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11's Last Survivor."

[03/04/26 - 09:42 AM]
Lifetime Expands Roster of Powerhouse Creatives with New Movie Projects Helmed By Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson
"Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson are extraordinary talents and dynamic producers who share Lifetime's passion for telling powerful stories about women," said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

[03/04/26 - 09:41 AM]
A+E Global Media Greenlights Two New Digital-First Series Under the History Brand
"Mistakes That Made America" and "Cracking Up" are both due later this year.

[03/04/26 - 09:40 AM]
The History Channel Marks the 25th Anniversary of September 11 with New Two-Hour Special "102 Minutes Inside the Towers"
The documentary offers a deeply immersive and unique perspective through firsthand accounts from those who were inside the Twin Towers.

[03/04/26 - 09:39 AM]
The History Channel Taps Internationally Acclaimed Action Icon Dolph Lundgren to Executive Produce and Host New Series "History's Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren"
Produced by Superluna Studios in association with 3BMG, the eight-episode series takes viewers on a thrilling journey through the gears, guts, and genius behind the machines that reshaped our world.

[03/04/26 - 09:38 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "Crime and Justice with Tom Selleck" (w.t.)
The 10-episode, one-hour series examines the true stories behind some of the most consequential crimes and investigations in American history.

[03/04/26 - 09:37 AM]
The History Channel Orders "Extraordinary Origins with Ted Danson" (w.t.) A New Series Hosted and Executive Produced by the Multi-Award-Winning Actor
The 10-episode series examines the stories behind some of history's most significant innovations, inventions, and discoveries that helped shape the modern world.

[03/04/26 - 09:36 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "History's Strange Fortunes with Kevin Bacon" (w.t.)
Stories about money - money made, money lost, and money spent - are woven into the fabric of our nation's history.