 |
 |
[09/24/09 - 06:04 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, September 24
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) - Stephen Root ("True Blood") is the 16th addition to the show's massive season eight ensemble, due in January. He'll play Ben Prady, an officer of the Department of Corrections looking into a parolee gone missing, in a multi-episode arc.
AMERICAN IDOL (FOX) - The network and Simon Cowell are reportedly in talks to import his U.K. series "The X Factor." Said development comes as negotiations continue with the judge to extend his current pact, which ends after the upcoming season. The "Idol" portion of the deal is said to be valued in the nine-figure range to return for two more seasons while "Factor" could net just as much per season. Cowell's existing "Idol" deal prohibited him from bringing "Factor" to the U.S., hence the added pressure to either keep Cowell exclusive or fold "Factor" under the FOX tent.
THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW (TBS) - The cable channel has pulled the plug on the sitcom after three seasons. In a statement released to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the network said: "TBS has cancelled The Bill Engvall Show after three seasons. We had a great experience working with Bill and the cast. Bill is a terrific comic, and we have tremendous respect for him. While the show didn't attract the audience we need to renew it for another season, we're proud of the work of everyone involved."
THE CAPE (NBC, New!)/THE MYSTERIES OF OAK ISLAND (FOX, New!) - Tom Wheeler ("Empire") has landed script commitments - with penalties attached - for new dramas at FOX and NBC. The former, the Warner Bros. Television-based "The Mysteries of Oak Island," revolves around "a single mom and her two children who inherit a 200-year-old lighthouse on [a] mysterious island off the coast of Nova Scotia known for numerous quests to find treasure believed to be buried there." Meanwhile, "The Cape" centers on "a former cop framed for a crime he didn't commit who becomes the Cape, a masked hero, to clear his name and reunite with his son." Said hour, set in the fictional Jefferson City ("a Los Angeles-type city where corrupt private industries are taking over everything"), comes from Universal Media Studios and fellow executive producers Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman.
HOUSE (FOX) - Entertainment Weekly reports Jennifer Morrison is departing the series later this season. Said development is being billed as "a creative decision on the part of producers." It's understood Morrison's character, who will say goodbye during an episode in November, won't be killed off but rather exit for other reasons. Producers nevertheless reportedly will leave the door open for future appearances.
LAWMAN (FX) - "Dirty Sexy Money" alum Natalie Zea has joined the cast of upcoming drama, about "a modern-day, 19th-century-style lawman (Timothy Olyphant) enforcing his brand of justice." She'll play the ex-wife of said character after guest starring in the pilot. Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions are behind the hour, which rolls out early next year.
SKY JOCKEYS (FOX, New!) - RDF Media and UKTV, a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media, are set to team for a potential new animated comedy set inside an airport. Anil Gupta (U.K.'s "The Office") and Richard Pinto ("Mutual Friends") are behind the half-hour, the pilot of which has been sold to FOX. The project is a result of RDF Media's new script-development deal with UKTV's digital outlet Dave which calls for the company to develop three half-hour scripts, including "Sky Jockeys," at least one of which will be picked up for broadcast sometime in late 2010. No other details about "Jockeys" however were released.
UNTITLED JIM BREUER PROJECT (NBC, New!) - "SNL" alum Jim Breuer is set to topline a new multi-camera comedy at the Peacock about "a father who decides to stay home and raise his three daughters and at the same time take care of his elderly parents." Wil Calhoun ("What I Like About You") is penning the half-hour for Sony Pictures Television. It's understood the project, which has a script commitment, is inspired by Breuer's recent documentary "More Than This," which followed the comedian as he embarked on a stand-up tour with his father. Breuer and Calhoun then will executive produce alongside Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter of Varsity Pictures and Judi Brown-Marmel of Levity Entertainment Group.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [september 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[01/23/26 - 08:32 AM]
Video: Official Trailer and Key Art for the Highly Anticipated Drama "Marshals" Starring Luke Grimes, Reprising His Role of Kayce Dutton, Now Available
With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana.
|
[01/23/26 - 08:22 AM]
Tune-In Friday, February 13 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel for the Premiere of "Gold Rush Mine Rescue with Freddy and Juan"
In North America's most extreme goldfields, thousands of unprepared miners gamble it all, chasing the highest gold prices in history - and find themselves on the brink of ruin.
|
[01/23/26 - 08:00 AM]
"Super Bowl Greatest Commercials: Hall of Fame Countdown," Hosted By "CBS Mornings" Co-Host and "The NFL Today" Analyst Nate Burleson and Actress Daniela Ruah, to Air Monday, Feb. 2 on CBS
This year's special, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, raises the bar with the Hall of Fame Countdown, as Nate and Daniela curate their top 10 greatest Super Bowl commercials of all time.
|
[01/23/26 - 07:37 AM]
Historic Back-to-Back Stretch: ESPN Delivers Its No. 1 and No. 8 Most-Watched Events Ever on Consecutive Days
Across Sunday and Monday, fans consumed 18.7 billion total minutes across ESPN, ABC and ESPN2 - a 28% increase from last season's Divisional Round game and Championship Monday on the same networks.
|
[01/23/26 - 07:05 AM]
"The Turpins: A New House of Horror - A Diane Sawyer Special Event," Airs Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 10 P.M. on ABC, Streams Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
The one-hour special takes viewers inside the Turpin children's shocking story of survival, only to have to go through it all again.
|
[01/23/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Love Me Love Me" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Friends, enemies, lovers. Their story is about to begin. "Love Me Love Me" premieres February 13.
|
[01/23/26 - 03:01 AM]
Prime Video Greenlights New Original Thriller Series "Dirty"
The ongoing series offers a fresh and provocative take on a British police drama, exploring universal themes of family loyalty, moral compromise, and the corrosive nature of power through an intricate game of cat-and-mouse between mother and daughter.
|
[01/22/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Pavane" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Three lonely strangers meet at their department store jobs and find solace in each other's company while they explore connection and the nature of love.
|
[01/22/26 - 03:39 PM]
Special Premiere of "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" Is the Season's Most-Watched Comedy Episode
The series drew 5.8 million viewers and a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demo in its special premiere that aired Sunday, January 18.
|
[01/22/26 - 02:05 PM]
ESPN's MegaCast of the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T Delivers 30.1 Million Viewers - The Most-Viewed College Football Game in 11 Years
The game scored 30.1 million viewers, the most-watched college football game since the inaugural CFP National Championship (33.9 million viewers, Oregon/Ohio State, 2014-15) and the second most-watched National Championship of the CFP era.
|
[01/22/26 - 01:30 PM]
CBS Presents a Behind-the-Scenes Look at "Music's Biggest Night" on "Inside the 68th Annual Grammy Awards," Friday, Jan. 30 on CBS
The special is hosted by renowned New Zealand DJ, producer and broadcaster Zane Lowe.
|
[01/22/26 - 12:48 PM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Score with Stellar Midseason Premieres
"Shifting Gears" and "Abbott Elementary" are among top scripted shows of the week in adults 18-49.
|
[01/22/26 - 12:02 PM]
E!'s "Hot Goss" Is Back! Series Expands as Long-Form YouTube Interview Series
Hosted by Eyal Booker and Lonnie Marts IIV, "Hot Goss" dishes on Hollywood's trending pop culture headlines with bold hot takes, juicy secrets, and plenty of laughs - all delivered shirtless from inside a sauna.
|
[01/22/26 - 11:03 AM]
New Original Documentary "Mouth of the Wolf: Amanda Knox Returns to Italy" Premieres Monday, Jan. 26, on Hulu
The new documentary follows Amanda Knox's return to Italy more than 15 years after her wrongful conviction.
|
[01/22/26 - 11:01 AM]
CBS Renews 10 Additional Series for the 2026-2027 Season
This brings the total number of series ordered for the 2026-2027 season to 16.
|
|
|
|
