or


[10/02/09 - 06:14 PM]
Development Update: Friday, October 2
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!


ANGRY BOYS (HBO, New!) - Australian comedian Chris Lilley ("Summer Heights High") has booked a 12-episode order from the pay channel for a new mock-documentary style comedy about what it's like to be a male in the 21st century. Like his previous effort "High," Lilley will play multiple characters as well as write and executive produce alongside Laura Waters via their Princess Pictures banner. The news marks HBO's first co-production with an Australian partner as "High" was a straight acquisition. Pre-production on the series begins this month in Australia.


BOYS & GIRLS GUIDE TO GETTING DOWN (Comedy Central) - The cable channel has commissioned a pilot for the comedy, based on Paul Sapiano's 2006 indie feature of the same name. Said half-hour will "follow several characters through fast-paced adventures, while the show's narrator gives tips and explains how the characters plan to 'get down.'" Sapiano, John Lynch and Luke Greenfield are executive producing the project, with Greenfield attached to direct. "Getting Down" was announced back in May as part of the network's 2009-10 development slate.


FLASH FORWARD (ABC) - Michael Ealy ("Sleeper Cell") has scored a recurring role on the freshman drama. He'll play the nemesis of Joseph Fiennes's character, details of which weren't released. The series opened to strong numbers last month on Thursday nights for the Alphabet.


HOUSE RULES (CBS) - The Eye has picked up the actors' options through the end of 2009. The news marks the second time the actors, which include Zoe McLellan, Eion Bailey, Kristin Bauer, Tawny Cypress, Anna Chlumsky and Denzel Whitaker, have been put on hold. Said hour revolves around the freshman class of elected representatives in Washington, D.C. Daniel Minahan helmed the ABC Studios-based project from a script by Michael Seitzman. Deborah Spera and Mark Gordon also serve as executive producers.


HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS) - Rachel Bilson ("The O.C.") is set to guest star on the show's 100th installment, Entertainment Weekly reports. She'll play an unspecified character in the episode, which will once again tease the identity of the title character. The milestone episode is likely due to air in January.


MIDNIGHTERS (NBC) - Alloy Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television are taking another stab at bringing Scott Westerfeld's novel to the small screen, this time at NBC. The Peacock has given a script order to the project, to be written by Chad Hodge ("Runaway"). Said hour revolves around "a group of people born at the stroke of midnight who have access to the 25th hour of each day, which they use to stop crime." Darren Lemke previously shepherded an adaptation at The WB back in 2005. Hodge then will executive produce the new incarnation alongside Alloy's Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein.


MOUTHPIECE (Showtime, New!)/YOU AND ME AND HE (CBS, New!) - Veteran comedy writer Carol Leifer ("Rules of Engagement") has landed a single-camera at Showtime and a multi-camera half-hour at CBS. The Showtime effort, "Mouthpiece," stars Mario Cantone and Marlee Matlin as members of a high-powered law firm. Meanwhile CBS is behind "You and Me and He," about "a recently divorced woman who enters a gay relationship only to find out that she is pregnant with her ex-husband's baby." Fox Television Studios is producing the former while Sony Pictures Television and Happy Madison are behind the latter. Both have script commitments from their respective networks with Leifer writing and executive producing.


ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED (ABC) - Australian actor Josh Lawson ("Chandon Pictures") has been cast in the lead role of the upcoming comedy series, about a thirtysomething man (Lawson) torn between his new girlfriend (Alyssa Milano) and needy best friend (Kyle Bornheimer). Eric Christian Olsen previously toplined the project, the producers of which opted to recast his role. Ricky Blitt is behind the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which has a 12-episode commitment (including the pilot) for midseason.


THE STATION (FOX) - The network has extended its options on the cast of the comedy pilot through the end of the year. John Goodman, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Justin Bartha, Rob Huebel and Whitney Cummings all co-starred in the single-camera half-hour, about a "covert CIA operative (Justin Bartha) and his workmates, who are on a mission in Central America to install a new dictator." Kevin Napier penned the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which was directed by David Wain and executive produced by Ben Stiller. It's understood should it move forward, some tweaking will take place.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [october 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· ANGRY BOYS (HBO)
· BOYS AND GIRLS GUIDE TO GETTING DOWN (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FLASH FORWARD (ABC)
· HOUSE RULES (CBS)
· HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS)
· MIDNIGHTERS (CW)
· MOUTHPIECE (SHOWTIME)
· OC, THE (FOX)
· ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED (ABC)
· RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
· RUNAWAY (CW)
· SLEEPER CELL (SHOWTIME)
· STATION, THE (FOX)
· SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH (HBO)
· YOU AND ME AND HE (CBS)





[09/08/26 - 05:06 PM]
Netflix Announces New Drama Series "Lonesome Dove"
The new Larry McMurtry adaptation will reunite Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart, who will co-showrun the new series after also serving as co-showrunners for Netflix's highly anticipated limited series, "East of Eden."

[09/08/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Love Village" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
This romantic reality series sees men and women aged 35 to 60 move in together into a vintage house in Love Village in search of one last shot at love.

[09/08/26 - 02:59 PM]
Video: "NCIS: Origins" Season 3 Official Trailer - CBS
Mark Harmon returns for Season 3, premiering Tuesday, October 6.

[09/08/26 - 12:34 PM]
ESPN and Apple Music Collaborate on "Monday Night Football" Music Curation for the 2026-27 Season, Leading Up to ESPN's First-Ever Super Bowl and the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show
The first song and artist Apple Music has selected is the recently-released single, "Dead Fresh" by Lil Baby, which will run in ESPN's Week 1 promotional efforts.

[09/08/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 31 - "The Whisper Man" Tracks Down No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"Death of the Pastor's Wife" held the top spot of the English TV list with 13.9 million views.

[09/08/26 - 12:01 PM]
Drama and Rumors Bloom as "The Real Housewives of Potomac" Season 11 Launches on Sunday, Oct 11. at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Returning "housewives" include Karen Huger, Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Dr. Wendy Osefo, Stacey Rusch and Tia Glover.

[09/08/26 - 11:13 AM]
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to Host Next Two Episodes of "Saturday Night Live UK," with Musical Guests Royal Blood and Rachel Chinouriri
They'll join the previously announced Jeff Goldblum and CMAT.

[09/08/26 - 10:30 AM]
Prime Video Announces September 24 Premiere Date for "Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story"
The groundbreaking documentary traces the story of a father, his two sons, and their family's pursuit of the American Dream through football excellence.

[09/08/26 - 10:09 AM]
FOX MLB Posts Best Regular Season Thursday Night Baseball Telecast Since 2022
2,668,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX Thursday for a two-game slate highlighted by the Cubs' 2-1 win over the Brewers in most of the country.

[09/08/26 - 10:03 AM]
"Moonshiners" Celebrates 250 Years of American Rebellion, Risk and Reward in All-New Season Premiering Tuesday, September 29 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
It's a 250-year celebration of life, liberty and the pursuit of tax-free liquor when America's favorite Appalachian distillers return in an all-new season.

[09/08/26 - 10:02 AM]
ESPN Studio Lineup Continues 2026 Momentum with Record August Audiences
As a year-long pattern of strong viewership continued, multiple programs delivered their best August viewership on record, while overall studio show audiences increased 13% year over year.

[09/08/26 - 10:01 AM]
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Scores Four Special Episodes Post-"Sunday Night Football" This Fall on NBC
The first Sunday night show is set for September 27 when Fallon will welcome an all-star lineup of guests, including Sylvester Stallone and Luke Bryan.

[09/08/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Siren: The Voices of Shelley" Beattie Debuts September 22
While searching the internet one day, Hollywood veteran Marlee Matlin came upon the story of athlete Shelley Beattie - a fellow Deaf woman whose life felt eerily like her own.

[09/08/26 - 09:40 AM]
Following Their Emmy Win for Outstanding Animated Program, "South Park" Is Making a Big Change
Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced: "Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount -- a Skydance Capitulation."

[09/08/26 - 09:29 AM]
Paramount+ and T-Mobile Arena Launch Paramount+ Plaza in New Multi-Year Partnership
The agreement establishes a prominent new platform for the streaming service to connect its expansive portfolio of original series, films, live sports and iconic franchises with millions of fans visiting Las Vegas.