 |
 |
[10/27/09 - 04:33 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, October 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!
DELTA BLUES (TNT) - The cable channel has commissioned a pilot for the drama project, about "an outstanding but unusual Memphis cop who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and lives with his mother." Liz Garcia ("Cold Case") and Josh Harto penned the Warner Horizon Television-based hour and are executive producing alongside Smokehouse Pictures's George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Abby Wolf-Weiss. Casting is underway.
DRY (Showtime, New!)/THE NATURE OF FIRE (CBS, New!) - Augusten Burroughs ("Running With Scissors") has set up a pair of projects, including a comedy at Showtime and a drama at CBS. The former, dubbed "Dry," is based on the author's experience as an advertising executive struggling toward sobriety. The latter, "The Nature of Fire," will center on "a group of male firefighters whose world is rocked when they're joined by a female arson investigator." Burroughs is penning both efforts and executive producing alongside Created By's Vince Gerardis ("FlashForward") and Katalyst's Karey Burke, Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg ("The Beautiful Life") for CBS Television Studios. As previously reported, Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer are developing a small screen take on Burroughs's book "Sellevision" for NBC.
FAMILY GUY (FOX) - Microsoft has dropped out as the sole sponsor of the show's upcoming "Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" special. Said development reportedly comes after the company's executives attending its October 16 taping and grew concerned over its content. "We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of 'Family Guy,' but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand," said a Microsoft spokeswoman. "We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas. We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent." The special will nevertheless continue with another, yet-to-be-named, sponsor when it airs on November 8.
FLASH FORWARD (ABC) - Paula Newsome ("Women's Murder Club") is the latest to land an arc on the freshman drama, Entertainment Weekly reports. She'll play a doctor in several upcoming episodes however details about her character weren't released.
GHOSTS/ALIENS (Comedy Central) - Joey Kern ("The Sasquatch Gang") has been tapped as the new lead of the comedy pilot, about "two potheads who set out on a quest to expose the truth about the existence of ghosts and aliens." He'll take over from Jonathan Sadowski as one of said men, Trey Hamburger. Keir O'Donnell, Allan McLeod, Kaylee DeFer, Keir O'Donnell, Nathan Barnatt and Rebecca Wisocky also star in the project, which Michael Patrick Jann is directing from a script by Phil Johnston.
GOSSIP GIRL (The CW) - Sherri Saum ("In Treatment") has booked a multi-episode arc on the series. She'll play Holland Kemble, "a powerful business executive-turned-Upper East Side trophy wife and could be trouble for Lily (Kelly Rutherford) and Rufus (Matthew Settle)." It's not clear when her first episode will air.
HOUNDS (Comedy Central) - Ron White is back in business with the cable channel as the comedian will lend his voice to a new animated comedy described as "a blue-collar Southern neo-gothic comedy." Chris Thompson ("Ladies Man") is behind the half-hour which White will also co-executive produce. As for specifics, White will voice Chicken, "a countrified Yoda with a bottle of Jack and a bag of weed, an opinionated Southern philosopher who considers himself the center of the universe." Earlier this year, White toplined a pilot presentation for the network in which he "looked at stories from across the country and ran them through his everyman perspective."
RAVENS PARISH (FOX, New!) - Feature writer Dan McDermott ("Eagle Eye") has scored a script commitment from the network about "a man and his teenage son who return to their rural Mississippi hometown in search of a fabled cavern hidden beneath a nearby swamp that allegedly holds hidden treasure." McDermott, who previously served as head of current programming at the network, will pen the hour and executive produce for 20th Century Fox Television. Generate's Peter Aronson and Jordan Levin are also attached as executive producers via their first-look deal with the studio.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [october 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[08/25/26 - 04:16 PM]
"Dolly Parton: An American Original - Special Edition of 20/20" Airs Tonight, Tuesday, Aug. 25, on ABC at 10 P.M., Streams Tomorrow on Disney+ and Hulu
The one-hour special celebrates the extraordinary life and legacy of beloved global icon Dolly Parton, who died at age 80.
|
[08/25/26 - 03:10 PM]
ESPN Delivered Its Second Most-Watched MLB Little League Classic Ever!
The audience peaked at 2.2 million viewers during the 9:45 p.m. ET quarter-hour.
|
[08/25/26 - 03:03 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Stays Hot with 3,079,000 Viewers, Most-Watched MLB Telecast of the Week on Any Network
The network's coverage reached a peak audience of 3,779,000 viewers from 9:45 - 10 PM ET.
|
[08/25/26 - 02:34 PM]
CBS to Air "A CBS News Special: Dolly Parton - An American Icon" Tonight at 10:00 PM
Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and a team of CBS News journalists will celebrate the life and mark the passing of entertainment legend Dolly Parton.
|
[08/25/26 - 02:31 PM]
The Mic Is Hot When Jeff Lewis Returns to Bravo with "Still Flipping Out", Premiering Sept 28 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
The new series follows former "Flipping Out" star Jeff Lewis as he navigates the demands of his hit SiriusXM show on Radio Andy, an eponymous design empire, and everything in-between.
|
[08/25/26 - 02:20 PM]
FOX Sports Scores Landslide Win with Freedom 250
Coverage reached a peak viewership of 3,482,000 viewers from 2:30-2:45 PM ET.
|
[08/25/26 - 01:00 PM]
Starz Announces Additional Casting for New Untitled Black Rodeo Drama
Shannon Wallace, Curtiss Cook, Lauren E. Banks, Liv Symone, and Jason Dirden round of the show's cast.
|
[08/25/26 - 12:58 PM]
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" Dominates During Show's Summer Run - Jumping Over Last Year's Average by +9%
The series also stands as Wednesday's No. 1 primetime program among Total Viewers in each of its five weeks.
|
[08/25/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix and Shonda Rhimes Extend Creative Partnership
The extended partnership will give Netflix and Shondaland the opportunity to continue to exclusively produce, stream and distribute TV series, feature films and gaming while continuing merchandise and live events opportunities connected to its IP.
|
[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of August 17 - "Outer Banks" Strikes Gold at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"My Brilliant Career" traversed the Australian bush to land at No. 2 on the English TV list with 4.7 million views.
|
[08/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
The CW to Honor the Life and Legacy of Dolly Parton with Special Encore Presentation of "Dolly Parton: Here I Am"
Featuring exclusive interviews and remarkable archival footage, the documentary offers an intimate look at the woman behind the iconic songs, unmistakable style and enduring cultural impact that made Parton one of the most beloved entertainers of all time.
|
[08/25/26 - 12:00 PM]
"Survivor" to Reveal the Season 51 Castaways on YouTube Livestream
During the livestream, viewers will meet the new castaways and will also be treated to a first-look tour of the Survivor 51 Tribal Council by host and showrunner Jeff Probst.
|
[08/25/26 - 11:31 AM]
Netflix and Kevin Langue Partner to Bring "The Kevin Langue Show" to Netflix
Beginning September 5, members can watch a curated collection of episodes from each channel pulled from Kevin's back catalog, with new episodes dropping day-and-date alongside YouTube going forward.
|
[08/25/26 - 11:00 AM]
A24's "Backrooms" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max September 25
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.
|
[08/25/26 - 10:23 AM]
Four New Documentaries Celebrating Some of Comedy's Most Influential Voices Are Coming to Netflix This October
Martin Mull, Norm Macdonald, Maria Bamford, and SCTV are among the featured subjects.
|
|
|
|
