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[11/03/09 - 06:05 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, November 3
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
APPETITE FOR SELF-DESTRUCTION (HBO, New!) - Steve Knopper's book, subtitled "The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age," is being developed as an original movie by the pay channel. Playwright Victoria Stewart is penning said adaptation, which chronicles the past 30 years, "beginning with the crash of the disco craze in the late 1970s, through the CD boom in the late 1980s and 1990s, the music industry's battle with Napster and other free file-sharing online services in the 2000s and the sharp decline in sales of CDs, which have been replaced by digital downloads." Bob Cooper is producing.
DELTA BLUES (TNT) - Clark Johnson ("The Shield") has been tapped to direct the drama pilot, about "an outstanding but unusual Memphis cop who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and lives with his mother." He'll work from a script by Liz Garcia and Josh Harto. Smokehouse Pictures's George Clooney and Grant Heslov are executive producing the Warner Horizon Television-based hour with Henry Bronchtein and Abby Wolf-Weiss serving as co-executive producers.
IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FX) - Twentieth Television has cleared repeats of the cable comedy on 23 stations covering about 45% of the country. Tribune stations in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.; Fox stations in Chicago, Phoenix and Minneapolis; CBS stations in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Dallas; and Sunbeam's Boston's station are all on board to carry the show's off-cable run, which begins in the fall of 2011.
JERSEYLICIOUS (Style, New!) - Endemol USA has landed an eight-episode order for a new reality series which tracks the intertwined professional and romantic lives of six stylists at a Central New Jersey beauty salon. Alex Duda ("The Tyra Banks Show") is executive producing the project, which will also feature "intrinsically Garden State makeovers and hairstyles." The series is expected to roll out in the spring of 2010.
THE MARRIAGE REF (NBC) - Tom Papa ("Come to Papa") has been tapped to host the Jerry Seinfeld-produced series, in which a panel of comedians and celebrities serve as advocates during marital disputes. Papa then will serve as the "ref" who ultimately judges which spouse is correct. Production on its six-episode order is set to begin in January. Ellen Rakieten is executive producing alongside Seinfeld.
REX IS NOT YOUR LAWYER (NBC) - "Doctor Who" alum David Tennant has been tapped for the lead role on the drama pilot, about "a top Chicago litigator who begins suffering panic attacks and takes up coaching clients to represent themselves in court." He'll play the title role of Rex Alexander. In addition, David Semel has been tapped to direct the hour from a script by co-creators Andrew Leeds and David Lampson. He'll likewise executive produce alongside showrunner Barry Schindel and non-writing executives Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. Leeds and Lampson will then serve as supervising producers.
SHAMELESS (Showtime) - Mark Mylod ("Entourage") has been tapped to direct the drama pilot, about the working-class Chicago Gallagher family. William H. Macy is toplining the hour as the clan's alcoholic patriarch who "usually ends up passed out on the living room floor." Mylod previously helmed the pilot to the show's original U.K. incarnation. John Wells is behind the U.S. take and is executive producing alongside original creator Paul Abbott.
UNTITLED KRISTIE ALLEY PROJECT (A&E, New!) - The cable channel has ordered 10 half-hour episodes of a new reality series about the life of actress/tabloid fodder Kirstie Alley. FremantleMedia North America is behind the project, which will track her life as a single mom and her efforts to lose weight as well as launch a weight loss program. Alley previously toplined the short-lived Showtime series "Fat Actress," which took a comedic take on her weight struggles. George Moll ("Rock the Cradle") and Alley are executive producing alongside A&E's Robert Sharenow and Colleen Conway.
V (ABC) - "Chuck" executive producer Scott Rosenbaum has been tapped as the new showrunner of the freshman drama, which launches tonight on the Alphabet. Said development is the result of a new two-year, seven-figure overall deal Rosenbaum has inked with producer Warner Bros. Television. He'll take over from Scott Peters, who in turn took over from original showrunner Jeffrey Bell. Just four installments have been completed of its 13-episode order, the remaining installments of which will roll out in March. Peters nevertheless will continue as executive producer alongside Jason Hall while Bell is expected to depart.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[12/17/25 - 02:06 PM]
Apple TV Expands "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" Universe with New Spin-Off Series
The thrilling new untitled Young Lee Shaw prequel stars Wyatt Russell, reprising his role as Colonel Lee Shaw.
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[12/17/25 - 01:46 PM]
CBS Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Hollywood Legend in "CBS News: Rob Reiner - Scenes from a Life" to Be Broadcast Dec. 21, 8:30 PM, ET/8:00 PM, PT
The one-hour special replaces the previously announced holiday-themed episodes of "Hollywood Squares," which move to Monday, December 22 at 10:00/9:00c.
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[12/17/25 - 01:30 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks #1 in Total Viewers
"Nightline" also posted week-to-week increases in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54.
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[12/17/25 - 01:00 PM]
CBS Media Ventures Adds Three Titles to Their Distribution Slate for Fall 2026
"Adam's Law," "America's Funniest Home Videos," and "American Mayhem" are all on tap.
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[12/17/25 - 12:00 PM]
CBS Is Turning All of America Into an Epic Adventure for the "Survivor 50 Challenge"
For the first time ever, newcomers, longtime viewers and anyone who loves a good challenge will have the chance to strategize, uncover clues, solve riddles and track down authentic immunity idols hidden in their state.
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[12/17/25 - 11:59 AM]
Video: Official Season 8 Trailer - "The Rookie"
On Tuesday, January 6 on ABC, get ready for a season premiere with explosive action, unexpected alliances, and cases that stretch across continents.
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[12/17/25 - 11:30 AM]
FOX Entertainment Studios Signs Producer Jeffrey Levine and His Bronson Canyon Pictures to Multi-Year First-Look Deal
Under the agreement, Levine will develop and produce scripted television series for the studio across broadcast, streaming, and emerging digital storytelling platforms.
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[12/17/25 - 10:16 AM]
Versant Announces Long-Term Partnership Extension with Rory McIlroy and Launch of New Production Venture
Under the agreement, which extends through 2038, Rory McIlroy will continue to serve as the global face and partner of GolfPass, reinforcing the platform's premium positioning and its commitment to best-in-class golf experiences.
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[12/17/25 - 10:05 AM]
Video: "Scars of Beauty" - Second Season Confirmed - HBO Max
After much gossip and rumors, we're here to clarify that... it's real!
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[12/17/25 - 10:05 AM]
Video: "Tyler Perry's Sistas" Returns for Season 10 - Premieres January 7 at 9/8c
Tyler Perry's hit series returns for Season 10 with new drama, deeper friendships, and unexpected twists.
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[12/17/25 - 10:00 AM]
"Hollywood Squares" Kicks Off Season 2 with Star-Studded Celebrity Lineup
This season's newcomers who will share the board with famed center square Drew Barrymore include Anthony Anderson, Glenn Close, Kat Dennings, Fortune Feimster, Zarna Garg, Jay Mohr, Padma Lakshmi, Joel McHale, Ariana Debose and Arsenio Hall.
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[12/17/25 - 10:00 AM]
AMC Networks' January Highlights Include "Gangs of London," "Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale," "My Life Is Murder," "Planet Earth: Kingdom" and More
Other premieres include the new series "Wolf" on AMC+ and Shudder, based on Mo Hayder's acclaimed Jack Caffrey novels.
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[12/17/25 - 09:46 AM]
Netflix Announces Series Adaptation of Liz Moore's "The God of the Woods"
Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the new series follows the wealthy Van Laars as they fight to hold their family together, unearthing devastating secrets in the process.
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[12/17/25 - 09:43 AM]
The Academy Partners with YouTube for Exclusive Global Rights to the Oscars and Other Academy Content Starting in 2029
The multi-year deal begins in 2029 with the 101st Oscars ceremony and runs through 2033.
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[12/17/25 - 09:34 AM]
ESPN to Debut "MNF Playbook with Next Gen Stats" Dec. 22, An NFL Data-Cast Aimed at Avid Fans; Complements "Monday Night Football" and ESPN NFL Postseason Slate
In Week 16 and 17, Luke Kuechly - the former Carolina Panthers standout linebacker and seven-time Pro Bowler - will team up with ESPN NFL analysts Dan Orlovsky and Field Yates from ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
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