 |
 |
[12/10/09 - 06:13 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, December 10
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!
AMERICA: THE STORY OF US (History) - Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Colin Powell, Brian Williams, Buzz Aldrin, Tommy Franks, Donald Trump, John Lasseter and Stevie Wonder have all been tapped to participate in the upcoming 12-part event, which will "focus on the elements that distinguish American democracy, the conflicts that shaped it and the myriad social and industrial innovations that have fueled the country's prosperity." Said talent will serve as on-camera commentators with Jane Root executive producing via her Nutopia production banner. "America" is due sometime in 2010.
DELTA BLUES (TNT) - Alfre Woodard ("Three Rivers") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee), "a Memphis police officer who lives with his mother (Celia Weston) and moonlights as a tribute artist." She'll play "the formidable new lieutenant who tries to exercise her power over Dwight," a role presumably in second position to the hiatused "Rivers." Warner Horizon Television and Smokehouse Productions are behind the hour, which also stars Abraham Benrubi, DJ Qualls, Leonard Howz, Robyn Lively and Sam Hennings. Clark Johnson is directing from a script by Joshua Harto and Liz Garcia.
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO) - Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have announced via their web site their pay channel series won't be returning for a third season. "We've noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won't be returning for a 3rd season," said the statement. "We're very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We'd like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist." The show wrapped its second season back in March.
GLEE (FOX) - Tony-winning actress Idina Menzel ("Wicked") is reportedly in talks to recur on the back half of the show's freshman season. She would play the coach to glee club "Vocal Adrenaline," the McKinley High glee club's main competition. Menzel had already been the focus of a fan campaign to cast her as Rachel Berry's (Lea Michele) biological mother. Also signing on for a five to six episode arc is Jonathan Groff. He'll play the lead male vocalist of "Vocal Adrenaline" and a potential love interest for Rachel Berry. Groff co-starred opposite Michele in the Broadway production of "Spring Awakening."
KEEP HOPE ALIVE (FOX) - Kate Micucci ("Scrubs") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about Jimmy (Lucas Neff), "a 25-year-old single parent raising an infant with the help of his quirky family after the mother of the baby -- with whom he had a one-night stand -- ends up on death row." She'll play Mike, "an unkempt, fairly oblivious cousin of Jimmy living in a tent in the laundry room of their great-grandmother's house." Said role was originally envisioned a male. Garrett Dillahunt, Kate Micucci, Martha Plimpton and Olesya Rulin also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which Michael Fresco is directing from a script by Greg Garcia.
THE SIX (ABC, New!) - Merv Griffin Entertainment has landed a presentation order from the Alphabet for a new game show based on the Russian format "What? Where? When?" Said project, which has been running for 35 years in its home country, is being redubbed "The Six," after the number of contestants on the show. The late Vladimir Voroshilov created (and hosted) the series, which pits a panel of six knowledgeable persons against the viewing audience. Said experts are tasked with answering audience-submitted questions listed on a spinning horizontal wheel divided into segments. If the experts answer correctly in the allotted 60 seconds they receive a point, if they don't the audience receives a point with question's author also earning a prize. (Sample question: "They first appeared in 1908 in Mexico. There were two of them. Over time, they came closer and closer together, like wings of a black raven. Name them." Answer: "Frida Kahlo's eyebrows.") Exact format details however are still being worked out. Merv Griffin's Roy Bank is executive producing the project alongside Ukranian-born actor Alex Reznik, Jonathan Barry and Ron Ward. Dwight Smith and Michael Agbabian are the showrunners with Brian Veskosky serving as a co-executive producer.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [december 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[03/08/25 - 02:09 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer for Season Two of "The Last of Us"
The seven-episode second season debuts Sunday, April 13 at 9:00/8:00c on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
|
[03/07/25 - 11:49 PM]
Development Update: Week of March 3-7
Updates include: CBS cancels veterans "FBI: International," "FBI: Most Wanted," and "S.W.A.T."; Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu in talks for HBO's "Harry Potter" series; and Netflix nixes "The Recruit" after two seasons.
|
[03/07/25 - 04:16 PM]
WWE's "Saturday Night's Main Event" Extravaganza Arrives May 24 Live on NBC and Peacock
Superstar John Cena will make his first "Saturday Night's Main Event" appearance in more than a decade.
|
[03/07/25 - 10:34 AM]
"Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage" Hits Series High Thursday Night
CBS was the #1 broadcast network last night with 5.63 million viewers, up +6% from last week and +25% more viewers than ABC and NBC combined last night (4.50 million).
|
[03/07/25 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Nobody Wants This" Season 2 Is Now in Production
Guest stars this season include Leighton Meester, Miles Fowler, Alex Karpovsky and Arian Moayed.
|
[03/07/25 - 09:49 AM]
AMC Networks' "Future of Film" Initiative Launches Future of Film: Athena Rising Stars Collection on AMC+ in Partnership with Athena Film Festival
Streaming exclusively on AMC+ beginning March 14, the collection is available for one month in celebration of Women's History Month, joining the streamer's Featured Collection: Women Who Dare, which also spotlights women-led stories across series, films and documentaries.
|
[03/07/25 - 09:06 AM]
Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott Join Robert De Niro in James Ashcroft's Crime Thriller "The Whisper Man"
The Netflix film is based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Alex North.
|
[03/07/25 - 09:01 AM]
Season 2 of "With Love, Meghan" Debuting This Fall
Season one debuted on Netflix this week and the second season has already completed filming.
|
[03/07/25 - 07:03 AM]
"The Summer I Turned Pretty" Returns with Its Final Season This July
Season three will have 11 episodes and premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
|
[03/07/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Trailer for the Highly Anticipated Comedy "The Studio"
Starring Rogen and a star-studded ensemble cast with A-list cameos in every episode, the 10-episode comedy will premiere globally on Wednesday, March 26 with the first two episodes, followed by one episode every Wednesday through May 21.
|
[03/07/25 - 06:38 AM]
ESPN Signs Stephen A. Smith to Multi-Year Contract Renewal
"I'm happy and honored to remain a member of the Disney/ESPN family for, at least, the next five years," Smith said. "There's only bigger and bigger things ahead. It starts with continuing to put in that work. See y'all soon."
|
[03/07/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: The Reunion" - Season 8 Official Trailer - Netflix
Fan favorites gather for a reunion with Nick and Vanessa to answer burning questions about their relationships this season.
|
[03/07/25 - 12:01 AM]
Japanese Sci-Fi Animated Series "Moonrise" Premieres April 10
Directed by Masashi Koizuka and produced by WIT Studio, this brand-new sci-fi series features stunning character concepts by manga artist Hiromu Arakawa.
|
[03/06/25 - 03:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces Global Premiere of Highly Anticipated Anime Series "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX"
The series will stream simultaneously with Japan across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Tuesday, April 8.
|
[03/06/25 - 02:59 PM]
Hallmark Media Orders Fourth Season of "The Way Home"
Cast members confirmed the news on social media this afternoon.
|
|
|
|
