or


[12/15/09 - 06:21 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, December 15
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!


DEXTER (Showtime, New!) - Clyde Phillips is departing the series as showrunner after four seasons. "24" co-executive producer Chip Johannessen has been tapped to succeed Phillips for the show's fifth season, due in the fall of 2010. It's understood Phillips's departure is so he can spend more time with his family, which is still based in Connecticut. John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Charles H. Eglee, Melissa Rosenberg, Scott Buck and star Michael C. Hall also served as executive producers this past season.


THE REAL AMANDA STRAUSS (FOX, New!) - Callie Khouri ("Thelma and Louise") and Angelina Burnett ("The Cleaner") have booked a script at the network for a new drama about "a woman in the district attorney's office who harbors a big secret: she hails from a family of con artists." Sony Pictures Television is behind the hour, which also comes from the studio-based Furst Films. Sean and Bryan Furst will then executive produce alongside Burnett and Khouri, the latter of which may also direct.


TOUGH LOVE: COUPLES (VH1, New!) - The cable channel has commissioned a spin-off of its "Tough Love" franchise, simply dubbed "Tough Love: Couples." Said hour will feature host Steve Ward and his mother JoAnn as they "take five couples on the verge of becoming engaged and puts their relationships to the test." Ward will ultimately deliver "his verdict on whether the couples are right for each other, though it's up to the couples to decide whether to take his advice." Eight episodes are set to be filmed for a second quarter launch next year. Jim Berger, Pamela Healey, Nancy Juvonen, Drew Barrymore, Ember Truesdell and Chris Miller are the executive producers for High Noon Entertainment and Flower Films with Richard Hall, Steve and JoAnn Ward also serving in said capacity. Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes and Noah Pollack are supervising for VH1.


TRUE BLOOD (HBO) - Natasha Alam, Gregg Daniel, Cooper Huckabee and Joe Manganiello are the latest to score roles on the pay channel series. Entertainment Weekly reports Alam will play Yvetta, Eric's (Alexander Sarsgard) new dancer at Fangtasia, while Daniel is set as Reverend Daniels, whom Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) turns for comfort. Rounding out the bunch is Manganiello, who is set as Alcide, "a hot and sexy alpha male werewolf," with Huckabee as Joe Lee Mickens, Sam's (Sam Trammell) biological father.


THE VANDERBILTS (Showtime, New!) - Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park") is developing a new period drama at the network about "the family behind the Vanderbilt railroad and shipping empire, starting with Cornelius Vanderbilt, once one of the wealthiest men in the world." CBS Television Studios is behind the 19th century-based hour with Simon West, Bob Balaban and Rob Paris also serving as executive producers.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [december 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· 24 (FOX)
· CLEANER, THE (A AND E)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
· REAL AMANDA STRAUSS, THE (FOX)
· TOUGH LOVE (VH1)
· TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
· VANDERBILTS, THE (SHOWTIME)





[09/03/26 - 03:15 PM]
Brutal Murder Inspired by Horror Film Is First Original ABC News Video Podcast to Premiere Exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu Sept. 4
Based on the Hulu documentary, the six-part series - with new, never-before-seen material and hosted by the producers of the original documentary, Pat Rogers and Conor McCarthy - takes viewers deeper into the slaying of Idaho teenager Cassie Stoddart by killers influenced by a horror film.

[09/03/26 - 02:31 PM]
FOX Greenlights "Mammoth," A New Comedy Series from Emmy Award-Winning "Modern Family" Co-Creator/Executive Producer Christopher Lloyd and Executive Producer/Writer Danny Zuker
Based on the original BBC Studios U.K. production of the same name and created by Welsh comedian and writer Mike Bubbins, "Mammoth" is produced by FOX Entertainment Studios.

[09/03/26 - 02:01 PM]
"Famous Last Words" Honors the Life and Legacy of Gloria Steinem
Conducted by Emmy Award winner Brad Falchuk in February 2025, the episode captures Steinem not just as a media spokeswoman, but as a lifelong traveler on the road to justice.

[09/03/26 - 01:32 PM]
Video: Abbott House Rock - "Abbott Elementary" Season 6
No such thing as too cool for school(house).

[09/03/26 - 01:01 PM]
Netflix Expands Broadcast Team for First-Ever Regular Season NFL Game in Australia
The studio desk and in-game broadcast team will also return across Netflix's entire 2026-2027 NFL slate, with more names to come.

[09/03/26 - 11:03 AM]
Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross, and Milla Jovovich Join the Cast of "Heated Rivalry" Season 2
And the crowd goes crazy.

[09/03/26 - 11:03 AM]
Video: "R.J. Decker" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Premieres September 15
The stakes are higher and the cases are weirder, but R.J. Decker is just getting started.

[09/03/26 - 10:10 AM]
"Gold Rush" - New Season Premieres Friday, October 2 on Discovery Channel
As soaring gold prices attract a new wave of fortune seekers to the Yukon, mining veterans and ambitious newcomers alike risk everything in pursuit of life-changing riches.

[09/03/26 - 10:08 AM]
Deliciously Deceptive Desserts Hide in Plain Sight in New Food Network Series "Sweet Deceit" Hosted by Josh Peck
The series is hosted by actor Josh Peck, who hilariously commands the on-screen hijinks as he leads contestants through four rounds as they try to identify masterfully disguised sweets created by world-class cake artists.

[09/03/26 - 10:07 AM]
HBO Max Commemorates 25th Anniversary of HBO Original "Band of Brothers" with Debut of New Documentary "Band of Brothers: Legacy" and In-App Extra Content
Coinciding with the series' quarter-century milestone, the commemoration will feature the premiere of the new documentary, offering fans an intimate look at the series' production and enduring impact.

[09/03/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Meet the Competition - "The Traitors: New Blood" - NBC
Ordinary people. Extraordinary deceit. Meet the everyday Americans who accepted the invitation to play the ultimate murder mystery game deep in the Scottish Highlands.

[09/03/26 - 10:00 AM]
"Soul Train Awards" Returns to BET and Makes Debut on CBS
BET Her, VH1, MTV2 and Logo will also simulcast this year's event, airing Friday, November 27.

[09/03/26 - 09:34 AM]
"Everest: The Other Side" from Oscar-Winning Filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin Receives Its World Premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival
The documentary from Walt Disney Studios, National Geographic Documentary Films, and Little Monster Films was just announced as part of the official line-up for the 53rd Telluride Film Festival.

[09/03/26 - 09:05 AM]
Video: "Death and Mystery in the Amazon" - Official Trailer - HBO Max
Tatunca promised to take several people to the "Lost City." They never returned.

[09/03/26 - 09:02 AM]
Hit Series "The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd" Returns with a New Season Friday, October 2 at 9/8c on The History Channel
Each hour-long episode brings these stranger-than-fiction stories to life through vivid recreations, bold graphics, remarkable archival footage, and a cast of expert storytellers.