or


[01/19/10 - 07:33 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, January 19
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!


ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? (Syndication) - Twentieth Television has cleared the syndicated incarnation of the game show for a second season. The series is a go in the top five markets, including WPIX New York, KTTV/KCOP Los Angeles and WFLD/WPWR Chicago. Mark Burnett and Zoo Productions are behind the project.


BODY OF EVIDENCE (ABC, New!) - Chris Murphey ("Dead Lawyers") has snagged a pilot order from the Alphabet for a new drama about Megan Hunt, "a former neurosurgeon-turned-medical examiner who brings a unique and crime-solving perspective to the ME's office that often puts her at odds with her superiors." Murphey penned the hour and is executive producing alongside Matt Gross, on whose idea the project is based. ABC Studios is producing.


HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC, New!) - Newcomer David Caspe has booked a pilot commitment from the network for a new single-camera comedy about "a couple that breaks up at the altar, forcing them and their group of friends to figure out how to maintain their friendships after the split." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour, which is executive produced by Jamie Tarses and her studio-based FanFare Productions banner.


NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX, New!) - Ajay Sahgal is once again developing the multi-camera comedy, about "two brothers from a traditional Indian background - one defies his family's expectations by dating a Caucasian woman, while the other agrees to enter an arranged marriage." FOX has ordered a pilot for the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, the third time it has received such a commitment. NBC originally took a stab back in the spring of 2004 with Kal Penn and Judy Greer in the lead roles. David Schwimmer helmed the half-hour, which didn't make the cut for the 2004-05 season. The producers then opted to reshoot the pilot that summer with Sahgal himself as the male lead but the Peacock passed on that incarnation as well. FOX topper Kevin Reilly shepherded both versions while at NBC, making its revival not much of a surprise. Sahgal won't topline the FOX version, which is likewise based on his experiences as the son of Indian immigrants who eventually married a Caucasian woman (actress Kelli Williams). It's not clear if original executive producers Schwimmer, Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke will be involved in the update.


THE ODDS (CBS, New!) - Feature writer/director Jeff Wadlow ("Never Back Down") has scored a pilot order from the Eye for a new drama billed as "a buddy cop show set in Las Vegas where the cops are just as outrageous as the crimes they solve." Wadlow penned the Warner Bros. Television-based hour and is executive producing alongside Joel Silver with Beau Bauman producing. No other specifics were given.


OFF THE MAP (ABC) - The Alphabet has greenlit production on Jenna Bans's ("Grey's Anatomy") drama pilot, about "three doctors, each anxious for a fresh start, [who] leave the comfort of the States to work at an isolated tropical clinic, where they face both exotic and unusual medical challenges as well as personal ones." ABC Studios is behind the hour, which is set up at Shonda Rhimes's studio-based Shondaland banner. Bans and Rhimes then will executive produce alongside Betsy Beers.


THE STRIP (A.K.A. UNTITLED THOMAS LENNON PROJECT) (NBC) - The Thomas Lennon led comedy has received a pilot order from the Peacock. The multi-camera half-hour revolves around "a former child star (Lennon) who now owns a Hooters-type restaurant in a strip mall on the outskirts of Vegas." Lennon and Robert Ben Garant co-wrote the script to the Universal Media Studios-based project, which Garant will also co-star in a supporting role. The duo will also executive produce alongside Peter Principato and Paul Young.


TORCHWOOD (FOX) - Russell T. Davies is developing a U.S. incarnation of the "Doctor Who" spin-off about "a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity." BBC America currently holds the broadcast rights to the original incarnation, which wrapped its third season last summer. The Hollywood Reporter suggests co-star John Barrowman may be part of the new version, however the project is still in the early stages of development. Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter are the executive producers attached for BBC Worldwide Productions.


UNTITLED BROADWAY MUSICAL PROJECT (Showtime) - Theresa Rebeck ("Canterbury's Law") has been tapped to pen the potential drama, which "chronicles the development of an original Broadway musical, from the inception of the idea through the opening night and everything in between." Storyline Entertainment's Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and DreamWorks Television's Steven Spielberg, Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey are all behind the hour, which would spawn an actual Broadway musical at the end of the first season. Also on board are Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman as songwriters, who are expected to receive an executive producing credits.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? (SYNDICATION)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· CANTERBURY'S LAW (FOX)
· DEAD LAWYERS (SYFY)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOCTOR WHO (DISNEY PLUS)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· NEARLY NIRVANA (NBC)
· NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX)
· ODDS, THE (CBS)
· OFF THE MAP (ABC)
· SMASH (NBC)
· STRIP, THE (NBC)
· TORCHWOOD (FOX)
· TORCHWOOD (STARZ)





[11/20/24 - 12:30 PM]
Slam Dunk! Disney, ESPN and the NBA Team Up to Present "Dunk the Halls" - the First Real-Time, Animated NBA Game: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks on Christmas Day
"Dunk the Halls" will be presented on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.

[11/20/24 - 12:06 PM]
Australian Hulu Original Scripted Drama Series "The Artful Dodger" Is Back for Season 2
The eight-episode Season 2 has an all-star returning cast including Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jack Dawkins aka The Artful Dodger, David Thewlis as Fagin, and Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox.

[11/20/24 - 12:00 PM]
Third Annual "LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular" Premieres Tuesday, Dec. 10 and Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 8:00 - 10:00PM ET/PT on FOX
Special celebrity guests include Sophia Bush, Holly Robinson Peete, Eric McCormack and Lil Rel Howery pairing up with fan-favorite former contestants to compete in jaw-dropping holiday-themed challenges for charities of their choice.

[11/20/24 - 12:00 PM]
"Glitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story" to Premiere December 5 on Prime Video
The four-part documentary penetrates the neon-hued world of Lisa Frank Inc., a brand that defined girlhood for a generation of Americans only to seemingly disappear overnight.

[11/20/24 - 11:03 AM]
Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro Set to Host "The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular" Airing Sunday, Dec. 1, on ABC and Stream Next Day on Hulu and Disney+
Narrated by Kristen Bell, who will share the tale of how the Disney Parks kicks off the most magical holiday ever, "The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular" airs Sunday, December 1.

[11/20/24 - 11:00 AM]
Paramount+ with Showtime Announces "The Honey Trap: A True Story of Love, Lies and the FBI" Premiering Friday, December 6th
The documentary feature, directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Moukarbel, is a dramatic tale of espionage, propaganda, and romance, following the infamous Berlin rapper Denis Cuspert aka Deso Dogg and his journey from artist to MMA fighter to ISIS recruiter.

[11/20/24 - 10:34 AM]
Bravo Rings in the New Year with "Southern Hospitality" Season Three Premiering Thursday, Jan. 2 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
The Queen of King Street, Leva Bonaparte, and her staff - Joe Bradley, Bradley Carter, TJ Dinch, Maddi Reese and Emmy Sharrett - are back for an unforgettable summer of work, play and debauchery.

[11/20/24 - 10:01 AM]
Peacock's New Docuseries "Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story" Goes Inside the Cultural Phenomenon to Reveal the Dark Underbelly of Joe Francis' World
The docuseries, premiering December 3 exclusively on Peacock, includes Francis' first in-depth, in-person interview with a journalist in almost a decade.

[11/20/24 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Anthony Jeselnik celebrates 20 years of delivering boundary-pushing comedy to the masses in this razor-sharp stand-up special.

[11/20/24 - 10:01 AM]
The CW Network Sets 2025 Midseason Premiere Dates for New and Returning Series
Season 7 of the hit series "All American," starring Michael Evans Behling, Greta Onieogou and Bre-Z, kicks off with a special sneak peek on Wednesday, January 29 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) before premiering in its regular timeslot on Monday, February 3 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT).

[11/20/24 - 10:00 AM]
"The Simpsons" - Pamela Hayden, the Voice of Milhouse and Other Iconic Characters Retires the Show After 35 Years
Hear Pamela give her final voice to Milhouse and Jimbo Jones in an all-new episode this Sunday, November 24 on FOX.

[11/20/24 - 09:34 AM]
AXS TV Presents Every Star-Studded Episode from Season One of the Emmy-Nominated Hit "Nashville" in a Special Two-Day Marathon on December 7 & 8, Starting at 10A ET
As part of the event, AXS TV presents new exclusive interviews with cast members Clare Bowen, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio.

[11/20/24 - 09:05 AM]
Food Network's Emmy-Nominated Series, "Kids Baking Championship," Returns with an All-New Animal-Inspired Season
Hosts and judges, Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown, welcome a new field of talented kid bakers to the kitchen for challenges inspired by creatures big and small, including a few fluffy, furry and feathery friends who drop in to the kitchen for live appearances over the course of the season.

[11/20/24 - 09:01 AM]
First Look: Netflix's "Zero Day" Premieres on February 20, 2025
The limited series stars Robert De Niro as respected former U.S. President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyber attack that has caused chaos around the country and thousands of fatalities.

[11/20/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Dream Productions" - Official Trailer
Disney and Pixar's all-new four-episode limited series is available December 11 only on Disney+.