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 (STARZ)
· TORCHWOOD (FOX)





[09/17/26 - 02:00 PM]
NBC's "The Voice" Returns for a Landmark Season 30 with a Three-Night Premiere Event Starting Monday, Sept. 21 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
The new season marks the first-ever simulcast on Peacock for an NBC entertainment program.

[09/17/26 - 01:30 PM]
It's Official: Jalen Brunson to Guest Star on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU"
Brunson will appear in the season's fifth episode in a role being kept under wraps.

[09/17/26 - 12:00 PM]
Peacock's New True Crime Documentary "Kill. Bury. Print." Premieres on Sunday, Sept. 27
The new true-crime documentary, produced by Rachel Maddow, spotlights the complex story behind local corruption and press intimidation in Southeast Oklahoma.

[09/17/26 - 12:00 PM]
CBS and Paramount+ Present "The JLo Show"
The concert film capturing Jennifer Lopez's celebrated residency will premiere Thanksgiving evening, Thursday, November 26 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and stream on Paramount+, with an extended version available exclusively on Paramount+.

[09/17/26 - 11:20 AM]
Lifetime Announces Four New Original Movies This Fall Featuring All-Star Casts
Luke Macfarlane and Siobhan Williams; Matthew Morrison and Molly Saunders; Maddy Hillis, Karis Cameron and Jean Luc Bilodeau; and Judy Reyes and Tahmoh Penikett are among the featured talent.

[09/17/26 - 10:20 AM]
Edie Falco to Star in FOX's New Series "Katie Greaves" (wt)
Falco stars as a whip-smart, fiercely committed attorney who stepped away from the New Hampshire Public Defender's office following a devastating personal tragedy.

[09/17/26 - 10:09 AM]
Video: "CIA" Season 2 Premiere Trailer - CBS
The new season premieres Monday, October 5 on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

[09/17/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Unaccustomed Earth" First Look & Date Announcement
Inspired by the internationally beloved Jhumpa Lahiri's short story collection of the same name, "Unaccustomed Earth" premieres December 17, only on Netflix.

[09/17/26 - 09:18 AM]
Hit Shudder Competition Series "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula" Returns for Seventh Season on Tuesday, October 27
The four-time Emmy-nominated series is Shudder's highest-performing unscripted original franchise and continues to be one of the platform's most popular series.

[09/17/26 - 09:01 AM]
Disney and "Like Nastya," Globally Renowned Kids' Creator, Strike Content and Development Deal
The deal includes development of an original animated preschool series for Disney Jr. and Disney+, along with new live-action content for kids, tweens, teens and families.

[09/17/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Perfect Liars" - Official Teaser - Prime Video
The adaptation of Álex Mírez's novel premieres November 20 on Prime Video.

[09/17/26 - 09:00 AM]
Additional Performers Revealed for "2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)" Airing Live Sept. 27 on CBS
GENER8ION, Gunna, LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey, SIENNA SPIRO and Yung Lean will join show opener Madonna for performances during this year's event.

[09/17/26 - 09:00 AM]
Production Revs Up on AMC's New NASCAR Drama, "Thunder Road"
Centered on family dynamics, fierce rivalries and the untold stories behind one of America's most iconic sports, "Thunder Road" follows the multigenerational saga of the fictional Whitlock family, whose legacy in stock car racing is as deep as the family's ties to the Southern hill country roots that shaped them.

[09/17/26 - 08:16 AM]
Video: Date Announcement, Trailer & Key Art Debut - "The Kardashians" Season Eight
Season eight premieres October 8 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.

[09/17/26 - 08:05 AM]
ESPN Updates NHL Exclusive Game Start Times on October 6
The New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers matchup will now begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Florida Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings will now begin at 10 p.m.