or


[02/03/10 - 06:34 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, February 3
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!


BIG LOVE (HBO) - The pay channel has commissioned a fifth season of the drama, just four episodes into its current season. It's understood 10 new episodes will roll out early next year with co-creators Mark Olsen and Will Scheffer returning as showrunners. "Love" opened to 1.7 million viewers last month, up 49% from its season three bow. To date, the series up 13% year-to-year. Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, David Knoller and Bernadette Caulfield also serve as executive producers for Playtone and Anima Sola Productions.


FRESHMEN (ABC) - Sarah Chalke ("Scrubs") has snagged the female lead in the comedy pilot, about "the friendship of three freshmen members of Congress - two men and a woman - who live together in D.C." She'll play the woman, Jane Keathly, "a beautiful, smart and funny freshman Congresswoman who was the VP at a multi-billion dollar company when she was just 28, and who won her district with the largest margin of any candidate since 1977, however, when it comes to men, Jane is a disaster waiting to happen." Greg Malins penned the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour and is executive producing alongside Arianna Huffington and Roy Sekoff.


HAPPY TOWN (ABC) - The Alphabet is set to announce the midseason drama will launch on Wednesday, April 28 at 10:00/9:00c. Geoff Stults, Sam Neill, Lauren German, Steven Weber, Amy Acker, Sarah Gadon, Robert Wisdom, Jay Paulson and Ben Schnetzer all co-star in the series, about a small town still haunted by a number of unsolved kidnappings. ABC has ordered eight hours of the series, including a two-hour pilot which is now expected to air as two separate installments ("In This Home On Ice" and "I Came to Haplin for the Water"). Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg are the executive producers for ABC Studios.


MIKE & MOLLY (CBS) - Billy Gardell ("My Name Is Earl") has booked one of the title roles in the comedy pilot, about "an overweight, charming police officer and a pretty and plump woman, who meet at Overeaters Anonymous." He'll play Mike Biggs, said officer, in the half-hour, which comes from Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Katy Mixon and Reno Wilson also star in the half-hour, penned by Mark Roberts.


NAKED BUT FUNNY (FOX, New!) - The network has added another improv project to its roster, this time from Peter Engel and Barry Katz. Said effort has a pilot presentation order, however no specifics about the format were given. Casting is underway with Engel and Katz executive producing via their respective companies, Peter Engel Productions and New Wave Entertainment.


NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX) - Harish Patel ("The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency") is the first to be cast in the comedy pilot, about "grown-up Indian-American brothers and their immigrant parents." He's set as Arjun Mattoo, the boys' doctor father. Ajay Sahgal is behind the half-hour, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television.


SCOUNDRELS (ABC) - Virginia Madsen ("Monk") has been tapped to star in the upcoming family drama, about the matriarch of "a clan of criminals who decides that it's time for her brood to go straight after her husband is sentenced to a long prison term." She'll play said woman, Cheryl West, in the project, which is slated for an eight-episode run this summer. Catherine O'Hara played the role in its previous incarnation, "Good Behavior," which didn't make the cut for the 2008-09 season. Richard Levine and Lyn Greene are behind the hour, which is set up at ABC Studios and South Pacific Pictures.


TEAM SPITZ (A.K.A. UNTITLED ROB RIGGLE PROJECT) (CBS) - "The Daily Show" alum Rob Riggle is set to topline a potential new comedy for the network about a bombastic high school football coach. Said half-hour, which is the result of a talent holding deal the actor signed back in 2008, comes from CBS Television Studios, Principato-Young Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television and the Sony-based Tantamount. Bill Martin and Mike Schiff co-wrote the multi-camera project, which has a pilot commitment, and are executive producing alongside Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, Mitch Hurwitz, Peter Principato and Paul Young.


UNTITLED BEN SCHWERIN PROJECT (HBO, New!) - "Entourage's" Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and Doug Ellin are set to reteam for a new series about "a young political aide and his relationship with his idol - the former President of the United States." Ben Schwerin is penning the effort, which is in the script stage, and will serve as a co-executive producer. Levinson, Wahlberg and Ellin then will executive produce via their Closest to the Hole Productions and Leverage banners.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· FRESHMEN (ABC)
· GOOD BEHAVIOR (ABC)
· HAPPY TOWN (ABC)
· MIKE & MOLLY (CBS)
· MONK (USA)
· MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
· NAKED BUT FUNNY (FOX)
· NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX)
· NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY, THE (HBO)
· SCOUNDRELS (ABC)
· SCRUBS (ABC)
· TEAM SPITZ (CBS)
· UNTITLED BEN SCHWERIN PROJECT (HBO)





[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+.