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[02/22/10 - 12:03 AM]
Development Update: Monday, February 22
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
THE BIG C (Showtime) - "Sex and the City" alums Jenny Bicks and Michael Engler have both joined the upcoming comedy, about a suburban wife and mother (Laura Linney) whose cancer diagnosis forces her to shake up her life. Bicks will serve as the half-hour's showrunner while Engler is set as a co-executive producer and in-house director. Darlene Hunt penned and Bill Condon helmed the pilot, which also stars Gabourey Sidibe, John Benjamin Hickey, Oliver Platt and Phyllis Somerville. Linney, Neal Moritz and Vivian Cannon also serve as executive producers for Sony Pictures Television.
THE JENSEN PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Muse Entertainment has booked another two-hour backdoor pilot at the Peacock, this time about "12 geniuses who move to an isolated spot in the Allegheny Mountains to spend their time inventing ways to fix the world's problems and then share their discoveries freely and anonymously with the world." Kellie Martin, Brady Smith, Patricia Richardson and LeVar Burton all star in the project, which picks up as "a few decide to take their latest invention, cash in and make names for themselves, launching a cross-country race as the others try to stop them." Monica Macer penned the script while Douglas Barr is attached to direct. Production then is set to begin on Monday in Montreal in a deal similar to Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart's time buy for the upcoming "Secrets of the Mountain." Joel Rice, Jeff Grant and Brian Wells are the executive producers.
LOVE BITES (NBC) - Becki Newton ("Ugly Betty") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, which is billed as "an anthology of love and sex." She'll play Annie, "an optimistic, infectiously bubbly social worker who is a virgin." Cindy Chupack is behind the hour, which comes from Universal Media Studios and Working Title Films.
NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX) - Rachael Leigh Cook ("Psych") has joined the cast of the pilot, a comedy about "two grown Indian-American brothers who clash with their controlling immigrant parents as they assimilate American culture." She'll play Elizabeth Van Pelt, the girlfriend of one of them. Harish Patel and Utkarsh Ambudkar also star in the Ajay Sahgal-penned half-hour, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television.
SCOUNDRELS (ABC) - Neal McDonough ("Desperate Housewives") is the latest addition to the upcoming drama, about "the matriarch (Virginia Madsen) of a family of criminals who decides it's time for her brood to go straight after her husband is sentenced to a long prison term." He'll play Wolfgang "Wolf" West, said husband, in the hour, which comes from co-creators Lyn Greene and Richard Levine. Gary Cole originated the role in the project's previous incarnation, "Good Behavior." ABC Studios and South Pacific Pictures are co-producing.
STRANGE BREW (FOX) - Jere Burns ("Surviving Surburia") has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about "a family that owns a small regional brewery and struggles with working and living together." He'll play Ted, the patriarch of the Forrest clan, who was "once a weathered ourdoorsmen [however] the last 10 years has turned him into a withered indoorsmen." Also signing as Ted and Janie's (Laurie Metcalf) kids are Aya Cash, Skylar Astin and Mo Mandel. Cash will play "beautiful, highly-intelligent, highly-underachieving" Lizzy, the eldest sibling who works as Ted's secetary. Astin and Mandel then are believed to be playing fraternal twins Kyle, "the alpha twin," and Clay, "the sweeter, gentler one." David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based project, to be directed by Marc Buckland.
UNCLE NIGEL (TBS) - Charles Dutton, Lea Thompson and Jeff Davis are all the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Nigel Wells (Gary Cole), "a veteran Philadelphia homicide detective who takes on his inexperienced, incompetent nephew Ronnie (Matt Jones) as a partner." Dutton is set as Captain Elliot Mackey, "the tightly wound, immaculately dressed" deputy of detectives. Thompson then is playing Abby Wells - Ronnie's mom, Nigel's sister - a "single, beautiful, open-hearted" woman. Lastly, Davis is on board as Detective Frank Frankel, "a smug, resentful prick" who serves as Ronnie's nemesis in the squad. Andy Breckman penned the hour and is executive producing.
UNTITLED LARRY CHARLES/ANT HINES PROJECT (CBS) - Nicollette Sheridan ("Desperate Housewives") has joined the cast of the pilot presentation, about "a British lowlife (Paul Kaye) who moves to L.A. to reconnect with his daughter, a precocious teen superstar." She'll play "the girl's outrageous stage mother and the deadbeat dad's long-lost love." Larry Charles is helming the semi-scripted comedy, which was conceived by Ant Hines. Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount are co-producing.
UNTITLED RICHARD HATEM PROJECT (ABC) - Katee Sackhoff ("24") is set to topline the drama pilot, about "a beautiful female detective who teams with a disgraced ex-cop to solve crimes and untangle the conspiracy that sent him underground." She'll play said woman, Julia Scott, who's "strong in body and soul." Sackhoff's involvement would seem to indicate her run on the FOX drama will either be short-lived or reduced should it return for a ninth season. Gary Fleder is helming the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Richard Hatem.
UNTITLED WYOMING PROJECT (The CW) - Sean Faris ("The Vampire Diaries") and newcomer Renee Smith are the first to be cast on the drama pilot, about a horse trainer who becomes the patriarch of a Wyoming ranch and responsible for his three younger sisters - Dinah (16), Maggie (13) and Bird (9) - after their parents die. Faris will play Gideon Thorpe, the aforementioned trainer, who's described as "rugged, a young John Wayne." Smith then is set as Dinah, the eldest sister, who's "short but sturdy, a sixteen-year old version of Holly Hunter in 'Broadcast News.'" Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino co-wrote the hour, which comes from CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television.
WORTHY (FOX) - 20th Century Fox Television has pulled out of the drama pilot, about "an Arizona politician who is blackmailed by a mob boss following a hit-and-run accident." It's not clear how said development will affect the show's production status. Originally ordered to pilot back in October, no casting has since been announced. Davey Holmes penned the hour with Jake Kasdan attached to direct. Gavin Polone also serves as an executive producer.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[01/23/25 - 02:18 PM]
ID's "The Fall of Diddy" - Four-Part Docuseries to Premiere Beginning Monday, January 27 at 9/8c on ID
The docuseries features exclusive, never-before-heard accounts and never-before-seen archival footage, offering personal insights into harrowing allegations of violent behavior and illegal activity that have shadowed the music mogul.
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[01/23/25 - 02:00 PM]
FOX's "The 1% Club" Goes 100% Joel McHale with New Host and New Season
It originally premiered on Prime Video last season in the U.S. and Canada and will now move exclusively to FOX for its new season airing in 2025-26.
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[01/23/25 - 12:32 PM]
Great American Media Announces #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Karen Kingsbury's New Original Film, "Someone Like You," Starring Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, Lynn Collins, Robyn Lively, and Bart Johnson
The film streams exclusively on Pure Flix, Thursday, February 20 and premiering on Great American Family, Saturday, February 22.
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[01/23/25 - 11:51 AM]
Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg Host "Very Scary Lovers" - Premiering Sunday, February 2 on ID
The special will premiere immediately following the season finale of "Very Scary People," hosted by Donnie Wahlberg.
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[01/23/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Super Bowl Greatest Commercials: Funniest of All-Time" Hosted by "CBS Mornings'" Nate Burleson and Actress Daniela Ruah to Air Wednesday, Feb. 5 on CBS
Now in its 24th year, the special will celebrate the Super Bowl commercials that have famously kept America laughing during the big game.
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[01/23/25 - 10:09 AM]
FOX Sports Films and NASCAR Studios Team Up for Two New Original Documentaries Marking the Start of the 2025 NASCAR Season
"The Madhouse: NASCAR's Return to Bowman Gray Stadium" and "So Damn Close: Atlanta '24" are both on tap in the coming weeks.
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[01/23/25 - 10:03 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights "Killing the Competition" Executive Produced by and Starring Melissa Joan Hart
Debuting March 1, the film is inspired by actual events of an overbearing mother who descends from meddling to menacing after her daughter is cut from the dance team of her own high school alma mater.
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[01/23/25 - 10:02 AM]
Video: "The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Big Game" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Join celebrity bakers DK Metcalf, Katie Nolan, Tony Gonzalez, Arik Armstead, Amy Smart as they prepare special bakes for America's biggest sporting event of the year!
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[01/23/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Sweet Magnolias" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
It's a very Serenity holiday season as the Magnolias weather a tragedy, a town crisis and a fierce storm in the weeks from Halloween to Christmas.
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[01/23/25 - 09:15 AM]
Oxygen True Crime's "New York Homicide" Premieres Feb. 1 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
In its second season, "New York Homicide" reached 8.3 million viewers across all platforms.
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[01/23/25 - 09:04 AM]
Black Stories Always: Hulu Celebrates Black History Month with New Premieres and Timeless Classics
From timeless classics to groundbreaking originals, we shine a light on the voices and creators who have made an impact on culture and entertainment.
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[01/23/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: MGM+ Original Series "Godfather of Harlem" Returns April 13th with an Action-Packed Season 4 Teaser Starring Academy Award-Winner Forest Whitaker
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[01/23/25 - 08:01 AM]
Paramount+ to Premiere True-Crime Docuseries "Burden of Guilt" on February 4
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[01/23/25 - 08:00 AM]
Max Original Four-Part Documentary Series "The Takedown: American Aryans" Debuts February 6
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[01/23/25 - 08:00 AM]
The CBS Original "Hollywood Squares" Lands Special Week-Long Daytime Run
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