or


[02/26/10 - 12:06 AM]
Development Update: Friday, February 26
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!


90210 (The CW) - Gillian Zinser has been upped to series regular on the sophomore drama, which returns with new episodes on Tuesday, March 9. She'll continue on as tomboy surfer chick Ivy Sullivan on the teen soap, which was renewed for a third season earlier this month. It's not clear which episode will reflect her new status.


THE CAPE (NBC) - David Lyons ("ER") has been tapped as the lead role of the drama pilot, about "a former cop set up as a criminal who becomes a masked hero to clear his name and reunite with his eight-year-old son." He'll play Vince Faraday, the aforementioned cop. Simon West is helming the Universal Media Studios-based hour from a script by Tom Wheeler.


THE EVENT (NBC) - Fellow "ER" alum Laura Innes has scored a role on the drama pilot, about "a decent, regular fellow who battles against mysterious circumstances that envelope a larger conspiracy." She's believed to be playing the leader of the inmates at the Mount Inostranka Facility, a secret prison in Alaska. Said role, Neil McCann, was originally written as male. Ian Anthony Dale, Jason Ritter, Sarah Roemer, Scott Patterson and Zeljko Ivanek also star in the hour, which comes from Universal Media Studios, Steve Stark Productions and creator Nick Wauters.


FRESHMEN (ABC) - Tommy Dewey ("Roommates") and Suzy Nakamura ("Men of a Certain Age") have each landed roles on the comedy pilot, about "three first-year members of Congress (Ben Lawson, Sarah Chalke and Dewey) who live together in a Washington row house." He'll round out the trio as Cameron Graham, "an idealistic congressman from Illinois, is married to a demanding wife whose father financed his campaign and who is smitten with new roommate Jane." Nakamura then is set as Cameron's chief of staff, which was originally conceived as a man named Lance. Taran Killam also stars in the half-hour, which Pamela Fryman is directing from a script by Greg Malins. 20th Century Fox Television is producing.


LUCK (HBO) - Dennis Farina and John Ortiz are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, which is billed as "a provocative look at the worlds of horse racing and gambling told through a diverse group of characters surrounding a racetrack." Said hour centers on Chester "Ace" Bernstein, who, "after three years in prison, teams with Gus Economou (Farina), his longtime chauffeur and muscle, to craft a complex plan involving the track." Ortiz then is set as Turo Escalante, "a successful trainer with sordid reputation." Michael Mann is helming the hour from a script by David Milch. Both are executive producing alongside Carolyn Strauss and Henry Bronchtein.


MIDLAND (FOX) - Eloise Mumford ("Crash") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about "a con artist (Jimmy Wolk) juggling two lives in two Texas cities with two different women." She's believed to be playing one of them, his girlfriend Lindsay, "the kind of approachable beauty who probably won't meet you for coffee, but will give you the nicest no you've ever heard." Kyle Killen penned the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, to be directed by Marc Web..


MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (FOX) - Malcolm Barrett is the latest "Better Off Ted" co-star to land a comedy pilot. He's set to play Oliver in the half-hour, about "a group of friends who once were high school superstars but now face the reality of adulthood." Said character was "once voted 'most charming' but is now pathetic and terrible with the ladies." Barrett's involvement, like Jay Harrington on NBC's "Nathan vs. Nurture" and Andrea Anders on ABC's "Mr. Sunshine," is in second position to their duties on "Ted," which is considered unlikely to return. Kaitlin Doubleday and Kathryn Hahn also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based comedy, which was penned by David Walpert.


NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX) - "Past Life" alum Ravi Patel has scored a lead role on the comedy pilot, about two brothers from a traditional Indian background who struggle with their parents' expectations. He'll play one of them, Sunil "Sonny" Mattoo, who lives - and is expecting a child - with his white girlfriend (Rachael Leigh Cook). Harish Patel and Utkarsh Ambudkar also star in the half-hour, which comes from creator Ajay Sahgal and 20th Century Fox Television.


NIKITA (The CW) - Shane West ("ER") has booked the male lead on the drama pilot, about an assassin for a top-secret government organization who goes rogue (Maggie Q) and the new assassin who is trained to replace her. He'll play Michael, the agent in charge of recruitment sent to bring in the rogue Nikita. Danny Cannon is helming the hour from a script by Craig Silverstein. Warner Bros. Television is producing.


OPEN BOOKS (CBS) - Patti LuPone ("Oz") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about June Gage (Laura Benanti), a book editor at a boutique New York publishing house and her circle of friends. She'll play Roz, June's "tough cookie" mom. Gail Lerner is behind the Warner Bros. Television-based comedy, which James Burrows is attached to direct.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 90210 (CW)
· BETTER OFF TED (ABC)
· BETTER OFF TED (ABC)
· CAPE, THE (NBC)
· CRASH (STARZ)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ER (NBC)
· EVENT, THE (NBC)
· FRESHMEN (ABC)
· LONE STAR (FOX)
· LUCK (HBO)
· MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE (TNT)
· MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (FOX)
· NATHAN VS NURTURE (NBC)
· NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX)
· NIKITA (CW)
· OPEN BOOKS (CBS)
· OZ (HBO)
· PAST LIFE (FOX)
· ROOMMATES (ABC FAMILY)





[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM]
What's New on HBO Max This December
New films due next month include "The Family McMullen," A24's "Ne Zha II," A24 documentary "Architecton," and Bleeker Street's "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues."

[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM]
"TMZ Presents: TMZ's Most Outrageous Moments of 2025" Premieres Tuesday, December 2 at 9/8c on FOX
TMZ brings you an ultimate year-end spectacle packed with the most jaw-dropping moments, epic surprises, and unforgettable blunders of 2025!

[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: We TV Releases Exclusive Sneak Peek of the New Season of "Love During Lockup"
The prequel to "Love After Lockup," "Love During Lockup," reveals the fascinating moments that occur when people in the free world look for love and begin relationships with inmates, capturing their journey as they count down the days, weeks, months, or even years until the anticipated release.

[11/21/25 - 07:39 AM]
Great American Media Celebrates "Christmas as It's Meant to Be" as the Exclusive Broadcast Home of the 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting
Great American Media will exclusively broadcast the ceremony on Great American Family Friday, December 5 at 8 p.m. ET, with streaming available on Great American Pure Flix through January 31, 2026.

[11/21/25 - 06:03 AM]
FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw Presentation Features Unprecedented 3 1/2 Hours of Live Coverage on Broadcast Television
FOX Sports' veteran sportscasters Rob Stone and Jenny Taft will anchor the network's on-site broadcast alongside former U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) stars and acclaimed analysts Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden.

[11/20/25 - 04:55 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Jumps to Season Highs with Epic "Prince Night"
The show rose dramatically over its year-ago penultimate episode in Total Viewers, with its best semifinals performance in seven years.

[11/20/25 - 02:50 PM]
Video: Watch the Trailers - "OWN for the Holidays" Returns with Three Festive New Movies
"Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Showdown," and "Very Merry Mystery" are on tap in the coming weeks.

[11/20/25 - 01:16 PM]
"Christmas in Nashville" Unveils Star-Studded Performer Lineup for Dec. 3 Country Music Holiday Special on NBC
Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, Lauren Alaina, NE-YO, The War and Treaty and Trace Adkins are set to perform holiday favorites.

[11/20/25 - 12:32 PM]
"The Tonight Show" Enters the Upside Down - "Stranger Things" Cast to Make a Series of Guest Appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"
Millie Bobby Brown will co-host with Fallon on December 7, which is the final post-"Sunday Night Football" special episode of the season.

[11/20/25 - 12:30 PM]
Video: Acorn TV Debuts Trailer and Key Art for "The Madame Blanc Mysteries" Two-Part Christmas Special
Created by and starring Sally Lindsay, the special is set to premiere on Monday, December 15 and Monday, December 22, respectively, in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

[11/20/25 - 11:56 AM]
TV One Networks Commitment to the Culture Continues with 2026 Programming Preview Featuring Star Studded Stories, True Crime Confessions and Lifestyle Experts
Adding to the exciting new lineup, TV One continues its investment into the true crime genre with returning fan favorite titles and expansion of the popular "Fatal Attraction" franchise with "Fatal Attraction: I'd Kill to Be You."

[11/20/25 - 11:31 AM]
"Landman" Season 2 Premiere Delivers Record Breaking 9.2 Million Global Streaming Views in Its First Two Days on Paramount+
Views increased by +262% from the first season premiere, making it the most watched premiere for any original series for Paramount+.

[11/20/25 - 11:01 AM]
ESPN Signs Women's Basketball Analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo to Multi-Year Extension
She will continue as one of ESPN's lead voices on women's college basketball and WNBA coverage, including regular-season games, Champ Week, the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and the WNBA Finals.

[11/20/25 - 11:01 AM]
BritBox Announces Season Three of Jimmy McGovern's Award-Winning "Time" Starring David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran
Set within a Young Offenders Institution, the season will explore the impact of locking up teenagers and the effects on those who look after them.

[11/20/25 - 10:17 AM]
All New Season of "When Calls the Heart" Returns January 4
Plus: Guess who's returning to Hope Valley... it's Brooke Shields!