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[03/05/10 - 12:23 AM]
Development Update: Friday, March 5 (Part 1)
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!
2010-11 SEASON BROADCAST PILOTS (Various) - Directors have been confirmed for 15 of this year's pilots -
"The Adam Carolla Show" (Michael Spiller);
"Chase" (David Nutter);
"It Takes a Village" (Michael Fresco);
"Love Bites" (Marc Buckland);
"Most Likely to Succeed" (Michael Patrick Jann);
"The Pink House" (Michael Lembeck);
"The Quinn-tuplets" (Mimi Leder);
"Reagan's Law" (Michael Cuesta, also executive producing);
"The Strip" (Beth McCarthy);
"Tax Man/Untitled IRS Project" (Fred Savage);
"Team Spitz" (Ted Wass);
"This Little Piggy" (Ted Wass);
"Traffic Light" (Chris Koch);
"Untitled Medical Project" (Christopher Chulack); and
"Wilde Kingdom/Untitled Will Arnett Project" (Mitch Hurwitz)
- in addition to those mentioned below.
Meanwhile, three others pilots have been given new monikers: Dana Carvey and Spike Feresten's improv project for FOX has been dubbed "Spoof"; Richard Hatem's cop drama starring Katee Sackhoff is running under "Boston's Finest"; and Paul Reiser's single-camera for NBC is simply "Next."
BETWIXT (The CW) - Allison Miller ("Kings") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about three teenagers who discover their lineage has granted them special abilities which they use to fight evil. She'll play one of them, Celine Halstead, an "ethereal beauty." Meanwhile, Christian Duguay ("The Beautiful Life") has been tapped to direct the pilot, which is being co-produced by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. Elizabeth Chandler penned the hour based on Tara Bray Smith's young adult novel of the same name. Carol Barbee is also on board to supervise the project alongside Paul Stupin.
BODY OF EVIDENCE (ABC) - Jeri Ryan ("Leverage") has booked a role on the drama pilot, about "a brilliant, tenacious medical examiner whose background as a neurosurgeon gives her a unique and refreshing crime-solving perspective but puts her at odds with nearly everyone." She'll play Philadelphia's first female Chief Medical Examiner, a role originally written for someone of Indian descent (Dr. Padma Krishnamurthy Noori). In addition, Nelson McCormick ("Southland") has signed on to helm the hour, which comes from ABC Studios and creator Chris Murphey. Geoffrey Arend, John Carroll Lynch and Windell Middlebrooks also star in the project, the lead role of which has been offered to Dana Delany.
EDGAR FLOATS (ABC) - Robert Patrick ("The Unit") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about a police psychologist-turned-bounty hunter. He'll play Christopher Breakey, the man's former father-in-law who hires him as a bail bondsman, where he must work alongside his ex-wife (Alicia Witt). Jace Alexander is directing the Warner Bros. Television-based project, which also stars Derek Webster. Rand Ravich penned the script.
GENERATION Y (ABC) - Sebastian Sozzi ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent") has booked the final principal role on the drama pilot, about the lives of eight young adults during a 10-year span in Austin. He'll play The Falcon, the show's "The Rebel" personality, creator Noah Hawley posted to his Twitter account. Craig Gillespie is helming the ABC Studios-based hour, whose ensemble also includes Anne Son, Daniella Alonso, Jaime King, Julian Morris, Keir O'Donnell, Kelli Garner, Mehcad Brooks and Michael Stahl-David.
HAWAII FIVE-O (CBS) - Scott Caan ("Entourage") has been tapped as the 21st century Danny "Danno" Williams in the drama pilot, an updated take on the 1968-1980 series about an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police headed by Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin). James MacArthur originated the role, "a New Jersey cop who has recently undergone an acrimonious divorce and has transferred to Hawaii to be near his 7-year-old daughter." Caan's involvement is technically as a guest star due to his series regular status on the upcoming seventh season of "Entourage." In addition, Len Wisman ("Live Free or Die Hard") has been tapped to direct and executive produce the hour, which comes from co-creators Alex Kurtzman, Peter Lenkov and Roberto Orci. Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park and Taryn Manning also star.
OUR SHOW (A.K.A. UNTITLED LARRY CHARLES PROJECT) (NBC) - Nate Corddry, Jonathan Sadowski, Dan Bakkedahl and P.J. Byrne have all joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about "a disparate group of people who begin making episodes of their favorite sci-fi show after it ends." Corddry and Sadowski will play brothers Mike and Jack, who spearhead the group's efforts. Details on Bakkedahl and Byrne's characters weren't released. Larry Charles is helming the Warner Bros. Television/Wonderland Sound and Vision-based presentation off his own treatment.
PARKS & RECREATION (NBC) - "Party Down" co-star Adam Scott will reportedly join the cast of the Amy Poehler-led comedy next season. He'll play a love interest for Poehler's character, Leslie Knope, in the final two episodes of the current season before returning as a regular in season three. As for "Party Down," Scott, like all the actors on the Starz series, isn't locked into a long term deal. Said pact only calls for Scott to appear in up to three episodes should "Down" return for a third season. The show's sophomore cycle begins April 23.
RIDE ALONG (FOX) - Matt Lauria ("Friday Night Lights") and Devin Kelley ("Tease") have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, a police procedural set - and filmed - in Chicago. Said hour, from 20th Century Fox Television, revolves around three groups of police officers, including legendary cop Jarek Wysocki. Kelley will play Vonda Wysocki, Jarek's niece, a young beat copper who's "carried on the family tradition of becoming a cop even though her father was killed in the line of duty when she was young." Lauria then is set as Caleb Evers, a young detective - "an entertaining, tough-looking puppy dog" - who wants badly to be Jarek's next "project." It's not clear how Lauria's involvement will affect his status on "Lights." Todd Williams also stars in the project, which Charles McDougall is directing from a script by Shawn Ryan.
STRICTLY ICE DANCING (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet and BBC Worldwide Productions are looking to import the reality competition series, in which six celebrities are paired with professional ice skaters. Said effort mirrors the format of "Dancing With the Stars," which is also based on a U.K. series ("Strictly Come Dancing"). Izzie Pick will executive produce the six-episode project, which is expected to roll out later this year, with Alex Rudzinski attached as director.
TOO BIG TO FAIL (A.K.A. UNTITLED MCLEAN & NOCERA PROJECT) (HBO) - New York Times journalist Andrew Sorkin's book "Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System -- and Themselves" has reportedly been tapped as the new basis of the pay channel's docudrama about the 2008 financial meltdown. The book "chronicles the credit crisis by focusing on such figures as Richard Fuld, former chief executive of the now-bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers, John Mack, former CEO of Morgan Stanley, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and his predecessor Henry Paulson." HBO had previously optioned fellow New York Times journalist Joe Nocera and Vanity Fair writer Bethany McClean's tome on the same subject matter, however that book has not yet been published. Peter Gould ("Breaking Bad") has been tapped to pen the Sorkin adaptation while no other auspices were specified.
UNTITLED WYOMING PROJECT (The CW) - Alan Ruck ("Persons Unknown") and Scarlett Johnson ("EastEnders") have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Gideon Thorpe (Sean Faris), "a horse trainer who becomes the patriarch of a Wyoming ranch responsible for his three younger sisters after their parents die." He'll play Hollister Ames, a nemesis who wants to buy said ranch. His character is further detailed as follows: "40 and full of himself... he's wearing an over-the-top Johnny Reb jacket and cowboy boots that have never seen dirt." Johnson then, while not specified, is believed to be playing Lucy December, Gideon's chief love interest, a New Yorker that's just relocated to Wyoming in order to take care of her grandmother, who just had a stroke. Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino are behind the hour, a co-production of CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[03/29/25 - 05:00 PM]
Video: "Bad Thoughts" - Tom Segura Comedy Series - Date Announcement - Netflix
In this six-episode series of dark and twisted comedy, Tom Segura brings his unfiltered musings to life within a cinematic world where nothing is as it seems.
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[03/28/25 - 02:26 PM]
Universal Pictures' Global Cinematic Event "Wicked" Debuts as Streaming's #1 Film
Per preliminary Nielsen data, "Wicked" is the #1 film across all of streaming with 882 million minutes viewed for the week of March 17-23.
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[03/28/25 - 02:22 PM]
ESPN's Exclusive Coverage of Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Yankees Game on March 27 Generated Largest National Opening Day Audience in Seven Years
The Brewers vs. Yankees game averaged 1.93 million viewers, peaking with 2.23 million viewers.
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[03/28/25 - 02:03 PM]
Video: "RoboForce: The Animated Series" - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
In 2089 Detroit, RoboForce is obsolete and has no hope of becoming heroes. That is until a mysterious code virus infects the UA101 bots, and no one besides RoboForce can stop them.
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[03/28/25 - 10:06 AM]
Mary Steenburgen Joins Netflix's "A Man on the Inside" for Season 2
Steenburgen will play Mona Margadoff, a former musician who factors heavily in the case Charles is trying to solve.
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[03/28/25 - 09:05 AM]
ESPN, Disney+ and Skydance Sports Announce New ESPN Original Series on the Kansas City Chiefs
The six-episode docuseries is expected to premiere later this year on ESPN and Disney+.
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[03/28/25 - 07:07 AM]
Discovery Channel April Programming Highlights
This April, all-new series "Red Bull Soapbox Race," premieres alongside new seasons of "Expedition Files," "Ghost Adventures," "Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America," and "Street Outlaws: Locals Only."
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[03/28/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" - Documentary Announcement - Netflix
Before it hits Broadway this spring, experience the making of the West End phenomenon.
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[03/28/25 - 06:01 AM]
Adult Swim Renews Acclaimed Series "Common Side Effects" for Second Season
The finale episode of the debut season of "Common Side Effects" will air this Sunday at 11:30/10:30c. on Adult Swim.
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[03/27/25 - 11:04 AM]
Part Two of FOX Nation's "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" to Roll Out Through the Holy Season
FOX Nation will roll out part two of its hit docudrama series beginning on Friday, April 4 and through the Easter season.
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[03/27/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Survivor" Hits Broadcast and Live Streaming Season Highs
The telecast averaged 4.50 million broadcast viewers up +7% from its season-to-date average, and up +13% from its season-to-date average live streaming on Paramount+.
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[03/27/25 - 10:06 AM]
All-New Series "Red Bull Soapbox Race" Premieres Tuesday, April 29 at 9PM on Discovery Channel
Hosted by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and motorsports announcer Mike Bagley, the series features amateur teams as they design and build one-of-a-kind, gravity-powered soapbox racers that compete - and crash - on intricate, downhill courses.
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[03/27/25 - 10:01 AM]
Viral Dating Series "Pop the Balloon" Is Coming Live to Netflix
Yvonne Orji will host the live edition of the series, streaming every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET beginning April 10, only on Netflix.
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[03/27/25 - 10:00 AM]
"Jeopardy! Masters" Returns Wednesday, April 30, on ABC, Following New Episodes of Pat Sajak's "Final Spin" as Host on "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune"
Hosted by "Jeopardy!" G.O.A.T. Ken Jennings, the third annual "Jeopardy! Masters" 2025 tournament will feature an expanded lineup of the top-ranked current "Jeopardy!" contestants, each competing in two action-packed games per hourlong episode for the grand prize of $500,000.
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[03/27/25 - 09:34 AM]
Lifetime Announces "The 13th Wife: Escaping Polygamy" A Two Part Movie Event Starring Felicity Huffman, Olga Petsa and Eric Johnson Premiering May 31 and June 1
The film is based on the extraordinary true story of Rena Chynoweth (played by Huffman as present day Rena and Petsa as young Rena), a brave survivor and former wife of a manipulative polygamist group leader, who escaped a life of oppression and dedicated herself to freeing others.
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