or


[10/08/10 - 06:33 PM]
Development Update: Friday, October 8
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!


ECHELON (NBC, New!) - Feature writer Michael Gordon ("300") has booked a new drama at the Peacock about "the controversial U.S electronic eavesdropping apparatus ECHELON, a program that supposedly captures virtually all data signals for analysis at a central hub in West Virginia." Said hour, which comes from Imagine Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television, then would revolve around the Global Hierarchical Observation Strategy Taskforce (G.H.O.S.T.), whose assignment it is to investigate paranormal data captured by the system. Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo then will executive produce alongside Gordon, who's penning the script.


NURSE JACKIE (Showtime) - "Kyle XY" alum Jaimie Alexander is set for a four-episode arc on the show's upcoming third season. She'll play Kevin's (Dominic Fumusa) never-before-seen younger sibling. No other specifics were given.


SUBURGATORY (ABC, New!) - Emily Kapnek ("Hung") has booked a new single-camera comedy at the Alphabet about "a teenage girl who is moved from the big city to her version of hell -- the suburbs." Warner Bros. Television is behind the half-hour, which Kapnek will write and executive producer.


TRUE DETECTIVES/ZITS (CBS, New!) - "Samantha Who?" co-creator Donald Todd has set up a pair of projects at the Eye. Drama "True Detectives" is based on Jonathan Kellerman's novel of the same name, about "two estranged half-brothers, one a homicide cop and the other a private eye, solving crimes in Los Angeles." "Zits" then is a family comedy based on Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott's newspaper strip "that explores the sardonic wit and hormonal angst of 16-year-old Jeremy Duncan." Both efforts come from Warner Bros. Television where Todd has a multi-script deal. Jerry Bruckheimer Television is co-producing "Zits" with Bruckheimer, Scott and Borgman executive producing alongside Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed. "Detectives" is likewise executive produced by Greer Shephard, Michael Robin, David Salzman and Kellerman for the former's Shephard/Robin Co.


TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS) - TMZ.com reports co-star Angus T. Jones has inked a new contract with Warner Bros. Television valued at $300,000 per episode. The two-year deal is valued at $14.4 million, plus a $500,000 signing bonus, making him the highest-paid child TV star. That's a $50,000 per episode raise from his previous salary, $250,000 per episode.


UNTITLED PETER KNIGHT PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Peter Knight ("Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire") has snagged a put pilot order from the Eye for a new comedy about "a suburban dad of a blended family who has strong opinions about the way of doing things." Sony Pictures Television is behind the multi-camera half-hour, which Knight will executive produce alongside Happy Madison's Doug Robinson and Jack Giarraputo.


UNTITLED PHIL SPECTOR PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Al Pacino is reportedly set to topline yet another telefilm at the pay channel, this time a biopic of iconic record producer Phil Spector, who was sent to jail last year for a minimum of 19 years for the murder of Lana Clarkson. Pacino took home an Emmy for his portrayal of Jack Kevorkian in HBO's "You Don't Know Jack" earlier this year. David Mamet is on board to write and direct the project, which is still in the development stage, with Barry Levinson executive producing.






  [october 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ECHELON (NBC)
· HUNG (HBO)
· KROD MANDOON & THE FLAMING SWORD OF FIRE (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· KYLE XY (ABC FAMILY)
· NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
· PHIL SPECTOR (HBO)
· SAMANTHA WHO? (ABC)
· SUBURGATORY (ABC)
· TRUE DETECTIVES (CBS)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
· UNTITLED PETER KNIGHT PROJECT (CBS)
· YOU DON'T KNOW JACK (HBO)
· ZITS (CBS)





[04/28/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix Expands "Stranger Things" Universe: "Tales From '85" Scores Early Season 2 Renewal
"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" debuted in the Netflix Global Top 10 at #7 this week, securing a spot in the top 15 animated series debuts of all time.

[04/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 20 - Charlize Theron Climbs to No. 1 with "Apex" in This Week's Top 10
Another warning to be careful who you trust, the psychological thriller series "Unchosen" debuted at No. 1 on the English TV list with 10.4 million views.

[04/28/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original Sports Documentary Series "U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men's National Soccer Team" Debuts May 12
The five-part documentary series is an unprecedented look inside the United States Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT) in the leadup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this June.

[04/28/26 - 10:01 AM]
Dave Chappelle's Pulling Up on Netflix Is a Joke Fest with Star-Studded Music and Comedy Shows
For three nights from May 7-9, the comedian takes over the legendary Hollywood Palladium with shows that blend comedy and music with surprise guest appearances.

[04/28/26 - 09:08 AM]
CNN Original Series "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose" Premieres Saturday, May 30 at 9PM ET/PT
Timed to America's 250th anniversary, the five-episode sees Ferguson travel coast-to-coast to explore the defining ideas, and contradictions, at the heart of the United States.

[04/28/26 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Between Father and Son" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In just a few suspenseful minutes, a lawyer's world tilts as her visit to her fiancé's family estate ignites an irresistible bond with her future stepson.

[04/28/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Perfect Match" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
More swaps. More sparks. More drama. Reality stars from "Love Is Blind," "Vanderpump Rules," "Love Island" and more shake up the game, but who'll find their perfect match?

[04/28/26 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents "Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live," Airing Tuesday, May 19 on CBS and Paramount+
This two-hour celebration brings viewers on stage and behind the scenes for an all-access concert experience.

[04/28/26 - 08:53 AM]
"Crime and Punishment in America," New Documentary from Lynn Novick, to Air on PBS in November 2026
Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Linney, Bobby Cannavale, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hyde Pierce, and BD Wong will lend their voices to the four-part, eight-hour documentary series.

[04/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Soccer Meets America" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
This riveting series reveals how the convergence of key events transformed the United States into the global soccer powerhouse it is today.

[04/28/26 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Unveils Premiere Date and Glimpse at "Sterling Point"
The series will debut all eight episodes globally on August 5, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[04/28/26 - 07:16 AM]
Video: "Welcome to Wrexham" - Season 5 Official Trailer - Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac - FX
The new season returns Thursday, May 14 on FXX and Hulu.

[04/28/26 - 07:06 AM]
Apple TV's Emmy Award-Winning Series "Ted Lasso" Returns for Season Four on August 5
Season four marks the return of fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.

[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Funny AF with Kevin Hart" - Live Semi-final and Grand Finale - Official Trailer - Netflix
The break of a lifetime is at stake as the competition turns live and the last remaining comics square off - with the winner crowned by your vote.

[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Great American Media Announces Mario Lopez, Tony Danza, and Dominic Lopez to Star in New Original Christmas Movie, "Christmas at the Starlight"
In their first known scripted on-screen pairing as father and son, Lopez and Danza bring extraordinary warmth, charisma, and generational appeal to a timeless holiday story about family, legacy, faith, and the traditions that lead us home.