or


[11/17/10 - 06:31 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, November 17
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!


AMBULANCE CHASERS (FX, New!) - Jason Mantzoukas ("The League") has sold a potential comedy to the cable channel about personal injury attorneys. The actor/writer was behind the 2009 NBC pilot "Off Duty," starring Bradley Whitford and Romany Malco, that didn't move forward. Director Adam Bernstein and American Work's Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan, all of whom worked on the aforementioned half-hour, are also on "Chasers," which will "focus on street-mall attorneys featured in local TV commercials." On the acting front, Mantzoukas has booked multi-episode arcs on both NBC's "Parks & Recreation" and HBO's "Enlightened."


THE GREAT STATE OF GEORGIA (ABC Family) - Raven Symone has snagged the title role on the comedy pilot, about an "exuberant plus-sized performer from the south and her science geek best friend who try to make headway in New York City." Jennifer Weiner ("In Her Shoes") and Jeff Greenstein ("Desperate Housewives") are behind the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which has also cast Brock Cuchna ("Melrose Place") as "Georgia's Southern ex-boyfriend who, still madly in love with her, comes to New York to bring her back home." Symone previously toplined "Revenge of the Bridesmaids" for the cable channel and had been attached to star and produce a different potential half-hour from Yvette Lee Bowser ("Half & Half").


MAGICAL LAW (FOX, New!) - "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" screenwriter Terry Rossio and director Gore Verbinski are developing a new legal drama at the network "set in a world where the existence of supernatural beings is commonplace and follows the specialized cops and lawyers who face the unique challenges of prosecuting otherworldly crimes." 20th Century Fox Television and Verbinski's Blind Wink Productions are behind the hour, which has a penalty attached should it not go to pilot. Rossio will pen the hour under the supervision of Jeff Rake, who's also attached to executive produce alongside Verbinski and Jonathan Krauss.


MEET JANE (Lifetime) - Molly Parker ("Swingtown") has been tapped for the title role on the drama pilot, about Jane Bilinski, "an unhappily married mother of two daughters in the Washington, DC area [who] is suddenly re-energized and empowered when the FBI enlists her to spy on her husband, a computer technician the government suspects is selling top-secret information to Russia." Andi Bushell is behind the hour, which also comes from Warner Horizon Television and Mark Pedowitz's Pine Street Entertainment.


ONE POLICE PLAZA (ABC) - Angela Bassett ("ER") has signed onto the potential drama, about New York City's first female commissioner. She'd play the aforementioned role in the hour, which comes from ABC Studios and the Mark Gordon Co. Linda Fairstein and Kenneth L. Solarz co-wrote the script and are executive producing alongside Gordon and Deborah Spera.


OUTLAW (NBC) - John Eisendrath has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with Sony Pictures Television. The pact, set to begin in June, sets the formerly Universal Media Studios-based writer/producer at the studio where he'll develop new series projects.


PATITO FEO (MTV) - Hayley Erin ("The Young and the Restless") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, which "chronicles the struggles of a Mexican girl (Benita Robledo) from a small town thrown into the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles." She'll play Josie in the project, which comes from director Andy Fickman and writer Bert V. Royal. Grupo Televisa, Hip TV and Yellow Brick Road Productions are co-producing.


TEEN MOM (MTV) - Executive producer Morgan J. Freeman told The USA Today that the popular reality series will return with a brand new cast on Tuesday, January 11. "We're doing some continuous-type shooting with the original Teen Mom (cast: Maci Bookout, Catelynn Lowell, Farrah Abraham and Amber Portwood), but nothing's been announced yet about what we'll do with that," he said. As for "Teen Mom 2," the new group of girls will once again be culled from the latest "16 and Pregnant" cast members.


TREME (HBO) - James Ransone ("Generation Kill") has joined the cast of the show's upcoming second season. He'll play a New York City restaurant worker in a recurring role however no other details were given about the character.


UNTITLED KATHRYN HAHN PROJECT (FOX) - Kathryn Hahn ("Hung") has once again inked a talent holding deal with the network. The actress previously starred in pair of pilots for the network: "AbFab" in 2009 and "Most Likely to Succeed" this past development cycle, neither of which went forward to series. The new pact will once again see FOX develop a new series project for the actress.


UNTITLED PIERCE BROSNON/JACK ORMAN PROJECT (New!) - Actor Pierce Brosnan, writer Jack Orman and Sony Pictures Television are developing a potential drama about a "private investigator specializing in international crisis intervention who is called in to help solve homicides, abductions, financial schemes and other crimes anywhere in the world." Said hour - based on the real-life experiences of international P.I. Logan Clarke - is initially being pitched to the international marketplace with an eye towards a straight-to-series commitment before approaching U.S. broadcasters. Brosnan, who's expected to recur in a small role on the series, and Beau St. Clair are executive producing the project via their Irish DreamTime banner alongside Orman and Keri Selig.






  [november 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 16 & PREGNANT (MTV)
· ABFAB (FOX)
· AMBULANCE CHASERS (FX)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ENLIGHTENED (HBO)
· ER (NBC)
· GENERATION KILL (HBO)
· HALF & HALF (UPN)
· HUNG (HBO)
· LEAGUE, THE (FXX)
· MAGICAL LAW (FOX)
· MEET JANE (LIFETIME)
· MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (FOX)
· OFF DUTY (NBC)
· ONE POLICE PLAZA (CBS)
· OUTLAW (NBC)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· PATITO FEO (MTV)
· STATE OF GEORGIA (ABC FAMILY)
· SWINGTOWN (CBS)
· TEEN MOM 2 (MTV)
· TEEN MOM OG (MTV)
· TREME (HBO)
· UNTITLED KATHRYN HAHN PROJECT (FOX)





[09/18/26 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Wins Late Night Across the Board
For the sixth week running, "Nightline" increased year to year in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54.

[09/18/26 - 03:11 PM]
Netflix Announces New Drama Series "Ladies of the House"
Based on Lauren Edmondson's novel of the same name, the series reunites Sheryl J. Anderson with "Sweet Magnolias" star JoAnna Garcia Swisher.

[09/18/26 - 12:58 PM]
Marking a Somber Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks, ABC News' 9/11 Special, Anchored by David Muir, Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer, Draws Over 4 Million Total Viewers
The special was also the No. 1 non-sports program of the night in Adults 25-54 (802,000) and Adults 18-49 (559,000).

[09/18/26 - 12:21 PM]
HBO Orders New Original Drama Series "The Spread," Starring and Executive Produced by Academy Award-Winner Javier Bardem
Matthew Vaughn will direct and executive produce the project, to be written and executive produced by Bill Dubuque and Sean Sansiveri.

[09/18/26 - 10:29 AM]
OWN Greenlights Breakout Hit "Put a Ring on It: Cheathab" for Two More Seasons Ahead of Its Season One Finale
Production on the new episodes will begin this fall to air in 2027.

[09/18/26 - 09:21 AM]
New Paramount+ Limited Series "The Best of Us" Begins Production in New York City
LaChanze, Richard Schiff, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Joe Morton, Jen Tullock, William Baldwin, and Keith W. Richards also join the cast.

[09/18/26 - 09:00 AM]
Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios Begin Production on Season Three of "House of David" in Greece
The season brings this trilogy to an epic conclusion, completing David's (Michael Iskander) transformation from outcast shepherd to fierce warrior to his ultimate destiny as King.

[09/18/26 - 09:00 AM]
Social Categories Revealed for the "2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)" Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS
All voting will be hosted on the @MTV Instagram Story until Sunday, September 27 at 11:00 AM, ET.

[09/18/26 - 08:18 AM]
Video: Official Trailer for New Supernatural Teen Drama "Coven Academy" Drops Ahead of Oct. 1 Premiere on Freeform, Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
As the story unfolds in a bingeable new format, the fast-paced chapters are designed to pull audiences deeper into the magic at every turn.

[09/18/26 - 07:55 AM]
Peacock Reveals Celebrity Cast for a New Season of the Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors," Coming in 2027
Steering the game with his unrivaled looks and signature wit is beloved host and Emmy Award-winner Alan Cumming, who also serves as executive producer.

[09/18/26 - 07:01 AM]
Chloe Sevigny Joins the Cast of "The Trial of Louise Woodward"
She will play Louise's defense attorney, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, in the HBO limited series.

[09/18/26 - 07:00 AM]
Video: All Reality and We TV Unveil a First Look at New Original Series "Love After Lockup: Relationship Rehab" Premiering Friday, October 2
The nine-episode series gathers five fan-favorite couples from the franchise as they embark on a transformative journey with psychiatrist and nationally recognized relationship expert, Dr. Ish Major, working to heal old wounds and rebuild their relationships.

[09/18/26 - 06:31 AM]
Netflix Adds Legend Andres Cantor to Broadcast Team for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027
The addition marks a milestone moment for Netflix's historic coverage of the tournament, which will feature English and Spanish-language broadcasts in the United States, and English and French-language broadcasts in Canada.

[09/18/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Therapy Done Right" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A psychoanalyst who's lost faith in traditional therapy crosses every boundary to help a blocked novelist in this cutting Argentine dark comedy.

[09/18/26 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Seriously Single Too" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Dineo and Noni - besties meant to take on the party scene together - suddenly face their biggest fear when Noni's boyfriend spontaneously proposes.