 |
 |
[02/25/11 - 10:49 PM]
Development Update: Friday, February 25
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!
ARE YOU THERE VODKA? IT'S ME CHELSEA (NBC) - "Chelsea Lately" staple Jo Koy is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about Chelsea Hanson (Laura Prepon), "a fresh-faced single cocktail waitress highly opinionated and open about her love to drink and have sex." The comedian, who is in the middle of a talent holding deal with producer Warner Bros. Television, will play Mark ("handsome and very familiar with pot"), a bartender at the sports bar where Chelsea works. Angel Laketa Moore, Lauren Lapkus and Natalie Morales are also featured in the half-hour, as is Chelsea Handler (as her sister Sloane), whose book the project is based upon. Dottie Zicklin and Julie Ann Larson
co-wrote the adaptation while Gail Mancuso will direct.
BAD MOM (ABC) - Jennifer Crittenden ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") and Gabrielle Allan ("Miss/Guided") have inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with ABC Studios. The pact, which starts in June, calls for the newly formed duo to develop new series projects for the studio. They'll already supervising the studio-based pilot "Bad Mom," about Julia, a single mother of two, who's forced to actually raise her kids once her mother, Marian - who had been filling said void, decides she wants her life back. Jenna Elfman is in talks to star. Sharon Horgan penned the half-hour while Chris Koch will direct.
DAMAGE CONTROL (A.K.A. IN CRISIS) (ABC) - Tony Goldwyn has landed a role on the drama pilot, about Olivia Price (Kerry Washington), a professional fixer and her dysfunctional staff. He'll play Fitzgerald Grant ("handsome, charismatic, brilliant and humble; Kennedy-esque"), an old friend of Price's who's now the President of the United States in the ABC Studios-based hour. He reaches out to her after Julia Tannen, a young aide, starts saying she's sleeping with him. Columbus Short, Guillermo Diaz, Henry Ian Cusick and Katie Lowes also star in the project, from writer Shonda Rhimes and director Paul McGuigan.
GOOD CHRISTIAN BITCHES (ABC) - Jennifer Aspen ("Glee") is the first to board the drama pilot, about Amanda Vaughn, a widowed mother of two who - to get a fresh start - moves back to the affluent Dallas neighborhood where she grew up. Aspen will play Sharon Pevy (who's likened to "Designing Women's" Suzanne Sugarbaker circa season three), a former beauty queen who's now a compulsive eater. Robert Harling penned the ABC Studios-based hour, which is based on Kim Gatlin's book of the same name. Alan Poul is directing.
GRIMM (NBC) - Russell Hornsby ("In Treatment") and Bitsie Tulloch ("quarterlife") are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Nick Burckhardt (David Giuntoli), a police detective who discovers fairy tale creatures live among us and is tasked with defending humans from these mythical beasts. She'll play Juliette Lambert ("a bundle of beauty and energy" with a red pea coat, a la "Little Red Riding Hood"), Nick's girlfriend who works at a French bakery, with Hornsby as Hank Green, Nick's dutiful partner. Silas Weir Mitchell also stars in the hour, from director Marc Buckland and co-creators David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf. Universal Media Studios is producing.
HALLELUJAH (ABC) - Frances O'Connor ("Cashmere Mafia") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about a tiny town in Tennessee which finds itself being torn apart by the forces of good and evil.
She's set as Ruth Turner, whose family welcomes Jared O'Neal (Jesse L. Martin) - a mysterious stranger who arrives to restore faith to the town's residents - into their home. Michael Apted is directing the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by creator Marc Cherry.
ICELAND (FOX) - Kerry Bishe ("Scrubs") and John Boyd ("24") have both scored roles on the comedy pilot, about a woman whose life is shaken after her fiance passes away. Bishe will play said woman, Mackenzie ("mid-20's, pretty, a young Maura Tierney type"), with Boyd presumably as Todd ("mid-20's, a wiry, geeky guy with poor interpersonal skills"). Andy Bobrow penned the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, which Will Gluck is attached to direct.
A MANN'S WORLD (NBC) - Don Johnson ("Just Legal") has been tapped for the title role on the drama pilot, about a straight Beverly Hills hairdresser in his 50s who is struggling to stay young and relevant in a place where looks are everything. He'll play said hairdresser, Allan Mann ("a sexy, knock-out at thirty, now late fifties, but still sexy"), who doubles down on his beauty empire by opening a day spa next door to his salon. Writer/director Michael Patrick King is behind the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which also stars Taylor Kinney.
PARTNERS (ABC) - Frances Fisher ("Eureka") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about half-sisters - Mattie (Scottie Thompson) and Jess (Annie Wersching) - who work together as police detectives. She's on board as their incarcerated mother, Colleen Scott, who confessed to killing Mattie's abusive father 20 years ago. Also cast in the ABC Studios-based hour is Nester Serrano as Captain Ben Wolford ("a man with a gentle soul"), Jess and Mattie's boss. Kenneth Mitchell, Larry Gilliard Jr. and Michael Beach also star in the project, from writer Edward Allen Bernero. Yves Simoneau is directing.
PLAYBOY (NBC) - David Krumholtz ("NUMB3RS") has reportedly joined the cast of the pilot, a period drama set at the Playboy Club in Chicago in 1963. He'll play Billy Morton ("all business, ZBT president, young Albert Brooks"), said club's General Manager in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project. Alan Taylor is directing from a script by Chad Hodge while Amber Heard, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Laura Benanti, Leah Cudmore and Naturi Naughton also star. Separately, Krumholtz is developing "Igotchaback," about "an up-and-coming music industry manager tasked with representing an aging rap star mired knee-deep in existential crisis," at FX. Said half-hour is loosely based on the life of Wu Tang Clan founding member GZA and his publicist Heathcliff Berru. No other auspices were given.
SMASH (NBC) - Raza Jaffrey ("MI-5") has scored a role on the drama pilot, a show-within-a-show vehicle about a group of people who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe-themed Broadway musical. He's on board as Dev ("a handsome, contemporary Indian"), "the live-in boyfriend of the musical's star, Karen (Katharine McPhee), who works in the mayor's office." Christian Borle, Debra Messing, Jack Davenport and Megan Hilty co-star in the project, from creator Theresa Rebeck. Michael Mayer is directing for Universal Media Studios.
TILDA (NBC) - The pay channel has reportedly passed on the Diane Keaton-led comedy pilot, about a powerful and reclusive Hollywood blogger likened to Deadline.com's Nikki Finke. David Harbour, Ellen Page, Jason Patric, Leland Orser, Sanaa Lathan and Wes Bentley also starred in the project, from co-creators Bill Condon and Cynthia Mort. The latter departed the project back in August over creative differences while Alan Poul, Alexa Junge and John Hoffman were subsequently brought in to spearhead the potential series. Ultimately with actors' options set to expire in mid-March, the network passed. Said report adds that HBO is still interested in a show about Finke, "this time with her on board from the beginning."
|
|
|
 [february 2011]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[06/26/26 - 09:46 AM]
Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour Will Reunite in Upcoming Spy Drama Series
In the series, disgraced FBI agent turned security expert Matt Wolfe (Harbour) is drawn back into the world he left behind when his estranged daughter, Rebecca (Brown) - now an FBI agent determined to follow in his footsteps - vanishes on a mission, forcing him to return to a field that has evolved beyond him.
|
[06/26/26 - 09:00 AM]
"Lee Cronin's The Mummy" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max July 3
The film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falco´n.
|
[06/26/26 - 07:13 AM]
Adult Swim Announces "Heist Brothers," New "Robot Chicken" Specials, and Expanded Slate at Annecy International Film Festival
"Heist Brothers" is a new high-octane animated action comedy from Emmy Award-winning creator Genndy Tartakovsky.
|
[06/26/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Kaulitz & Kaulitz" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Health checkups, a stormy wedding and an overdue journey to the past: The twins are ready to confront life's big questions - and each other.
|
[06/26/26 - 06:01 AM]
Prime Video Set to Serve "Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter" on August 20
The feature-length documentary explores the extraordinary journey of tennis GOAT Novak Djokovic, who began playing on the hardscrabble courts of Serbia and rose to become the most accomplished champion in the history of men's tennis.
|
[06/26/26 - 06:00 AM]
Video: A Mad New Adventure Awaits as "Descendants: Wicked Wonderland" Debuts Official Trailer and New Villain Anthem
The highly anticipated next chapter of the "Descendants" franchise premieres Thursday, July 16, on Disney Channel and the next day on Disney+.
|
[06/26/26 - 04:31 AM]
Warner Bros. Animation Announces Development on "Dark Shadows" Adaptation Based on the Cult-Favorite Television Series
Created by Dan Curtis and celebrating its 60th anniversary this summer, "Dark Shadows" starred TV's original anti-hero and the father of the modern-day vampire, Barnabas Collins, a vampire with a conscience.
|
[06/26/26 - 03:01 AM]
Netflix Announces a New Chapter in the Story of "The Monster of Florence," Directed by Stefano Sollima
A new chapter in Italy's most famous true crime case, the series will revisit the investigation through a new lens, coming soon, only on Netflix globally.
|
[06/25/26 - 08:01 PM]
Video: "Eraserheads: Combo on the Run" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Through archival footage and candid interviews, this documentary explores the rise, rupture and record-breaking reunion of Filipino band Eraserheads.
|
[06/25/26 - 03:03 PM]
Viewership for 2026 NBA Draft First Round Presentation Up 10 Percent Year Over Year
The audience peaked with 5.5 million viewers during the 8:15 p.m. ET quarter hour.
|
[06/25/26 - 02:06 PM]
BET's 4th Annual Black + Iconic Soiree to Premiere June 29, Exclusively on Paramount+
Hosted by Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and advocate Laverne Cox, with Lavelle Dontae serving as Red Carpet Host, this year's celebration highlighted the power, influence, and impact of Black LGBTQ+ leaders and allies across entertainment, advocacy, business, and media.
|
[06/25/26 - 01:30 PM]
Starz in Development to Adapt International Bestseller "The Wolf King"
The bestselling romantasy book series by Lauren Palphreyman follows a captive princess who gets kidnapped by a brooding werewolf alpha and plunged into a bloodthirsty war.
|
[06/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: "Breaking Bear" - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
A family of bears run a drug empire to raise money to save their forest from frackers and an endless array of psychotic enemies.
|
[06/25/26 - 12:01 PM]
The 62nd Academy of Country Music Awards Will Return to the World-Renowned MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 16, 2027
This year's event drove an estimated $53 million in total economic impact for the Las Vegas region.
|
[06/25/26 - 11:45 AM]
ESPN Presents "All of Wimbledon. All in One Place" June 29 - July 12
Every match from all courts stream live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited plan subscribers.
|
|
|
|
