 |
 |
[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 |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[09/25/17 - 12:06 PM]
Live Musical Production of Tony Award-, Grammy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Musical "Rent" to Air Sunday, January 27, 2019, on FOX
After winning four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, writer/composer Jonathan Larson's tour de force celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, as it continues to offer an inspiring message of hope and friendship.
|
[09/25/17 - 12:05 PM]
Emmy(R)-Nominated Sketch Comedy Series "Tracey Ullman's Show" Returns for Second Season Oct. 20 on HBO
Over the course of the new season, Ullman uses her signature brand of sharp satire to shape-shift into a range of public figures and offbeat original characters.
|
[09/25/17 - 11:10 AM]
Freeform Orders a Pilot Spinoff "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists," From Warner Horizon Scripted Television
Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish will reprise their roles from the parent series.
|
[09/25/17 - 11:06 AM]
History(R)'s New Scripted Drama Series "Knightfall" Delving Into the Mysterious World of the Knights Templar Premieres Wednesday, December 6 at 10 PM ET/PT
"Knightfall" begins after the fall of the city of Acre, the Templar's last stronghold in the Holy Land, where the Holy Grail is lost.
|
[09/25/17 - 10:30 AM]
Contractor Mike Holmes and His Family Help Homeowners on New DIY Network Series "Holmes: Next Generation"
The six-episode series is scheduled to premiere in March 2018.
|
[09/25/17 - 10:03 AM]
"The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee," An Intimate Documentary Portrait, Debuts Dec. 4 on HBO
Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee was largely credited with taking down President Richard Nixon in 1974 after the Post broke the Watergate story, exposing the largest political scandal in American history.
|
[09/25/17 - 10:01 AM]
Sanaa Lathan Joins Showtime(R) Drama Series "The Affair"
She'll recur as Jenelle, the tough-as-nails principal of the charter school where Noah (Dominic West) teaches, who intrigues him.
|
[09/25/17 - 09:51 AM]
FX+ Expands Content and Launches on Cox
FX+, a new commercial-free service featuring all seasons of almost every current and library title of FX original series, has added all seasons of 15 additional FX original series.
|
[09/25/17 - 09:31 AM]
Nickelodeon's Brand-New "SpongeBob SquarePants" Halloween Stop-Motion Animation Special: "The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom" Premieres Friday, Oct. 13, at 7:00 P.M. (ET/PT)
The special tells the story of the Flying Dutchman (Brian Doyle-Murray) coming to Bikini Bottom to make sure everyone in town is scared - especially SpongeBob, who seems to be unflappable in his belief that spooky things are actually funny.
|
[09/25/17 - 08:32 AM]
Sunday's Broadcast Ratings: NBC, "Sunday Night Football" Top Competition
The Peacock once again leads the night in total viewers and adults 18-49.
|
[09/25/17 - 08:11 AM]
Paramount Network Announces Launch Date and Logo
The network will officially debut on Thursday, January 18 at 9:00/8:00c with a live one-hour episode of "Lip Sync Battle" emanating from the Paramount lot in Hollywood.
|
[09/25/17 - 08:03 AM]
SundanceTV Starts Production on the Third Season of Its Critically-Acclaimed Series "Hap and Leonard"
The six-part drama, returning to SundanceTV in early 2018, takes inspiration from "The Two-Bear Mambo," the third installment of Joe R. Lansdale's popular book series.
|
[09/25/17 - 07:34 AM]
Video: Netflix Debuts New Trailer for the Film "First They Killed My Father"
Directed by Angelina Jolie, the film is the adaptation of Cambodian author and human rights activist Loung Ung's gripping memoir of surviving the deadly Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1978.
|
[09/25/17 - 07:25 AM]
CBS Sports' Coverage of NFL for Week 3 Up +4% Over 2016
CBS spins the numbers for Sunday, September 24.
|
[09/25/17 - 06:03 AM]
Renowned Television Creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino Sign Multi-Year Overall Deal with Amazon Studios
Sherman-Palladino and Palladino will develop television projects that will add to their unprecedented two-season greenlight of upcoming Amazon Original Series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which debuts this fall on Prime Video.
|
|
|
|
