or


[08/22/11 - 11:20 PM]
Development Update: Monday, August 22
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!


BOTTOMFEEDERS (MTV, New!) - Arden Myrin ("MadTV") is set to write and star in a new comedy at the cable channel. Details about the project however weren't released. Fred Savage ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") is on board to direct and executive produce from a script by Myrin and Bruce McCoy. (THR.com)


COMMON LAW (USA) - Jon Turteltaub has inked a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios. The pact, financial details of which weren't released, calls for the director/executive producer to develop new series projects for the studio alongside his Junction Entertainment principals Karim Zreik and Dan Shotz. (Deadline.com)


THE DAY THE LAUGHTER STOPPED (HBO, New!) - Eric Stonestreet ("Modern Family") is set to star in a biopic at the pay channel about legendary silent-film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Kirk Ellis ("John Adams") will pen the project, based on the book of the same name by David A. Yallop, while Barry Levinson is in talks to direct. Said effort "promises to detail how, virtually overnight, false accusations of rape and murder against Arbuckle transformed one of the most popular and highest paid Hollywood stars into a showbiz pariah." Ellis, Stonestreet and Baltimore Pictures' Levinson will also executive produce alongside Ron West and Chris Henze of Tagline Pictures, Christine Vachon of Killer Films and Steve Kavovit. (NYMag.com)


GURLAND ON GURLAND (Showtime, New!) - Actor/filmmaker Andrew Gurland ("The Last Exorcism") has booked a pilot at the pay channel which "reflects his real family life and the challenges he faces pursuing the next phase of his career." Glenn Gordon Caron also serves as an executive producer on the CBS Television Studios-based docu-comedy which "reflects his real family life and the challenges he faces pursuing the next phase of his career." (Deadline.com)


HYDE (ABC, New!) - Sheldon Turner has booked a contemporary interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic split-personality tale at the Alphabet. Said effort, from ABC Studios, centers on Grant Hyde, "a thirtysomething ER doctor with a degenerative eye condition who is conflict-averse and hesitant to be captain of his own destiny [who] after attempting an experimental treatment to improve his eyesight, begins to experience a strange side effect - when he goes to sleep, his id manifests itself as Hyde, a fearless, gregarious personality who takes control where Grant cannot." Turner will pen the hour and executive produce alongside his Vendetta partner Jennifer Klein. (Deadline.com)


LAST RESORT (ABC, New!) - Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek are set to team for a new drama at the Alphabet billed as "a thriller set in the near future when the country is very fractured and revolves around the crew of a U.S. nuclear submarine who become hunted after ignoring an order to shoot nuclear missiles." Said report goes on to detail that, "they escape to a NATO listening outpost where they publicly declare themselves to be the world's smallest nuclear nation with 24 nuclear warheads [and] the show will explore the society the fugitives create, the natives they meet and how what they've done affects the group and its unity." Ryan and Gajdusek are co-writing the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which has a hefty pilot production commitment. MiddKid Productions' Marney Hockman will also executive produce. (Deadline.com)


MASTERS OF SEX (Showtime, New!) - Michelle Ashford has landed a pilot order from the pay channel for a new drama about William Masters and Virginia Johnson, "the pioneers into the science of human sexuality whose research touched off the sexual revolution." Said hour is based on Thomas Maier's book of the same name, subtitled "The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love." Ashford penned the hour and will executive produce alongside Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly for Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)


RAY DONOVAN (Showtime, New!) - "Southland" creator Ann Biderman has snagged a pilot order from the pay channel about "a fixer for the rich and famous in Los Angeles but himself is broken, with a troubled Irish family he can't quite escape." She'll write and executive produce alongside Mark Gordon, whose involvement is separate from his overall deal with ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


TIGHTROPE (FOX, New!) - Jim Uhls ("Fight Club") has booked a potential drama at the network about "an FBI agent who is exceptionally skilled at finding, turning, and using criminal informants, rendering them totally trusting and trustworthy [however] it's a process that comes with a cost: the blurring of the boundaries of morality." 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment are co-producing the hour with the latter's Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope executive producing alongside Uhls. (Variety.com)


UNTITLED DANIEL SWEREN-BECKER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Daniel Sweren-Becker has sold a single-camera comedy to the Alphabet about "a guy in the year 2016 who thinks his life is perfect until he's struck by lightning, which takes him back to the year 2011 [where] the reasons he was meant to relive his past start to become clear." Adam Sandler's Sony Pictures Television-based Happy Madison is behind the half-hour, which will also be executive produced by Doug Robinson and Steve Carr ("Paul Blart: Mall Cop"). (Variety.com)


THE YARD (New!) - Feature writers Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons ("Megamind") are developing a potential single-camera comedy that "presents the life lessons of elementary school as seen through the lens of an 'Office'-like documentary." The half-hour, currently making the network rounds, is set up at Will Gluck's Sony Pictures Television-based banner. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... Lily Rabe will visit FX's "American Horror Story for six episodes as the original owner of the haunted house in 1920s-era flashbacks (EOnline.com); Nina Kronjager will play Arthur's (Peter Gallagher) ex, Elsa Von Hagen, in an upcoming episode of "Covert Affairs" dealing with his character's early days (TVGuide.com); Jamie Bamber is set to recur on TNT's "Perception" as a new professor who catches the eye of Rachel Leigh Cook's character (AOLTV.com); John Pyper-Ferguson will turn up on the season finale of "Alphas" as the man whose writings inspired the members of the Red Flag organization (AOLTV.com); T.R. Knight ("Grey's Anatomy") will visit "Law & Order SVU" as a man suspected of being a serial rapist (TVLine.com); Meredith Monroe will guest on "Hawaii Five-0" as an unhappy wife who leaves her wealthy husband only to get kidnapped herself (EW.com); Dylan Baker's convicted killer Colin Sweeney is set to return to "The Good Wife" (TVLine.com); plus Eisa Davis will recur on The CW's "Hart of Dixie" as a warm and acerbic nurse who becomes a mentor to Rachel Bilson's Zoe (TVLine.com).






  [august 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· ALPHAS (SYFY)
· AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
· BOTTOMFEEDERS (MTV)
· COMMON LAW (USA)
· COVERT AFFAIRS (USA)
· DAY THE LAUGHTER STOPPED, THE (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· GURLAND ON GURLAND (SHOWTIME)
· HART OF DIXIE (CW)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· HYDE (ABC)
· IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FXX)
· JOHN ADAMS (HBO)
· LAST RESORT (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)
· MADTV (CW)
· MASTERS OF SEX (SHOWTIME)
· MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
· PERCEPTION (TNT)
· RAY DONOVAN (SHOWTIME)
· SOUTHLAND (TNT)
· TIGHTROPE (FOX)
· UNTITLED DANIEL SWEREN BECKER PROJECT (ABC)





[01/16/26 - 01:08 PM]
"20/20" Is the Most-Watched Program Across Broadcast and Cable on Friday Night - Scoring Largest Viewership in Over 7 Months
For the second week in a row, "20/20" posted Total Viewers increases versus the previous week and the corresponding year-ago telecast.

[01/16/26 - 12:04 PM]
All-New Season of "Naked and Afraid" Premieres Sunday, February 15 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
This season, survivalists face hell on Earth and the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit as they are dropped into five of the world's most brutal and diverse locations, armed only with their determination and without water, food or clothing.

[01/16/26 - 09:01 AM]
Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell Star in "The Madison" Premiering on Paramount+ March 14
The series is Taylor Sheridan's most intimate work to date, unfolding across two distinct worlds - the beautiful landscape of Montana and the vibrant energy of Manhattan - as it examines the ties that bind families together.

[01/16/26 - 09:00 AM]
Video: We TV Releases a Sneak Peek of the Highly Anticipated New Season of "Mama June"
This season, as Jessica and Shyann plan their wedding, June and Shyann's mother, Trina, battle it out butting heads on just about everything.

[01/16/26 - 08:22 AM]
"The Tonight Show" Goes for Gold with Special Post-Olympic Opening Ceremony Episode on Friday, Feb. 6
The episode will feature a guest lineup worthy of the podium, including Chris Hemsworth, MrBeast and a musical performance from Lil Uzi Vert.

[01/16/26 - 08:09 AM]
Video: Oxygen Unveils Premiere Date and Official Trailer for "Love, Ted Bundy"
As America's most notorious serial killer Ted Bundy awaited execution, he exchanged a series of death row letters with the woman who loved him like a brother - his cousin, Edna Martin.

[01/16/26 - 07:02 AM]
Video: "A Father's Miracle" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A devoted father is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, leaving his daughter to fend for herself as he fights to prove his innocence.

[01/16/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Star Search" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The reimagined talent competition series returns as a live, five-week event hosted by Anthony Anderson, featuring an all-star judging panel with Jelly Roll, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Chrissy Teigen.

[01/16/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: NBC Releases First Official Promo and Key Art for New Comedy Series "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins"
Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, and Jalyn Hall star in the series.

[01/15/26 - 05:01 PM]
"Culinary Class Wars" Returns for Season 3, Raising the Stakes with a Team-Based Showdown
Building on two consecutive seasons of global success, Season 3 raises the stakes with four-person teams representing a single restaurant, transforming the competition into a collective fight for pride, reputation, and survival.

[01/15/26 - 03:22 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - February 2026
Highlights include "The Muppet Show," "The Artful Dodger," and "Paradise."

[01/15/26 - 02:01 PM]
Video: Tubi Debuts Chaotic Trailer for New Original Film "Terri Joe: Missionary in Miami"
In this wild farce, Southern Belle Terri Joe ventures to Miami to outrun wacky criminals and find a new church where she can atone for her sins.

[01/15/26 - 02:01 PM]
NBC Commissions Drama Pilot from Dean Georgaris and John Fox
Professor Georgia Ryan is a trailblazing psychologist who challenges the field of criminology by shifting the investigative focus to the victim rather than just the perpetrator in order to uncover the crucial clues that more traditional methods leave behind.

[01/15/26 - 01:38 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Christmas Week Shoots to a Season High Among Total Viewers - Scoring Show's Best Performance in 10 Months
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 152 consecutive weeks across all key measures.

[01/15/26 - 12:39 PM]
Apple TV Lands New Thriller Starring and Executive Produced by Dakota Fanning, and Created by Emmy Award-Winner Alex Cary
Fanning will star as an undercover Treasury agent in a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate who becomes conflicted between her mission and a belief that her principal target is at his core a good man and worthy of her love.