or


[10/12/11 - 11:05 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 12
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!


BEYOND REPAIR (FOX, New!) - Sameer Asad Gardezi ("Mr. Sunshine") has sold a new comedy to the network about "a family-run business with a very dysfunctional relationship at the center." Gardezi penned the half-hour and will serve as a co-executive producer for 20th Century Fox Television and FishBowl Worldwide Media. Vin Di Bona, Susan Levison and Bruce Gersh are also on board as executive producers. (Variety.com)


EATING WITH THE ENEMY (HBO) - Actor-turned-writer Pat Healy has been tapped to pen the docudrama, which stars James Gandolfini as Bobby Egan, "a Hackensack, N.J., restaurant owner who forged a relationship with the North Korean United Nations mission in upper Manhattan and went on to play an important role as a liaison in U.S.-North Korean relations." Said effort is based on Robert Egan and Kurt Pitzer's book of the same name, subtitled "How I Waged Peace With North Korea From My BBQ Shack in Hackensack." Gandolfini, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong are among the executive producers for Tribeca Productions and Attaboy Films with Kurt Pitzer and Kimberly Levin serving as co-producers. (Variety.com)


GIRLFRIEND SEASON (CBS, New!) - Feature writers Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair ("A Many Splintered Thing") have sold "an observational romantic comedy that follows six people, a young married couple and their friends" to the Eye. No other auspices were given for the Generate-based half-hour. (Deadline.com)


IN LIKE FIN (ABC, New!) - Alexi Hawley ("Castle") has sold a new drama to the Alphabet, inspired by the life of David Blaine, about "an illusionist who is pulled into action in a covert government sting." Warren Littlefield is on board to executive produce the hour, which presumably is set up at ABC Studios. Blaine himself however is not attached to the project. (THR.com)


LEARN JUST ENOUGH TO GET LAID (FOX, New!) - Jim and Steve Armogida ("The Return of Jezebel James") have booked a new comedy at the network based on Tyler DeAngelo and Brad Emmett's book of the same name "that explores love and sex for the modern man." Sony Pictures Television and FishBowl Worldwide Media is behind the half-hour with the latter's Vin Di Bona, Susan Levison and Bruce Gersh executive produce alongside the duo. (Variety.com)


LEGIT (FX, New!) - Australian comedian Jim Jefferies is set to star in a new comedy at the cable channel about "a misanthrope (Jefferies) trying to go legit." Jefferies and Peter O'Fallon ("The Protector") co-wrote and will executive produce the project, which has a pilot presentation order, with O'Fallon directing. Lisa Blum, Jefferies's manager, will also receive a producing credit. (Deadline.com)


RAISING BLIND (FX, New!) - Ben Younger ("The Boiler Room") and Jay Longino ("Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation") are developing a new drama at the cable channel set in the world of underground gambling. John Dahl ("Rounders") is attached to direct the potential hour from a script by the duo based on a story by Josh Marchette, Longino and Younger. Said quartet will also executive produce alongside Vin Diesel and David Ortiz of One Race Films. (Deadline.com)


SCENT OF THE MISSING (TNT) - Tricia Helfer and Gerald McRaney are set to star in the drama pilot, about a search-and-rescue officer braves the harshest conditions with her best friend and partner, a Labrador retriever. Helfer will play said officer, Susannah, with McRaney as her father Jerry. Carol Mendelsohn, Melissa R. Byer and Treena Hancock are all behind the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which is based on the book by Susannah Charleson. Barry Josephson and Julie Weitz also serve as executive producers alongside the trio. (Deadline.com)


STEP-DAN (FOX, New!) - Dan Lagana ("Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous") has sold a new multi-camera comedy to the network based on his real-life experience of "being a young step-dad and centers on a twenty-something guy's relationship with his older wife and her young son." Warner Bros. Television is behind the half-hour, which Lagana will write and serve as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)


THICK AS THIEVES (FOX, New!) - Screenwriter Aaron Stockard ("The Town") has booked a potential drama at the network billed as "a blue collar soap set in Boston." 20th Century Fox Television-based Chernin Entertainment is behind the hour with the company's Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope executive producing alongside Stockard. (Deadline.com)


TRENDING (The CW, New!) - Feature writer Gren Wells ("A Little Bit of Heaven") has booked a new drama at the netlet about "26-year-old Lissa Bennett whose job is to search for the newest and hottest emerging trends in order to keep her corporate clients ahead of the curve but finds it difficult to predict the trends in her love life as well." Said hour, from CBS Television Studios, is inspired by the Cynthia Langston's novel "Bi-Coastal Babe." Katherine Heigl and Nancy Heigl then will executive produce via their Abishag banner alongside Lakeshore Entertainment's Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi as well as Daniel Rosenberg. (Deadline.com)


UNDER CONSTRUCTION (ABC, New!) - Ashley Tisdale ("Hellcats") is set to star in a semi-autobiographical comedy at the Alphabet about "a young woman whose independence is put on hold when she is forced to move back home while her father renovates her recently purchased money pit along with her life." David Holden ("Accidentally on Purpose") is penning the multi-camera project and will serve as a co-executive producer alongside Tisdale and her Blondie Girl Productions (Bravo's "Miss Advised") partner Jessica Rhoades. RelativityREAL's Tom Forman is also on board as an executive producer. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JUDITH MCCREARY PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Judith McCreary ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") has sold a new drama to the Peacock inspired by the life of Tony Ciaglia, a tormented man who eventually found purpose in the most unlikely way - by connecting with serial killers. Ciaglia is the focus of Pete Earley's upcoming tome "The Serial Killer Whisperer: How One Man's Tragedy Helped Unlock the Deadliest Secrets of the World's Most Terrifying Killers." Universal Television is producing. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED WILLIAM WILKERSON PROJECT (Lifetime, New!) - The life of The Hollywood Reporter founder William Wilkerson - "who founded the trade paper in 1930 after losing a lot of money in the Wall Street crash, also owned The Flamingo Hotel and nightclub Ciro's and eventually became indebted to the mafia as a result of his compulsive gambling" - is set to be the focus of a potential drama at the cable channel. Robert C. Cooper ("Stargate Universe") is on board to pen the project, which comes from Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Graham King's GK TV. The latter's Craig Cegielski presumably will executive produce alongside King, Cooper and Depp, the latter of which is open to appearing on the series. (TBIVision.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - The Peacock has ordered six additional scripts for its new Thursday drama "Prime Suspect" (Deadline.com); Gaius Charles will visit "Pan Am" as "an African-American soldier who opens Laura's (Margot Robbie) eyes to the world" (TVLine.com); cast members of ABC's "Cougar Town" will make uncredited, non-speaking appearances in at least 13 other shows while the comedy awaits its midseason return (USAToday.com); plus Joey Lawrence and Melissa Joan Hart will each direct upcoming installments of their ABC Family series "Melissa & Joey" (THR.com).






  [october 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (CBS)
· BEYOND REPAIR (FOX)
· CASTLE (ABC)
· COUGAR TOWN (TBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EATING WITH THE ENEMY (HBO)
· GIRLFRIEND SEASON (CBS)
· HELLCATS (CW)
· IN LIKE FIN (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)
· LEARN JUST ENOUGH TO GET LAID (FOX)
· LEGIT (FXX)
· MELISSA & JOEY (ABC FAMILY)
· MISS ADVISED (BRAVO)
· MR SUNSHINE (ABC)
· PAN AM (ABC)
· PRIME SUSPECT (NBC)
· PROTECTOR, THE (LIFETIME)
· RAISING BLIND (FX)
· RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES, THE (FOX)
· SCENT OF THE MISSING (TNT)
· STARGATE UNIVERSE (SYFY)
· STEP-DAN (FOX)
· THICK AS THIEVES (FOX)
· TRENDING (CW)
· UNDER CONSTRUCTION (ABC)
· UNTITLED JUDITH MCCREARY PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED WILLIAM WILKERSON PROJECT (LIFETIME)
· ZACH STONE IS GONNA BE FAMOUS (MTV)





[03/24/26 - 07:01 AM]
Frank Castle Returns in a Marvel Television Special Presentation: "The Punisher: One Last Kill" May 12, Only on Disney+
The special drops one week after the second season finale of "Daredevil: Born Again."

[03/24/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple TV Renews Award-Winning Space Drama "For All Mankind" for Sixth and Final Season
"Getting to explore the 'For All Mankind' universe over six seasons has been an amazing privilege, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to finish the story the way we've always hoped," said Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi.

[03/24/26 - 06:33 AM]
ID Exposes the Hidden Cost of Pop Stardom in Explosive New Special "Boy Band Confidential" Premiering on April 13 and 14
"Boy Band Confidential: A Hollywood Demons Event" premieres on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 from 9-11pm ET/PT on ID.

[03/24/26 - 06:32 AM]
Hallmark Stars Take the Stage in First-Time Multi-City Tour Experience Hallmark Stars Live
The inaugural two-week multi-city event will travel to select cities between July 22 and August 2, giving audiences the chance to celebrate a little Hallmark movie magic for an evening that's joyfully unscripted and entirely in the moment.

[03/24/26 - 06:31 AM]
Most Valuable Promotions' Announces Eight Additional Bouts for Its Blockbuster Professional MMA Event on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, Live Globally Only on Netflix
The blockbuster event marks a major moment in combat sports as MVP and Netflix expand their footprint into MMA following the historic success of their global boxing events.

[03/24/26 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Bridgerton" Season 5 - Official Announcement - Netflix
Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again... "Bridgerton" Season 5 is now in production.

[03/24/26 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Unchosen" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Behind the closed doors of a claustrophobic British cult, a woman finds herself trapped between her suffocating marriage and an intriguing newcomer with a dark criminal past.

[03/24/26 - 01:01 AM]
Video: "Je m'appelle Agneta" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Craving a fresh start, recently unemployed Agneta accepts an au pair gig in Provence that turns into an indulgent escape - and an unexpected awakening.

[03/23/26 - 04:07 PM]
FX's Global Hit Drama Series "Shogun" Adds Five to Season 2 Cast Coming to FX and Hulu
Production is currently underway in Vancouver, which is set over a decade after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.

[03/23/26 - 01:17 PM]
Sky Katz and Case Walker to Headline New Tubi Original YA Romantic Comedy Film "Game On"
The film will be a highlighted topic at Tubi's IAB Newfronts presentation on Tuesday, March 24 alongside other breaking news.

[03/23/26 - 01:16 PM]
Mahershala Ali Joins "Task" Season 2
Welcome to Delco.

[03/23/26 - 01:04 PM]
Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery Will Return for Marvel Television's "Wonder Man" Season 2
Co-created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, the new season is coming to Disney+.

[03/23/26 - 11:16 AM]
Emmy Award-Winning "Baby Reindeer" Creator Richard Gadd Stars Alongside Jamie Bell in the New Limited Series "Half Man," Premiering April 23 on HBO Max
Some bonds may break you.

[03/23/26 - 11:08 AM]
ESPN Announces MLB Game of the Day Schedule Through May
The Game of the Day schedule is an out of market offering and is subject to local blackout restrictions.

[03/23/26 - 11:00 AM]
Survival Icon Bear Grylls Takes Eight Celebrities on the Journey of a Lifetime on "Bear Grylls Is Running Wild"
Elizabeth Banks, Rhys Darby, Colman Domingo, Tiffany Haddish, Matthew McConaughey, MGK, Michelle Monaghan, and Uma Thurman are featured in the series, due April 21 on FOX.