or


[10/26/11 - 10:59 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 26
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!


THE AVALON (ABC, New!) - Marta Kauffman ("Friends") and Jessica Queller ("Gossip Girl") have booked a new drama at the Alphabet "that takes place onstage and in the kitchen of LA's hottest cabaret restaurant." Said effort is based Small World IFT's Pan Asian format "The Kitchen Musical." The Group Entertainment's Tim Crescenti, Nelia Molato-Sustrino and Chris James is also on board to executive produce alongside Kauffman, Queller and Electus' Ben Silverman for ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


BLACKOUT (Showtime, New!) - John Gordillo and Reginald Hunter has scored a script commitment from the pay channel for a new comedy which "explores race relations through the eyes of a repressed middle-class white woman and her alter ego, a black man." Marta Kauffman and Michael Rizzo are also on board to executive produce the half-hour alongside the duo. (THR.com)


CHESS (Showtime, New!) - James Manos Jr. ("Dexter") is back in business with the pay channel for a new drama about "a mafia wife who helps the FBI get rid of her husband so she can take over his business." Bad Hat Harry Productions' Bryan Singer and Matthew Williams are also on board to executive produce the hour alongside Manos. (THR.com)


CREW SIX (ABC, New!) - Terrence Howard is on track to star in the Hallmark Hall of Fame original, about a team of female inmates that have been highly trained in firefighting and search and rescue. Darnell Martin is helming the project, which begins production next month in Atlanta. The news marks the second of three planned Hallmark Hall of Fame efforts for the Alphabet, the first of which, "Have a Little Faith," premieres Sunday, November 27. (Variety.com)


THE EXECUTIONER (Showtime, New!) - Timothy J. Sexton ("Children of Men") is developing a drama at the pay channel based on the true story of Anatole Deibler, "the official Executioner of Paris in the late 1800s and a celebrity in his own right." Grady Twins' Marti Noxon and Dawn Parouse are also on board to executive produce the Warner Horizon Television-based hour alongside Sexton, who will pen the script. (THR.com)


INTERCEPT (ABC Family) - Austin Butler ("Switched at Birth") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a group of college students who get roped into solving crimes when one of them creates a high-tech communication device that intercepts conversations throughout the West Coast. He'll play one of the group, which also includes Danielle Panabaker and Chloe Wang. Ray Wright created the hour and is executive producing. (Deadline.com)


THE POWER BROKER (HBO, New!) - Filmmaker Oliver Stone is developing a small screen take on Robert Caro's 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the life of "master builder" Robert Moses, one of the most polarizing figures in the history of urban planning in the United States. Moses is credited with various New York City innovations, including creating the modern suburb of Long Island and the United Nations' decision to headquarter in Manhattan as opposed to Philadelphia, while conversely demonized for establishing numerous public authorities outside the purview of elected officials. Nicholas Meyer is on board to pen the docudrama with Peter Guber and James Gandolfini executive producing alongside Stone. Gandolfini's managers Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong are also attached as co-executive producers. (THR.com)


RED BAND SOCIETY (ABC, New!) - Marta Kauffman ("Friends") is likewise developing another potential drama at the Alphabet about "the day-to-day lives of a group of six teens in the children's wing." Said hour is based on the Spanish format "Polseres Vermelles" from Albert Espinosa and is set up at ABC Studios and DreamWorks Television. The latter's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank then will executive produce alongside Kauffman and Sergio Aguero with Filmax International's Carlos and Julio Fernandez also serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)


SULLIVAN & SON (TBS) - Dan Lauria has booked the title role on the comedy pilot, about a popular and legendary neighborhood bar in a working-class neighborhood in Pittsburgh. He'll play the Irish-American owner of said locale, with Steve Byrne as the son in question. Valerie Azlynn, Jodi Long, Vivian Bang and Owen Benjamin also star in the half-hour, from Warner Horizon Television and Wild West Picture Show Productions. Peter Billingsley, Rob Long and Vince Vaughn are executive producing alongside Byrne. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED ANDREA SAVAGE PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Andrea Savage ("Dinner for Schmucks") is set to write and star in a semi-autobiographical comedy at the Peacock about "a woman who prides herself on her humor and edge and refuses to become typical after becoming a parent for the first time." The multi-camera project is set up at Universal Television with Jay Roach and Jennifer Perini also on board to executive produce via their Everyman Pictures banner. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JIMMY JELLINEK PROJECT (Showtime, New!) - Playboy editor Jimmy Jellinek is developing a potential comedy at the pay channel about "a family man who happens to be the editor of a racy men's magazine." Ben Silverman's Electus is behind the half-hour, which he'll executive produce alongside Jellinek. (THR.com)


UNTITLED NICK CASSAVETES PROJECT (Showtime, New!) - Nick Cassavetes has landed a potential drama at the pay channel "based on the life of Benny Binion, a well-known casino owner, mobster, poker player and convicted felon." No other details were given about the hour, which Cassavetes is attached to write, direct and executive produce. (THR.com)


UNTITLED CHRIS O'DOWD PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Chris O'Dowd ("Bridesmaids") has booked a potential single-camera comedy at the Peacock about "a group of men who meet at a weight loss clinic." He'll write and executive produce the half-hour, which has a penalty attached, alongside Joe Port and Joe Wiseman ("New Girl") for 20th Century Fox Television. 3 Arts Entertainment's Dave Becky and Nick Frenkel will also receive executive producing credits. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JIM GAFFIGAN PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Jim Gaffigan ("My Boys") is set to topline a single-camera comedy at the Peacock about "a lazy man, married to a strong woman, raising four children in a two bedroom apartment in New York City." He'll also write the half-hour, which is set up at the Universal Television-based American Work. The company's Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan then will executive produce alongside Gaffigan and his manager Alex Murray of Brillstein Entertainment Partners. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JERRY O'CONNELL PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Jerry O'Connell ("Carpoolers") has been tapped to star in a potential multi-camera comedy at the Eye, "an adult family sitcom about a struggling writer catapulted into the spotlight as a parenting expert after his tongue-in-cheek children's book becomes an unexpected hit." Jeff Astrof ("How to Be a Gentleman") and Adam Mansbach ("Go the F**k to Sleep") are co-writing the CBS Television Studios-based half-hour, which was conceived alongside O'Connell. Astrof then will executive produce alongside 3 Arts Entertainment's Michael Rotenberg and Richard Abate with O'Connell and Mansbach serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)


WALKING THROUGH WALLS (Showtime, New!) - Nicholas Wootton ("Chuck") has booked a new project at the pay channel based on Philip Smith's memoir about his relationship with his father, a psychic healer. The single-camera comedy comes from Groundswell Productions with Michael London executive producing alongside Wootton. Smith himself is also attached as a co-executive producer. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - NBC's midseason drama "Awake" will take a month-long production hiatus to give producers additional time to whip future scripts, beginning with episode seven, into shape (NYMag.com); Emmy-winner Richard Schiff will guest on "Once Upon a Time" as Snow White's (Ginnifer Goodwin) father (TVLine.com); Melanie Lynskey will visit "House" in an upcoming episode told from the perspective of the wife of the patient of the week (TVLine.com); Gilbert Gottfried is set to recur as "a new under-appreciated technical IT character in the precinct" on "Law & Order: SVU" (TVGuide.com); "The Suite Life on Deck's" Debby Ryan is bound for "Private Practice" as "an 18-year-old girl whom Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) meets while in rehab" (EOnline.com); "Scrubs" alums Zach Braff and Robert Maschio will both visit "Cougar Town" later this season (TVLine.com); "Dexter's" Jennifer Carpenter will guest on "The Good Wife" as "a soft-spoken professor who is fired due to her conservative religious and political beliefs" (EOnline.com); Andrea Roth has been cast as the ex-wife of Siobhan's husband/mother of Juliet on "Ringer" (EW.com); Jonathan Groff will once again reprise his role as Jesse St. James on "Glee" (EW.com); Jennifer Coolidge is set to recur on "2 Broke Girls" as a hardworking woman who moves into the girls' apartment building (Deadline.com); plus Christina Milian will replace Alison Haislip as social media correspondent on season two of "The Voice" (Deadline.com).






  [october 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· 2 BROKE GIRLS (CBS)
· AVALON, THE (ABC)
· AWAKE (NBC)
· BLACKOUT (SHOWTIME)
· CARPOOLERS (ABC)
· CHESS (SHOWTIME)
· CHUCK (NBC)
· COUGAR TOWN (TBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
· EXECUTIONER, THE (SHOWTIME)
· FIRELIGHT (ABC)
· FRIENDS (NBC)
· GLEE (FOX)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· HAVE A LITTLE FAITH (ABC)
· HOUSE (FOX)
· HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN (CBS)
· INTERCEPT (ABC FAMILY)
· LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)
· MY BOYS (TBS)
· NEW GIRL (FOX)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· POWER BROKER, THE (NETFLIX)
· PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC)
· RED BAND SOCIETY (FOX)
· RINGER (CW)
· SCRUBS (ABC)
· SUITE LIFE ON DECK (DISNEY)
· SULLIVAN & SON (TBS)
· SWITCHED AT BIRTH (FREEFORM)
· UNTITLED ANDREA SAVAGE PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED CHRIS O'DOWD PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED JERRY O'CONNELL PROJECT (CBS)
· UNTITLED JIM GAFFIGAN PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED JIMMY JELLINEK PROJECT (SHOWTIME)
· UNTITLED NICK CASSAVETES PROJECT (SHOWTIME)
· VOICE, THE (NBC)
· WALKING THROUGH WALLS (SHOWTIME)





[10/03/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: Prime Video Debuts Teaser Trailer of "Barbershop"
The comedy series inspired by the beloved film franchise will premiere all eight episodes on February 10, 2027, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[10/03/26 - 06:53 AM]
WNBA Playoffs Return to NBC Sports for First Time Since 2002! Postseason Coverage Begins Tomorrow, Oct. 4, at 4 P.M. ET on NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports will present up to seven games of live coverage throughout the Semifinals and WNBA Finals.

[10/03/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Devils' Crest" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
It's all fun and AR games until your real life is in danger.

[10/02/26 - 04:16 PM]
USA Sports' Fever-Aces Game 3 Coverage on USA Network and CNBC Averages 2.25 Million Viewers; Second-Best First Round Game on Record
Viewership of Fever-Aces on USA Network and CNBC peaked at 2.7 million viewers in the 11:15 p.m. ET quarter hour.

[10/02/26 - 02:49 PM]
Yankees Sweep of Red Sox on NBC & Peacock Is Most-Watched First Two Games of MLB Wild Card or Division Series Since 2004
The audience for Wednesday's night's Game 2 peaked at 9.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock from 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET.

[10/02/26 - 11:08 AM]
Video: "Thou Shalt Not Steal" - Official Trailer - A Network Exclusive
Robyn (Sherry-Lee Watson) breaks out of juvenile detention and starts an odyssey across the harsh Australian outback to a reunion with her estranged father.

[10/02/26 - 11:01 AM]
Natalia Dyer, Jack Reynor and John Magaro Join the Cast of "The Trial of Louise Woodward"
Making their case.

[10/02/26 - 11:00 AM]
Video: Summer May Be Over, But the Beach Is Just Heating Up - Watch the All-New "Baywatch" Teaser Promos
"Baywatch" premieres this January on FOX and next day Hulu.

[10/02/26 - 10:24 AM]
Video: "Wingman" - Official Trailer - ALLBLK
Sophie and Tyler spend their lives making sure everyone else around them finds love. Little did they know that finding love for each other was going to be harder than they thought.

[10/02/26 - 10:00 AM]
TNT Sports to Be Exclusive Home of 2026 American League Division Series & American League Championship Series
This Saturday, October 3, seven-time All-Star José Ramírez and Steven Kwan will lead the Cleveland Guardians against Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas and the Chicago White Sox in a division rival showdown.

[10/02/26 - 09:15 AM]
"Fast and Furious" TV Series Greenlit at Peacock
Mike Daniels and Wolfe Coleman are behind the project, with Vin Diesel also among the executive producers.

[10/02/26 - 09:03 AM]
A Night of Mystery! New Series "History's Mystery Files" & A New Season of "The Curse of Oak Island" Premieres Nov. 10
Hosted by actor and comedian Jorge Garcia, each episode of "History's Mystery Files" follows the clues, the evidence, and the questions that refuse to go away.

[10/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
"The Watcher" Season Two to Begin Production, with Naomi Watts & Bobby Cannavale Returning
Margo Martindale and Isabel Gravitt will also reprise their roles in the hit Netflix series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

[10/02/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Forsytes" Season 2 Preview
Secrets, ambition, and forbidden passions collide as "The Forsytes" returns for an explosive Season 2, only on "Masterpiece" on PBS in 2027.

[10/02/26 - 07:31 AM]
Netflix Has Officially Renewed "A Different World" for Its Sophomore Season
"A Different World" debuted at #4 in the Global Top 10 English TV list, earning 4.2 million views and hit the Top 10 in 15 countries.