or


[04/02/03 - 12:00 AM]
Pilot Update: April 2
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from various wire reports each morning:

THE APPRENTICE (NBC, New!) - NBC has committed to 13 episodes of the reality series which will feature would-be moguls braving a simulated corporate environment, all with the goal of landing a job with a tycoon who'll then train the winner in the art of the deal. Donald Trump (and his Trump Organization) has signed on to be said tycoon. "Survivor's" Mark Burnett (who is also behind NBC's upcoming "The Restaurant") will produce the series. Contestants are expected to be a mix of college grads and blue-collar types of which Trump will help determine who is "fired" each week. The winner will then serve under him for a least a year for a cool six-figure salary. The series is set to debut sometime during the 2003-04 season.

BOARDING HOUSE: NORTH SHORE (WB) - The WB has shifted the premiere of its summer reality series to June 18 (from June 3) and will instead air Wednesdays at 8:00/7:00c.

THE MULLET BROS. (UPN) - John O'Hurley ("Seinfeld") and Loni Anderson ("WKRP in Cincinnati") has signed on to UPN's pilot presentation about two boys with the much-maligned haircut.

MY LIFE WITH MEN (ABC) - Sam Robards ("American Beauty") will play Wendie Malick's husband in the comedy pilot while Nadia Dajani ("Ned & Stacey") has signed on as her lesbian sister.

PEPSI SMASH (WB, New!) - The Frog network has committed to six episodes of a new live music series, which will (as you might have guessed from the title) feature Pepsi as a premiere sponsor. The cola giant will fork over a large chunk of its estimated $800,000 to $1 million budget. Joel Gallen ("Not Another Teen Movie") is set to produce the series. Each episode will include at least six live music performances along with a countdown feature and celebrity appearances. Pepsi already has a solid relationship with the WB as the company is behind the upcoming "Play for a Billion" special and was a major partner in the WB's now shelved "Live from Tomorrow" talk show/variety series. "Smash" will premiere some time this summer.

SPLITSVILLE (FOX) - Lynn Collins has landed the female lead in the drama pilot while Adam Shankman ("Bringing Down the House") has signed on to direct.

THESE GUYS (ABC) - Jsu Garcia is set in one of the lead roles of the Tim Allen produced comedy pilot.

UNTITLED DAN FINNERTY PROJECT (ABC) - Emily Deschanel ("Providence") has been cast in the comedy pilot.

WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? (WB, New!) - The WB has ordered six episodes of the reality series from Bruce Nash ("Meet My Folks") and comic pioneer Stan Lee for the 2003-04 season. The project will feature average joes pitching their superhero idea (in the costume of said hero to boot) to a panel of celebrity judges who have played onscreen superheroes. Semifinalists will undergo a "superhero makeover" -- with a professional artistic gloss overseen by Lee -- and compete in various stunts and challenges that mimic comic book derring-do. The winner will then be eligible to have his or her idea developed and expanded by Lee's team, possibly for a comic book spinoff. Open auditions are set to being in a few weeks.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [april 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· APPRENTICE, THE (NBC)
· BOARDING HOUSE: NORTH SHORE (WB)
· DAN SHOW, THE (ABC)
· LIVE FROM TOMORROW (WB)
· MEET MY FOLKS (NBC)
· MULLETS, THE (UPN)
· MY LIFE WITH MEN (ABC)
· PEPSI SMASH (WB)
· PROVIDENCE (NBC)
· RESTAURANT, THE (NBC)
· SPLITSVILLE (FOX)
· SURVIVOR (CBS)
· THESE GUYS (ABC)
· WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? (SCI FI)





[11/13/24 - 02:02 PM]
Hit Detective Drama, "Shetland," Returns December 11 for Season Nine on BritBox
A double missing person's case blurs the lines between the personal and the professional, as Calder and Tosh are drawn into a labyrinthine investigation.

[11/13/24 - 01:59 PM]
Dascha Polanco and Paige Hurd Each to Star in New "Ripped from the Headlines" Originals for Lifetime
The former stars in "Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story" on January 11; while the latter leads "Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story" on January 18.

[11/13/24 - 01:08 PM]
ESPN to Exclusively Present 2025 MLB Opening Day Doubleheader Featuring Both World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League Champion New York Yankees
The doubleheader begins on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 27 when Aaron Judge and the Yankees host Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers, who won the National League Central in 2024.

[11/13/24 - 11:30 AM]
"Doctor Odyssey" Series Premiere Swells +482% Over Live+Same Day Audience in Adults 18-49
Plus: "9-1-1" kicked off season eight with an action-packed three-episode story arc rising +156% in Total Viewers (12.64 million vs. 4.93 million) and +519% in Adults 18-49 (2.91 rating vs. 0.47 rating) over its initial Live+Same Day audience.

[11/13/24 - 11:12 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Golden State Warriors Visit New Orleans Pelicans on November 22
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks game.

[11/13/24 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "The Night Agent" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Based on the novel by Matthew Quirk, "The Night Agent" is a sophisticated, character-based, action-thriller centering on a low level FBI Agent, Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), whose efforts to save The President in Season 1 earn him an opportunity to become a Night Agent in Season 2.

[11/13/24 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Announces Winter Premiere Dates for 2024-25 Primetime Season
"Hollywood Squares," starring award-winning actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore as the center square, and hosted by Nate Burleson, premieres Thursday, January 9 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).

[11/13/24 - 10:08 AM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art Debut - Hulu Exclusive "Family Guy" Holiday Special
The special episode premieres on Monday, November 25 only on Hulu as a part of the year-round "Family Guy" 25th Anniversary Celebration!

[11/13/24 - 10:01 AM]
Onyx Collective's Sexy Legal Drama "Reasonable Doubt" Renewed for Season Three on Hulu
"Reasonable Doubt" centers on Los Angeles-based high-powered criminal defense attorney Jacqueline "Jax" Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi) as she deals with past traumas, a struggling marriage, motherhood and a murder case, all while trying to keep her life together.

[11/13/24 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Say Nothing" - Official Trailer 2 - FX
FX's limited series is a gripping story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during The Troubles.

[11/13/24 - 10:00 AM]
Video: Let The Games Begin! Prime Video Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for Holiday Special "Amazon Wish List Games"
All five episodes of the special are set to debut on Prime Video on November 20.

[11/13/24 - 09:01 AM]
Disney Channel's "Fa-La-La-Lidays" and Disney Jr.'s "Magical Holidays" Unwrap Festive Programming for the Whole Family
Highlights of "Disney Channel's Fa-la-la-lidays" include new animated holiday episodes of "Big City Greens" and "ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series."

[11/13/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "The Later Daters" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Six older singles shake off the dust and wade back into the dating pool with the help of their family and friends and a renowned relationship expert in this uplifting docuseries that proves it's never too late to find lasting love.

[11/13/24 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents "Blue Bloods: Celebrating a Family Legacy," An "Entertainment Tonight" Special, to Air Friday, Nov. 29
This one-hour special, celebrating 293 episodes of "Blue Bloods," includes new exclusive interviews with the stars and recurring guest stars who share favorite memories and behind-the-scenes moments from the past 14 years.

[11/13/24 - 09:00 AM]
Acorn TV to Debut "Acorn TV X TED: Transform Your Thinking"
The new series will consist of six episodes, each featuring five TED Talks with a common theme.