or


[01/24/07 - 12:49 AM]
Development Update: Wednesday, January 24
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 CALL (ABC) - Dave Hemingson's single-camera comedy has officially been ordered to pilot. The 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour revolves around a pair of gifted yet unconventional Los Angeles paramedics who save people's lives while screwing up one another's - all in real time. Hemingson wrote the script and is executive producing alongside Real Time's Joel Surnow, Bob Cochran and Howard Gordon.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously blind six-episode commitment)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Dave Hemingson
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bob Cochran (Real Time Productions), Dave Hemingson, Howard Gordon (Real Time Productions), Joel Surnow (Real Time Productions)
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television


CARPOOLERS (ABC) - The Alphabet has ordered Bruce McCulloch's comedy project, about a group of suburban guys who carpool to work together, to pilot. Touchstone Television is behind the half-hour, which McCulloch wrote and is executive producing alongside 3 Arts Entertainment's David Miner and DreamWorks Television's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously script)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Bruce McCulloch
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bruce McCulloch, Darryl Frank (DreamWorks Television), David Miner (3 Arts Entertainment), Justin Falvey (DreamWorks Television)
Studio: Touchstone Television


DEEPLY IRRESPONSIBLE (A.K.A. UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT) (FOX) - Victor Fresco's comedy project, which now features the working title of "Deeply Irresponsible," has been given a pilot commitment. The multi-camera half-hour revolves around an uptight family that is turned upside-down when their freewheeling grandfather comes to live with them. Fresco penned the pilot script and will executive produce the project, which is based at 20th Century Fox Television.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously put pilot)
Cast: TBA
Writer: Victor Fresco
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Victor Fresco
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television


ELI STONE (ABC) - "Justice" alum Victor Garber has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a brilliant attorney (Jonny Lee Miller) at the top law firm in San Francisco who finds out he might be a prophet. Garber will play the senior partner at the firm, the most respected attorney in town who happens to be the father of Stone's fiancee.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone), Loretta Devine, Victor Garber
Writers: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Greg Berlanti (Berlanti Television), Marc Guggenheim
Studio: Touchstone Television


FAMILY OF THE YEAR (ABC, New!) - Erica Rivinoja ("Grounded for Life") has scored a pilot order from the Alphabet for a new comedy about the Holloways, 10-time Tatum, New Mexico, "Family of the Year" winners, who are thrown for a loop when a local - and possibly more deserving - family starts encroaching on their territory. Rivinoja penned the script is executive producing alongside Pam Brady ("The Loop") for 20th Century Fox Television.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: Erica Rivinoja
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Erica Rivinoja, Pam Brady
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television


THE LIFE & TIMES OF TIM (FOX, New!) - FOX has committed to a pilot presentation for a new animated comedy from indie filmmaker Steve Dildarian ("Angry Unpaid Hooker"). Warner Bros. Television is behind the project, which revolves around the life of a twentysomething guy. Cheri Oteri ("Saturday Night Live"), Kurtwood Smith ("That '70s Show") and Matt Johnson are already on board to voice the presentation, which Dildarian write, direct and executive produce alongside Tom Werner, Eric Gold and Jimmy Miller.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (7-10 minute presentation)
Cast: Cheri Oteri, Kurtwood Smith, Matt Johnson
Writer: Steve Dildarian
Director: Steve Dildarian
Executive Producers: Eric Gold (Werner-Gold-Miller), Jimmy Miller (Werner-Gold-Miller), Steve Dildarian, Tom Werner (Werner-Gold-Miller)
Studio: Warner Bros. Television


THE MASTERSONS OF MANHATTAN (NBC) - Natasha Richardson ("Maid in Manhattan") has been tapped as one of the lead roles in the comedy pilot, a serialized comedic soap opera revolving around two sisters, one of them played by Richardson, in a socially prominent family in New York. In addition, sitcom veteran James Burrows ("Will & Grace") has come aboard to direct the half-hour from a script by creator Gary Janetti.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: Natasha Richardson
Writer: Gary Janetti
Director: James Burrows
Executive Producers: Gary Janetti
Studio: NBC Universal Television Studio


THE MIDDLE (ABC) - Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline's single-camera comedy, about the lives of a middle class, Midwestern family as told through the eyes of the mother, has been given a pilot order by the network. The pair penned the pilot script and will executive produce for Warner Bros. Television.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously script)
Cast: TBA
Writers: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler
Studio: Warner Bros. Television


SAM I AM (A.K.A. THE MEMORY TRACE) (ABC) - The Alphabet has given a pilot order to the project, a single-camera comedy about a woman who wakes up from a coma with amnesia and has to rediscover her life, her relationships and herself. Novelist Cecelia Ahern ("PS, I Love You") and writer/producer Don Todd are behind the Touchstone Television-based half-hour, which Todd wrote from a story by Ahern. Todd will also executive produce alongside Brillstein Grey Entertainment's Peter Traugott with Ahern serving as a producer.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot (previously script)
Cast: TBA
Writers: Cecelia Ahern, Don Todd
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Don Todd, Peter Traugott (Brillstein-Grey Entertainment)
Producer: Cecelia Ahern
Studio: Touchstone Television


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· CALL, THE (ABC)
· CARPOOLERS (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ELI STONE (ABC)
· FAMILY OF THE YEAR (ABC)
· GROUNDED FOR LIFE (WB)
· JUSTICE (FOX)
· LIFE & TIMES OF TIM, THE (HBO)
· LOOP, THE (FOX)
· MASTERSONS OF MANHATTAN, THE (NBC)
· MIDDLE, THE (2007 VERSION) (ABC)
· SAMANTHA WHO? (ABC)
· THAT '70S SHOW (FOX)
· UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (FOX)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)





[02/07/25 - 01:13 PM]
ABC Claims Top 5 Shows Among Adults 18-49 in Cross-Platform Broadcast Series Rankings
Driven by stellar streaming viewership on Hulu and Disney+, three ABC titles more than triple their seven-day linear averages, including "High Potential" (+297%), "Abbott Elementary" (+270%) and "Shifting Gears" (+242%).

[02/07/25 - 01:01 PM]
NBC Celebrates the Legacy of "Saturday Night Live" on Feb. 15 with the First-Ever "SNL" Telecast Airing at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT
Plus: an encore of the critically acclaimed documentary "Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music" will start the night at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

[02/07/25 - 01:00 PM]
Video: "Between Walls" - Official Trailer - Hulu
Marga (Aislinn Derbez) and Martín (Christian Vazquez) happen to meet on a dating app, unaware they are neighbors.

[02/07/25 - 12:01 PM]
NFL Slimetime Presents Nickelodeon's Game Changers: Brand-New Special for Kids & Families Debuts Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8:00 P.M. (ET/PT) in Honor of Black History Month
Leading into the special, Nickelodeon will premiere a brand-new episode of Tyler Perry's Young Dylan titled "Red Tails," at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

[02/07/25 - 10:08 AM]
CBS Wins Thursday Night with Top 4 Programs of the Night, Up from Its Thursday Season Average
"Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" (8:00-8:30 PM) was the #1 program of the night delivering 6.54 million viewers.

[02/07/25 - 10:04 AM]
All-New Season of "Naked and Afraid" Premieres on Sunday, March 9 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
From the sweltering jungles in the Philippines to the rugged bluffs of the American Midwest, each episode of the new season presents unique environments, unprecedented obstacles and history-making duos as they are brought together with no water, no food and no clothes.

[02/07/25 - 10:02 AM]
FX's "English Teacher" Renewed for Season Two
The show's first season has received three Critics Choice Awards nominations, including Best Comedy Series, and four nominations for the Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Best New Scripted Series.

[02/07/25 - 09:32 AM]
Starz Partners with Verizon to Include 1 Year Subscription for Eligible Customers in New Home Internet Offer
This offer is for new customers in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC markets who order Fios 1 Gig or 2 Gig Home Internet or for customers in the Atlanta market who order 5G Home Plus.

[02/07/25 - 09:10 AM]
CBS "Hollywood Squares" Is the Season's #1 New Unscripted Series Reaching Nearly 24 Million Unique Viewers
The show is televisions #1 new unscripted series this season averaging 5.40 million viewers in primetime alone.

[02/07/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - "Chris Distefano: It's Just Unfortunate"
Chris Distefano is trying to be the best father he can be but nowadays, words speak louder than actions - so Chris is acting with the right intentions, but not always the right moves.

[02/07/25 - 09:00 AM]
Animated Academy Award Nominee "Flow" Begins Streaming Exclusively on Max February 14
A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, "Flow" follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood.

[02/07/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "Winner" - Official Trailer - Hulu
Based on the true story, the ambitious but eccentric Reality Winner (Emilia Jones) finds herself in the middle of a political scandal when she becomes a surprising NSA whistleblower.

[02/07/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Orders New Unscripted High School Series "Sweethearts" and Releases Trailer
"Sweethearts" follows the lives of six teenage couples in Charleston, South Carolina, as they navigate the end of high school and their final summer together as a couple, before heading off to college.

[02/07/25 - 08:02 AM]
Lucy Lawless Returns for an All-New Season of Acorn TV's "My Life Is Murder"
Starring Lucy Lawless as the fearless and unapologetic investigator Alexa Crowe, each season sees her solving puzzling cases in Auckland, New Zealand with a little help from her witty friends.

[02/07/25 - 08:01 AM]
New Season, Fresh Rivalries - "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" Returns March 7
Drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane - both on and off the track - during each cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing.