or


[01/19/10 - 07:33 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, January 19
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!


ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? (Syndication) - Twentieth Television has cleared the syndicated incarnation of the game show for a second season. The series is a go in the top five markets, including WPIX New York, KTTV/KCOP Los Angeles and WFLD/WPWR Chicago. Mark Burnett and Zoo Productions are behind the project.


BODY OF EVIDENCE (ABC, New!) - Chris Murphey ("Dead Lawyers") has snagged a pilot order from the Alphabet for a new drama about Megan Hunt, "a former neurosurgeon-turned-medical examiner who brings a unique and crime-solving perspective to the ME's office that often puts her at odds with her superiors." Murphey penned the hour and is executive producing alongside Matt Gross, on whose idea the project is based. ABC Studios is producing.


HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC, New!) - Newcomer David Caspe has booked a pilot commitment from the network for a new single-camera comedy about "a couple that breaks up at the altar, forcing them and their group of friends to figure out how to maintain their friendships after the split." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour, which is executive produced by Jamie Tarses and her studio-based FanFare Productions banner.


NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX, New!) - Ajay Sahgal is once again developing the multi-camera comedy, about "two brothers from a traditional Indian background - one defies his family's expectations by dating a Caucasian woman, while the other agrees to enter an arranged marriage." FOX has ordered a pilot for the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, the third time it has received such a commitment. NBC originally took a stab back in the spring of 2004 with Kal Penn and Judy Greer in the lead roles. David Schwimmer helmed the half-hour, which didn't make the cut for the 2004-05 season. The producers then opted to reshoot the pilot that summer with Sahgal himself as the male lead but the Peacock passed on that incarnation as well. FOX topper Kevin Reilly shepherded both versions while at NBC, making its revival not much of a surprise. Sahgal won't topline the FOX version, which is likewise based on his experiences as the son of Indian immigrants who eventually married a Caucasian woman (actress Kelli Williams). It's not clear if original executive producers Schwimmer, Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke will be involved in the update.


THE ODDS (CBS, New!) - Feature writer/director Jeff Wadlow ("Never Back Down") has scored a pilot order from the Eye for a new drama billed as "a buddy cop show set in Las Vegas where the cops are just as outrageous as the crimes they solve." Wadlow penned the Warner Bros. Television-based hour and is executive producing alongside Joel Silver with Beau Bauman producing. No other specifics were given.


OFF THE MAP (ABC) - The Alphabet has greenlit production on Jenna Bans's ("Grey's Anatomy") drama pilot, about "three doctors, each anxious for a fresh start, [who] leave the comfort of the States to work at an isolated tropical clinic, where they face both exotic and unusual medical challenges as well as personal ones." ABC Studios is behind the hour, which is set up at Shonda Rhimes's studio-based Shondaland banner. Bans and Rhimes then will executive produce alongside Betsy Beers.


THE STRIP (A.K.A. UNTITLED THOMAS LENNON PROJECT) (NBC) - The Thomas Lennon led comedy has received a pilot order from the Peacock. The multi-camera half-hour revolves around "a former child star (Lennon) who now owns a Hooters-type restaurant in a strip mall on the outskirts of Vegas." Lennon and Robert Ben Garant co-wrote the script to the Universal Media Studios-based project, which Garant will also co-star in a supporting role. The duo will also executive produce alongside Peter Principato and Paul Young.


TORCHWOOD (FOX) - Russell T. Davies is developing a U.S. incarnation of the "Doctor Who" spin-off about "a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity." BBC America currently holds the broadcast rights to the original incarnation, which wrapped its third season last summer. The Hollywood Reporter suggests co-star John Barrowman may be part of the new version, however the project is still in the early stages of development. Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter are the executive producers attached for BBC Worldwide Productions.


UNTITLED BROADWAY MUSICAL PROJECT (Showtime) - Theresa Rebeck ("Canterbury's Law") has been tapped to pen the potential drama, which "chronicles the development of an original Broadway musical, from the inception of the idea through the opening night and everything in between." Storyline Entertainment's Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and DreamWorks Television's Steven Spielberg, Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey are all behind the hour, which would spawn an actual Broadway musical at the end of the first season. Also on board are Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman as songwriters, who are expected to receive an executive producing credits.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? (SYNDICATION)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· CANTERBURY'S LAW (FOX)
· DEAD LAWYERS (SYFY)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOCTOR WHO (DISNEY PLUS)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· NEARLY NIRVANA (NBC)
· NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX)
· ODDS, THE (CBS)
· OFF THE MAP (ABC)
· SMASH (NBC)
· STRIP, THE (NBC)
· TORCHWOOD (FOX)
· TORCHWOOD (STARZ)





[03/06/25 - 03:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces Global Premiere of Highly Anticipated Anime Series "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX"
The series will stream simultaneously with Japan across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Tuesday, April 8.

[03/06/25 - 02:59 PM]
Hallmark Media Orders Fourth Season of "The Way Home"
Cast members confirmed the news on social media this afternoon.

[03/06/25 - 11:30 AM]
Highly Anticipated Mystery Drama, "The Last Anniversary," Set to Premiere Sunday, March 30, Exclusively on AMC+
Based on the best-selling novel from Liane Moriarty, the captivating six-episode drama stars Teresa Palmer as Sophie Honeywell, a young woman finding herself drawn into a complex web of family secrets after inheriting a house on a remote island.

[03/06/25 - 11:15 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Reveals Trailer for New Surrealist Family Comedy "Government Cheese"
The 10-episode comedy will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, April 16, with the first four episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 28.

[03/06/25 - 11:00 AM]
Video: National Geographic Reveals Trailer for Powerful New Docuseries "Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America"
From 72 Films, the series is an unprecedented moment-by-moment account of the Oklahoma City bombing, including extraordinary stories of survival, heroic rescue efforts, the nationwide search that followed, and a city's need for justice and healing after the tragedy.

[03/06/25 - 11:00 AM]
Prime Video Orders Series "Bloodaxe" from Michael and Horatio Hirst
The series is created, written, and executive produced by Michael and Horatio Hirst and tells the epic true story of Erik Bloodaxe and Gunnhild on their rise to power.

[03/06/25 - 10:20 AM]
Ring in Spring with the Return of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" on Saturday, April 5 at 8 PM ET/PT
At New York's Kleinfeld Bridal, the wedding dress shopping experience is always part fashion show, part bridal story and part family therapy.

[03/06/25 - 10:16 AM]
"Opry 100: A Live Celebration" Adds More Star Power to Once in a Lifetime Celebration of Country Music
Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jamey Johnson, Keith Urban, Post Malone, Ricky Skaggs, Steven Curtis Chapman, Terri Clark, Travis Tritt and Yolanda Adams have been added to the roster of performers.

[03/06/25 - 10:06 AM]
Max Original Animated Series "Gremlins: The Wild Batch" Returns April 10
This next five-episode drop will allow fans to binge the season in its entirety and learn how the chaotic antics of the mischievous Mogwai reach their peak as our heroes confront unforeseen challenges and unexpected plot twists along their wild west adventure.

[03/06/25 - 10:02 AM]
CBS' "Beyond the Gates" Improves Time Period by +78%
In its first week on air, "Beyond the Gates" reached over 5.2 million unique viewers.

[03/06/25 - 09:40 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: League-Leading Cleveland Cavaliers to Host Orlando Magic Exclusively on March 16 Edition of "NBA Sunday Showcase" on ABC
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Philadelphia 76ers vs. Dallas Mavericks game broadcast.

[03/06/25 - 09:33 AM]
FOX Sports Films Announces "Destined to Drive: Patrick Dempsey's Return to Racing" Premiering March 16 on FS1
The one-hour film offers behind-the-scenes access to Dempsey's preparation as he reignites his passion for professional motorsports and competes in the high-stakes Porsche Endurance Challenge.

[03/06/25 - 09:02 AM]
OWN's "Love & Marriage: Detroit" Is Back with All-New Episodes Saturday, April 12 at 8PM ET/PT
Following a group of African American couples with deep ties to the city of Detroit, the series features Russell and Kolby Harris, Brandon and Kristina Bowman Smith, Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson, Marcel and Kimberly Dobine, and Bravo and Lakeita Samuels.

[03/06/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Mid-Century Modern" - Official Trailer - Hulu
"Mid-Century Modern" follows three best friends - gay gentlemen of a certain age - who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother.

[03/06/25 - 08:59 AM]
Vice Sports Adds Seventh Episode to Critically Acclaimed "Pitino: Red Storm Rising" Docuseries
The extra show - airing Thursday, April 3 - will offer viewers a review of the Red Storm's performance in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament leading up to the Final Four.