or


[03/08/10 - 12:04 AM]
Development Update: Monday, March 8
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!


BETWIXT (The CW) - Jessy Schram ("Life") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about three teens - Morgan Brower, Nix Uyarak and Celine Halstead - who discover they're actually "changelings," the children of mythological fairies. She'll play one of them, Morgan, who can transform into a creature with claws, fangs and yellow eyes. Allison Miller also stars as Celine, who can fly. Christian Duguay is helming the hour from a script by Elizabeth Chandler. CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television are co-producing.


BODY OF EVIDENCE (ABC) - "Past Life" alum Nicholas Bishop has booked the male lead in the drama pilot, about Megan Hunt (Dana Delany), "a medical examiner whose background as a neurosurgeon gives her a unique and refreshing crime-solving perspective but puts her at odds with nearly everyone." He'll play Peter Maxwell, an employee of the Medical Examiner's Office who's "tall with rough good looks and still maintains the body of the professional football player he once was." Bishop joins the previously cast Geoffrey Arend, Jeri Ryan, John Carroll Lynch and Windell Middlebrooks. Nelson McCormick is helming the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Chris Murphey.


THE CAPE (NBC) - Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Vince Faraday (David Lyons), "a former cop set up as a criminal who becomes a masked hero." He's set as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend of Vince's who tries to recruit him to join the Lynx Corporation, an ominous company. Writer Tom Wheeler and director Simon West are behind the hour, which is set up at Universal Media Studios.


FRANKLIN & BASH (TBS) - Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar have scored the title roles on the drama pilot, about "two street lawyers and lifelong friends who, after taking down a white-shoe law firm in a high-profile case, are recruited by the firm's patriarch." Meyer will play Jared Franklin, who "is bent on sticking it to the Man," while Gosselaar is set as Steven Bash, who "has an uncanny ability to connect with a jury and judge." Their casting lifts said contingency off the pilot's production. Kevin Falls and Bill Chais co-wrote the hour, which is set up at Jamie Tarses's Sony Pictures Television-based FanFare Productions.


GLORY DAZE (TBS) - Kelly Blatz, Julianna Guill, Callard Harris, Matt Bush, Hartley Sawyer, Drew Seeley and Tim Meadows have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about the lives of four incoming freshman in the 1980s who pledge a fraternity at a Wisconsin college. Said quartet consists of Joel Harrington (Blatz), "wide-eyed and eager to leave home and become his own man"; Eli Schwartz (Bush), "a pudgy 18 year old Jewish virgin from suburban Chicago"; Brian Vandergriff (Sawyer), "a tall, athletic Freshman and a quintessential California golden-boy"; and Jason Wilson (Seeley), who keeps a "gourmet coffee maker and the signed photo of Ronald Reagan" in his room. Harris then is set as Mike Reno, a junior that indoctrinates the guys into the world of Omega Chi House, with Guill as Christie Dewitt, who's "everything a Freshman guy could want...and more." Rounding out the ensemble is Meadows as Professor Haines, "a relic of 60's radical politics." Walt Becker and Mike LeSieur co-wrote the hour, the former of which is directing. Said project was previously cast-contingent.


HELLCATS (The CW) - Aly Michalka ("Phil of the Future") and Gail O'Grady ("Desperate Housewives") are the first to be cast in the presentation, a drama set in the world of competitive college cheerleading. The former will play Marty Berger ("wicked smart, an acerbic outsider"), a student at Memphis' Lancer University who's forced to try out for the Hellcats - the college's competitive cheerleading team - after she loses her scholarship. O'Grady will play her mother Wanda who tends bar at a rathskeller type snack bar on campus that serves food and drinks. Kevin Murphy penned the hour, which comes from CBS Television Studios, Tom Welling Productions and Warner Bros. Television.


IT TAKES A VILLAGE (ABC) - James Patrick Stuart ("90210") and Cheyenne Jackson ("30 Rock") are the latest additions to the comedy pilot, about exes - Karen (Leah Remini) and Howard - who join forces to raise their 15-year-old boy, George. Stuart will play Carl, Karen's new husband, a sports fanatic, while Jackson is set as Scott, Howard's "really good looking" boyfriend. Casey Johnson and David Windsor co-created the half-hour, which is set up at ABC Studios and The Mark Gordon Company. Michael Fresco is directing.


KINDREDS (NBC) - Kathy Bates ("The Office") is reportedly in final talks to topline the drama pilot, about "a curmudgeonly former patent lawyer (Bates) and her group of misfit associates." Said character, Harry Korn, was originally written as a man. He was detailed as "mid-fifties, an exasperated curmudgeon" who while crusty, has "an undeniable sweetness to him." Ben Chaplin also stars in the David E. Kelley-penned hour, to be helmed by Bill D'Elia. Warner Bros. Television is producing.


MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (FOX) - Tim Peper is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about "a group of friends who were superstars in high school but are facing the reality of adulthood." He's on board as Griff Brooks, who was once voted most likely to succeed but is now unemployed. Kaitlin Doubleday, Kathryn Hahn and Malcolm Barrett also star in the half-hour, which comes from creator David Walpert and 20th Century Fox Television. Michael Patrick Jann is directing.


THE PINK HOUSE (NBC) - Michael Cassidy ("Privileged") has booked one of the lead roles on the comedy pilot, about "two Midwestern guys who move to Los Angeles and rent a house on the beach." He'll play one of them, either John "Fitz" Fitzgerald or Rob "Bernie" Burnett, both of whom are described as in their "twenties, handsome and in good shape." Katharine McPhee also stars in the Universal Media Studios-based half-hour, which was penned by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Weiner. Michael Lembeck is directing.


TRUE BLUE (ABC) - Scott Foley ("The Unit") is the latest to book a role on the drama pilot, about "six former best friends who rose through the ranks at the San Francisco Police Department and reunite to solve the murder of one of their own." He'll play Peter Callahan ("mid-30s, moviestar good looks, Italian suit"), now an Assistant District Attorney. Ana Ortiz, Eric Lange, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Marc Blucas and Poppy Montgomery also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which Peter Horton is directing from a script by Chris Brancato and Jon Harmon Feldman.


UNTITLED TAD QUILL PROJECT (CBS) - The Eye has shelved the comedy pilot, about "a widowed father of a 12-year-old boy who re-enters the dating world." Said decision is reportedly tied to difficulties in casting the lead, Jack Lewis, and Sebastian, his 12-year-old son. Tad Quill is behind the multi-camera half-hour, which is set up at CBS Television Studios.


UNTITLED WYOMING PROJECT (The CW) - Ryan Hawley and Kathleen Chalfant have each booked roles on the drama pilot, about Gideon (Sean Faris), a horse trainer who becomes the patriarch of a Wyoming family after both their parents pass away. Hawley will play Dakin, Gideon's younger, estranged brother who returns home from Stanford University to help out. Chalfant then is set as Marie December, the crotchety grandmother of Gideon's love interest Lucy (Scarlett Johnson), whom she's returned home from New York to take care of. Alan Ruck and Renee Smith co-star in the hour, which comes from co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino. CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television are producing.


WRIGHT VS. WRONG (ABC) - Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") and Melissa Rauch ("The Big Bang Theory") have both joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Evelyn Wright (Debra Messing), "a driven conservative pundit who tries to maintain her public persona despite facing her own vulnerabilities." He'll play Adrian Manly, Evelyn's contributing writer, "a hip, NYU grad biding his time until he can get a job at The Daily Show... he and his wife, Tami, are organic, Prius liberals." She's set as Crystal Ball, Evelyn's personal assistant, whose "wide-eyed freshly scrubbed face makes it hard to peg her age, she could be 18 or 40... she is the best Christianity has to offer; kind, non-judgemental, joyous, a true lamb of God." Andy Fickman is helming the Sony Pictures Television-based project, which was penned by Stephanie Weir.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [march 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· 90210 (CW)
· BIG BANG THEORY, THE (CBS)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· CAPE, THE (NBC)
· CHANGELINGS (CW)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FRANKLIN & BASH (TNT)
· GLORY DAZE (TBS)
· HARRY'S LAW (NBC)
· HELLCATS (CW)
· IT TAKES A VILLAGE (ABC)
· LIFE (NBC)
· MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (FOX)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· PAST LIFE (FOX)
· PINK HOUSE, THE (NBC)
· PRIVILEGED (CW)
· SIX DEGREES (ABC)
· TRUE BLUE (ABC)
· UNIT, THE (CBS)
· UNTITLED TAD QUILL PROJECT (CBS)
· WRIGHT VS WRONG (ABC)
· WYOMING STORY (CW)





[04/23/24 - 03:01 PM]
"Tamron Hall" Grows Week to Week in Women 18-49 Hitting 6-Week High and Ranking No. 2 Among All Syndicated Talk Shows
In addition, "Tamron Hall" turned in increases for the same week last year in Households and Women 18-49.

[04/23/24 - 03:00 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Up Week-to-Week in Adults 18-49
Season to date, "Nightline" is growing versus the comparable weeks last season in Total Viewers (916,000 vs. 913,000), posting its largest overall audience in 3 years - since the 2020-2021 season.

[04/23/24 - 01:54 PM]
Great American Family Announces Danica McKellar Set to Star in "A Royal Christmas Ball" (wt), Co-Starring Oliver Rice, Part of Great American Christmas 2024
In the film, Chelsea Jones (McKellar) is a dance instructor and studio owner in Chicago who inspires kids to find themselves through dance.

[04/23/24 - 12:34 PM]
Sports Personalities Joy Taylor and MJ Acosta-Ruiz to Host Season 2 of Fuse Media's Hit Trailblazing Series "Like a Girl"
The company is also announcing the launch of "She Leads," a short-form series celebrating women breaking barriers.

[04/23/24 - 12:05 PM]
Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean" Sets Sail for New Season in Athens, Greece on Monday, June 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Capt. Sandy Yawn, is joined by franchise-favorite Chief Stew Aesha Scott, who returns to the Med where her yachting career began.

[04/23/24 - 11:22 AM]
Viewership for April 21 Edition of ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball" - Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves - Up 24 Percent From Last Year
The reigning World Series Champion Texas Rangers 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves averaged 1,623,000 viewers, up from 1,309,000 viewers for last New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants game.

[04/23/24 - 11:04 AM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Apr. 15: "Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver" Debuts at #1; "Baby Reindeer" Rises to the Top
List mainstays included "3 Body Problem," which spent its fifth week on the list in third place (3.2M views), and Guy Ritchie's aristocratic gangster series "The Gentlemen," which spent its seventh week on the list in sixth place (2.9M views).

[04/23/24 - 09:59 AM]
The Gang is Back Again... Prime Video Reveals Premiere Date and First-Look Images for Third Season of Stephen Merchant's Critically Acclaimed Comedy-Drama "The Outlaws"
All five episodes of the comedy thriller from creator, star, and award-winning writer and director Stephen Merchant, will debut on May 31.

[04/23/24 - 09:32 AM]
ABC News Studios Presents "Michael Strahan x Jon Bon Jovi: Halfway There"
The one-hour special premieres this Sunday, April 28 on ABC.

[04/23/24 - 09:31 AM]
ABC News Announces "20/20" Primetime Special for Robin Roberts' Exclusive Interview with WNBA Star Brittney Griner
"Prisoner in Russia: The Brittney Griner Interview" airs Wednesday, May 1 on ABC.

[04/23/24 - 09:01 AM]
Paramount+ Announces Star-Studded Cast for Ninth Season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars"
In this new season, due May 17, eight fan-favorite queens return to use their drag superpowers for good, competing to win a supersized donation of $200,000, provided by The Palette Fund, for a charity of their choosing.

[04/23/24 - 07:38 AM]
Date Announcement & First Look: "Shoresy" Season 3 Premieres June 21 on Hulu
The series returns for season three on Friday, June 21 with all six new episodes exclusively in the U.S. on Hulu.

[04/23/24 - 07:16 AM]
Video: "Atlas" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

[04/23/24 - 06:20 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Fourth Season of Critically Acclaimed Comedy "Trying"
"Trying" will return for its eight-episode fourth season of on Wednesday, May 22 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through July 3.

[04/23/24 - 06:01 AM]
"The Spiderwick Chronicles" Makes Roku Channel History with Record-Setting Opening
The series also earned the highest daily reach and most hours streamed of any title to ever debut on The Roku Channel in a singular day.