or


[01/18/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: January 17-18
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:

DANCE NATION (FOX, New!) - "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller and "American Bandstand" legend Dick Clark are looking to team with FOX for a new primetime dance competition series which looks to crown one person (or a couple) the best dancer(s) in the country. No format details however have been released as it's not exactly clear how the series would work. More than likely contestants will be asked to learn a particular style of dance each week and compete in a live contest, with viewers or celebrity judges making the eliminations. The project is set up at Clark's Mandalay Mosaic Media Group-based production company and Fuller's 19 Entertainment with the pair executive producing. It's also not clear if "Dance" is related in any way to Fuller and Clark's also-in-the-works revival of "American Bandstand" (read the story).

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS PRE-SHOWS - In the battle of the cable pre-shows, E!'s "Live From the Red Carpet," hosted by Star Jones Reynolds, averaged a 2.12 metered-market household rating, double that of Joan and Melissa Rivers' coverage on the TV Guide Channel (1.06 metered-market household rating).

IN JUSTICE (ABC, New!) - Writer/producers Robert & Michelle King ("The Vertical Limit") have booked a pilot order at the Alphabet and Touchstone Television for a new drama about a group of impassioned lawyers who aid the wrongly convicted. Stu Bloomberg is also on board to executive produce the project with the Kings.

IN THE GAME (ABC) - Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") has opted out of joining the cast of the Jennifer Love Hewitt-led comedy as Sara Gilbert ("Roseanne") has been brought in to replace her. No reason for the change was given. Gilbert's character will also now be listed only as a guest star and not a series regular.

LENNIE ROSE (ABC, New!) - Krista Vernoff ("Wonderfalls") and Ken Olin ("Alias") have received a cast-contingent pilot order from ABC for a new dramedy about a single woman trying to find love and make it big in New York. Touchstone Television is behind the project.

NIGHT STALKER (ABC) - Frank Spotnitz's revival of the 1970s cult series has been given the green light to produce a pilot by ABC. The project, which is set up at Touchstone Television, is the result of Spotnitz's overall deal at the studio (read the story). "Stalker" revolves around a hardboiled journalist's investigations into freakish occurrences.

SOCCER MOMS (ABC) - Don Todd ("life as we know it") and Marla Ginsburg's ("Highlander: The Series") drama project has been given a cast-contigent pilot order. The project, which is set up at Touchstone Television, revolves around two suburban housewives who team up as private investigators.

SUPER BOWL XXXIX COMMERCIALS (NFL Network, New!) - Those only interested in the Super Bowl's commericals can avoid the game entirely and check out "Super Bowl XXXIX Commercials," a half-hour special airing on the cable network that consists of all the spots that ran during the game on FOX. The special will air right after the game (at approximately 10:00/9:00c) on Sunday, February 6 as well as replay the following night at 6:30/5:30c as well as twice on February 8 (times TBA).

SUPERNATURAL (The WB) - David Nutter ("Smallville") has come aboard to direct and executive produce the drama project, which has been given the green light to produce a pilot. Writer/producer Eric Kripke ("Tarzan") created the project, which is set up at McG and Stephanie Savage's Warner Bros. Television-based Wonderland Sound and Vision, and will executive produce along with Nutter, McG and Savage. "Supernatural" revolves around two brothers who travel the country hunting down supernatural beings.

TILT (ESPN) - The cable channel's second original drama series posted 2.0 million viewers (1.60 household rating) for its debut on Thursday. Said numbers were down 23% from the opener to its previous original "Playmakers" (2.6 million viewers, 2.41 household rating) but up significantly from the network's Thursday, 9:00/8:00c time period average.

TRU CALLING (FOX) - As long expected, FOX topper Gail Berman confirmed at the network's session at the TCA Winter Press Tour the series has been axed. FOX nevertheless hopes to run the completed episodes in the future: "We finished six episodes of 'Tru Calling,' and we anticipate putting them on air at some point," Berman told reporters. As for why the show got cut, Berman said: "What changed for us was when we saw 'Point Pleasant,' we really felt we had a show that was incredibly compatible with 'The O.C.' So our thoughts changed, not so much about 'Tru Calling,' but the possibility of not only having an exciting show and a winner at 8 o'clock, but also something that could really make headway for us at 9 o'clock in an incredibly competitive time period."

TRUE (The WB) - Anne Heche ("Everwood") has been cast in the lead role of the comedy pilot, about a woman whose boyfriend breaks up with her while she is in labor with their baby, forcing her to move back in with her parents. Heche's involvement lifts the cast-contingency on the project, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television. Kari Lizer ("Will & Grace") created "True" and will executive produce.

WORLD OF TROUBLE (NBC, New!) - Peter Noah ("The West Wing") has scored a pilot production order from the Peacock for a new drama about the a real-life F.B.I. unit that investigates crimes against Americans and American interests overseas. No other details were available about the project, which is understood to feature a female lead.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· ALIAS (ABC)
· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (UPN)
· EVERWOOD (WB)
· IN JUSTICE (ABC)
· IN THE GAME (2004 VERSION) (ABC)
· IN THE GAME (2005 VERSION) (ABC)
· INTRODUCING LENNIE ROSE (ABC)
· LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (ABC)
· NIGHT STALKER (ABC)
· PLAYMAKERS (ESPN)
· POINT PLEASANT (FOX)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (FOX)
· SOCCER MOMS (ABC)
· SUPERNATURAL (CW)
· TARZAN (WB)
· TILT (ESPN)
· TRU CALLING (FOX)
· TRUE (WB)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)
· WONDERFALLS (FOX)
· WORLD OF TROUBLE (NBC)





[01/28/25 - 12:30 PM]
ESPN Celebrates Black History Always on February 5 with Inaugural All-Black Staffed NBA Broadcast
In total, more than 40 Black employees will contribute to ESPN's NBA coverage across game and studio platforms throughout the day, the majority of whom contribute to its basketball coverage year-round.

[01/28/25 - 12:17 PM]
ABC News Studios Announces Two Gripping New True Crime Docuseries to Premiere in February, Streaming Exclusively on Hulu
Look for "Wicked Game: The Devil in the Desert" on February 4, followed by "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer" on February 18.

[01/28/25 - 12:00 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Jan. 20: "Back in Action" and "The Night Agent" Lead an Action-Packed Top 10
"XO, Kitty" Season 2 snapped up No. 2 on the English TV list with 9.2 million views - while Season 1 is also feeling the love at No. 5 with 3.8 million views.

[01/28/25 - 10:54 AM]
CBS Originals Return with Most-Watched Monday of The Season, Up +18% from Its Season Average
"NCIS" had its most watched episode of the season with an average audience of 7.31 million Live+SD viewers.

[01/28/25 - 10:01 AM]
Peacock Releases Premiere Date, Key Art and First Look Images for New Limited Drama Series "Long Bright River"
"Long Bright River" is a suspense thriller series that tells the story of Mickey (Amanda Seyfried), a police officer who patrols a Philadelphia neighborhood hard-hit by the opioid crisis.

[01/28/25 - 09:10 AM]
MGM+ Orders Comedy Series "American Classic" Starring Oscar Winner Kevin Kline
"American Classic" centers on Broadway star and notorious narcissist Richard Bean, played by Kline, who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns to his hometown and the family-run theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance.

[01/28/25 - 09:09 AM]
Bravo's "Top Chef" Heads North for Season 22 - Destination Canada
The series premieres Thursday, March 13 on Bravo with an entire season of supersized episodes airing every Thursday night from 9 - 10:15 p.m.

[01/28/25 - 09:01 AM]
History's "The Food That Built America" Returns with a Delicious New Season on February 23 at 9/8c
From unlocking original ideas to elevating old favorites, this season unveils the inspiration and innovation behind the products that became household names.

[01/28/25 - 08:47 AM]
Ending 2024 as #1 Cable Entertainment Network on Friday & Saturday Nights, Reelz Orders 90 New Episodes of Hit Documentary Series "On Patrol: Live"
Hosted by Dan Abrams, "On Patrol: Live" follows live news-gathering protocols as 50+ cameras in regions across the country document for viewers in real time the nightly work of law enforcement officers on patrol.

[01/28/25 - 08:20 AM]
FOX Sports and FOX Deportes "Geaux" Marching Into Super Bowl LIX with 67 Hours of Gameday and Super Bowl Week Programming
On Super Bowl Sunday, FOX broadcasts five-and-a-half hours of pregame coverage beginning at 1:00 PM ET with FOX Super Bowl LIX Pregame live from three separate locations, including the FOX Sports set on New Orleans' iconic Bourbon Street.

[01/28/25 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Trailer and Key Art for Upcoming Biblical Drama Series "House of David"
The series will premiere on February 27 on Prime Video with three episodes and one episode weekly thereafter in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[01/28/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 8 - Official Trailer - Netflix
A new group of singles face the ultimate dating experiment. Will they find their soulmates and get married, or will looks get in the way of love?

[01/28/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Sets March 27 Premiere Date for the Highly Anticipated Third and Final Season of "Bosch: Legacy" with a "Bosch" Franchise Look-Back Teaser
Season three of "Bosch: Legacy" is based on Michael Connelly's best-selling novels Desert Star (2022) and The Black Ice (1993).

[01/28/25 - 06:47 AM]
FireAid Benefit Concert: How to Watch and Listen Live on Thursday, January 30
Featuring a lineup of iconic performers and the support of 25 broadcast partners, FireAid aims to raise funds for critical wildfire recovery and prevention efforts.

[01/28/25 - 05:26 AM]
The Jonas Brothers Are Coming Home for the Holidays with a "Jonas Brothers Christmas Movie" (wt) Set for 2025 on Disney+
In the movie, Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families.