or


[04/03/07 - 05:41 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, April 3
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!


3 KINGS (MTV, New!) - RDF USA ("Wife Swap") and Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Films ("Punk'd") are developing a U.S. version of the British reality format of the same name. Said project, which will be shot in front of an audience, revolves around a set of masked contestants - possibly Kutcher himself or other celebrities - competing in a series of offbeat challenges focused on three separate areas: speed, skill and pain. Among the possibilities: tossing items at a bull until the bull chases them out of a ring. The winner then assumes the role of "king" while the losers are unmasked. MTV has given a pilot order to the project, which will be executive produced by Chris Coelen, Greg Goldman, Jason Goldberg and Kutcher via their respective companies.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Ashton Kutcher, Chris Coelen, Greg Goldman, Jason Goldberg
Studios: Katalyst Films, RDF USA


DAMAGES (A.K.A. UNTITLED KESSLERS & ZELMAN PROJECT) (FX) - The cable channel has given a series order of 13 episodes to the project, a legal drama toplined by Glenn Close. Production is set to begin next month in New York for a late summer premiere. Noah Bean, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan, Ted Danson and Zeljko Ivanek also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which comes from co-creators Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler and Todd A. Kessler. Allen Coulter directed the pilot.

Commitment: Ordered to series (13 episodes)
Cast: Glenn Close (Patty Hewes), Noah Bean (David), Rose Byrne (Ellen Parsons), Tate Donovan (Tom Kent), Ted Danson (Arthur Frobisher), Zeljko Ivanek (Ray Fiske)
Writers: Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler
Director: Allen Coulter
Executive Producers: Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler
Studio: Sony Pictures Television


THE GREAT AMERICAN SINGING BEE (NBC, New!) - The Peacock and Britain's ITV are both developing a new game show format in which contestants "sing in the blanks" when presented with partial song lyrics. The Gurin Co.'s Phil Gurin ("Weakest Link") and Juma Entertainment's Bob Horowitz ("Battle of the Network Reality Stars") are behind both projects, the ITV version of which is expected to hit the airwaves first. As for specifics, each episode reportedly starts with 28 contestants onstage who are then eliminated by being asked to sing a word, phrase or entire verse of a song, depending on the round. The winner then will take home an unspecified prize. NBC is said to be close to ordering a pilot for the project with an eye towards fast-tracking its production.

Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bob Horowitz, Phil Gurin
Studios: The Gurin Company, Juma Entertainment


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [april 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· BATTLE OF THE NETWORK REALITY STARS (BRAVO)
· DAMAGES (AUDIENCE)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· PUNK'D (BET)
· SINGING BEE, THE (CMT)
· THREE KINGS (MTV)
· WEAKEST LINK, THE (NBC)
· WIFE SWAP (PARAMOUNT)





[03/27/24 - 01:43 PM]
FOX Entertainment Unveils New Structure with Three-Pillar Focus on Global Studio Operations, Linear & Streaming Platforms and Worldwide Sales & Licensing
The new FOX Entertainment will consist of three primary business segments, including FOX Entertainment Studios, the FOX Television Network and FOX Entertainment Global.

[03/27/24 - 01:03 PM]
Video: "Big Mood" - Official Trailer - A Tubi Original
Best friends Maggie and Eddie have lived in each other's pockets for ten years. But with the future looming, can their relationship survive?

[03/27/24 - 12:32 PM]
This April, Series "Mud Madness" Debuts on Discovery Channel, Alongside All-New Seasons of "Ghost Adventures: House Calls" and "Contraband: Seized at the Border"
"Mud Madness" is a brand-new series that follows the off-road subculture of extreme Big-Tire UTV mud racing and the passionate characters that drive the sport.

[03/27/24 - 12:25 PM]
Ten American Bakers Travel to Paris for Food Network's Ultimate Pastry Competition "Next Baking Master: Paris"
Premiering Monday, May 6, the series demands that competitors prove their mettle in the pillars of great baking and pastry: technique, artistry, flavor, innovation, and inspiration.

[03/27/24 - 12:00 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Teaser for "The Jinx - Part Two," Debuting April 21
In Part Two, the filmmakers continue their investigation for the next eight years, uncovering hidden material, Robert Durst's prison calls, and interviews with witnesses who had not come forward until now.

[03/27/24 - 12:00 PM]
Backstabbery Is Back as E! Announces Conniving New Cast of "House of Villains" Season Two, Premiering This Fall
Season one cast member Tiffany "New York" Pollard returns for a chance at redemption.

[03/27/24 - 10:02 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights "Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story" Starring Jana Kramer and Austin Nichols
Kramer, who has openly spoken about domestic abuse, will film a new a PSA for Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women initiative to align with the subject matter of this movie.

[03/27/24 - 10:00 AM]
"The Steve Wilkos Show" Renewed for 18th Season in National Syndication
The show is hosted by Steve Wilkos, the straightforward, tough-talking former Chicago police officer and United States Marine.

[03/27/24 - 09:59 AM]
Starz's Hit Drama Series "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Scores Early Season Five Renewal
The third installment in the "Power" franchise, "Raising Kanan" recently concluded its explosive third season and is currently filming season four in New York.

[03/27/24 - 09:30 AM]
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively Officially Reuniting for Paul Feig-Helmed Sequel, "A Simple Favor 2"
The highly anticipated sequel is a co-production with Lionsgate and follows the studio's 2018 release of "A Simple Favor," which was a critical and commercial success, earning more than $97 million at the worldwide box office and achieving Certified Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes.

[03/27/24 - 09:17 AM]
FOX Nation Partners with Martin Scorsese for New Docudrama "Martin Scorsese Presents: THE SAINTS"
Slated for November, the series will encompass eight one-hour episodes exploring the remarkable stories of eight men and women who risked everything to embody humanity's most noble and complex trait - faith.

[03/27/24 - 09:00 AM]
Academy Award Winner and Tony Award Nominee Ariana DeBose Returns to Host "The 77th Annual Tony Awards," Airing Live Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount+
DeBose will also serve as producer and choreograph the opening number for this year's show.

[03/27/24 - 08:58 AM]
"NKOTB" Bandmate Jonathan Knight Returns for Season Three of Hit HGTV Series "Farmhouse Fixer" on Tuesday, April 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The series, which attracted more than 15 million viewers to its previous season, will follow Jon, best known as a member of the Grammy-nominated band New Kids on the Block, and his go-to designer Kristina Crestin, as they take on a slew of risky renovations.

[03/27/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Good Times" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this edgy, irreverent reimagining of the TV classic, a new generation of the Evans family keeps their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.

[03/27/24 - 06:01 AM]
Hulu on Disney+ Launches Today in the U.S. for Disney Bundle Subscribers
Bundle plans are available starting at $9.99/month, while Disney+ and Hulu each remain available as standalone offerings.