or


[07/13/07 - 07:01 PM]
Development Update: Week of July 9-13
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!


AMERICAN DAD (FOX) - "Family Guy" alum Rich Appel has reupped his seven-figure overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television through June 2009. As part of the move he's been tapped as an executive producer/co-showrunner on "American Dad." There he'll serve alongside fellow showrunners Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman and executive producer Seth MacFarlane. This past season he served as a co-executive producer on "Guy" and had previously spent time on fellow Sunday mainstays "King of the Hill" and "The Simpsons."


CAVEMEN (ABC) - Sam Huntington ("Superman Returns") has joined the cast of the upcoming comedy series, about a group of Atlanta-based cavemen. He'll play Andy, the younger brother of Bill English's character, who comes to visit after breaking up with his girlfriend. He'll take over for Dash Mihok, who's character of Jamie is being written out of the show. In addition to reshooting the show's pilot, producers reportedly will use a different episode to kick off the series which delves more into the cavemen's backstories.


CHRISTMAS CAPER (ABC Family, New!) - Shannen Doherty ("Charmed") is set to topline a new original movie for the cable channel about a professional thief who retreats to her hometown in Connecticut after a con goes bad and gets stuck baby-sitting her niece and nephew until their parents can make it home for Christmas. Regent Entertainment ("Christmas Do-Over") is behind the project, which David Winkler ("Finding Graceland") will direct from a script by April Blair. The company's Paul Colichman, Jeffrey Schenck and Stephen P. Jarchow then will executive produce. Production is currently underway in Vancouver for an air date later this year as part of the network's annual "25 Days of Christmas" stunt.


CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS) - Co-star Mandy Patinkin reportedly didn't show up for the show's first table read this week, fueling rumors of a potential sick out or friction between the actor and the show's producers. All of the parties involved however have yet to comment on the situation.


DECISION HOUSE (A.K.A. DIVORCE WARS) (MyNetworkTV) - Lynn Toler ("Divorce Court") and Dr. Tara Fields ("Intervention") have both signed onto the netlet's new reality series, in which the duo and other yet-to-be-cast experts "help couples on the brink of disaster tackle issues ranging from financial hardships to infidelity." Each hour of the project, formerly known "Divorce Wars," will follow said couples during a three-day immersion in non-stop surveillance and counseling at the title location. Toler, Fields and company then will issue a "verdict" on whether the couple should stick together or file for divorce. Jay McGraw is executive producing via his Stage 29 Productions.


DOUBTING THOMAS/TRADE (Showtime, New!) - The pay channel is developing a pair of new dramas from executive producers George Clooney and John Singleton. The former is behind "Doubting Thomas," about a black sheep who returns home to run his family's televangelist business after his father suffers a stroke. Peter Spears ("John From Cincinnati") and Tom C. Smith are penning the pilot script and will executive producer alongside Clooney and Grant Heslov via their Smokehouse banner. Showtime veteran Brian Kirk is also on board to direct should the pilot be greenlit. Singleton then is shephering the latter, about the personal and professional lives of high-class call girls. Meredyth Smith ("Angel") is writing said hour and will executive produce with Singleton.


FX THE TCA (FX) - The cable channel confirmed during its session at the TCA its comedy series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" will return for its third season on Thursday, September 13 at 10:00/9:00c. Meanwhile, "Nip/Tuck" creator/executive producer Ryan Murphy confirmed Rosie O'Donnell will be returning for "several episodes" of the show's upcoming fifth season.


THE HOT YEARS (FOX) - Molly Stanton, who co-starred in the pilot this past development season, has inked a talent holding deal with producer 20th Century Fox Television. The pact calls for the actress to be cast in one of the studio's upcoming projects or to have one developed around her.


JURY DUTY (Syndication) - Phyllis Diller, Ed Begley Jr., Bruce Vilanch, Paula Poundstone, Kevin Sorbo, Scott Hamilton, Dick Van Patten, Tiffany, Todd Bridges, Brande Roderick, Shadoe Stevens, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Charlene Tilton, James Avery and Lee Meriwether are among the various celebrities set to participate on the upcoming syndicated court show, which is presided over by Bruce Cutler. The series, from Vincent and Linda Dymon's Radar Entertainment, has been cleared in 85% of the country for its September 17 launch.


LOST (ABC) - Director/producer Stephen Williams has inked a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios. The pact calls for him to be promoted to co-executive producer next season, where he'll continue to regularly direct for the series. To date Williams has helmed 16 episodes of "Lost," including the penultimate episode last season - "Greatest Hits."


PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC) - KaDee Strickland ("The Wedding Bells") has joined the cast of the upcoming "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff. She'll play Charlotte, a doctor and hospital administrator, on the series.


SHARK (CBS) - Kevin Pollak ("The Lost Room") and Kevin Alejandro ("Drive") have both scored roles on the show's upcoming second season. The former will play Lloyd Cutler, the show's new Los Angeles District Attorney. He'll take over for Jeri Ryan's character, who lost her bid for re-election. Ryan nevertheless will continue on the series as a member of Sebastian Stark's team. As for Alejandro, he's set as William Lyons, a street-smart, tough prosecutor specializing in organized crime. His addition is designed to fill the void left by the exiting Samuel Page.


SNOW GLOBE (ABC Family) - Christina Milian ("Pulse") and Matt Keeslar ("Scream 3") are set to topline the original movie, about a woman (Milian) who finds she can magically leave the real world behind for the Christmas-themed dreamland in her grandmother's snow globe. Keeslar then will play her love interest, a resident of said globe. Ron Lagomarsino is directing the project from a script by Garrett Frawley ("Santa Baby") with Craig McNeil and Jody Brockway executive producing. Production is set to begin later this month in Calgary for an air date during the channel's annual "25 Days of Christmas" event.


TEMPTATION (Syndication) - Twentieth Television and FremantleMedia have upped the new game show's clearance to 199 markets reaching 96% of the country. WTTA Tampa (MyNet affiliate), KCPQ Seattle (Fox), KMYQ Seattle (MyNet), WOIO Cleveland (CBS), KTVD Denver (MyNet), KPLR St. Louis (CW), XETV San Diego (Fox), WLFL Raleigh, N.C. (CW), KTVU San Francisco (Fox), WMYD Detroit (MyNet) and WSVN Miami (Fox) are among the latest stations to sign on to carry the series, where they'll join the previously announced WWOR New York, KCOP Los Angeles and WPWR Chicago among others. The "Sale of the Century" remake, which bows in September, features three contestants as they answer a series of questions about pop culture and current events only to be tempted to use their winnings to "buy" high-end prizes at incredible bargain prices.


WHAT PEREZ SEZ (VH1, New!) - The cable channel has ordered six one-hour specials featuring much-ballyhooed celebrity blogger Perez Hilton (a.k.a. Mario Lavandeira). World of Wonder is behind the project, which will likely air in conjunction with the Oscars and other large-scale, red carpet Hollywood events. No other specifics were released.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [july 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· AMERICAN DAD (TBS)
· ANGEL (WB)
· CAVEMEN (ABC)
· CHARMED (WB)
· CHRISTMAS CAPER (ABC FAMILY)
· CHRISTMAS DO-OVER (ABC FAMILY)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· DECISION HOUSE (MYNETWORKTV)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIVORCE COURT (SYNDICATION)
· DOUBTING THOMAS (SHOWTIME)
· DRIVE (FOX)
· FAMILY GUY (FOX)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HOT YEARS, THE (FOX)
· INTERVENTION (A AND E)
· IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FXX)
· JOHN FROM CINCINNATI (HBO)
· JURY DUTY (SYNDICATION)
· KING OF THE HILL (FOX)
· LOST (ABC)
· LOST ROOM, THE (SCI FI)
· NIP/TUCK (FX)
· PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC)
· SANTA BABY (ABC FAMILY)
· SHARK (CBS)
· SIMPSONS, THE (FOX)
· SNOWGLOBE (ABC FAMILY)
· TEMPTATION (SYNDICATION)
· TRADE (SHOWTIME)
· WEDDING BELLS, THE (FOX)
· WHAT PEREZ SEZ (VH1)





[02/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
Max Renews "The Pitt," Starring Noah Wyle, for a Second Season
New episodes of the 15-episode first season debut on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET leading up to the season finale on April 10.

[02/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
"XO, Kitty" Renewed for a Third Season at Netflix
Season 2 premiered on January 16, 2025 and debuted at #2 on the English TV List with 14.2 million views.

[02/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original Six-Part Documentary Series "Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015" Debuts February 25
Inspired by Henry Hampton's legendary documentary series "Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement," this new installment of the groundbreaking 1987 series illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American civil rights movement.

[02/14/25 - 10:06 AM]
"Farmer Wants a Wife" - Are You DTF? Meet the 32 Women Ready to Saddle Up and Take on the Farm Life, Premiering Thursday, 3/20 at 9/8c on FOX
This season, four new farmers - Matt Warren, Jay Woods, John Sansone and Colton Hendricks - bring the heat as all-new daters look to leave behind city life for the charm of the country as they embark on an adventure that could change the course of their lives forever.

[02/14/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Announces Returning Main Cast and New Cast Starring in Season Three of the Emmy-Winning Drama Series "Euphoria," As Well As New and Returning Key Crew Members
Returning series regulars include Emmy winner Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, SAG Awards winner Eric Dane, BAFTA Film Award nominee Jacob Elordi, Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, and Maude Apatow.

[02/14/25 - 10:01 AM]
Love Is in the Air! New Reality Dating Series "Bravo's Love Hotel" Coming Soon
The new reality dating series brings together some of "The Real Housewives" franchise fan favorites, including Shannon Storms Beador, Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby and Luann de Lesseps for the ultimate luxurious getaway in the hopes of finding true love.

[02/14/25 - 08:01 AM]
The Latest Season of "Yellowstone" Heads Exclusively to Peacock - Season 5: Part 2 Arrives March 16
The Dutton family fights to defend their ranch and way of life from an Indian reservation and land developers.

[02/14/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Bridgerton" Season 4 - Sneak Peek - Netflix
To celebrate the Season of Love, Netflix takes you behind the scenes of filming "Bridgerton" Season 4 with Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) and Yerin Ha (Sophie Baek).

[02/14/25 - 07:01 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Focus Features' Gothic Tale "Nosferatu" Beginning February 21
From acclaimed director Robert Eggers, the film stars Bill SkarsgÄrd, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe and more.

[02/14/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "My Family" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A terminally ill father prepares his chaotic family to care for his two young kids and face life without him - but they must put old quarrels to rest.

[02/13/25 - 03:23 PM]
BYUtv Premieres Powerful, Fantastical New Zealand-Set Family Series "Secrets at Red Rocks"
The series follows the journey of Jake, an eccentric boy struggling to find belonging whose life is profoundly impacted by his discovery of mythical selkies who shapeshift from seal to human form.

[02/13/25 - 01:42 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Memphis Grizzlies Visit Cleveland Cavaliers on February 23
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks game.

[02/13/25 - 01:15 PM]
Showtime Original Series "Dexter: Resurrection" Adds Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusa and Emilia Suarez
Production kicked off in January 2025 in New York and the series is set to launch in summer of 2025 on Paramount+ with Showtime.

[02/13/25 - 01:00 PM]
Video: "O'Dessa" - Official Trailer - Hulu
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, "O'Dessa" is an original rock opera about a farm girl on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom.

[02/13/25 - 12:01 PM]
Legendary Lineup Grows as "Saturday Night Live" Announces More Musical Guests and Comedians for "SNL50: The Homecoming Concert" Streaming Live on Peacock from Radio City Music Hall on February 14 at 8ET/5PT
The event celebrating 50 years of legendary "SNL" musical and comedy performances will also feature special appearances by Ana Gasteyer, Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Paul Shaffer, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, and more surprise guests.