or


[05/12/06 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: May 9-12
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 newly branded "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!

BIG SHOT (Showtime, New!) - Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner's Hazy Mills Productions is developing a new unflinching drama at the pay channel about pop icon Billy Joel's early years. Paul Chart ("Children of Men") is on board to write the pilot script, which opens in the mid-1970s and follows Joel's first marriage to his then-business manager Elizabeth Weber. Hayes, Milliner and Andrew Harrison Leeds - along with Joel himself - then will serve as executive producers. No other details were given.

CABLE RATINGS ROUND-UP (Various) - HBO's "The Sopranos" continued its cable dominance for the week of May 1-7 with 8.5 million viewers tuning in. Lead-out "Big Love" drew 4.0 million viewers, taking seventh place overall for the week. Outside the top 15, Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" signed off with a series-high 923,000 viewers on May 2 while "Nashville Star" closed its fourth season to the tune of 3.0 million viewers that same night (down 11.76% from its season three finale).

CROSSING JORDAN (NBC) - Jon Cowan, Robert Rovner and Kathy McCormick have been tapped as co-showrunners of the Peacock drama. They'll take over for creator Tim Kring, who's moving on to his new NBC drama "Heroes." The trio will serve alongside fellow returning executive producers Alan Arkush and Dennis Hammer. As part of the promotions, Cowan and Rovner have each signed two-year overall deals with producer NBC Universal Television while McCormick has inked a one-year deal. The former pair then is expected to focus on development for the second year of the pact.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC) - Denise Cramsey ("House Wars") has been upped to executive producer/showrunner on Endemol USA's veteran alternative series. Cramsey, who had been a co-executive producer since 2004, will take over Tom Forman, who's leaving as part of a new overall deal at CBS Paramount Network Television.

FAST INC. (MTV) - Promos currently running on the cable channel indicate the series, about the company of the same name as they "utilize their connections, craftiness, and charisma to field vintage and muscle car requests from celebrities, models, and eccentric millionaires," will launch on Monday, June 5 at 10:30/9:30c.

GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - Writer/producer Debora Cahn ("The West Wing") has inked a two-year overall deal with Touchstone Television. The pact, financial details of which weren't specified, calls for Cahn to join "Grey's Anatomy" next season as a supervising producer as well as develop new projects for the studio.

HBO ORIGINAL PROJECTS (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is said to be close to issuing pilot orders to two projects - "12 Miles of Bad Road," a comedy series about a Dallas matriarchy, and an untitled hour from "Deadwood" creator David Milch and author Kem Nunn ("Tapping the Source") set in the world of surfing. The former project comes from creators/executive producers Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason ("Emeril") while the latter will be co-written by Milch and Nunn with the pair also executive producing alongside Howard Rosenman. Surf legend Herb "Herbie" Fletcher and wife Dibi are also expected to serve as consultants. No specifics however were released about either project. Meanwhile, pre-production reportedly has begun on "In Treatment," a serialized drama told from the point of view of therapists and their patients. HBO is in talks to order five episodes of the series, which is based on the Israeli series "BeTipul." Hagai Levi and Steve Levinson are the executive producers.

KINGS OF SOUTH BEACH (A&E) - "Boomtown" alums Donnie Wahlberg and Jason Gedrick are set to topline the original movie, about the true story of nightclub impresario Chris Paciello, who revived the South Beach scene with aid of the mob. Tim Hunter ("Cold Case") is directing the project, which begins production this month in Puerto Rico, from a script by Nick Pileggi ("Goodfellas"). Sonny Grosso and Larry Jacobson's Grosso-Jacobson Communications is producing the movie in association with Sony Pictures Television. Delia Fine and Clay Kahler also serve as executive producers.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 12 MILES OF BAD ROAD (HBO)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BIG SHOT (SHOWTIME)
· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· COLD CASE (CBS)
· CROSSING JORDAN (NBC)
· EMERIL (NBC)
· EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (HGTV)
· FAST INC. (MTV)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HEROES (NBC)
· HOUSE WARS (USA)
· IN TREATMENT (HBO)
· JOHN FROM CINCINNATI (HBO)
· KINGS OF SOUTH BEACH (A AND E)
· NASHVILLE STAR (NBC)
· REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY, THE (BRAVO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[06/15/24 - 10:00 PM]
Peacock's "The Traitors" Takes Home 4 Critics Choice Real TV Awards, Including Win for Best Competition Series
The series won for Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, Best Show Host and Male Star of the Year.

[06/15/24 - 03:40 PM]
NBC Sports Delivers Most-Watched U.S. Open Second Round Since 2012
Friday's second round broadcast window on NBC and Peacock (1-7 p.m. ET) produced a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.38 million viewers, up 18% vs. 2023 and up 54% vs. 2022.

[06/15/24 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "I Kissed A Boy" - Official Trailer - Hulu
10 single guys are matched up, and meet for the first time... with a kiss. Get ready for the UK's first ever gay dating show, with pop icon Dannii Minogue playing cupid.

[06/14/24 - 11:32 PM]
Development Update: Week of June 10-14
Updates include: NBC extends "St. Denis Medical" to 18 episodes; Amazon's "The Boys" to end with season five; and Starz's "Power Book IV: Force" to sign off with season three.

[06/14/24 - 06:11 PM]
Video: "Chewing Gum" - Official Trailer - Hulu
Tracey Gordon, portrayed by Michaela Coel, is a 24-year-old religious and Beyoncé-obsessed virgin.

[06/14/24 - 02:08 PM]
Discovery's "Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing" Returns Sunday, July 14 at 8PM
The group, a mix of fan favorites and polarizing personalities, will risk everything for a chance to take home a coveted cash prize and be crowned the Last One Standing.

[06/14/24 - 02:01 PM]
Season 2 of Lucasfilm's Original Animated Series "Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures" Coming to Disney+ and Disney Jr. Wednesday, August 14, with New Shorts Arriving on Disney+ and Disney Jr. August 2
Set 200 years before "The Phantom Menace," during the High Republic era, the series follows Jedi younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way.

[06/14/24 - 11:00 AM]
"Knox Goes Away" Begins Streaming on Max July 26
Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton directs and stars in this unpredictable thriller as John Knox, a hit man attempting to make amends before his recently discovered dementia takes over.

[06/14/24 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Barbecue Showdown" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
The mouthwatering cooking competition returns as nine contestants face off in a fiery battle to be the next barbecue champion.

[06/14/24 - 09:31 AM]
First Look - Hulu's "Hit-Monkey" Season 2
Season 2 of "Hit-Monkey" will premiere Monday, July 15 on Hulu.

[06/14/24 - 08:11 AM]
Discovery's "In the Eye of the Storm" Premieres Sunday, July 14 at 10PM
Firsthand accounts and compelling eyewitness footage of dangers close calls from inside epic natural disasters are revealed in the new series.

[06/14/24 - 08:05 AM]
"Mind Your Business" Reaches More Than 2 Million Households, Becomes Bounce TV's Most-Watched Original Series Premiere
The first two episodes premiered back-to-back on Bounce on Saturday, June 1, and its initial airing burst included special presentations on Bounce's sister network ION and local owned & operated Scripps networks.

[06/14/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Brain Works" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Cha Tae-hyun is a detective with an altruistic brain. Jung Yong-hwa is a neuroscientist with an extraordinary brain. The two can't stand each other but must partner up to solve a crime involving a rare brain disease.

[06/14/24 - 04:29 AM]
Adult Swim Announces New and Returning Series at Annecy International Animation Film Festival
"For two decades, Adult Swim has pushed the boundaries of animation, repeatedly surprised its audience and launched and grown careers - and we're not that interested in stopping," said Michael Ouweleen, president, Adult Swim.

[06/13/24 - 04:31 PM]
Higher Ground Extends Creative Partnership with Netflix
Under the terms of the agreement, Higher Ground will have a multi-year, first look deal with Netflix for all its film and television projects.