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[09/24/09 - 06:04 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, September 24
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
24 (FOX) - Stephen Root ("True Blood") is the 16th addition to the show's massive season eight ensemble, due in January. He'll play Ben Prady, an officer of the Department of Corrections looking into a parolee gone missing, in a multi-episode arc.
AMERICAN IDOL (FOX) - The network and Simon Cowell are reportedly in talks to import his U.K. series "The X Factor." Said development comes as negotiations continue with the judge to extend his current pact, which ends after the upcoming season. The "Idol" portion of the deal is said to be valued in the nine-figure range to return for two more seasons while "Factor" could net just as much per season. Cowell's existing "Idol" deal prohibited him from bringing "Factor" to the U.S., hence the added pressure to either keep Cowell exclusive or fold "Factor" under the FOX tent.
THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW (TBS) - The cable channel has pulled the plug on the sitcom after three seasons. In a statement released to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the network said: "TBS has cancelled The Bill Engvall Show after three seasons. We had a great experience working with Bill and the cast. Bill is a terrific comic, and we have tremendous respect for him. While the show didn't attract the audience we need to renew it for another season, we're proud of the work of everyone involved."
THE CAPE (NBC, New!)/THE MYSTERIES OF OAK ISLAND (FOX, New!) - Tom Wheeler ("Empire") has landed script commitments - with penalties attached - for new dramas at FOX and NBC. The former, the Warner Bros. Television-based "The Mysteries of Oak Island," revolves around "a single mom and her two children who inherit a 200-year-old lighthouse on [a] mysterious island off the coast of Nova Scotia known for numerous quests to find treasure believed to be buried there." Meanwhile, "The Cape" centers on "a former cop framed for a crime he didn't commit who becomes the Cape, a masked hero, to clear his name and reunite with his son." Said hour, set in the fictional Jefferson City ("a Los Angeles-type city where corrupt private industries are taking over everything"), comes from Universal Media Studios and fellow executive producers Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman.
HOUSE (FOX) - Entertainment Weekly reports Jennifer Morrison is departing the series later this season. Said development is being billed as "a creative decision on the part of producers." It's understood Morrison's character, who will say goodbye during an episode in November, won't be killed off but rather exit for other reasons. Producers nevertheless reportedly will leave the door open for future appearances.
LAWMAN (FX) - "Dirty Sexy Money" alum Natalie Zea has joined the cast of upcoming drama, about "a modern-day, 19th-century-style lawman (Timothy Olyphant) enforcing his brand of justice." She'll play the ex-wife of said character after guest starring in the pilot. Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions are behind the hour, which rolls out early next year.
SKY JOCKEYS (FOX, New!) - RDF Media and UKTV, a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media, are set to team for a potential new animated comedy set inside an airport. Anil Gupta (U.K.'s "The Office") and Richard Pinto ("Mutual Friends") are behind the half-hour, the pilot of which has been sold to FOX. The project is a result of RDF Media's new script-development deal with UKTV's digital outlet Dave which calls for the company to develop three half-hour scripts, including "Sky Jockeys," at least one of which will be picked up for broadcast sometime in late 2010. No other details about "Jockeys" however were released.
UNTITLED JIM BREUER PROJECT (NBC, New!) - "SNL" alum Jim Breuer is set to topline a new multi-camera comedy at the Peacock about "a father who decides to stay home and raise his three daughters and at the same time take care of his elderly parents." Wil Calhoun ("What I Like About You") is penning the half-hour for Sony Pictures Television. It's understood the project, which has a script commitment, is inspired by Breuer's recent documentary "More Than This," which followed the comedian as he embarked on a stand-up tour with his father. Breuer and Calhoun then will executive produce alongside Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter of Varsity Pictures and Judi Brown-Marmel of Levity Entertainment Group.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.
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[10/02/25 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "Twisted Wonderland" - Trailer - Disney+
Your favorite villains reimagined in ways you've never dared to dream.
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[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.
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[10/02/25 - 02:03 PM]
All-New Season of "In the Eye of the Storm" Returns Sunday, November 2 at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery
From real-time footage to raw, firsthand accounts, each episode captures the chaos, courage and resilience of those who faced the fury head-on.
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[10/02/25 - 11:54 AM]
Video: "9-1-1" Official Trailer - Premieres October 9 on ABC and Stream on Hulu
Watch now and get ready to take off into a new season premiering October 9 on ABC and stream on Hulu.
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[10/02/25 - 11:02 AM]
The Pulse Is Strong for "Chicago Med," Which Is Set to Cross the Milestone 200th Episode Threshold on Wednesday, Oct. 8
Titled "A Game of Inches," this second episode of season 11 welcomes back a familiar face when Nick Gehlfuss steps back through the doors of Gaffney Medical Center.
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[10/02/25 - 11:01 AM]
Fiona Glascott, Belinda Bromilow, and Emma Shipp, Join the Cast of Netflix's New Limited-Series Adaptation of "The Age of Innocence"
Hayley Mills, Ryan Morgan, Will Tudor, John Light, Steven Pacey, Kel Matsena, Lucia Balordi, Elly Roberts, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Anna Madeley and Michael Cochrane are also set to appear in the series.
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[10/02/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" Season Premieres Hit Their Largest 3-Day Streaming Viewerships Ever
The "Survivor" season 49 premiere grew to 6.83 million viewers with three days of multiplatform viewership; while "The Amazing Race" season 38 premiere grew to 4.01 million viewers.
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[10/02/25 - 10:32 AM]
Kane & Katelyn Brown Join Lifetime Holiday Family with "Thank God: Christmas at Keller Ranch" Inspired by Their Hit Song
The movie will star Arielle Kebbel and singer-songwriter Tyler Hilton.
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[10/02/25 - 10:28 AM]
You Bet! ESPN and ABC to Exclusively Present the 2025 WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV - Las Vegas Aces-Phoenix Mercury, Beginning Friday, Oct. 3
Games 2, 3, and 4 of the Finals will air on Sunday, October 5, Wednesday, October 8, and Friday, October 10, respectively.
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[10/02/25 - 10:15 AM]
Video: Starz Releases Explosive Trailer and Key Art for the Third and Final Season of "Power Book IV: Force," Premiering November 7
After cutting ties in New York, Tommy's (Joseph Sikora) newfound family and the allure of Chicago's ruthless drug game enticed him to stay and set his sights on taking over the Windy City.
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[10/02/25 - 10:02 AM]
Video: "Marvel's Spidey and Iron Man: Avengers Team-Up!" Theme Song and Key Art Revealed
The special premieres Thursday, Oct. 16, on Disney Jr. (8 a.m. EDT/PDT) and later that day on Disney Channel and Disney Jr. On Demand.
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[10/02/25 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Embarks on New Documentary Following Colin O'Brady's Most Ambitious Antarctic Expedition
In November 2025, O'Brady will attempt to journey water's edge to water's edge across the most unforgiving wilderness on Earth.
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[10/02/25 - 09:38 AM]
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" Scores on Friday Nights with Biggest Total Viewer Audience in Nearly Two Years
"Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" stood as the No. 1 program of the night, rising by double digits in Total Viewers over its previous season premiere.
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[10/02/25 - 09:03 AM]
The NATAS Announces Star-Studded Lineup of Presenters from the World of Daytime for the 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, October 17
The ceremony will stream live at watch.theemmys.tv and via The Emmys app.
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