or


[03/25/03 - 12:00 AM]
Telefilm Roundup: March 25
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest telefilm news, culled from recent wire reports:

BIG BUCKS: THE PRESS YOUR LUCK SCANDAL (GSN) - The Game Show Network saw its highest numbers in its eight-year history for its March 16 broadcast of the film. 1.2 million viewers tuned in for the telefilm, about an unemployed ice cream truck driver who mastered the show's game board, more than three times its previous record of 400,000 for "The Best of Family Feud" in 2000.

CHILDREN OF DUNE (Sci Fi) - The mini-series became the third most watched program in the network's history as roughly 2.7 million viewers on average watched the three-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's novels. The first night earned a 2.9 rating, the second a 2.3 and the third a 2.1. Only the original "Dune" mini-series and the recent "Taken" maxi-series have performed better for the cable channel.

CODE 11-14 (CBS, New!) - David James Elliott ("J.A.G.") and Terry Farrell ("Becker") star in this thriller that follows an F.B.I. agent whose search for a serial killer intensifies when he finds himself and his family trapped on board an international flight with the murderer. The telefilm bows Sunday, April 13 at 9:00/8:00c.

EVIL NEVER DIES (TBS) - The cable channel will premiere its new take on the Frankenstein legend on Sunday, June 1 at 8:00/7:00c. Thomas Gibson ("Dharma and Greg") stars as a police officer who loses his wife at the hands of a brutal murderer. After being transferred to patrol duty at a prestigious college, he discovers that the now-executed murderer is part of a professor's strange experiment that results in his being brought back to life, his murderous drive still intact. Katherine Heigl ("Roswell") also stars. Visit the official web site by clicking here.

FRAMED (TNT) - The Turner owned network will premiere the telefilm on Sunday, April 13 at 8:00/7:00c. Golden Globe nominees Rob Lowe ("The West Wing") and Sam Neill ("Jurassic Park") star in the psychological drama about a disgraced cop (Lowe) who gets his last shot at redemption when he tracks down the key witness in a money-laundering case (Neill). Visit the official web site by clicking here.

THE GOODBYE GIRL (TNT) - Two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton ("Everybody Loves Raymond") is set to star in TNT's upcoming remake of Neil Simon's classic feature "The Goodbye Girl." Marsha Mason snagged an Oscar nomination for playing the part in the original 1977 film. Simon himself is writing and executive producing the new take on "Girl," with Ron Ziskin and Dave Collins ("Stealing Sinatra") on board as executive producers. The telefilm is a co-production between Warner Bros. TV and TNT. Shooting is expected to begin this summer for an early 2004 debut.

HOMELESS TO HARVARD: THE LIZ MURRAY STORY (Lifetime) - The cable channel will premiere its biopic of Liz Murray (portrayed by "American Beauty's" Thora Birch) on Monday, April 7 at 9:00/8:00c. Murray was raised in severe poverty by loving, yet drug-addicted parents. After her mother's AIDS-related death when she was 15, she turned her life around, eventually earning a New York Times scholarship for needy students, enabling her to attend Harvard University.

LUCY (CBS) - The celebrated, complex, passionate and tumultuous relationship between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is profiled in the Eye's original telefilm that also features a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the creation "I Love Lucy." It premieres Sunday, May 4 at 9:00/8:00c.

OUT OF THE ASHES (Showtime, New!) - The pay channel will bow the original telefilm on Sunday, April 13 at 8:00/7:00c. Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress/director Christine Lahti stars as Dr. Gisella Perl, a Jewish doctor who survived the holocaust to set up a practice in the United States. The film, directed by Joseph Sargent, is based on Perl's book, "I Was A Doctor In Auschwitz."

RUDY: THE RUDY GIULIANI STORY (USA) - USA has announced it has cut a brief shot of a body falling from the north tower of the World Trade Center in its Giuliani biopic. Review copies of the telefilm (which airs March 30) included the shot. In a letter set to journalists, USA said "after much internal discussion, we have decided that the potential distress that could be caused by one particular shot -- a shot of a body falling from the north tower -- outweighs its place in the accounting of the life of Rudy Giuliani."

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [march 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· BECKER (CBS)
· CODE 11-14 (CBS)
· DHARMA & GREG (ABC)
· EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (CBS)
· EVIL NEVER DIES (TBS)
· FRAMED (TNT)
· FRANK HERBERT'S CHILDREN OF DUNE (SCI FI)
· FRANK HERBERT'S DUNE (SCI FI)
· GOODBYE GIRL, THE (TNT)
· HOMELESS TO HARVARD: THE LIZ MURRAY STORY (LIFETIME)
· JAG (CBS)
· LUCY (CBS)
· OUT OF THE ASHES (SHOWTIME)
· ROSWELL (UPN)
· RUDY! (USA)
· STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS: TAKEN (SCI FI)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[08/21/26 - 10:46 AM]
HBO Max Orders New Comedy Series "The People v. Gorilla Grodd"
The series stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, and "Superman" actors Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

[08/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases Official Season 3 Teaser and First Look Images for the Max Original Drama Series "The Pitt"
The critically acclaimed series, which earned 26 Emmy Award nominations for season 2, will return for its third season in January 2027.

[08/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
BritBox Reveals First Look of Edward Bluemel as Hercule Poirot in "Hercule," Now in Production
The series, which has commenced filming in Liverpool, is an intimate study of Hercule Poirot, the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars.

[08/21/26 - 06:33 AM]
Video: "Masterpiece" Fall 2026 Preview
New seasons of "The Marlow Murder Club," "Maigret," and "The Gold," plus the premiere of "Marble Hall Murders" are all coming this fall.

[08/20/26 - 10:31 PM]
A Mother's Fight Against All Odds: Netflix's Gripping Thriller "Gandhari" Premieres September 3, 2026
The emotionally charged action-thriller led by Taapsee Pannu explores the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to when everything she loves is at stake.

[08/20/26 - 07:15 PM]
ESPN Schedule Update: Little League Baseball World Series Coverage Revised for Friday, Aug. 21
The changes are a result of weather-related postponements.

[08/20/26 - 05:01 PM]
Netflix Levels Up Anime-Inspired Slate
"Bass X Machina," "Blue Eye Samurai," "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," "Fool Night," "Lego One Piece," "Sakamoto Days," and "The One Piece" are among the featured titles.

[08/20/26 - 02:11 PM]
"Lanterns" Debuts Among HBO Max's Biggest Series Premieres with 9.3M Global Viewers
The light shines bright.

[08/20/26 - 02:01 PM]
Prime Video to Exclusively Stream Live-Action Drama Adaptation of "Please Save My Earth" in Autumn 2027
The series is a live-action adaptation of Saki Hiwatari's acclaimed reincarnation-themed sci-fi romance manga, which has sold over 16 million copies since its 1986 debut.

[08/20/26 - 12:31 PM]
Netflix and AMC Global Media Announce New Gritty Drama Series, "Bannerman"
The series will premiere on AMC in the US and Canada and will also be available on Netflix in the US and Canada 90 days after the premiere of the season finale on AMC.

[08/20/26 - 11:24 AM]
"Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence": Modernized Crime-Solving Duo Leads BritBox's Fall 2026 Slate
BritBox heads into fall with the highly anticipated return of some of its most acclaimed crime and mystery favorites.

[08/20/26 - 11:00 AM]
CBS to Mark 25 Years Since the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks with Extensive Live Coverage and Two Primetime Specials
At 8:00 PM, Tony Dokoupil will anchor a CBS News special from Ground Zero, "9/11: We Remember," featuring three stories of survival, loss and hope.

[08/20/26 - 10:01 AM]
Headed Back to Muskoka: Prime Video Renews "Sterling Point" for a Second Season
The eight-episode series debuted on August 5 and quickly became a top series on Prime Video.

[08/20/26 - 09:45 AM]
Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Winner Steven Yeun to Lead Netflix Series "Pagans"
Yeun will play Gus: A single father struggling to raise two kids alone following his wife's death.

[08/20/26 - 09:37 AM]
AMC Global Media's September Highlights Include "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "Blue Murder Motel," "Age Inappropriate," "Hell Mode," the Return of "Season of Screams" and More!
Other offerings include Sundance Now's "Murderer Behind the Mask"; Acorn TV's "The Sommerdahl Murders"; and We TV's "Love After Lockup: The Road to Rehab."