or


[06/12/03 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: June 12
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

AMBUSH MAKEOVER (Syndication, New!) - 20th Century Fox Television is set to launch the syndicated strip this month on several yet-to-be-determined Fox owned-and-operated stations. Banyan Prods. ("Trading Spaces," "A Wedding Story") will also produce the half-hour series which pairs everyday people with celebrity stylists for surprise makeovers. GQ's West Coast style editor Mary Alice Haney and former Cosmopolitan fashion editor Nancy Brensson are among the staff stylists set to appear on the show. The regional rollout for the series is along the lines of 20th's other recent syndicated launches "Texas Justice" and "Good Day Live."

THE BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, N.H. (CBS) - Brian Haley has exited the role of Waylon Shaw in the David E. Kelley-produced series. The move is among many expected for the drama as a good chunk of the pilot will be reshot in order to lighten up certain elements of series, which revolves around three families in a small New England town.

CENTURY CITY (CBS) - Various sources have indicated CBS is close to ordering the legal drama from Universal Television for midseason. The project, which is also set in the year 2053, is from executive producers Paul Attanasio, Katie Jacobs and Ed Zuckerman. CBS has yet to make any midseason pickups for the 2003-04 season.

THE GOODBYE GIRL (TNT) - Alan Cumming ("X2") has signed onto the cast of the cable channel's remake of the Neil Simon classic. He joins the previously cast leads Patricia Heaton and Jeff Daniels in the project which will be directed by Richard Benjamin. Neil Simon is writing and executive producing the updated version. Cumming will play Mark Bodine, the off-Broadway director of "Richard III," in which Daniels' character stars. Production is underway in New York and Vancouver on the project for a 2004 air date.

HOLLYWOOD WIVES: THE NEXT GENERATION (CBS, New!) - Farrah Fawcett and Melissa Gilbert are set to star in the small screen version of Jackie Collins' best-selling novel. Joyce Chopra ("Blonde") is on board to direct the project from a script by Nicole Avril ("Sex and the City"). Tom Patricia ("Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story"), Renee Valente ("Blind Ambition") and Collins herself are the executive producers with production expected to begin next month. The telefilm focuses on a Hollywood superstar (Fawcett) who, fed up with her fourth husband's cheating, hires a private investigator to help her out but soon falls for him. Gilbert will play the star's best friend, an actress who is married to the most powerful director in Hollywood but is having an affair with a 20-year-old writer. "The Next Generation" is a pseudo-sequel to Collins' original "Hollywood Wives" book which was also adapted for the small screen in 1985 in an ABC miniseries starring Candice Bergen.

MASTER PLAN (FX, New!) - FX and Endemol USA are developing a new series in which viewers help individuals whose life is in need of a change. The format lets those watching vote on such things as whether someone should stay or leave a significant other or their current job. Tom Forman is the executive producer.

THE ODDS (NBC, New!) - The Peacock is teaming with Endemol USA for a new game show in which contestants get the chance to compete against experts in certain fields, such as racecar drivers or martial arts. The one-hour series sees three contestants facing off for the chance to compete against the expert. Along the way they can earn handicaps to help them level the playing field.

THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPIONS (FX, New!) - The cable channel has committed to six episodes of the series, in which everyday people make up their own crazy records and break them. Endemol USA is behind the project with Jeff Boggs executive producing.

THE PRACTICE (ABC) - James Spader ("Secretary") has joined the cast of the revamped drama as executive producer David E. Kelley has began to replace the half-dozen cast members which were let go from the series last month, including lead Dylan McDermott. Actress Rhona Mitra ("Sweet Home Alabama," "The Life of David Gale") is also in talks to join the series however no deal has been worked out.

SEE JANE DATE (ABC Family) - Charisma Carpenter ("Angel"), Holly Marie Combs ("Charmed") and Linda Dano have signed on to the cable channel's latest telefilm, based on Melissa Senate's book of the same name. Production on the project, which concerns a single New Yorker (Carpenter) who tries to impress her high school nemesis (Combs) by inventing the perfect boyfriend as her date to an impending wedding, is set to begin tomorrow in Montreal. Set to appear as Carpenter's potential beaus are Zachary Levi, Antonio Sabato Jr., Geoff Stults and "Joe Millionaire" himself Evan Marriott. Bob Berlinger is directing the telefilm, which will air in August, from a script by Sheila Lawrence. Frank von Zerneck and Robert M. Sertner are the executive producers, with Randy Sutter serving as producer.

THE SOPRANOS (HBO) - Series star James Gandolfini has reportedly eased tensions about his holdout earlier this year (which has since been resolved) by cutting five-figure checks to more than a dozen of his fellow cast members as a gesture of goodwill. Meanwhile, creator/executive producer David Chase is in talks this week to return for a sixth season on the HBO series. HBO's option for picking up the actors' contracts for a sixth season expired Tuesday, but the cast agreed to a one-week extension. Previously various cast members had indicated they would not continue with the series without Chase at the helm.

SOUNDMIX (FOX, New!) - FOX has picked up six episodes of the overseas hit "Stars in Their Eyes" from producer Paul Buccieri. Described as a mix between ABC's "Extreme Makeover" and MTV's "Becoming," the series follows ordinary folks being transformed into pop stars via detailed backdrops, elaborate costuming, extensive makeup and dance lessons. Reality giant Endemol USA is behind the series which will be executive produced by David Goldberg, John DeMol and Buccieri. The project was originally developed as a syndicated series by Buena Vista Television (under the title "Your Big Break") five years ago but was dropped due to cost concerns. The FOX version will have five contestants competing each week, with the winners from the first five installments advancing to a final showdown in the finale, all for a cash prize. Casting will begin this month as production is scheduled to be completed by late summer or early fall this year.

UNTITLED AGATHA CHRISTIE PROJECTS (A&E, New!) - The cable channel is set to co-produce eight Agatha Christie crime stories with Granada TV and Agatha Christie Ltd. The first four projects ("Death on the Nile," "Five Little Pigs," "The Hollow" and "Sad Cypress") will star David Suchet as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Production is set to begin on "Pigs" next month as all four are expected to be completed by year's end. The remaining four telefilms will be shot in 2004. Casting and production details about each installment are set to be announced shortly.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [june 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· AMBUSH MAKEOVER (SYNDICATION)
· ANGEL (WB)
· BLONDE (CBS)
· BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, NH, THE (CBS)
· CENTURY CITY (CBS)
· CHARMED (WB)
· EXTREME MAKEOVER (ABC)
· GOOD DAY LIVE (SYNDICATION)
· GOODBYE GIRL, THE (TNT)
· HOMELESS TO HARVARD: THE LIZ MURRAY STORY (LIFETIME)
· JACKIE COLLINS' HOLLYWOOD WIVES: THE NEXT GENERATION (CBS)
· JOE MILLIONAIRE (FOX)
· ODDS, THE (NBC)
· PEOPLE'S CHAMPIONS, THE (FX)
· PERFORMING AS (FOX)
· POIROT: DEATH OF THE NILE (A AND E)
· POIROT: FIVE LITTLE PIGS (A AND E)
· POIROT: HOLLOW, THE (A AND E)
· POIROT: SAD CYPRESS (A AND E)
· PRACTICE, THE (ABC)
· SEE JANE DATE (ABC FAMILY)
· SEX AND THE CITY (HBO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· TEXAS JUSTICE (SYNDICATION)
· TODD TV (FX)





[03/18/24 - 01:59 PM]
Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman, Katie Lowes, and George Ferrier Join as Series Regulars for Starz's New Drama "The Hunting Wives"
Production on the thrilling new series has started in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[03/18/24 - 11:30 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer for the World Premiere of New Thriller, "The Influencer" Premiering Thursday, April 4
The original film stars Christina Cooper as Niecy Fields, a social media influencer on the cusp of stardom.

[03/18/24 - 10:06 AM]
E! Announces Trendsetting Guest Judges and Pioneering Disruptors for New Cutting-Edge Design Competition Series "OMG Fashun" with Julia Fox
Handcrafted is the new haute couture on "OMG Fashun" as Julia inspires pioneering fashion disruptors to upend traditional style convention, break the rules and redefine cool.

[03/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts Trailer For New Original Documentary "Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal" Premiering April 1
The documentary looks at the remarkable career of the late Windham Rotunda also known as Bray Wyatt, one of the most skillful, tenacious, and creative WWE Superstars of all-time.

[03/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
NBC Is the Official Home of Competition and Games This Summer with a Slate of Powerhouse Hit Series
NBC is the summer home for both the Paris Olympic Games and high-stakes competition with a robust lineup of returning powerhouse favorites, including "America's Got Talent," "American Ninja Warrior," "Password," "The Wall" and "Weakest Link."

[03/18/24 - 09:02 AM]
Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Including 12 Brand New Titles
Plus: the streamer offers new looks at "Deliver Me," "The Helicopter Heist," "Ronja the Robber's Daughter," "Billionaire Island" and season two of "Baby Fever."

[03/18/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The rebels gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge - and legends are made.

[03/18/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Disney's "Wish" - Streaming April 3rd - Disney+
Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wish" is an all-new musical-comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force - a little ball of boundless energy called Star.

[03/18/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Our Living World" - Cate Blanchett - Official Trailer - Netflix
This stunning nature series narrated by Cate Blanchett explores the intelligence, resourcefulness and interconnectedness of life on our planet.

[03/18/24 - 08:00 AM]
Acorn TV Fan-Favorite "Harry Wild" Returns Monday, May 13
Season three consists of six episodes and will be available on Acorn TV in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

[03/18/24 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Orders "Beast Games" from MrBeast and Amazon MGM Studios
Based on his already successful YouTube show, "Beast Games" is set to become the biggest reality competition series ever with 1000 contestants competing for a $5 million dollar cash prize which will be the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.

[03/18/24 - 07:14 AM]
ESPN+ Original Series "Full Court Press" Presented by State Farm Featuring Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso and Kiki Rice to Premiere May 11 & 12 on ABC and ESPN+
From Iowa's historic preseason game that broke attendance records all the way through the WNBA draft in April, the series uses unparalleled access, exclusive interviews, and unique game footage, to transport audiences into the lives of these exceptional athletes.

[03/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Scoop" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization gives an insider account of how the women of Newsnight secured Prince Andrew's infamous interview.

[03/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Season Two of Iconic Emmy Award-Winning Series "Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock," Premiering Globally March 29
Award-winning season two cast includes the return of Daveed Diggs alongside Ariana DeBose, Brett Goldstein, Catherine O'Hara, Adam Lambert and K-pop group aespa in guest star roles.

[03/18/24 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Joy" - First Look Teaser - Netflix
Starring Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy, the new film based on the story of the birth of IVF.