or


[02/10/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: February 10
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

Looking to keep track of all the various pilots and other projects in development? Be sure to check out our detailed production chart listings by clicking here.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Felicity Huffman ("Sports Night," "Out of Order") has been added to the ensemble cast of the drama pilot, a darkly humorous look at the secretive lives of four women living in an Anytown, USA, cul-de-sac. She'll play one of the wives, a former corporate lawyer turned stay-at-home mom. Huffman joins the previously cast Eva Longoria ("L.A. Dragnet") in the project, which comes from Touchstone Television and executive producers Marc Cherry and Chuck Pratt.

DOING IT (ABC) - D.B. Sweeney ("Strange Luck"), Lisa Darr ("Popular") and Jessica Lucas ("Edgemont") have joined the cast of drama pilot, a coming-of-age drama about the sexual antics of three teen boys in Seattle. Sweeney and Darr wil play parents to Sean Faris' character while Lucas will join Kelly Osbourne and Missi Pergrym as the teen female leads. Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah are behind the project, which comes from Touchstone Television.

HARRY GREEN AND EUGENE (ABC) - Jason Segel ("Freaks & Geeks") will star opposite Mark Valley in the drama pilot, which comes the "Keen Eddie" team of Joel Wyman, Simon West, Warren Littlefield and Paramount Network Television. Segel will play the inept brother of Mark Valley's character, a private investigator in Los Angeles.

HAWAII (NBC) - Michael Madsen ("Vengeance Unlimited") has come aboard the drama pilot, which comes from NBC Studios. He'll play a talented cop and devoted father on the project, an ensemble drama about the Oahu police department. Madsen joins the previously cast Sharif Atkins, Ivan Sergei and Eric Balfour. Jon Avnet ("Boomtown") is directing the pilot from a script by Jeff Eastin ("Shasta McNasty").

OAHU (A.K.A. THE BIG ISLAND) (FOX) - Kristoffer Polaha ("Tru Calling") has landed a lead role in the drama pilot, which now features the title "Oahu." He'll play the manager of the hotel in the project, an "Upstairs, Downstairs"-esque drama about the guests and staff at a luxury hotel in Hawaii. Polaha's involvement is the result of a talent deal the actor signed with FOX back in August (read the story). Peter Elkoff ("Mr. Beautiful") and Kevin Falls ("The West Wing") are behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based pilot, which is being directed by Peyton Reed ("Bring It On").

NEVER MIND NIRVANA (NBC, New!) - Writer/producer Ajay Sahgal has landed a cast-contigent pilot pick-up for a new comedy about what happens when an Indian-American doctor's immigrant parents move in with him and his Caucasian wife. Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke and their NBC Studios-based The Untitled Burke/Tarses Project is behind the project, which will be executive produced by the duo along with Sahgal.

PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (Syndication) - The syndicated series has been cleared on Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago for a fall 2004 launch. The news means the Sony Pictures Television-distributed series is now a go in 18 of the top 20 markets in the country, including stations in the Viacom, Tribune, Raycom, Scripps Howard, Lin, Belo, Young Broadcasting, Clear Channel, Media General, ACME and Weigel groups.

UNTITLED JASON KATIMS/DAVID E. KELLY PROJECT (ABC) - Michael Dinner ("Karen Sisco," "The Street") is set to direct the romantic drama pilot, which centers on three sisters who are wedding planners. The project is set up at David E. Kelley Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.

THE WEBSTER REPORT (CBS) - Emmy winner Stanley Tucci ("Winchell," "Murder One") has signed on for the lead role in the pilot, a drama about an offbeat New York private investigator. Tucci's involvement lifts the cast-contingency on the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, 25C Productions and CBS Productions. Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men In Black") is on board to direct the pilot from a script by Theresa Rebeck ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent").

WEEKENDS (NBC, New!) - Writer/producer Craig Doyle has landed a pilot commitment from the Peacock for a new half-hour comedy about an Orange County couple with a kid who still long for the carefree days of their youth. No other details were released about the project, other than it is set up at NBC Studios.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [february 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· DEMARCO AFFAIRS (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· FREAKS & GEEKS (NBC)
· HARRY GREEN & EUGENE (ABC)
· HAWAII (NBC)
· KAREN SISCO (ABC)
· KEEN EDDIE (FOX)
· LA DRAGNET (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (USA)
· LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (ABC)
· NEARLY NIRVANA (NBC)
· NORTH SHORE (FOX)
· OUT OF ORDER (SHOWTIME)
· PAT CROCE: MOVING IN (SYNDICATION)
· POPULAR (WB)
· SHASTA (UPN)
· SPORTS NIGHT (ABC)
· STREET, THE (FOX)
· TRU CALLING (FOX)
· WEBSTER REPORT, THE (CBS)
· WEEKENDS (NBC)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[12/16/25 - 02:30 PM]
CBS News Will Air a Special Report for President Donald J. Trump's Live Primetime Address to the Nation from the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 9:00 PM, ET
The "Survivor" finale (starting at 8:00 PM, ET/PT) will resume where it left off immediately following the president's address for Eastern and Central Time Zone viewers on the CBS Television Network and air in its entirety.

[12/16/25 - 02:15 PM]
FOX NFL Week 15 Scores 19.4 Million Viewers for "America's Game of the Week"
Season-to-date, the NFL on FOX is averaging 20,055,000 viewers; up +8% over last year's average (18,630,000) and its best since 2015.

[12/16/25 - 02:15 PM]
"CBS News Presents: A Town Hall with Erika Kirk" Boosts CBS' Time Period Performance in Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49
The special delivered 1.9 million viewers with 265,000 in the adults 25-54 demographic on Saturday, December 13.

[12/16/25 - 01:57 PM]
ESPN's Signature MegaCast Presentation Returns for College Football Playoff First Round Presented by Allstate
ESPN will present more than a dozen total offerings during the two First Round games of the 12-team College Football Playoff on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20.

[12/16/25 - 01:33 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - January 2026
Highlights include new seasons of "Tell Me Lies" and "A Thousand Blows" plus the premieres of "The Beauty" and "Wonder Man."

[12/16/25 - 01:04 PM]
FX's "Seven Sisters" Ordered to Series on Hulu
Elizabeth Olsen, Cristin Milioti and J. Smith-Cameron lead the new family drama featuring Anthony Edwards, Meredith Hagner, Odessa Young, Zoë Winters, Bridget Brown, Carolyn Kettig, Philip Ettinger, and Ryan Eggold.

[12/16/25 - 12:02 PM]
Video: "Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story" - Official Trailer - Netflix
People sought her guidance - then came her child abuse arrest with mom influencer Ruby Franke. Unpack the chilling case of therapist Jodi Hildebrandt.

[12/16/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of December 8 - "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" Cracks the Case at No. 1 in the Top 10
New comedy series "Man vs. Baby" took No. 1 on the English TV list with 19.1 million views, with the Rowan Atkinson vehicle eliciting laughs over the bumbling Trevor Bingley trying to earn money house-sitting for millionaires while a lost baby keeps him on his toes.

[12/16/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art - Hulu Original Series "The Artful Dodger" Season 2
The comedy-adventure series starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis and Maia Mitchell returns for season two on February 10 on Hulu and Disney+.

[12/16/25 - 10:01 AM]
Snoop Dogg to Headline Lions-Vikings with "Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party" During NFL Christmas Gameday Live on Netflix
Snoop Dogg takes the reins at halftime, promising chart-topping tracks, plenty of holiday spirit, and special guests, making for what is sure to be an unforgettable performance.

[12/16/25 - 09:52 AM]
Video: "The Life of Chuck" - Trailer - Hulu
From author Stephen King and director Mike Flanagan, the film - starring Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Karen Gillan - streams December 26.

[12/16/25 - 09:08 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights Series Adaptation of Iconic Western "The Magnificent Seven"
After a peaceful Quaker village is massacred by mercenaries working for a greedy and ruthless land baron trying to force them off the land he covets, seven gifted but flawed mercenaries are hired by the community to protect them from the land baron's hired guns.

[12/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
"Miss Austen" Returns for Season 2 on "Masterpiece"
This newest season is largely based on Gill Hornby's latest novel, "The Elopement," which further delves into the family life of Jane and Cassandra Austen.

[12/16/25 - 09:00 AM]
Meet the 11 New Survivalists and the Families Who Hold Their Fate as FOX's Survival Competition Series "Extracted" Returns for Season Two
Only one competitor and their family will endure it all and walk away with a life-changing quarter million dollar grand prize!

[12/16/25 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Announces "Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris," A New Holiday Special Airing Monday, Dec. 22 on CBS and Paramount+
Filmed in front of an intimate audience above the Musée du Quai Branly, Aguilera performs both holiday classics and her career hits against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, fashioned into a shimmering Christmas tree.