or


[04/05/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: April 5
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.

DARK SHADOWS (WB) - Alexis Thorpe ("Days of Our Lives"), Jenna Dewan ("The Hot Chick") and Jason Shaw ("Charmed") are set to round out the cast of the Frog's "Dark Shadows" revival. Shaw and Dwann will play Joe Haskell and Sophia respectively while Thorpe is set as Kelly Greer, a new character created specificially for the updated version. Production began this weekend on the Warner Bros. Television/John Wells Productions drama pilot, which also stars Blair Brown, Marley Shelton, Ivana Milicevic, Alec Newman, Jessica Chastain, Martin Donovan, Matt Czuchry and Alexander Gould.

EARTHQUAKE (ABC) - Tami Anderson ("MacArthur Park") will play Debbie and Steven Walsh is set as Junior in the single-named comedian's comedy pilot at the Alphabet. Earthquake stars as an unlucky father of four who, with his wife (Holly Robinson-Peete), struggles to make ends meet. Charles Duckworth, Christopher Pinnick and Rhyon Nicole Brown also star in the project, which comes from Touchstone Television/Tollin-Robbins Productions.

FRIENDS (NBC) - Warner Bros. Domestic Television is asking for a minimum bid of $1 million per episode, plus 90 seconds of advertising time per half-hour, from local stations across the country for the continued syndicated rights to the series when its current contract expires in 2011. The studio is giving an April 19 deadline for stations to submit bids for the show's second cycle, which would run for four years beginning in September 2011. Industry insiders suggest the rather high premium is designed to take advantage of the show's current spotlight as it closes its 10-season, 236-episode run on May 6.

I MARRIED SOFIA (ABC) - Joseph Lawrence ("Run of the House") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about a single mother from Colombia (Sofia Vergara) who pays an American stockbroker to marry her for a green card. Lawrence will play Tony, the male lead in the Touchstone Television/DDJ Productions project, said American stockbroker. In addition, Jon Lovitz has signed on to guest star in the pilot episode as an I.N.S. agent.

I'M A RICH KID, GET ME OUT OF HERE! (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has given a cast-contingent series order of 10 episodes for an updated version of last year's much-ballyhooed reality series "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" The project, which is targeted to air over two weeks in early September, will feature a group of "celebutantes" and ordinary offspring of rich folks as they struggle to survive for 10 days in the Australian outback. "I'm a Celebrity's" Granada Television will once again be behind the series while former ABC executive John Saade is expected to return as an executive producer.

IT'S ALL RELATIVE (ABC) - The Alphabet has confirmed the freshman comedy will wrap its season on Tuesday, April 20 at 9:30/8:30c. Here's how ABC describes the finale, "Fight for Your Invite to Party," via press release: "The O'Neils and the Stoddard-Banks families feud over the wording of the kids' wedding invitations. Mace still wants to downplay the fact that Liz's parents are gay, which causes Philip and Simon to verbally strike back via drafts of the invitation. Meanwhile, Liz tries desperately to convince Bobby's priest (Tom Bosley) that they are ready for marriage, but the stress of juggling wedding plans and school assignments takes its toll on her in some very embarrassing ways, on the season finale of "It's All Relative," TUESDAY, APRIL 20 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network."

MARRIED TO THE KELLYS (ABC) - "Kansas v. Tom's Parents," the show's season finale, has been scheduled to air Friday, April 23 at 9:30/8:30c. Here's how ABC's press materials describe the episode: "Tom's pretentious parents from New York attend Bill and Sandy Kelly's anniversary party in Kansas, and Chris refuses to sell the house he just refurbished, on ABC's "Married to the Kellys," FRIDAY, APRIL 23 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network."

ME, ME, ME (UPN) - Singer-actor Innis Casey ("24") is the latest to join the cast of the comedy pilot, about two best friends whose shallow New York ways are compromised when one of the pair's younger sister comes to town. Julie Gonzalo and Ayda Field also star in the project, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television.

REVELATIONS (NBC) - John Rhys-Davis ("The Lord of the Rings") has nabbed a recurring role in the upcoming limited series, which centers on a group's efforts to forestall the apocalypse. He'll play Lampley, a wheelchair-bound Harvard professor emeritus, a genius astrophysicist and mentor to star Bill Pullman's character. Pariah Television is behind the project, which also stars Natascha McElhone.

THANK GOD IT'S MONDAY (ABC) - Matthew Morrison ("Hairspray") is the latest to join the cast of the pilot, an ensemble workplace comedy about guys who talk about their home life at work. Ever Carradine, Tamara Taylor, Ed Kerr and Louis Lombardi also star in the project, which comes from Touchstone Television.

THAT '70S SHOW (FOX) - Carsey-Werner-Mandabach has announced the studio has just completed sales of a second daily run of the veteran comedy to TV stations in 70% of the U.S. for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. Said pacts bring "That '70s Show's" current syndicated value to $1.8 million per episode in straight sales, not including the 90-seconds of bartered ad time C-W-M gets from the stations. Combined with its cable run on FX (set to begin in September 2005), which is valued at $475,000 per half-hour in cash plus another $125,000 for 60-seconds of bartered ad time within each run, "That '70s Show's" total value is expected to hit $700 million by the end of its run. Currently "That '70s Show" ranks as the fourth most-watched comedy in syndication, behind "Seinfeld," "Friends" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

UNTITLED LEWIS BLACK PROJECT (ABC) - Michael Boatman ("Spin City") will play vice principal to Lewis Black's principal in the comedy pilot, which comes from Paramount Network Television. Anne Dudek, Brad Raider and Stephanie Childers also star.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [april 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· 24 (FOX)
· CHARMED (WB)
· DARK SHADOWS (WB)
· EARTHQUAKE (ABC)
· EDUCATING LEWIS (ABC)
· EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (CBS)
· FRIENDS (NBC)
· I MARRIED SOFIA (ABC)
· I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE! (NBC)
· I'M A RICH KID, GET ME OUT OF HERE! (ABC)
· IT'S ALL RELATIVE (ABC)
· MARRIED TO THE KELLYS (ABC)
· ME, ME, ME (UPN)
· REVELATIONS (NBC)
· RUN OF THE HOUSE (WB)
· SPIN CITY (ABC)
· THANK GOD IT'S MONDAY (ABC)
· THAT '70S SHOW (FOX)





[06/17/26 - 12:14 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of June 8
"Off Campus," "Every Year After," "Spider-Noir," "Clarkson's Farm," and "The Boys" led all original series worldwide.

[06/17/26 - 12:00 PM]
Disney+ Announces Season Four of "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" and New Holiday Special "A Proud Family Wizmas"
The fourth and final season will premiere on Wednesday, July 29, ahead of the beloved series' 25th anniversary.

[06/17/26 - 11:22 AM]
Lifetime Announces Five New Movies for July and August
"He Couldn't Let Go," "Crowning at the Prom," "Girl in the Coffin," "Killer Clown," and "She Stole My Son's Heart" will premiere on successive Saturdays beginning July 11.

[06/17/26 - 10:29 AM]
"BET Awards" 2026 Reveals First Wave of Performers
As Culture's Biggest Night approaches, BET will continue to unveil additional performers, presenters, special guests, and surprise moments leading up to the live broadcast, hosted by Druski, airing Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT on BET from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

[06/17/26 - 10:14 AM]
Video: "The Welcome Table" - Official Trailer - HBO
From Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox, the film tells the story of climate migrants across six continents, centering the voices and experiences of survivors on the front lines of the climate crisis.

[06/17/26 - 10:07 AM]
"Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross" Season 2 - Streaming on The Roku Channel July 20th
She's back, packing her bags and inviting audiences to join her solo trips to Australia, Thailand, and Switzerland to experience the joy of solo travel.

[06/17/26 - 10:03 AM]
Starz Picks Up Timely and Riveting Queer Drama "Tip Toe," Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey to Air in 2026
Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as warring neighbors, the five-part series will premiere exclusively on Starz later this year.

[06/17/26 - 10:01 AM]
New Series "Homestead Rescue: Intervention" Pushes Wilderness Expert Raney Family Into Their Most Emotional and High-Stakes Rescues of Off-Gridders Living Beyond the Edge of Survival
The series premieres Tuesday, July 14 at 8:00PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel.

[06/17/26 - 09:20 AM]
NBC's "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks" Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Star-Studded Lineup of Musical Artists
The star-studded event will feature performances by Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Salt-N-Pepa, Bebe Rexha, Shaboozey and Blake Shelton.

[06/17/26 - 09:05 AM]
New City. New Experts. Bold New Era of Love. Season 20 of Peacock's "Married at First Sight" Returns Sunday, July 12
Featuring more couples than ever before, a brand-new panel of experts, fresh dynamics and deeper emotional stakes, Season 20 reimagines the groundbreaking social experiment that has captivated audiences for two decades.

[06/17/26 - 09:01 AM]
BET Returns to Its Stand-Up Comedy Roots with "ComicView: Rooftop Series," Hosted by Chris "CP" Powell, Premiering June 30
Each episode spotlights three of the funniest comics delivering sharp, unfiltered takes on culture, family, and real life - from a Hollywood rooftop.

[06/17/26 - 09:00 AM]
Prime Video Greenlights Season Two of "One Night in Idaho: The College Murders"
The series returns for a new season with unprecedented first-time, exclusive access to the police and lead investigators who bore the weight of a nation's obsession and - until now - were unable to tell their story due to a gag order on the case.

[06/17/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Susana and Elvira: No Plan B" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After a fallout abroad, two former best friends reluctantly reunite to plan a high-profile wedding for the hottest artists in town - with no backup plan.

[06/17/26 - 07:44 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "Chasing Soccer Glory: America's Long Game" Now Streaming on the CNN App
More than three decades after the World Cup last came to the United States, "Chasing Soccer Glory" examines how soccer evolved from a niche sport into a cultural force, and why the promise of the U.S. Men's National Team remains unfulfilled.

[06/17/26 - 07:41 AM]
Video: MGM+ Debuts Official Trailer, Key Art and New Photos for Gritty Drama Series "The Westies" Starring Academy Award-Winner J.K. Simmons
The eight-episode series will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, July 12, followed by a weekly release on MGM+ in the U.S., the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia.