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[04/22/04 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: April 22
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.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (FOX) - The network has opted to run "Not Without My Daughter," the show's 21st produced episode, as its season finale this Sunday at 9:30/8:30c. Here's how FOX describes the episode: "When Michael brings Maeby to work with him on �Take My Daughter to Work Day,� they discover that Kitty is missing and the police suspect Michael. Despite trying to teach Maeby a lesson about honesty, Michael takes Barry�s advice and tells the police he doesn�t know anything. Meanwhile, Lindsay gets a job at a department store, Tobias gets a job as a security guard and Buster finally gets a chance to play soccer on the �Not Without My Daughter� episode of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Sunday, April 25 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (ARR-121)." It's not clear if "Let 'Em Eat Cake," the last episode produced this season, will run at some point this summer or in the fall should it return for a second season.

BOUNTY HUNTER (A.K.A. UNTITLED TERRI HUGHES/RON MILBAUER PROJECT) (CBS) - The drama pilot, which stars Robert Forester as the father of two sons who join his bounty hunter business, is now using the title "Bounty Hunter." Terri Hughes, Ron Milbauer, Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, Rod Holcolmb and John Wirth are all behind the project, which comes from Spelling Television.

COLDERON (A.K.A. SUDBURY) (CBS) - The Kim Delaney/Jeri Ryan-led drama pilot is now reportedly using the title "Colderon." The pair play sisters who struggle with the blessing and curse of magical abilities in the project, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television, CBS Productions, DiNovi Pictures and Sandra Bullock's Fortis Films.

EMPIRE (ABC) - Touchstone Television has confirmed that James Frain ("Spartacus"), not Jonathan Frain has been cast in the role of Brutus in the Alphabet's upcoming limited series. Jonathan Cake, Santiago Cabrera and Vince Regan also star in the project, which chronicles the power struggle in Rome following the murder of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.

HOUSE (A.K.A. UNTITLED DAVID SHORE PROJECT) (FOX) - The medical drama, which comes from Universal Network Television and Heel & Toe Films, now features the title "House." Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer and Lisa Edelstein all star in the project, about a team of doctors charged with solving complicated medical mysteries that mystify other health-care professionals.

THE INSIDE (A.K.A. UNTITLED KATHRYN BIGELOW PROJECT) (FOX) - The Kathryn Bigelow-produced project is now running under the title "The Inside." Rachel Nichols stars as a 23-year-old woman who poses as a 16-year-old high school student in order to investigate a drug ring. Peter Facinelli also stars in the project, which comes from 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television.

THE MACGREGORS (A.K.A. UNTITLED MARSH MCCALL PROJECT) (NBC) - The comedy, which centers on the relationship between a newly divorced father (Tom Conti), a professor at Stanford, and his son (Mitch Rouse), is currently using the title "The MacGregors." Greg Pitts, Jamie Denbo and Shelley Long also star in the project, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television.

NEWS TO ME (A.K.A. UNTITLED MARSH MCCALL/JOEL STEIN PROJECT) (ABC) - The Colin Hanks-led comedy pilot now features the title "News to Me." Hanks stars as a young reporter who makes waves at a respected magazine in the Warner Bros. Television/Acme Productions project, which is loosely based on the life of Time writer Joel Stein.

ONE TREE HILL (WB) - The freshman drama once again hit series highs in adults 18-34 (2.6/8), persons 12-34 (3.0/9), women 18-34 (3.6/10), men 18-34 (1.6/5) and women 12-34 (4.5/12) on Tuesday according to a network press release. More importantly, the show won the Tuesday, 9:00/8:00c hour among women 12-34 (4.5/12), teens (4.0/13) and female teens (6.9/20) and finished second in persons 12-34 (3.0/9) and #3 in women 18-34 (3.6/10). Over the course of its run, "Hill" has nearly tripled its adults 18-34 output, going from a 0.9/3 for its debut to a 2.6/8 for its most recent airing.

SIX FEET UNDER (HBO) - The pay channel has officially scheduled the show's fourth season premiere for Sunday, June 13 at 9:00/8:00c. The series will take over for "The Sopranos," which wraps its fifth season the previous week. Also on June 13, "Deadwood" will close its inaugural run at 10:00/9:00c. As for "Six Feet Under," only 12 installments are set to be produced this season, down from its typical run of 13 episodes.

SPELLBOUND (FOX) - The network has pushed the comedy pilot's development back to midseason 2005 series consideration. The Warner Bros. Television project, which comes from Rob Greenberg, Suzanne Martin and Andy Ackerman, revolves around a male witch who falls in love with a mortal, creating family turmoil.

SPLITTING HAIRS (A.K.A. UNTITLED ONE ON ONE PROJECT) (UPN) - The "One on One" spin-off now reportedly features the title "Splitting Hairs." Marques Houston and Shannon Elizabeth star in the project, which comes from Paramount Network Television and the Greenblatt-Janollari Studio.

THE THIRD TERRORIST (FX, New!) - The cable channel is developing a new telefilm based on Jayna Davis's book about the possible connection between convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh and a group of Iraqi expatriates living in Oklahoma City in 1995. Rob Scheidlinger ("Sports Night") is behind the project, additional details of which were not available.

UNTITLED MICKEY COHEN PROJECT (TNT, New!) - Rob Scheidlinger ("Sports Night") and Robert Towne ("Chinatown") are developing a biopic of 1940s-era gangster Mickey Cohen for the network. Towne could potentially direct the project, which is still in the early stages of development.

WASHINGTON STREET (CBS) - The Eye has pushed the project to midseason 2005 consideration. The comedy, which has a cast-contingent green light to produce a pilot, revolves around the tenants in a modest apartment building who form a family led by a nurturing single mom. Julie Ann Larson is behind the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television and CBS Productions.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (WB) - The Frog has scheduled the show's second season finale for Friday, May 7 at 8:30/7:30c. Here's how the WB's press materials describe the episode, entitled appropriately enough "The Second Season Finale": "Holly (Amanda Bynes) is elated when she is accepted for an internship in Paris but when Henry (Michael McMillian) and Vince (Nick Zano) each kiss her before she leaves she knows the time has come to decide between them. In order to distract her from Rick's (guest star Ed Kerr) upcoming wedding, Val (Jennie Garth) books a trip to Venice with Lauren (Leslie Grsosman), but when Val gets sick and has to cancel, she is pleasantly surprised when a still-single Rick shows up at her doorstep. Meanwhile, it could be a summer of love for Gary (Wesley Jonathan) and Tina (Allison Munn) when they have their second kiss. Shelley Jensen directed the episode written by Caryn Lucas & Wil Calhoun (#177422)."

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





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· ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (NETFLIX)
· BOUNTY HUNTER (CBS)
· CUTS (UPN)
· DEADWOOD (HBO)
· EMPIRE (ABC)
· HOUSE (FOX)
· INSIDE, THE (FOX)
· MACGREGORS, THE (NBC)
· NEWS TO ME (ABC)
· ONE ON ONE (UPN)
· ONE TREE HILL (CW)
· PRACTICAL MAGIC (CBS)
· SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· SPARTACUS (USA)
· SPELLBOUND (FOX)
· SPORTS NIGHT (ABC)
· THIRD TERRORIST, THE (FX)
· UNTITLED MICKEY COHEN PROJECT (TNT)
· WASHINGTON STREET (CBS)
· WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (WB)





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