or


[03/21/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: March 21
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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

Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our newly revamped "Series in Development" charts. Visitors can now filter our listings by network, genre and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!

ALL IN (NBC) - Janeane Garofalo ("The Larry Sanders Show") has been cast in the lead role of the comedy pilot, about a single mother of three (Garofalo) who's a whiz around the poker table, but who could use some of those same smarts in raising her kids. Garofalo's involvement lifts the cast-contingency off the pilot, which is based on the life of real-life poker champ Annie Duke. In addition, Garofalo and her managers David Rath and Kara Welker will receive a producing credit on the project, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky's Is or Isn't Entertainment and Jack Burditt ("I'm With Her").

AMERICAN CRIME (CBS) - Jennifer Finnigan ("Committed") has been cast in the lead role of the drama pilot, about a female prosecutor who juggles the world of suburban crime with the challenges of being a new mom. She'll play Annabeth, said prosecutor, in the project, which also stars John Carroll Lynch. Finnigan's involvement is apparently in second position to "Committed" should that series return for a second season. Simon West is directing the Warner Bros. Television/Bruckheimer Television-based project, from a script by creator Jim Leonard. Leonard then also serves as an executive producer along with Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman.

THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER (Lifetime) - Michelle Trachtenberg ("Ice Princess") is set to topline the original movie for the cable channel, about a small-town woman's journey of self-discovery after her fiance suffers a serious accident. The project, which is based on Ann Packer's best-selling novel of the same name, will be directed by Harry Winer from an adaptation by John Wierick ("The Matthew Shepard Story"). Mel Gibon's Con Artists Productions and Fox TV Studios are producing "Dive" with Brenda Friend ("Joan of Arc"), Con Artists's Bruce Davey and Nancy Cotton and Fox TV Studios' David Madden and Lisa Demberg executive producing.

FATHOM (NBC) - Carter Jenkins ("Unfabulous") has been cast as Miles in the drama pilot, about a group of naval officers, oceanographers and fishermen from around the world who encounter a group of mysterious sea creatures. His character is described in the casting notice as: "13. Out wakeboarding with his friends, this kid has a terrifying experience after he dumps in the ocean and spots a bizarre sea creature nearby. The son of affluent parents who are usually too busy to pay attention to him, Miles enlists his friend Phil's help in investigating the situation. Already in trouble for his wakeboarding stunt, Miles defies his parents, "borrows" their boat, and ends up harvesting an egg from the monster in question. He takes the strange egg home and is delighted when his new and apparently voracious "pet" hatches out, unbeknownst to the rest of his family." Lake Bell (as Daughtery Carstarphen), Rade Serbedzija (as Dr. Clay Ling) and Leighton Meester (as Savannah, the sister of Miles), Jay Ferguson (as Richard Owen) also star in the NBC Universal Television-based project, which comes from creators Josh Pate and Jonas Pate.

MEET THE BARKERS (MTV) - The cable channel has confirmed the new reality series "Meet the Barkers" - about the life of the mohawked drummer of blink-182 and his wife, a former Miss USA turned TV actress - will premiere Wednesday, April 6 at 10:00/9:00c. "The Nick Lachey Project" is expected to follow that same night at 10:30/9:30c, however MTV has yet to confirm the show's launch date and time.

THE OFFICE (NBC) - Viewers looking to check out the Peacock's take on "The Office" will have more than one opportunity this month as cable siblings Bravo, CNBC and USA will all rebroadcast the show's first two installments shortly after their premiere on NBC. USA will encore said episodes on Thursday, March 31 at 6:00/5:00c and 6:30/5:30c; Bravo that same night at 11:00/10:00c and 11:30/10:30c; and CNBC on Friday, April 1 at 10:00/9:00c and 10:30/9:30c with additional encores later that night at 1:00 and 1:30 a.m. eastern.

OLD CHRISTINE (CBS) - Clark Gregg ("In Good Company"), Hamash Linklatter ("Gideon's Crossing") and Trevor Gagnon ("Big Fish") have all joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about a divorced mom (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who tries to keep pace with everyone around her. The trio will play the woman's ex-husband, brother and son respectively. Warner Bros. Television is behind the project, which comes from creator/executive producer Kari Lizer ("Will & Grace").

UNTITLED DEBORAH KAPLAN/HARRY ELFONT PROJECT (ABC) - Sophina Brown ("Chappelle's Show") has been cast as the final principal cast member of the single-camera comedy pilot, about the dating lives of a group of thirtysomething singles in Philadelphia. She'll play Wendy in the Touchstone Television-based project. Her character is described as: "30's, any ethnicity. Feminine lesbian, a bit dissatisfied with her life, speaks her mind, she works for Jane [Julie Bowen] at the bakery. Although she dates women, Wendy has the same type relationship dilemmas as the rest of the gang. Claims her life would be much simpler if she was interested in men - but she's not." Michael Landes (as Todd), Alan Tudyk (as Oakes), Lucy Davis (as Paige) and Mark Umbers (as Sam) also star in the project, which will be both written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. The pair also serve as executive producers along with Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke.

UNTILTED MICHAEL CALEO PROJECT (ABC) - Ann Cusack ("The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.") and Sarah Steele ("Spanglish") have both joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about dueling neighbors (Lenny Clarke, Brian Benben) who have to contend with one another when their wives and kids become friends. Cusack will play the wife of Clarke's character while Steele is set as their daughter. Touchstone Television is behind the project, which comes from executive producers Michael Caleo and Matt Gross.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [march 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, NH, THE (CBS)
· CHAPPELLE'S SHOW (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· CLOSE TO HOME (CBS)
· COMMITTED (NBC)
· DEAL (NBC)
· DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER, THE (LIFETIME)
· GIDEON'S CROSSING (ABC)
· I'M WITH HER (ABC)
· LOVE LIFE (ABC)
· MATTHEW SHEPARD STORY, THE (NBC)
· MEET THE BARKERS (MTV)
· NEIGHBORS (ABC)
· NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE, THE (CBS)
· NICK LACHEY PROJECT, THE (MTV)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· SURFACE (NBC)
· WILL & GRACE (NBC)





[12/12/25 - 01:46 PM]
ID Sets January Return for "People Magazine Investigates," Featuring More Ripped from the Headlines Cases That Captivated the Nation
The new season premieres Monday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c on ID, with new episodes airing weekly.

[12/12/25 - 01:31 PM]
Hallmark Expands the Universe of "When Calls the Heart" with Prequel Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres and Jill Hennessy
The eight-episode series begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+.

[12/12/25 - 10:05 AM]
Meet the 14 Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: House of Fear," Premiering Wednesday, January 14th at 9/8c on FOX
Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting - and fear is a weapon.

[12/12/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: What's Coming in Early 2026 - "Shrinking," "Monarch," "Hijack" & More - Apple TV
Also on tap are "The Last Thing He Told Me" and "Eternity."

[12/12/25 - 09:06 AM]
Crave Greenlights "Heated Rivalry" Season 2, While Global Momentum Continues
Also confirmed today, HBO Max U.S. and Australia, and NEON (Sky New Zealand), who already exclusively stream Season 1 in those respective markets, have all committed to the streaming rights for a second season.

[12/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Best Medicine" Season 1 Official Trailer (Starring Josh Charles) - FOX TV
Dr. Martin Best leaves his career as a Boston surgeon to become the general practitioner in the quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent his childhood summers.

[12/12/25 - 08:09 AM]
HBO Max Rolls Out In-App Curated Channels for Fan-Favorite Series and Genres in the U.S.
Designed for an effortless streaming experience, this feature enables users to seamlessly enter a continuous feed of curated episodes from fan-favorite titles, making it easier than ever to find an episode of their favorite programming.

[12/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces Season Two for Acclaimed Thriller "Down Cemetery Road"
Season two reunites Zoƫ Boehm (Emma Thompson) and Sarah Trafford (Emma Wilson) chasing down another twisted mystery.

[12/12/25 - 05:00 AM]
Video: HBO Max Brand Spot Teases 2026 Original Programming Slate with Never-Before-Seen Footage and First Looks
Including exclusive first looks on HBO Max social accounts, the spot underscores HBO Max's commitment to delivering high quality, must-see stories that inspire, entertain, and spark conversations around the globe.

[12/11/25 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Target Demos
The series also saw gains on the same week last year in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[12/11/25 - 11:58 AM]
Lifetime to Kick Off 2026 with Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Eastwood, Katie Cassidy, Luke Humphrey, Chloe Lanier, Dillon Casey, and Maddy Hillis are among the featured talent.

[12/11/25 - 11:22 AM]
A&E's New Series "Crime in Progress" Follows the Evolution of Investigations Told Exclusively Through Raw Footage Premieres January 1 at 10pm ET/PT
The story of each crime is woven together through raw, unfiltered video from the point of view of officer body cam and surveillance footage for a first-hand look at justice in action.

[12/11/25 - 11:01 AM]
New Netflix Doc Series About Jonestown Dives Into One of the Deadliest Mass Murders in American History
From Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper comes a three-part documentary series about the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre.

[12/11/25 - 10:32 AM]
Lola Petticrew Will Join the World of "Assassin's Creed" Alongside Toby Wallace in the New Live-Action Series Adaptation of Ubisoft's Best-Selling Video Game Franchise
Netflix confirmed the news on social media this morning.

[12/11/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Breakdown: 1975" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This documentary explores how a turbulent era gave rise to iconic movies like "Taxi Driver," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Network."