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[05/13/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: May 13
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!

24 (FOX) - Co-creator/co-showrunner Bob Cochran has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with the show's producer 20th Century Fox Television. The pact, as you'd expect, covers his duties on "24" for the length of the deal as well as develop (along with fellow "24" co-creator/co-showrunner Joel Surnow) new projects for the studio.

A CURRENT AFFAIR (Syndication) - Twentieth Television has cleared the newsmagazine's revival in 10 more markets: WDRB Louisville, Ky., WEHT Evansville, Ind., WTKR Norfolk, Va.; WTNZ Knoxville, Tenn.; KVOA Tucson, Ariz.; KVRR Fargo, N.D.; KDLT Sioux Falls, S.D.; KQDS Duluth, Minn.; KCVU Chico-Redding, Calif.; and KVIQ Eureka, Calif. Louisville and Evansville have already begun carrying the series while the others will do so in the fall. "Affair" averaged a 2.5 household rating for the week ending May 6, down 24% from its debut week numbers (3.3 household rating), down 29% from its lead-in and down 22% from programming in the year-ago time period.

FLESH & BLOOD (A.K.A. UNTITLED CHRISTOPHER LLOYD/JOE KEENAN PROJECT) (CBS) - Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan's comedy pilot for the Eye now features the title "Flesh & Blood." Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Paula Marshall and Christopher Gorham all star in the Paramount Network Television-based project, about a family of single doctors.

MARSHA POTTER GETS A LIFE (A.K.A. CAROL POTTER GETS A LIFE) (ABC) - The Brenda Blethyn-led comedy pilot, about a middle-aged woman who suddenly decides to make a change in her picture-perfect family life, is now running under the title "Marsha Potter Gets a Life." Eugene Byrd, Erin Hershey Presley, Jenna Von Oy, Kevin Dunn and Michael McMillian also star in the project, which comes from NBC Universal Television, Touchstone Television and Conaco Productions. Holly Hester, Conan O'Brien, A.J. Morewitz and Jeff Ross are the executive producers.

MISCONCEPTIONS (A.K.A. BEST LAID PLANS) (The WB) - The Jane Leeves-led comedy pilot, about a woman whose mother (Leeves) meets the man who was her anonymous sperm donor, has apparently been retitled as "Misconceptions." The 20th Century Fox Television/Imagine Television-based project also stars French Stewart and comes from executive producers Jeff Kleeman, Michael Saltzman, Brian Grazer and David Nevins.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: REAL NIGHTMARES (CBS) - In an interview posted at PhillyBurbs.com (the hub for the area's local newspapers Bucks County Courier Times, Burlington County Times and The Intelligencer), Robert Englund has confirmed CBS has scrapped the six-episode series, in which people have the opportunity to face their most terrifying dreams with the help of Hollywood special effects experts. "They just didn't need another reality show," Englund said. "They had to put their new show, 'Numbers' - which I actually really like - up into that time slot we were going to have." As for potential burn-off prospects, Englund noted: "I mean, the only place it could ever appear is on the UPN Network, because I think that's a subsidiary of CBS. But I think it's just one of those things I have to say goodbye to." For the complete interview, click here.

THE SHIELD (FX) - Glenn Close reportedly will not return for the show's expected fifth season next year. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, creator/executive producer Shawn Ryan said: "We were hoping, early on, that Glenn might return because she digs the show and is enjoying it so much. But we knew all along she had only agreed to do one complete season." The addition of Close has helped propel "The Shield" to significant gains (nearly 25%) in the ratings this season. No details however were specified on how Close's character will make her exit. Click here to read the original story.

TRAILER FABULOUS (MTV, New!) - The cable channel has committed to 10 episodes to a new "Mobile Home Disaster"-esque series, hosted by recording artist Brooks Buford. The project, which will launch some time this summer, tracks Buford as he visits a different trailer park each week and gives one resident's mobile home a beauty treatment. Erika Martin, Gino Panaro and Johnny Hardesty will also be featured as the resident stylist, landscaper and designer respectively. Bob Kusbit and Angela Day created and will executive produce the series with George Plamondon serving as a co-executive producer.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2005]  
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· 24 (FOX)
· CURRENT AFFAIR, A (SYNDICATION)
· MARSHA POTTER GETS A LIFE (ABC)
· MISCONCEPTIONS (WB)
· NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: REAL NIGHTMARES (CBS)
· OUT OF PRACTICE (CBS)
· SHIELD, THE (FX)
· TRAILER FABULOUS (MTV)





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