or


[06/10/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: June 8-10
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!

THE AMAZING RACE (CBS) - GSN's off-network acquisition of the veteran reality series (read the story) is reportedly valued in the $6 million dollar range. The four-year deal, which includes the rights to the first eight editions of the series (as well as the option to purchase the ninth and tenth installments), means the cable channel will pay an estimated $55,000 per episode. Said numbers put the GSN deal on par with VH1's recent off-network acquisition of "America's Next Top Model" but behind OLN's $10 million pact for the repeats rights to "Survivor." "The Amazing Race" will begin airing daily on GSN at 9:00/8:00c beginning Monday, July 11. Meanwhile in other "Race"-related news, executive producer Hayma "Screech" Washington has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with CBS. The pact calls for Washington to continue in his duties on "Race" as well as develop new scripted comedies and dramas for the network. Prior to joining "Race," Washington was an executive producer on Disney Channel's "Phil of the Future."

THE BERNIE MAC SHOW (FOX) - Warren Hutcherson ("Moesha") and Steve Tompkins ("Entourage") are reportedly close to signing on as the new showrunners of the FOX comedy, which returns for its fifth season this fall. The pair would take over for Pete Aronson, who is leaving the series after two seasons at the helm. Hutcherson already serves as an executive producer on "Mac," which he joined during its first season. No reason was given for Aronson's exit from the Regency Television/20th Century Fox Television-produced series.

BOUND (FOX, New!) - Fox 21-based Benderspink ("Free Birds," "Beauty and the Geek") are developing a new horror-themed drama at FOX about a family that moves into their dream house only to slowly discover that it's their worst nightmare. Mark Kruger ("Revelations") has been tapped to write the script to the project with Gary Auerbach ("Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County") attached to direct should it go forward. Both will also serve as executive producers along with Chris Bender, JC Spink and Benderspink president Julie Plec. FOX has given a script order to the project for the 2006-07 season. Benderspink also continues to work on an untitled animated comedy pilot presentation from Chuck Swenson ("Rugrats") and Brian Lynch for the network.

GHOST WHISPERER (CBS) - Non-writing producers Ian Sander and Kim Moses have inked a new two-year overall deal at Touchstone Television. The pact will keep the pair's Sander/Moses Productions set up at Touchstone where they're executive producing the CBS fall entry "Ghost Whisperer." In addition, the duo will develop new projects for the studio as well as produce "Confessions of a Desperate Housewife," a series of webisodes on ABC.com tied to the Alphabet's monster hit "Despereate Housewives."

THE GRAHAM NORTON EFFECT (Comedy Central) - Logo, MTV Networks' gay-themed network which launches on June 30, has purchased the repeat rights to the short-lived Comedy Central talk show. In addition, Logo has also scored the rights to Graham Norton imports "Graham Norton in New York" (10 episodes) and "V Graham Norton" (5 episodes). No financial details were given about the deal.

HBO ORIGINAL SERIES (HBO) - 1.59 million viewers tuned into "Entourage's" second season bow on Sunday (including a 0.9 rating/2 share among adults 18-49), down 17.89% from its launch last summer (1.9 million on 7/18/04). The premiere of lead-out "The Comeback" fared even worse that same night, earning just 1.51 million viewers with a 0.8/2 among adults 18-49. Meanwhile on Monday, the fifth and final season bow of "Six Feet Under" drew 2.62 million viewers, off a whopping 37.62% from its fourth season debut (4.2 million on 6/13/04). Said numbers however were when "Six Feet Under" aired on Sunday nights.

KICKED OUT (ABC Family, New!) - The cable channel has given a series order of eight half-hour episodes to a new reality project from High Noon Entertainment (Food Network's "Unwrapped"). Each installment of the series, which begins production next week for an August launch, tracks a family as they kick their unmotivated, jobless twentysomething into gear by booting them out of the house. Said slackers will then experience some tough love via challenges (all devised by their parents) designed to teach them responsibilities such as keeping a job, managing a budget and furnishing their own apartment. High Noon CEO Jim Berger will executive produce "Kicked Out" with James Flint ("My Life Is a Sitcom") serving as a co-executive producer.

THE REAL GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (TBS) - A disappointing 1.9 million viewers tuned into the two-hour second season bow of the series on Wednesday, including a 3 share among adults 18-49. Said numbers were literally half of those from its debut last year (4.0 million on 11/30/04).

REBA (The WB) - Writer/producer Matt Berry has inked a new two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pact, financial terms of which weren't specified, calls for Berry to continue in his duties as an executive producer on the veteran WB comedy as well as develop new projects for the studio.

WILD CARD (Lifetime) - The six remaining unaired installments of the defunct drama series will begin Saturdays at 11:00/10:00c starting tomorrow night on Lifetime. Repeats will also continue to run on Sunday nights in the 12:00/11:00c slot.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [june 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· AMAZING RACE, THE (CBS)
· AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL (VH1)
· BEAUTY AND THE GEEK (CW)
· BERNIE MAC SHOW, THE (FOX)
· BOUND (FOX)
· COMEBACK, THE (HBO)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· FREE RIDE (FOX)
· GHOST WHISPERER (CBS)
· GRAHAM NORTON EFFECT, THE (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· KICKED OUT (ABC FAMILY)
· MOESHA (UPN)
· MY LIFE IS A SITCOM (ABC FAMILY)
· NEWPORT HARBOR: THE REAL ORANGE COUNTY (MTV)
· REAL GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE (TBS)
· REBA (CW)
· REVELATIONS (NBC)
· SIX FEET UNDER (HBO)
· SURVIVOR (CBS)
· UNTITLED LYNCH & SWENSON PROJECT (FOX)
· WILD CARD (LIFETIME)





[06/30/26 - 01:01 PM]
UPtv to Debut the U.S Cable Television Premiere of "Hudson & Rex" Season Eight Aug. 6
The action-packed, family-friendly procedural continues to follow the adventures of Rex, an extraordinary K9 German Shepherd, and the dedicated team of the St. John's Police Department's Major Crimes Unit.

[06/30/26 - 12:21 PM]
Starz Wins Development on "Bone Parish" After Bidding War, An Adaptation of the Chilling, Supernatural Crime Graphic Novel, Executive Produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
In the dark underworld of New Orleans, the Winters family builds an empire around a powerful new drug - crafted from the ashes of the dead - that grants users vivid, haunting visions of the past.

[06/30/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of June 22 - The Search Continues as "I Will Find You" Holds at No. 1 for a Second Week
The second season of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" launched in the No. 2 spot on the English TV list with 8.7 million views, and the first season reentered the list in the No. 3 spot with 3 million views.

[06/30/26 - 11:05 AM]
Mark Harmon to Return as Gibbs in Season 3 of CBS Original Series "NCIS: Origins" in a Season-Long Mystery This Fall
Harmon will appear in all episodes this season as part of a present-day mystery tied to his '90s Camp Pendleton days in an action-packed story that unfolds all season long.

[06/30/26 - 09:48 AM]
TikTok LIVE and Food Network Launch Cooking Series Bringing Together Creators With Chefs, Beginning Wednesday, July 8
The inaugural LIVE, TikTok LIVE x Food Network Presents: Tomato Season, will feature Chef Antonia Lofaso and Creator @jose.elcook cooking with one of summer's most popular ingredients.

[06/30/26 - 09:01 AM]
Starz Acquires High-Octane Crime Drama "S.W.A.T. Exiles," Starring and Executive-Produced by Shemar Moore, Set to Premiere September 25
In the new series, Moore reprises his role as Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson of the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Division.

[06/30/26 - 09:01 AM]
"Wonka's The Golden Ticket" Opens Its Factory Gates on September 23
Netflix invites audiences into a thrilling new competition based on Roald Dahl's book "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" and inspired by one of the most iconic worlds in cinematic history.

[06/30/26 - 09:00 AM]
Jerry O'Connell Joins "Big Brother: Unlocked" as Celebrity Panelist Alongside Returning Winners Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur
This season, "Big Brother" will make television history as the first primetime series ever to reach 1,000 original episodes (date of the 1,000th episode to be announced).

[06/30/26 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Renews "Nemesis" for Season 2
"Nemesis" is the story of two men on either side of the law, the tale of what happens when an unstoppable force (an expert criminal) meets an immovable object (a brilliant police detective).

[06/30/26 - 08:01 AM]
Prime Video Reveals First-Look Images and Premiere Date for Debut Series "Neagley," Starring Maria Sten
Upon the "Reacher" season four finale, all eight episodes of "Neagley" will be released on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

[06/30/26 - 07:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Global Box Office Smash "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" Beginning July 30
The film debuted at #1 at the global box office and became the first movie of 2026 to cross $1 billion.

[06/30/26 - 07:00 AM]
Nickelodeon Declares July 14 "SpongeBob Day"
Timed to coincide with SpongeBob SquarePants' birthday within the animated series, the inaugural "SpongeBob Day" will feature a cross-platform slate of activations designed to bring the world of Bikini Bottom to audiences of all ages everywhere.

[06/29/26 - 12:55 PM]
ESPN Films' "The Day Diego Returned to the Azteca" Is Now Streaming on Disney+ and Premieres on ESPN July 3
The film tells the extraordinary and little-known story of Diego Armando Maradona's only return to Estadio Azteca after leading Argentina to the 1986 FIFA World Cup title.

[06/29/26 - 11:31 AM]
Netflix's Upcoming Comedy Series "A Hundred Percent" Rounds Out Cast with Tiffany Boone, Lisa Gilroy and Diane Lane
They'll join the previously announced stars Nick Kroll, Sam Richardson, Jason Mantzoukas and Vanessa Bayer.

[06/29/26 - 11:30 AM]
ESPN to Provide Extensive Coverage of the 2026 NBA Summer League Beginning July 9
The 11-day event begins Thursday, July 9, and concludes with the Championship Game on Sunday, July 19, live on ESPN, with games throughout the event airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.