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)





[06/22/26 - 09:25 AM]
Linda Cohn, ESPN's Longest-Tenured "SportsCenter" Anchor, to Retire from ESPN June 30
Cohn joined ESPN in July of 1992 and hosted her first "SportsCenter" edition at 2 a.m. on July 11, 1992.

[06/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New "Gabby's Dollhouse" Series, A "Sesame Street" Collection, and Even More for Preschoolers and Kids
In addition to the new series, Gabby and the Gabby Cats return on September 14 for Season 14 of "Gabby's Dollhouse," which was the No. 4 series on Netflix in the second half of 2025 with roughly 108 million views.

[06/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Award-Winning Rece Davis Joins ESPN's Wimbledon Coverage as Host
A mainstay at ESPN for more than 25 years, Davis is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of college football's premier pre-game show, "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot," as well as other football and basketball-related ESPN programs.

[06/22/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Golden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid-" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In a fierce three-way fight over a hoard of Ainu gold, Asirpa and Sugimoto head to Abashiri Prison, where Noppera-Bo and the truth about her father wait.

[06/22/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Reveals Special Honorees for "The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One," Airing Wednesday, July 15, at 8 P.M. on ABC and Streaming on the ESPN App
Jason Collins will posthumously receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Jim Abbott will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

[06/22/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Ricky Gervais "Alley Cats" - Official Trailer - Netflix
It follows a gang of foul-mouthed feral cats who cause havoc while musing on the meaning of life and fighting for survival in a brutal human world.

[06/22/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Sheep Detectives" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
"The Sheep Detectives" arrives June 24 on Prime Video.

[06/21/26 - 01:31 PM]
Peacock to Debut Companion Video Podcast "The Five Star Weekend Official Podcast" July 9 in Line with the Series Premiere of "The Five Star Weekend"
Best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand unpacks "The Five Star Weekend" with the show's cast and crew.

[06/20/26 - 12:23 PM]
USMNT's 2-0 Win Over Australia Scores FOX Best Friday Afternoon Telecast on Any Broadcast Network Since 2022
14,781,000 viewers watched the USMNT blank Australia 2-0 Friday afternoon on FOX.

[06/20/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Sparks of Tomorrow" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In an alternate past, an unlikely duo team up to look for a missing catalog that could bring electricity to the smoke-filled streets of Kyoto.

[06/19/26 - 06:01 AM]
New Updates on Three Upcoming Netflix Anime Titles Revealed at MAPPA's 15th Anniversary Presentation
"Jimoto Saiko!" (wt) and "Beat & Motion" will join the previously announced third season of "Ranma1/2."

[06/19/26 - 05:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Two New Samay Raina Titles: "India's Got Latent" Season 2 and an All-New Comedy Special in the Works
Raina's all-new comedy special, exclusive to Netflix, which is currently in development, will showcase Samay's signature observational humor, sharp storytelling, and unique perspective that have made him one of the most influential voices in contemporary Indian comedy.

[06/18/26 - 03:01 PM]
"Bet" Season 2 Sets Additional Cast and Starts Production in Toronto
Season 1 reached the global top 10 on Netflix in 77 countries and spent three weeks on the list with over 10 million views during that time.

[06/18/26 - 03:00 PM]
AMC Global Media's Critically Acclaimed Drama, "The Audacity," Commences Season 2 Production
Production of the eight-episode second season is underway in Vancouver, Canada, with the series returning to AMC and AMC+ in 2027.

[06/18/26 - 02:47 PM]
Stars Shine Bright on FOX as Strong FIFA World Cup 2026 Viewership Continues
9,082,000 viewers witnessed Lionel Messi's hat trick with Argentina defeating Algeria 3-0 Tuesday on FOX.