or


[06/29/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: June 29
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 4,400/THE DEAD ZONE (USA) - USA's summer entries "The 4,400" and "The Dead Zone" continued to impress on Sunday with 4.1 million and 3.8 million viewers respectively tuning in. Among adults 18-49, "The 4,400" averaged a 1.7 rating/5 share with "The Dead Zone" pulling in a 1.6 rating/4 share.

CHARMED (The WB) - Kaley Cuoco ("8 Simple Rules") has quickly found a new home as the actress is set to join the cast of "Charmed" during its upcoming eighth season. She'll play a young witch who's guided by the Charmed ones (Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan). She's not the only newcomer to the show this season however as actor/musician Mark McGrath signed on to do a multi-episode arc earlier this year.

THE CLOSER/INTO THE WEST (TNT) - 5.3 million viewers tuned into "The Closer's" most recent installment on Monday, on par with last week's numbers (5.57 million on 6/20/05). Among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, the June 27 episode drew 1.75 million viewers and 2.24 million viewers respectively. Meanwhile, part three of the network's limited series "Into the West" was seen by 4.1 million viewers on Friday, down 14.58% from part two on June 17 (4.8 million). Overall, both series are expected to help TNT finish the month of June ahead of both the WB and UPN in total viewers, households, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. Currently, TNT is averaging 3.3 million viewers (1.4 million among adults 18-49) through Sunday followed by UPN (2.6 million overall, 1.36 million among adults 18-49) and the WB (2.3 million overall, 1.24 million among adults 18-49).

THE SHIELD (FX) - Writer/producer Glen Mazzara has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pact, which has an option for a third year, calls for Mazzara to develop original projects for the studio.

TOLLIN-ROBBINS PRODUCTIONS - The prolific producing house - who's behind the WB's "Smallville," "One Tree Hill" and "What I Like About You" as well as the upcoming "Crumbs" on ABC and "Inconceivable" on NBC - has inked a one-year overall deal with NBC Universal Television. The pact sets up producers Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins (as well as development executives Joe Davola and Shelly Zimmerman) at the studio where they'll develop original projects. The company had been set up at Touchstone Television for the past two years with their overall deal there expiring last month.

THE TRUTH ABOUT JOEY ICE CREAM/WINDFALL (NBC, New!) - NBC is getting a jump on its development for midseason as the network has greenlighted pilots for the dramas "The Truth About Joey Ice Cream" and "Windfall." The latter is a retooled version of the FOX pilot of the same name about a group of young adults who win a record $386 million dollar lottery jackpot and find that the prize isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Luke Perry, Jason Gedrick, Sarah Wynter, Tembi Locke, Jon Foster, Alice Greczyn, Lana Parrilla, Sarah Jane Morris, D.J. Cotrona, Jaclyn Desantis and Malinda Williams all starred in the original version with Laurie McCarthy and Gwendolyn Parker executive producing for Regency Television. The Peacock plans to revamp the script and make some casting changes although it's not clear which cast members (if any at all) will be carried over to the new version. Co-creator Gwendolyn Parker however will not be involved with the NBC version, having moved on to a position on "Without a Trace."

Meanwhile, writer/director Paul Haggis ("Crash") is behind "The Truth About Joey Ice Cream." The project, which is set up at NBC Universal Television, revolves around two Irish brothers who grow up against a backdrop of organized crime in the Hell's Kitchen area of New York. Haggis and Bobby Moresco co-wrote the pilot script on spec with Haggis attached to direct. In addition, Mark Harris is on board as a co-executive producer with Jeff King ("EZ Streets") in talks to serve as a producer.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [june 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· 4400, THE (USA)
· BLACK DONNELLYS, THE (NBC)
· CHARMED (WB)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· CRUMBS (ABC)
· DEAD ZONE, THE (USA)
· EIGHT SIMPLE RULES (ABC)
· INCONCEIVABLE (NBC)
· INTO THE WEST (TNT)
· ONE TREE HILL (CW)
· SHIELD, THE (FX)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (WB)
· WINDFALL (NBC)
· WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS)





[03/26/26 - 02:05 PM]
"The Madison" Marks Taylor Sheridan's Biggest Debut Season Launch with 8 Million Views Globally for Paramount+
The debut of the six-part series also marks the biggest freshman season launch for the prolific creator among women 35+.

[03/26/26 - 12:49 PM]
Apple Original Films Lands New Sci-Fi Thriller "Liminal"
Starring Vanessa Kirby and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the feature will be directed by Louis Leterrier.

[03/26/26 - 12:01 PM]
"After the Flood" Returns to BritBox: Tensions Rise in High-Stakes Season Two Premiere
Other April highlights include "A Taste For Murder," "Silent Witness," and "Death in Paradise."

[03/26/26 - 12:00 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Added on April 8
The game replaces the previously scheduled Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons matchup.

[03/26/26 - 11:30 AM]
BET and Paramount+ Announce the Sixth Season Renewal of Multi-Emmy-Nominated Comedy "The Ms. Pat Show"
The upcoming season will be among the first BET originals to stream on Paramount+, which becomes the new streaming home for BET content beginning in June, bringing the beloved series to a global platform with nearly 80 million subscribers.

[03/26/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Springs Into April with Back-to-Back Episodes
Jack Black and Colman Domingo will host on April 4 and April 11, respectively.

[03/26/26 - 10:03 AM]
Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales Heads Into 2026 Upfront Bringing Advertisers Branded Content Opportunities Within High Volume of Originals and a Safe Harbor of Entertainment Programming
The studio continues to elevate its media investment opportunities for advertisers through Game Show Network, a top 10 cable network and a top five general entertainment network.

[03/26/26 - 09:30 AM]
New Docuseries "Building Back America's Trades" Premieres April 11 on Magnolia Network
The series chronicles the stories of students, mentors, and teachers as they remake the trades industry and themselves.

[03/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
Damson Idris Requests the Pleasure of Your Company for "The Lords' Day," A New Political Thriller Series Coming to Netflix
Adapted from the Michael Dobbs novel, Damson plays a British spy who finds himself inside the Parliament amidst an escalating siege.

[03/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "The Testament of Ann Lee" - Trailer - Hulu
The Amanda Seyfried-led film from writer-director Mona Fastvold streams on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ March 31.

[03/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
ESPN and World Series of Poker Reach Multi-Year Agreement to Bring Main Event Back to ESPN Beginning This Summer
ESPN will deliver over 100 hours of comprehensive, multiplatform coverage of the WSOP Main Event ($10,000 No-Limit Hold'em World Championship) from 1A of the Main Event beginning July 2 on the ESPN App.

[03/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
Sonya Walger Signs on to Recur as Freya in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
Freya is a Vanir goddess and princess who practices powerful, ancient magic.

[03/26/26 - 09:00 AM]
Hosted by Johnny Knoxville, The Iconic Reality Competition "Fear Factor" Is Coming Back with a Two-Week Special Event Designed to Push Contestants Further Than Ever
"Fear Factor: 48 Hours of Fear" premieres with Part 1 on Thursday, May 14 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Part 2 on Thursday, May 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

[03/26/26 - 08:31 AM]
WWE & Tony Hinchcliffe Partner with Netflix on "Kill Tony: WrestleMania"
The comedy special will premiere exclusively on Netflix on Monday, April 20, as part of a massive double event alongside the annual Raw after WrestleMania.

[03/26/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A heated dispute between an equestrian trainer and his student spirals into a grisly act of violence in this twisty true-crime documentary.