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)





[03/04/26 - 03:01 PM]
FX's "Disinherited" - New Drama from Emmy Award Winner Peter Gould and T-Street Ordered to Series on FX and Hulu
Victoria Pedretti and Kiera Allen star as a pair of scrappy sisters thrust by an unexpected inheritance into a world of generational wealth and long-buried crimes.

[03/04/26 - 11:31 AM]
"Disney Animation's Songs in Sign Language" to Debut on Disney+ April 27
Directed by veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, the featured songs are "The Next Right Thing" (from Frozen 2), "We Don't Talk About Bruno" (from Encanto) and "Beyond" (from Moana 2).

[03/04/26 - 11:03 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases First Teaser from the DC Studios Series "Lanterns," Starring Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, and Kelly Macdonald
The series is slated to debut later this August on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Season 2 Production Kicks Off in Hawaii
The series will film on location on O'ahu and the island of Hawaii.

[03/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
MTV Announces the Final 18 Episodes of "Jersey Shore Family Vacation," One of TV's Most Influential Reality Franchises, Premiering on Thursday, May 7 at 8PM ET/PT
This farewell season marks the culmination of a franchise that entertained millions with major life milestones, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the unfiltered chemistry that defined an era of reality television.

[03/04/26 - 09:45 AM]
Lifetime Raises the Bar by Expanding Into Premium Vertical Storytelling with "Tides of Temptation," A Micro Drama Feature Executive Produced by Taye Diggs
Serving as a digital offshoot of the just announced upcoming original movie "Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You," the project expands the film's universe through a cinematic, mobile-first format designed with feature-level production value.

[03/04/26 - 09:44 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights Three New Original Movies for 2026 Love of a Lifetime Slates Featuring All-Star Casts
Valerie Bertinelli, Henry Czerny, Eric McCormack, Taye Diggs, Heather Hemmens, and Cynthia Bailey are among the featured talent.

[03/04/26 - 09:43 AM]
Lifetime Reteams with Robin Roberts for "Angel in the Rubble" Starring Sherri Shepherd in Remembrance of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
Slated to premiere in September in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the movie is based on Genelle Guzman-McMillan's memoir "Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11's Last Survivor."

[03/04/26 - 09:42 AM]
Lifetime Expands Roster of Powerhouse Creatives with New Movie Projects Helmed By Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson
"Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson are extraordinary talents and dynamic producers who share Lifetime's passion for telling powerful stories about women," said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

[03/04/26 - 09:41 AM]
A+E Global Media Greenlights Two New Digital-First Series Under the History Brand
"Mistakes That Made America" and "Cracking Up" are both due later this year.

[03/04/26 - 09:40 AM]
The History Channel Marks the 25th Anniversary of September 11 with New Two-Hour Special "102 Minutes Inside the Towers"
The documentary offers a deeply immersive and unique perspective through firsthand accounts from those who were inside the Twin Towers.

[03/04/26 - 09:39 AM]
The History Channel Taps Internationally Acclaimed Action Icon Dolph Lundgren to Executive Produce and Host New Series "History's Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren"
Produced by Superluna Studios in association with 3BMG, the eight-episode series takes viewers on a thrilling journey through the gears, guts, and genius behind the machines that reshaped our world.

[03/04/26 - 09:38 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "Crime and Justice with Tom Selleck" (w.t.)
The 10-episode, one-hour series examines the true stories behind some of the most consequential crimes and investigations in American history.

[03/04/26 - 09:37 AM]
The History Channel Orders "Extraordinary Origins with Ted Danson" (w.t.) A New Series Hosted and Executive Produced by the Multi-Award-Winning Actor
The 10-episode series examines the stories behind some of history's most significant innovations, inventions, and discoveries that helped shape the modern world.

[03/04/26 - 09:36 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "History's Strange Fortunes with Kevin Bacon" (w.t.)
Stories about money - money made, money lost, and money spent - are woven into the fabric of our nation's history.