or


[07/12/05 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: July 11-12
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 '70S HOUSE (MTV) - 2.8 million viewers tuned into the show's launch on July 5, including time period winning scores in persons 12-34, persons 12-24, persons 18-24 and teens 12-17 amongst all cable networks.

ALIEN EXPRESS (A.K.A. DEAD RAIL)/PTERODACTYL (Sci Fi) - The cable channel has provided details for two of its latest Saturday original movies. "Alien Express," which premieres August 13 at 9:00/8:00c, is described as: "Detective Vic Holden (Lou Diamond Phillips, Route 666, Supernova, Young Guns), on board a bullet train making its inaugural run to Las Vegas, must overcome his haunted past to save the train's passengers � including his estranged but still beloved wife � from a hostile alien threat that has begun a rampage in the locked, high-speed locomotive." Next up on August 27 at 9:00/8:00c is "Pterodactyl": "Inside a long-dormant volcano, a clutch of dinosaur eggs has weathered the eons. Now it has hatched, and a special ops combat unit on maneuvers in a South American jungle is about to face a foe unlike any they've ever seen before � one that will teach them a new meaning of the phrase "death from above". Cameron Daddo and Amy Sloan star."

BEING BOBBY BROWN (Bravo) - Just over 1 million viewers tuned into the second week of the cable channel's new reality series, on par with its debut week numbers (1.1 million on average). Among adults 18-49, "Brown" averaged a 2 share.

ENOUGH ABOUT ME (ABC) - Chris Kattan ("Saturday Night Live") has inked a new deal with 20th Century Fox Television to star and executive produce another project for the studio. Kattan was behind the failed ABC comedy pilot "Enough About Me," which was also produced by 20th. Michael Rotenberg of 3 Arts Entertainment will also serve as an executive producer if the project moves forward to pilot.

FRIENDS (NBC) - Nick at Nite has purchased the off-network rights to "Friends" from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable in a split-window deal with TBS. The six-year pact, which begins in the fall of 2011, is valued at $500,000 per episode and includes the post-6:00/5:00c rights to all 236 half-hours of the series. In addition, Warner Bros. will reportedly hold onto several 30-second spots for national ad sales. As for the TBS window (which also runs from 2011-2017), the cable channel will pay about $275,000 per episode for the less desirable pre-6:00/5:00c rights to the series. Unlike its current pact with TBS however, Warner Bros. will not hold back any 30-second spots for national ad sales. The news marks the latest milestone for one of the most successful comedy series of all time. To date, "Friends" has netted Warner Bros. $944 million in off-network sales alone.

KILLER INSTINCT (FOX) - Kristin Lehman ("Tilt") has been tapped to replace Marguerite Moreau as the female lead in the oft-renamed fall drama, previously known as both "Deviant Behavior" and "The Gate." She'll play Marcy Hess, a new character on the series, while Moreau's character, Ava Lyford, will be written out after the pilot episode. 20th Century Fox Television and Regency Television are behind the series, which premieres Friday, September 23 at 9:00/8:00c.

OUT OF PRACTICE (CBS) - Emmy-winning writer/producer Tucker Cawley ("Everybody Loves Raymond") has inked a two-year, mid-seven-figure overall deal with Paramount Network Television. The pact calls for Cawley to develop original projects for the studio as well as serve as a consulting producer on the fall CBS/Paramount comedy "Out of Practice."

PASADENA (FOX) - SoapNet has purchased the off-network rights to the short-lived 2001 FOX drama from Sony Pictures Television. The series starred Alison Lohman and Dana Delany as members of a publishing family with criminal ties. SoapNet will pay a modest $11,500 per episode for all 13 episodes, nine of which never aired on FOX. The cable channel plans to air the series as part of its Saturday "Dysfunctional Family" block starting this fall. The news marks the second purchase of a short-lived FOX series by SoapNet, the first being 2003's "Skin" which completed its run earlier this year on the network. That deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution was valued at $37,500 for each of the eight produced episodes (five of which never aired on FOX).

VON ZERNECK/SERTNER FILMS - Frank von Zerneck and Robert M. Sertner's von Zerneck/Sertner Films has inked a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television. The pact, the pair's first at a studio since forming in 1987, calls for the telefilm veterans to develop and produce original movies and mini-series for Sony's TV arm. The company already has two projects set up at Sony (and CBS): "BTK Murders," based on the recent capture of Wichita, Kansas' notorious serial killer, and "Vampire Bats," a thriller about a college professor looking into the death of a student. In total the duo has helped produce over 125 TV projects over the years.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [july 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· '70S HOUSE, THE (MTV)
· ALIEN EXPRESS (SCI FI)
· BEING BOBBY BROWN (BRAVO)
· ENOUGH ABOUT ME (ABC)
· EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (CBS)
· FRIENDS (NBC)
· HUNT FOR THE BTK KILLER, THE (CBS)
· KILLER INSTINCT (FOX)
· OUT OF PRACTICE (CBS)
· PASADENA (FOX)
· PTERODACTYL (SCI FI)
· SKIN (FOX)
· TILT (ESPN)
· VAMPIRE BATS (CBS)





[07/09/25 - 12:00 PM]
HBO Max Orders "The Big Bang Theory" Spinoff "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" to Series
Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon.

[07/09/25 - 10:31 AM]
"Queer Eye" to Conclude with 10th and Final Season
The Fab Five (Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo, and Tan France) return for one last round of unforgettable makeovers and heartfelt transformations.

[07/09/25 - 10:02 AM]
Highly Anticipated "Wicked" Special Gets Nov. 6 Air Date on NBC and Peacock Ahead of the Nov. 21 Theatrical Release of "Wicked: For Good"
Previously announced at the NBCU Upfront presentation, Academy Award-nominated stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will lead a one-time-only two-hour "Wicked" special event at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

[07/09/25 - 09:02 AM]
Paramount+ Returns to San Diego with "The Lodge" Fan Experience and Other New Exclusive Brand Activations During Comic-Con International
New this year is the "Paramount+ Mountain Experience" convention floor booth featuring a towering mountain crane challenge, and an outdoor "Nerd Out" fan booth.

[07/09/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Slaying solo travel like only Tracee can!

[07/09/25 - 09:00 AM]
New OWN Docuseries "Heart & Hustle: Houston" Premieres August 2, Spotlighting a Powerful Sisterhood of Black Women
These women are redefining what it means to be a boss, a wife and a mother while navigating entrepreneurial life plus a labyrinth of unique daily challenges.

[07/09/25 - 08:37 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art, and New Images for Season 2 of "Twisted Metal"
The new season premieres on Peacock with three episodes on July 31, followed by new episodes every Thursday through August 28.

[07/09/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Long Story Short" - Official Teaser - Netflix
From the creator of "BoJack Horseman," a comedy for anyone who has ever loved or hated their family.

[07/09/25 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes" - Official Trailer - Netflix
One of the greatest manhunts in New York City history comes to life in this gripping three-part series.

[07/09/25 - 07:04 AM]
ESPN Original Series "Running with the Wolves" to Premiere July 29 on ESPN and ESPN+
The four-part docuseries follows daytime television icons Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa as they dive headfirst into the high-stakes world of Italian football - not as spectators, but as team owners.

[07/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: "The Amateur" - Coming Soon - Hulu
Starring Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, and Jon Bernthal, the film streams July 17 only on Hulu.

[07/09/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Gripping Teaser for Season Four of "The Morning Show"
The 10-episode fourth season will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 17 with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly until November 19.

[07/09/25 - 06:02 AM]
GameTV/Paramount+ in Canada Miniseries "Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story" Taps Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor, Mark McKinney, Karen Robinson and Ennis Esmer to Join Cast
The six-episode series is Canadian sprinter Johnson's definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use.

[07/09/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Wednesday" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Nevermore is back in session as Wednesday tangles with a new principal, a devious campus stalker and a waning grip on her psychic powers.

[07/09/25 - 03:00 AM]
HBO Max Is Back
It's good to be Home.