or


[01/19/06 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: January 18-19
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 branded "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!

60 MINUTE MAN (ABC, New!) - "Boomtown" creator Graham Yost has booked his second pilot order for the 2006-07 season, this time for a new drama at ABC and Touchstone Television. Said project revolves around John Henderson, a suburban man who doesn't remember what he did for one hour each day, driving him to figure out whether he's part of a major national conspiracy. Yost will pen the pilot script along with fellow "Boomtown" alum Chris Brancato with Yost, Brancato and Bert Salke all serving as executive producers via the latter two's self-titled Brancato/Salke banner. Last week, Yost received a cast-contingent pilot order from NBC for "Seeing Red," a drama about an eccentric, brilliant cop who talks to dead victims that help him solve his cases.

BENDER-BROWN PRODUCTIONS PROJECTS (New!) - Producers Lawrence Bender and Kevin Brown ("dr. vegas") have lined up seven projects for the 2006-07 season: the comedy "Addicks" at HBO, the drama "Pumped" at VH1, the comedy "Friendly Skies" at FOX, the comedy "Flirt" and the drama "Normal State" at UPN, an untitled drama at ABC Family and an original movie at TNT. As for specifics, "Addicks" comes from feature writer Jason Dean Hall ("Easy") and producer Peter Morgan ("Poison Ivy") and tells the story of a pair of recovering addicts: one's an ex-drug dealer/gigolo, the other's an heir to a fortune he can't collect until he's sober. Hall will write the pilot script and executive produce along with Morgan, Bender and Brown. VH1's "Pumped" is described as a modern "Shampoo" set at a celebrity-filled, Crunch-style gym with John Kim ("Velvet") in talks to write the pilot. As for "Skies," Bender-Brown is co-producing the comedy, about the twentysomething cabin crew of a low-budget airline, with Fox TV Studios. Oliver Dennis (BBC's "Mile High") is attached to write the pilot.

At UPN, Bender-Brown is teaming with the newly-rebranded CBS Paramount Network Television and Sean Hayes & Todd Milliner's Hazy Mills Productions for the medical drama "Normal State." Joseph Doherty ("thirtysomething") is behind the hour, full details of which weren't given. Also at the netlet is the half-hour "Flirt," from Barry Wernick ("Boston Common") and co-produced by Touchstone Television, about the only guy at a women's magazine. As for the ABC Family hour, Eric Guggenheim ("Miracle") is writing the script to the project, about young athletes living together in a Florida sports academy. Finally there's the original movie "The Beatles in America," about the true story of Sid Bernstein, the agent who booked the Beatles at Carnegie Hall before they were a U.S. phenomenon. Craig Sabin penned the latest draft to the project, working from an earlier draft by co-producer Larry Block. The seven projects join the previously announced "Heroes Anonymous" (based on the Bongo Comics property of the same name) at Sci Fi, which has recently added Karl Schaefer ("Dead Zone") as showrunner.

BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC, New!) - Writer/producer Jon Robin Baitz ("The West Wing") has scored a pilot commitment from ABC and Touchstone Television for a new family soap opera set against a group of adult siblings. Baitz penned the pilot script while Ken Olin ("Alias") is attached to direct. Both will also serve as executive producers of the project, additional details of which weren't specified.

THE CLASS (CBS) - Jason Ritter ("Joan of Arcadia") and Jesse Tyler Ferguson ("Mercury in Retrograde") have both joined the cast of the ensemble comedy, about a group of eight twentysomethings - all of whom attended the same third-grade class 20 years ago - that are reunited after one of them throws a surprise anniversary party for his girlfriend, also of the same group. Ritter will play 27-year-old Ethan, said party thrower, while Ferguson will play Richie. The pair joins the previously cast Lucy Punch in the Warner Bros. Television-based project, which comes from David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik.

DAY BREAK (ABC) - Paul Zbyszewski's ("After the Sunset") drama project, about a cop who's trying to stop the murder of a loved one while trying to find the person who framed him for murder, has been given the green light to produce a pilot. Zbyszewski wrote the pilot script and will serve as a co-executive producer on the Touchstone Television-based project with Matt Gross ("Across the Universe") executive producing through his Gross Entertainment banner.

MASTERS OF HORROR (Showtime) - The New York Times reports Showtime has opted not to air the project's 12th installment, "Imprint," directed by renegade Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike. Originally set for January 27, the pay channel will instead air the show's finale "Haeckel's Tale" (directed by John McNaughton). As for "Imprint," the unaired hour will be released directly to the DVD market through producer IDT's home video subsidiary, Anchor Bay Entertainment (date TBA). No official reason for the decision was given by Showtime however it's likely tied to the film's outlandish and shocking imagery, which is said to include aborted fetuses. Mick Garris, the creator and executive producer of the series, told the Times, "I think it's amazing, but it's even hard for me to watch. It's definitely the most disturbing film I've ever seen."

He added, "We made it clear that we were going on American pay cable television, and even though there wasn't as much control over content, there still were concerns. And then when we got the first cut, it was very, very strong stuff, and we made some suggestions on what might help before we showed it to Showtime. The Japanese made the changes they were comfortable with, and eventually we arrived at a film that he was happy with and we're all happy with. But Showtime felt it was not something they were comfortable putting out on the airwaves." As for the decision to go to DVD, Garris said: "It really was, let's try and not hack this up. Let's all just agree to release it in its complete form on the DVD, and hopefully its audience will be able to find it that way." (Click here to read the original story.)

MONK (USA) - 5.40 million viewers tuned into the show's 2006 debut last Friday, including a solid 1.5 rating/4 share among adults 18-49. Said numbers made the broadcast cable's third most-watched program last week, behind fellow USA series "WWE Raw's" two Monday installments.

OUR THIRTIES (ABC, New!) - "Crumbs" writer/executive producer Dave Walpert has lined up a pilot order at ABC and Touchstone Television for a new comedy about a group of San Francisco-based thirtysomethings dealing with adulthood. Walpert wrote the pilot script and will executive produce along with Warren Littlefield and his Littlefield Co.

UNTITLED JULIAN WHITAKER PROJECT (Syndication, New!) - Associated Television International ("The National Health Test") is looking to launch a weekly half-hour talk show featuring wellness expert Dr. Julian Whitaker into syndication beginning this fall. Said project would feature Whitaker, director of the Whitaker Wellness Institute in Newport Beach, California, offering wellness tips and answering medical questions from in-studio guests and viewers at home. No other details were given.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· 60 MINUTE MAN (ABC)
· ADDICKS (HBO)
· ALIAS (ABC)
· BEATLES IN AMERICA, THE (TNT)
· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC)
· CLASS, THE (CBS)
· CRUMBS (ABC)
· DAY BREAK (ABC)
· DEAD ZONE, THE (USA)
· DR. VEGAS (CBS)
· FLIRT (CW)
· FRIENDLY SKIES (FOX)
· HEROES ANONYMOUS (SCI FI)
· JOAN OF ARCADIA (CBS)
· MASTERS OF HORROR (SHOWTIME)
· MONK (USA)
· NORMAL STATE (CW)
· OUR THIRTIES (ABC)
· PUMPED (VH1)
· RAINES (NBC)
· UNTITLED ERIC GUGGENHEIM PROJECT (ABC FAMILY)
· UNTITLED JULIAN WHITAKER PROJECT (SYNDICATION)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)
· WWE RAW (NETFLIX)





[07/11/25 - 12:45 PM]
ABC Concludes September to May Season with Top Five Shows Among Adults 18-49 Including "High Potential," "Abbott Elementary," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "9-1-1"
Continuing to lead among broadcast series, ABC's "High Potential" stood as the No. 1 new drama among Total Viewers (16.41 million) and No. 1 new show among Adults 18-49 (3.85 rating).

[07/11/25 - 11:28 AM]
"Big Brother: Summer of Mystery" Premiere Up +10% from Last Summer
Last night, season 27 premiered to nearly 3 million viewers.

[07/11/25 - 10:01 AM]
FX's "Alien: Earth" Takes Fandom to New Heights with Premium Exclusive Content Including a Companion Podcast and Innovative Immersive Experiences
"Alien: Earth," a new drama series from Noah Hawley inspired by the acclaimed feature film franchise, will premiere on Tuesday, August 12.

[07/11/25 - 10:01 AM]
CBS Unveils Fall Primetime Premiere Dates for the 2025-2026 Season
Highlights include an early return for "Watson" on Monday, October 13 in place of the previously announced "FBI" spin-off "CIA."

[07/11/25 - 10:00 AM]
The "Outlander" Universe Expands in Hall H, as Starz Returns to San Diego Comic-Con
Look for can't miss panels for "Outlander" and "Outlander: Blood of my Blood" in Hall H on Friday, July 25 and an in-depth preview of the newest saga in the Spartacus franchise, "Spartacus: House of Ashur" on Saturday, July 26 in the Indigo Ballroom.

[07/11/25 - 10:00 AM]
Adult Swim Returns to San Diego Comic-Con with "Pirate Purrrty on the Green," Must-See Panel Events, and Exclusive First Looks and Giveaways
Adult Swim will bring its famed pirate ship outside the San Diego Convention Center (5th Avenue Landing and Convention Way), this time with a feline twist!

[07/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Max to Host Fan Experiences for Upcoming Seasons of "Peacemaker" and "It: Welcome to Derry" in San Diego
The festivities include a panel in Hall H, where showrunner/writer/director and Co-Head of DC Studios James Gunn and the cast of "Peacemaker" will share new details about the upcoming season and premiere the global trailer for season two.

[07/11/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" - Official Trailer - HBO Max
There's always a message in the music.

[07/11/25 - 06:00 AM]
"Love Island (UK)" 10th Anniversary Special Date Announcement
The special premieres in the US on Friday, July 11.

[07/11/25 - 02:01 AM]
Netflix Will Release "Death Inc." Seasons 1, 2 and 3
The series is a comedy centered around a family-run funeral home and the relationships between the eccentric characters who inhabit it.

[07/11/25 - 12:01 AM]
"Too Hot to Handle: Italy" Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
A special guest will guide the contestants in the first Italian edition of the reality show.

[07/10/25 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "The Winning Try" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After his career fell apart, a disgraced rugby star finds purpose coaching his old school's team - driving them and himself toward growth and redemption.

[07/10/25 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "The Nice Guy" - Teaser Trailer #3 - Disney+
He wants out for good. But the past comes with strings.

[07/10/25 - 05:03 PM]
Meagan Good Returns to Lifetime to Executive Produce and Star in the Alluring New Thriller "I'll Never Let You Go" Alongside Antonio Cupo and Thomas Cadrot, Premiering August 16 on Lifetime
Good stars as Emily Westover, a poised and successful art gallery director whose life takes a dark turn after a brief, impulsive affair with a magnetic Italian artist, Carlo (Cupo).

[07/10/25 - 12:01 PM]
"Virgin River" Is Returning for Season 8
"On behalf of myself and the whole 'Virgin River' family, we're eternally grateful to Netflix and to the fans for allowing us to continue on this journey with these beloved characters," said showrunner Patrick Sean Smith.