or


[05/12/06 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: May 9-12
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 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!

BIG SHOT (Showtime, New!) - Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner's Hazy Mills Productions is developing a new unflinching drama at the pay channel about pop icon Billy Joel's early years. Paul Chart ("Children of Men") is on board to write the pilot script, which opens in the mid-1970s and follows Joel's first marriage to his then-business manager Elizabeth Weber. Hayes, Milliner and Andrew Harrison Leeds - along with Joel himself - then will serve as executive producers. No other details were given.

CABLE RATINGS ROUND-UP (Various) - HBO's "The Sopranos" continued its cable dominance for the week of May 1-7 with 8.5 million viewers tuning in. Lead-out "Big Love" drew 4.0 million viewers, taking seventh place overall for the week. Outside the top 15, Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" signed off with a series-high 923,000 viewers on May 2 while "Nashville Star" closed its fourth season to the tune of 3.0 million viewers that same night (down 11.76% from its season three finale).

CROSSING JORDAN (NBC) - Jon Cowan, Robert Rovner and Kathy McCormick have been tapped as co-showrunners of the Peacock drama. They'll take over for creator Tim Kring, who's moving on to his new NBC drama "Heroes." The trio will serve alongside fellow returning executive producers Alan Arkush and Dennis Hammer. As part of the promotions, Cowan and Rovner have each signed two-year overall deals with producer NBC Universal Television while McCormick has inked a one-year deal. The former pair then is expected to focus on development for the second year of the pact.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC) - Denise Cramsey ("House Wars") has been upped to executive producer/showrunner on Endemol USA's veteran alternative series. Cramsey, who had been a co-executive producer since 2004, will take over Tom Forman, who's leaving as part of a new overall deal at CBS Paramount Network Television.

FAST INC. (MTV) - Promos currently running on the cable channel indicate the series, about the company of the same name as they "utilize their connections, craftiness, and charisma to field vintage and muscle car requests from celebrities, models, and eccentric millionaires," will launch on Monday, June 5 at 10:30/9:30c.

GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - Writer/producer Debora Cahn ("The West Wing") has inked a two-year overall deal with Touchstone Television. The pact, financial details of which weren't specified, calls for Cahn to join "Grey's Anatomy" next season as a supervising producer as well as develop new projects for the studio.

HBO ORIGINAL PROJECTS (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is said to be close to issuing pilot orders to two projects - "12 Miles of Bad Road," a comedy series about a Dallas matriarchy, and an untitled hour from "Deadwood" creator David Milch and author Kem Nunn ("Tapping the Source") set in the world of surfing. The former project comes from creators/executive producers Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason ("Emeril") while the latter will be co-written by Milch and Nunn with the pair also executive producing alongside Howard Rosenman. Surf legend Herb "Herbie" Fletcher and wife Dibi are also expected to serve as consultants. No specifics however were released about either project. Meanwhile, pre-production reportedly has begun on "In Treatment," a serialized drama told from the point of view of therapists and their patients. HBO is in talks to order five episodes of the series, which is based on the Israeli series "BeTipul." Hagai Levi and Steve Levinson are the executive producers.

KINGS OF SOUTH BEACH (A&E) - "Boomtown" alums Donnie Wahlberg and Jason Gedrick are set to topline the original movie, about the true story of nightclub impresario Chris Paciello, who revived the South Beach scene with aid of the mob. Tim Hunter ("Cold Case") is directing the project, which begins production this month in Puerto Rico, from a script by Nick Pileggi ("Goodfellas"). Sonny Grosso and Larry Jacobson's Grosso-Jacobson Communications is producing the movie in association with Sony Pictures Television. Delia Fine and Clay Kahler also serve as executive producers.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 12 MILES OF BAD ROAD (HBO)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BIG SHOT (SHOWTIME)
· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· COLD CASE (CBS)
· CROSSING JORDAN (NBC)
· EMERIL (NBC)
· EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (HGTV)
· FAST INC. (MTV)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HEROES (NBC)
· HOUSE WARS (USA)
· IN TREATMENT (HBO)
· JOHN FROM CINCINNATI (HBO)
· KINGS OF SOUTH BEACH (A AND E)
· NASHVILLE STAR (NBC)
· REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY, THE (BRAVO)
· SOPRANOS, THE (HBO)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[11/07/26 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "Salish's 12 Games of Christmas" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Salish Matter and seven of her closest friends go head to head in 12 epic holiday challenges for a mountain of Christmas presents, with her dad, Jordan, as host.

[11/07/26 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Ethos" Season 2 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Written and directed by Berkun Oya, "Ethos" returns for its second season of four episodes after six years, only on Netflix November 12.

[11/06/26 - 01:55 PM]
Paramount Network to Launch Original Series "American Mayhem," Hosted by Larry the Cable Guy and Produced by V10 Entertainment, on Friday, Nov. 13
With his signature heartland humor, Larry the Cable Guy guides viewers through a fast-paced collection of funny, unexpected and relatable moments captured across America.

[11/06/26 - 10:56 AM]
ABC News Wins Across Sunday Morning, Friday Night and Late-Night
"20/20: Justice for Faith" ranked as Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine in Adults 25-54 (437,000) and Adults 18-49 (341,000) on October 30.

[11/06/26 - 09:31 AM]
ABC Announces 2027 Midseason Premiere Dates
The midseason schedule kicks off on Tuesday, January 5, with the Season 5 premiere of "Will Trent," followed by the Season 3 premiere of last season's No. 1 drama among Adults 18-49, "High Potential," and the series debut of "Surviving a Scandal."

[11/06/26 - 09:16 AM]
"Nobody Wants This" Renewed for Season 4 on Netflix
Across all three seasons, the series has achieved 78.5 million cumulative views and reached the Top 10 in 89 countries.

[11/06/26 - 09:15 AM]
SpongeBob SquarePants "Merry Christmas, Mr. Plankton" Hour-Long Special to Debut Friday, Nov. 27 on Nickelodeon and Paramount+
In this festive episode, SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs and an unlikely group of friends must team up to save Christmas after Plankton takes over the North Pole. Lewis Black guest stars as Santa.

[11/06/26 - 09:01 AM]
"The End of Oak Street" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max November 13
The film stars Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella and Christian Convery.

[11/06/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "A Disney Holiday Short: The Invisible Horse" Coming Soon
A little magic, before the whole story unfolds.

[11/06/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "an open field" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Years after a Boeing 737 crash near a small Ethiopian village, its residents and a grieving family find healing in this award-winning short documentary.

[11/06/26 - 08:01 AM]
BET Sets Friday, November 27 Premiere for "You Can Go Home Again," Following Award-Winning Rapper, Actress, Producer and Entrepreneur Queen Latifah's Mission to Build Affordable Housing in Her Hometown
The film is directed by Muta'Ali and executive produced by Shakim Compere and Loretha Jones.

[11/06/26 - 07:05 AM]
Video: Melania Trump and Prime Video Unveil Official Trailer for "Melania, The Series"
The two-part series reveals never-before-told stories, offering unprecedented insight into Melania Trump's life, including the extraordinary days immediately following the 47th Presidential Inauguration.

[11/06/26 - 06:16 AM]
Apple TV Announces Season Three for "Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars"
Today, on the heels of the season two finale, Apple TV announced an eight-part third season for award-winning docuseries.

[11/06/26 - 06:11 AM]
Fox Corporation Completes Acquisition of Roku
The combination of FOX's premium live sports, news and local programming with Roku's open connected TV platform reaching across more than 100 million households creates new opportunities for the Company to serve its viewers, advertisers and partners.

[11/06/26 - 06:02 AM]
Video: "Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure" - Official Announcement - Netflix
Before Hawkins, there was Marion.