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)





[10/12/26 - 05:30 PM]
"High Potential" to Follow Super Bowl LXI on ABC and Disney+
The hit drama series starring Kaitlin Olson returns for its third season in early 2027 with new episodes on Tuesdays on ABC, streaming next day on Hulu.

[10/12/26 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "The Devil's Plan: Dead Again" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Season 3's subtitle, "Dead Again," tantalizingly hints at the high-stakes comeback of survival veterans who have already tasted "death" (elimination) and are ready to risk it all again.

[10/12/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Last One Standing" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
From rom-com to samurai saga, popular comics join A-list actors in a drama where passionate, unscripted stories decide who becomes the last one standing.

[10/12/26 - 03:33 PM]
ESPN's "Saban" Delivered Its Most-Watched Original Debut Since 2022
The premiere averaged 529,000 viewers on ESPN on Thursday, October 8, making it the most-watched original debut on ESPN since 2022 and third most-watched ESPN original debut of all time.

[10/12/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The true story of an outsider whose relentless determination catapults him into the Wu-Tang Clan's inner circle, where ambition and creativity converge to record an album poised to ignite global controversy.

[10/12/26 - 09:01 AM]
Marvel Television's "VisionQuest" Premieres Tomorrow at 6PM PT, Only on Disney+
Episodes will drop Tuesday nights on the streaming service.

[10/12/26 - 09:01 AM]
CBS Announces Airdates for "The Price Is Right at Night: Live Holiday Special" and "The Price Is Right: 20 Seasons of Drew Carey" Airing Dec. 13 and 15 on CBS
This high stakes, must watch primetime holiday television event unfolds as it happens, raising the pressure with every passing second.

[10/12/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Apple Original Films Releases Trailer for "Being Heumann," The Rousing New Film from Sian Heder
"Being Heumann" will debut in select theaters on Friday, November 6, 2026 and premiere globally on Apple TV Friday, November 13, 2026.

[10/12/26 - 08:31 AM]
Theo Von Returns to Netflix for His Third Stand-Up Special
"Theo Von: I'm Doing Fine" premieres globally on Netflix October 20.

[10/12/26 - 08:02 AM]
Video: "The Body" - Official Trailer - Netflix
On Halloween night, an all-girls dance squad tumbles into Catholic guilt, unholy desires and ghostly visions when an initiation goes to hell.

[10/12/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Marcos: Another World Is Possible" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In 1994, a masked man became the face of the Zapatista uprising. Through Subcomandante Marcos, this documentary explores the movement's resistance today.

[10/12/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "A Dog's Perfect Christmas" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a medical emergency pulls the Goss family apart, determined dog Winstead will do all he can to bring his humans back together before Christmas Eve.

[10/12/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Common Side Effects" - Season 2 Teaser - Adult Swim
Sneak peek at the new season coming January 24 on Adult Swim, next day on HBO Max.

[10/12/26 - 07:00 AM]
Luc Besson's "Dracula" to Make Streaming Debut on Paramount+ October 12
Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz, and Zoƫ Bleu star in the reimagining of Bram Stoker's iconic story.

[10/12/26 - 06:31 AM]
TNT Sports' 2026 MLB American League Championship Series Coverage to Begin Monday, Oct. 12
For the tenth consecutive year, Brian Anderson will provide play-by-play for the Championship Series coverage for TNT Sports.