 |
 |
[03/11/08 - 05:37 PM]
Development Update: March 10-11
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 signature "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!
DRIVING AROUND WITH JONI (HBO, New!) - Jhoni Marchinko ("Men in Trees") has scored a pilot commitment from the pay channel for a new comedy about an eccentric, successful 40-year-old widow who spends her days driving around Los Angeles with her French bulldog, looking for meaning in her life after the sudden death of her husband. The project was originally set up at Warner Bros. Television where Marchinko had an overall deal prior to its termination during the WGA strike. Marchinko then will pen and executive produce "Joni" while Warner Bros. will still retain a piece of the show but not be creatively involved.
ELEVENTH HOUR (CBS) - Marley Shelton ("Grindhouse") has been tapped as the female lead in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama pilot, about Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell), a special science adviser to the government who - with his feisty female bodyguard Rachel Young (Shelton) in tow - saves people from the worst abuses of science. Ashley Jensen originated Shelton's role in the U.K. version. Danny Cannon is directing the hour from a script by Mick Davis with the pair executive producing alongside Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman for Granada International and Warner Bros. Television.
HARPER'S ISLAND (CBS, New!) - Feature writer Ari Schlossberg ("Hide and Seek") has booked a pilot presentation order from the Eye and CBS Paramount Network Television for a new horror-themed drama that unfolds during the course of a season as a group of friends meet on an island off the Seattle coast for a destination wedding. "Jericho's" Jon Turteltaub is on board to direct and executive produce alongside his Junction Entertainment partners Karim Zreik and Dan Shotz. The latter pair then will serve as co-executive producers, as will Schlossberg.
MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL (CBS) - Josh Cooke ("Big Day") is set to star opposite Tim Peper in the multi-camera comedy pilot, about two best friends who own a bike shop and whose relationship becomes complicated when one (Peper) starts dating the ex-wife of the other (Cooke). Mike Sikowitz is behind the half-hour, which is set up at Sony Pictures Television.
THE SAINT (New!) - Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Jorge Zamacona, Bill Macdonald, Roger Moore and Geoffrey Moore are set to team to produce an independently financed two-hour TV movie/backdoor pilot based on Leslie Charteris's famed novels about debonair international thief Simon Templar. Zamacona and Macdonald previously set up the project at TNT last season (read the story) but it didn't move forward. The rights subsequently reverted back to them, after which Fontana and Levinson came aboard. Nehst Studios is behind the project while James Purefoy ("Rome") in talks to topline. Production then is set to begin next month with filming in Budapest, Hungary, New York and Puerto Rico. Since the 1997 feature starring Val Kilmer, both UPN (director John McTiernan and producer ATG in 2000) and ABC (writer Stephen Nathan and producer FremantleMedia North America in 2004) have taken stabs at developing a new small screen take.
UNTITLED NICK LACHEY PROJECT (MTV, New!) - Nick Lachey is developing a "Fame"-esque reality series set at his alma mater, the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. The untitled project then would track its students, blending their performances with a narrative about what takes place in the school. Marc Platt and Russell Heldt are executive producing alongside Lachey.
WORST WEEK (CBS) - Erinn Hayes ("The Winner") has landed the female lead in the comedy pilot, about a guy named Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) and his rocky relationship with the parents of his fiancee (Hayes) during a family holiday. Her character, Melanie "Mel" Cook, is further detailed in the casting notice as follows: "30. Sam's fiancee. She's a beautiful, warm woman who is unaffectedly striking, even when she's not wearing any make-up. Currently in her first trimester of pregnancy, Mel is throwing up on a regular basis and just trying to soldier on until she's feeling better. Very attached to Sam, she's hoping that his visit for Dick's birthday will sweeten up her parents and set the stage for their announcement of Mel's pregnancy and engagement. However, Sam's surreal string of blunders, gaffes and boneheaded misfortunes make it very hard for Mel to convince her folks that Sam is indeed Mr. Right." Jay Malone also stars in the half-hour, which comes from Universal Media Studios and executive producers Jimmy Mulville, Marc Buckland and Matt Tarses.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [march 2008]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[05/15/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Maggie and Negan Unite to Save Manhattan in New Action-Packed Teaser for Season Three of "The Walking Dead: Dead City"
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan as fan-favorite characters Negan and Maggie, the compelling new season premieres Sunday, July 26 on AMC and AMC+.
|
[05/15/26 - 09:31 AM]
Ella Rubin Joins Netflix's Series Adaptation of "The God of the Woods"
Rubin joins previously announced cast members Kerry Condon and Maya Hawke.
|
[05/15/26 - 09:01 AM]
"The Bride!" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max May 22
The film stars Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe winners Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, with Academy Award nominees Annette Bening and Jake Gyllenhaal and winner Penélope Cruz.
|
[05/15/26 - 07:30 AM]
Amy Wang's Breakout Film "Slanted" Now Streaming on Paramount+
The buzzy coming-of-age satire follows a Chinese-American teen willing to go to shocking lengths to become prom queen - offering a razor-sharp take on identity, belonging and the price of chasing perfection.
|
[05/15/26 - 06:01 AM]
For Keeps - Meet the Cast of "Boys of Tommen"
Nancy Surridge, Conor Sánchez, James O'Donoghue, and Sophie McGibbon will star in the Prime Video series.
|
[05/15/26 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Dutton Ranch" - Final Trailer - Paramount+
A new Dutton legacy begins now.
|
[05/15/26 - 03:01 AM]
BritBox Announces New Original Series "Chocolate Wars" (wt), Inspired by Deborah Cadbury's Book and the True Story of the Cadbury Family
The warm-hearted family drama follows the visionary Cadbury family, the underdogs of the cocoa world, on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury's chocolate bar.
|
[05/14/26 - 11:27 PM]
Meet the 100 Contestants of "Physical 100: Sweden"
The reality competition series will have a global premiere on Netflix in 2027.
|
[05/14/26 - 09:31 PM]
A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflix's Crime-Comedy "Maa Behen" Premieres June 4
With the film, Netflix brings audiences a wildly entertaining story that blends small-town eccentricity with universal family madness.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Peacock - 15-Time #1 Primetime Show - Unveils 2026 Schedule
It all begins with the NFL's season opener as the New England Patriots visit the champion Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday, September 9 on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
FOX NFL's Loaded 2026 Regular Season Schedule Features Most Windows of Any Network
In Week 10, FOX NFL presents its first tripleheader in over a decade, opening coverage on Sunday, November 15, at 9:30 AM ET with an international game from Munich between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
ESPN to Deliver Company's Largest NFL Game Portfolio Ever, Headlined by Top-Tier Matchups on "Monday Night Football" and the International Series on NFL Network
Comprised of "Monday Night Football" and NFL Network, the company will present 28 games during the regular and postseason, plus Super Bowl LXI, marking game 29.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
"NFL on CBS" Follows Record-Breaking Season with Showstopping 2026 Schedule Led by TV's No. 1 Program
Building on last season's historic viewership and with more than 100 regular-season games, CBS Sports continues to demonstrate the unmatched power and reach of its multiplatform approach across broadcast television and streaming on Paramount+.
|
[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces 2026 "Thursday Night Football" Schedule
An exciting mix of cross-divisional games, elite quarterback showdowns, and the first ever NFL regular season game at the Bills' brand-new Highmark Stadium highlight the regular-season slate.
|
[05/14/26 - 11:10 AM]
TLC Introduces "Little Singles" A New Relationship Series About Love, Friendship, and Life Without Limits
The new relationship series follows a vibrant, tight-knit group of little people for a rare opportunity to date, connect, and build community.
|
|
|
|
