or


[04/03/08 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: Thursday, April 3
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!


ACCIDENTAL FRIENDSHIP (Hallmark, New!) - Chandra Wilson ("Grey's Anatomy") is set to topline a new original movie at the cable channel about a woman who finds herself homeless whose life looks to be tumbling into an abyss until she unexpectedly crosses paths with a female police officer who helps put her life back on track. Anna Sandor ("Felicity: An American Girl Adventure") penned the project, which is set to go into production early next month to premiere sometime in late November or December. Michael Prupas is producing for Muse Entertainment.


CAN OPENERS (CBS) - Jay Hernandez ("Six Degrees") has joined the cast of the drama pilot presentation, which centers on Susan (Lauren Lee Smith), a brain surgeon who fights to survive in the competitive boys club that is the seven-year neurosurgical residency. He'll play Barry, a third-year resident who is willing to break the rules to get what he wants and also has a thing for Susan. Omar Gooding also stars in the Sony Pictures Television/Apostle Productions-based project, which comes from executive producers Denis Leary, Jim Serpico and creator Elle Johnson.


CELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD (NBC) - "The Today Show's" Al Roker is in talks to host the upcoming celebrity edition of the veteran game show. FremantleMedia North America is behind the project, which is set to roll out this summer. No other details were released.


NEVER BETTER (ABC, New!) - Dave Walpert ("Miss Guided") has scored a pilot order from the Alphabet for a new single-camera comedy about a man in recovery who's now trying to be a good husband and father despite his somewhat misguided attempts. The project is set up at ABC Studios where Walpert is writing and executive producing alongside John Heyman and Warren Littlefield of the Littlefield Co. No other details were released.


REVOLUTION (Sci Fi) - Billy Campbell ("The 4400"), Rowena King and Steve Sandvoss have all joined the cast of the two-hour drama pilot, about the simmering unrest among the colonists of a 22nd century Earth colony. Campbell will play Tom Hart, a solder-turned-farmer who displays all the qualities of being a true leader, with King as Olivia Agee, the new governor of the colony, and Steve Sandvoss, Tom's older son, Chris. The trio joins the previously cast David Smith. Michael Rhymer is directing the CBS Paramount Network Television-based project from a script by Ed Redlich and John Bellucci. Simon West and Jib Polhemus are executive producing alongside Redlich and Bellucci.


ROMAN'S EMPIRE (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has commissioned a pilot presentation for a new single-camera comedy from Al Higgins ("Malcolm in the Middle"). The CBS Paramount Network Television-based project, which is based on the BBC comedy of the same name, revolves around a lovable guy who, after getting dumped by his girlfriend, tries but cannot extricate himself from her wealthy family and her outrageous father. Higgins penned the pilot script and is executive producing alongside Katalyst Films's Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg and Karey Burke and Tiger Aspect's Andrew Zein and Ben Cavey.


SUNSET TAN (E!) - The cable channel has ordered a second season of the reality series, about the staff of a chain of tanning salons in Los Angeles. Among the storylines for the new season, due this summer: the launch party of a Vegas location, the staff heading into the country for a weekend of ranching and the ousted duo known as the "Olly Girls" looking for new jobs outside the tanning industry. E! Studios and Intuitive Entertainment co-produce the half-hour with Mechelle Collins, Kevin Dill and Jay James serving as executive producers.


UNTITLED KRISTIN NEWMAN PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Kristin Newman ("How I Met Your Mother") is the latest to land a pilot commitment from the Alphabet, this time for a new single-camera comedy about a thirtysomething woman who tries to break free of her overbearing and dysfunctional family, friends and boss. The project is set up at ABC Studios with Newman and DreamWorks Television's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank serving as executive producers. No other specifics were given.


UNTITLED ROBERT WUHL PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Robert Wuhl ("Arli$$") has reupped his development deal with HBO, a network which he has been based for over 12 years. The 18-month extension calls for the actor/producer to continue to develop new series projects for the pay channel. Already in the works: an untitled single-camera half-hour of which no details were released. "I think I know what an HBO series should be," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "And I've always been on time and under budget." Most recently Wuhl toplined the specials "Assume the Position With Mr. Wuhl" at the network.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [april 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· 4400, THE (USA)
· ACCIDENTAL FRIENDSHIP (HALLMARK)
· ARLI$$ (HBO)
· CAN OPENERS (CBS)
· CELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FELICITY: AN AMERICAN GIRL ADVENTURE (WB)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS)
· MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE (FOX)
· MISS/GUIDED (ABC)
· NEVER BETTER (ABC)
· REVOLUTION (SYFY)
· ROMAN'S EMPIRE (ABC)
· SINGLE WITH PARENTS (ABC)
· SIX DEGREES (ABC)
· SUNSET TAN (E)
· UNTITLED ROBERT WUHL PROJECT (HBO)





[02/06/26 - 12:49 PM]
TBS Unveils First Superstar Guests for "Foul Play with Anthony Davis" with More A List Names to Come
LeBron James, Draymond Green, Jordan Chiles, and Rickea Jackson will kick off series premiere on Monday, April 6.

[02/06/26 - 09:16 AM]
Netflix's "Untamed" Heads to Hawaii for Season 2
Season two of the hit mystery thriller series will take place in Hawaii, as a new case brings Eric Bana's Kyle Turner to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

[02/06/26 - 08:00 AM]
All Six Seasons of "Schitt's Creek" Arrive on HBO Max Tomorrow in the U.S.
The beloved comedy follows rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose, his soap-star wife Moira, and their two kids, son David and socialite daughter Alexis.

[02/06/26 - 07:36 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams "Wicked: For Good" Beginning March 20
The feature's Peacock debut will be accompanied by a sing-along version of the film and a full collection of bonus content.

[02/06/26 - 07:12 AM]
"Disaster: The Chernobyl Meltdown" Coming Soon from CNN Original Series, National Geographic International and Windfall Films
Co-produced by CNN Original Series, National Geographic EMEA and Windfall Films, the series will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, March 1 at 9:00/8:00c.

[02/06/26 - 07:01 AM]
NHL on ESPN Networks: Viewership Up Nearly 40% Year-Over-Year Through First Four Months
Through 22 games, the NHL on ESPN networks is averaging 795K viewers, +39% YoY.

[02/06/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Strangers in the Park" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A former communist militant and a "live and let live" man form an unlikely friendship on a park bench, sharing their life stories with humor and heart.

[02/06/26 - 12:31 AM]
Next on Netflix Thailand 2026: The Widest Variety of Thai Stories, All in One Place
Netflix is deepening its commitment to Thai storytelling with its most ambitious slate to date: three new series, four films, and Netflix's first local documentary feature.

[02/05/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Pavane" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Three lonely strangers meet at their department store jobs and find solace in each other's company while they explore connection and the nature of love.

[02/05/26 - 02:03 PM]
Great American Media Signs Exclusive Multi-Picture Deal with Fan-Favorite Actress, Merritt Patterson
The company also announces the first film of the new deal is "Meet Me in the Margins," adapted from bestselling author Melissa Ferguson's novel of the same name.

[02/05/26 - 12:42 PM]
"20/20" Ranks No. 1 in the Two-Hour Time Period Across the Board
Hitting new season highs on January 30, "20/20" grew from the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

[02/05/26 - 11:31 AM]
Apple Original Films Lands Global Rights to Sundance Film Festival Selection "The Last First: Winter K2"
Director Amir Bar-Lev tells a complex, harrowing and moving story that unpacks the industry of extreme mountain climbing and its changing culture.

[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original "Murder in Glitterball City," A Two-Part Documentary, Debuts February 19
Inspired by the non-fiction book "A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City" by David Dominé, the film chronicles a 2010 murder case that starts with a 911 phone call that leads police to the gruesome discovery of a body buried in the basement of a Victorian mansion.

[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer and Key Art for New Original Feature Film, "Deb Is Boss" Premiering Thursday, March 5
Before becoming a powerhouse music executive who launched Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, and French Montana, Deb Antney (Lil Mama) was a street-smart survivor navigating the dangerous underworlds of Queens, NY and Boston, MA.

[02/05/26 - 10:31 AM]
Nicolette van Dam and Bas Smit Present the Dutch Version of "Love Is Blind"
"Love Is Blind: Netherlands" arrives on Netflix in 2026.