or


[05/05/08 - 05:38 PM]
Development Update: Monday, May 5
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!


AMERICAN DAD/CLEVELAND/FAMILY GUY (FOX) - Franchise mastermind Seth MacFarlane has finally inked a new overall deal with producer 20th Century Fox Television. The massive five-year pact - which is valued in the nine-figure range - will keep the prolific writer/producer/voice talent at the studio through 2012. As for specifics, said deal will cover his duties on mainstays "Family Guy" and "American Dad" as well as the upcoming "Cleveland" spin-off and other future development from his Fuzzy Door banner, including an untitled multi-camera comedy with "Family Guy" consulting producer Gary Janetti. It will also keep "Guy" on the air through 2012 as well as give MacFarlane a larger piece of the show's syndication and DVD sales. MacFarlane and 20th had been in talks for nearly two and a half years, a stalemate which delayed the start of production on "Guy's" sixth season.


COURTROOM K (FOX) - Megan Dodds ("Not Going Out") has been tapped as the female lead on the drama pilot, about the antics of a Milwaukee Superior Court. She'll play a big-hearted public defender in the project, which also stars Jonathan Sadowski. Paul Attanasio is behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which is being directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.


GHOST WHISPERER (CBS) - The show's off-network run - to be split between Sci Fi, ION and WE: Women's Entertainment - is said to be valued in the $650,000-$700,000 per episode range for CBS Television Distribution. All three parties will carry repeats of the series starting in the fall of 2009 however exact rollout plans are still to be determined.


HEROES (NBC) - Brea Grant ("Friday Night Lights") has joined the cast of the show's third season, due this fall. She'll play Joy, a new hero with speed-based powers. No other details about her character were given. Production on the new season began last week.


LA STRINGERS (TruTV, New!) - truTV has ordered six half-hour episodes of a new reality series which aims to tell the behind-the-scenes stories behind various 10-second clips that air during local and national newscasts. 44 Blue Productions ("Lock Up") and Buena Vista Productions are behind the project, which will likely roll out in September, with 44 Blue's Rasha Drachkovitch executive producing alongside truTV's Lori Siegel. Marc Karzen is the producer.


MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC) - Mike O'Malley ("My Name Is Earl") is set to star opposite Christian Slater on the upcoming drama, about a middle-class suburban dad whose alter ego is a super spy. He'll play Tom Grady (a.k.a. "Raymond") in the Universal Media Studios-based hour, who's detailed in the casting notice as follows: "Mid-Late 30s. Henry's amiable friend and co-worker at AJ Sun Consulting. He's a married man and all-around good guy who teases Henry about his lack of toughness and admits he thinks Henry's wife is hot. Tom's alter ego is Raymond, a tough as hell, brusque and violent secret agent (just like Edward) with a devilish sense of humor who works for Janus. Raymond has to extract the hapless Henry from a brutal Russian interrogation and return him to safety. As Tom, he has no idea that Raymond exists, but Raymond knows about Tom and his family." David Semel is directing the show's pilot from a script by creator Jason Smilovic.


UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (ABC) - Andrea Anders ("The Class") is the first to be cast in the pilot, a single-camera comedy about a man whose morals are tested working for a large, faceless mega-corporation. Victor Fresco is behind the half-hour, which is based at 20th Century Fox Television.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· AMERICAN DAD (FOX)
· BETTER OFF TED (ABC)
· CLASS, THE (CBS)
· CLEVELAND SHOW, THE (FOX)
· COURTROOM K (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FAMILY GUY (FOX)
· FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DIRECTV)
· GHOST WHISPERER (CBS)
· HEROES (NBC)
· MY NAME IS EARL (NBC)
· MY OWN WORST ENEMY (NBC)
· NOT GOING OUT (BBC AMERICA)
· STRINGERS: LA (TRUTV)





[04/20/26 - 12:16 PM]
Peacock Releases New, Shocking Final Installment of the Two-Time Emmy Nominated Documentary Series "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets" Premiering on Thursday, April 23
In the fourth and final episode, Rex Heuermann shockingly confesses to all murders, including the recent eighth victim.

[04/20/26 - 11:00 AM]
Acorn TV's Popular "Murder Mystery May" Returns May 1st with Its Biggest Month of Mystery Premieres Headlined by the New Brooke Shields-Led Series "You're Killing Me"
Other series premieres include "Dead & Buried," "The Island," and "Summerwater."

[04/20/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Dr. Seuss's Horton!" Season 2 Trailer - Netflix Jr
No need to worry, they'll help in a hurry! Whether hunting for treasure or crossing a mud pit, Horton and Samson will solve any problem - and never quit.

[04/20/26 - 06:41 AM]
Prime Video Unveils First Look Images for "Clarkson's Farm" Series 5 and Confirms the UK Original Series Will Return on June 3rd
The first four episodes will launch exclusively on Prime Video on June 3, with two additional episodes released a week later on June 10, followed by the final two episodes on June 17.

[04/20/26 - 06:01 AM]
Roku Launches "Roku City Dash," an Original Interactive Game Within the Fan-Favorite Screensaver
Streamers will be able to compete within their households for high scores in the retro-inspired experience, transforming Roku City into an interactive destination.

[04/20/26 - 03:01 AM]
"Alpha Males" Films Its Sixth and Final Season
Following the recent premiere of the fifth season of the comedy created by the Caballero brothers, Netflix has confirmed that the sixth and final season is already in production.

[04/17/26 - 11:46 PM]
Development Update: Week of April 13-17
Updates include: CBS eyes expansion of "Fire Country," "Sheriff Country" universe; "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" season two locks in cast; and "The Copenhagen Test," "Law & Order: Organized Crime" among latest cancellations.

[04/17/26 - 03:01 PM]
ABC News Is #1 on Sunday Morning and Friday Night
For the third week in a row, "20/20" built on its year-ago telecast in all key target demos: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[04/17/26 - 01:03 PM]
Fourteen Elite Survivalists Compete for National Pride and the Ultimate Cash Prize in "Naked and Afraid: Global Showdown"
Divided into seven pairs representing their homelands, survivalists' skills will be tested by three brutal and unpredictable ecosystems in South Africa's Zululand.

[04/17/26 - 11:31 AM]
A Magical Cast Summoned for the "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" Final Season
Jennifer Stone, Gregg Sulkin, Maria Canals-Barrera, and Selena Gomez are among the featured talent.

[04/17/26 - 10:10 AM]
TNT Sports Announces Commentators for 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Presented by Geico First Round Games on Sunday, April 19
TNT Sports will drop the puck on its coverage of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs featuring up to 28 First Round games.

[04/17/26 - 09:31 AM]
2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Presented by Geico Begin Saturday on ESPN
In all, 16 First Round games will play out over the first ten days on ESPN and ESPN2.

[04/17/26 - 09:04 AM]
Video: "Glory" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In a small-town boxing hub, two brothers investigate a shocking murder while navigating a troubled reunion with their father, a renowned coach.

[04/17/26 - 09:00 AM]
Hulu Adds "Handsome," "The Mess Around," "Prison Breaking," and "That Was Us" to Podcast Slate Beginning This Month
These new licensed additions join a growing slate of companion podcasts tied to Disney+ and Hulu's most popular series.

[04/17/26 - 07:15 AM]
TNT Sports Acquires Multi-Year U.S. Broadcast Rights to FIA World Endurance Championship Races
A new era of endurance racing arrives in the U.S. as truTV airs three premier events in full: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, and Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas.