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[08/05/08 - 06:52 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, August 5
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? (FOX) - Twentieth Television and Mark Burnett Productions are reportedly close to moving forward with a syndicated version of the successful FOX game show in the fall of 2009. The project, like NBC's "Deal or No Deal," would feature a condensed half-hour version of the parent hourlong show. Jeff Foxworthy is expected to host both the FOX and the syndicated incarnations.
CONFESSIONS OF A CONTRACTOR (CBS, New!) - Richard Murphy's upcoming book, about Henry Sullivan, a blue-collar Los Angeles contractor who oversees high-end renovations for wealthy clients, is heading to the small screen. Shawn Ryan ("The Shield") is on board to shepherd the project, which has a put pilot commitment from the network and 20th Century Fox Television. Murphy will pen and co-executive produce the pilot with Ryan supervising and serving as its executive producer via his MiddKid Productions banner. Said hour is loosely on Murphy's own experience remodeling homes in L.A. off and on for 12 years. As for specifics, the book has Henry falling for two of his female clients, who happen to be former best friends. Anonymous's Jeff Okin, Murphy's manager, and Paul Green will also receive executive producing credits.
GARY UNMARRIED (CBS) - Ed Begley Jr. ("Recount") has joined the cast of the freshman comedy, which stars Jay Mohr as a newly divorced dad. He'll take over for Larry Miller as Dr. Krandall. His character is detailed in the casting notice as follows: "50-60, Male, intelligent, educated but a bit of a pompous blowhard. Dr. Krandall is the family therapist, who has been counseling Gary and Allison during their divorce. He is now engaged to be married to Allison, and comes to Gary's house to offer his services as a therapist to help Gary process his feelings about this awkward situation. Basically a decent guy who wants to help, Dr. Krandall mediates as Gary, Vanessa and Allison vent a few grievances." Producers are also recasting Louise, the daughter of Mohr's character. Laura Marano played the role in the original pilot. No reason for the changes were given.
HARPER'S ISLAND (CBS) - "Supernatural" alum Katie Cassidy has joined the cast of the midseason drama, about a group of friends who meet on an island off the Seattle coast for a destination wedding - to terrifying results. She'll play Trish Wellington, whom the casting notice describes as: "Mid 20s, Caucasian female. The bride. Radiant, dignified, intelligent, and perfectly put-together, with her charm and lovely personality she almost seems too good to be true. The heiress to the Wellington family fortune, she has fallen in love with Henry Dunn, a local boy who used to work on her daddy's boats during the summer. Intent on having the perfect wedding, she has invited dozens of friends to spend a perfect weekend on Harper's Island. But Trish has at least two surprises in store for her." Samantha Noble originated the role in the project's initial pilot presentation. Christopher Gorham and Elaine Cassidy also star.
HYPER-CHONDRIAC (NBC, New!) - Brian Frazer's memoir, subtitled "One Man's Quest to Hurry Up and Calm Down," is being developed as a potential single-camera comedy at the network. Jason Dean Hall ("Grand Theft Auto") is on board to pen the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, with the ever-busy Ryan Murphy executive producing. Frazer's tome details his journey to resolve the stress that was causing all of his unusual ailments. The adaptation then will center on Brian, a pharmaceutical salesman who's forced to sell his wares at hospitals and, as a result, consistently thinks he's suffering from a wide range of maladies. Murphy then is on board to direct from a script by Hall, who will serve as a co-executive producer.
RISE OF THE GARGOYLE (Sci Fi, New!) - Eric Balfour ("24") is set to topline a new original movie for the cable channel about an ancient gargoyle monster whose terror is unleashed in modern-day Paris. He'll play Jack Richmond, a struggling author whose outlandish theories on pagan architecture make him the laughingstock of the academic world. Caroline Neron, Jason Salinger, Nick Mancuso and Tanya Clarke also star in the project, which is currently in production at Romania's Mediapro Studios. Muse Entertainment's Michael Prupas and RHI Entertainment's Robert Halmi Sr. are executive producing with Bill Corcoran as director, Pierre Jodoin as the director of photography and Francois Sylvestre and Andreea Stanculeanu producing.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: AMERICA PLAYS (Syndication) - Actor/reality staple Christopher Knight has been tapped to host the upcoming game show, based on the iconic Hasbro board game. Production on the series begins this week for a September 22 launch on stations across the country, including FOX affiliates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Wheeler-Sussman Productions is producing the half-hour with Debmar-Mercury distributing.
UNTITLED POLITICAL THRILLER (AMC) - Jason Horwitch and Joshua Maurer's drama for the cable channel has been given the green light to produce a pilot. The untitled hour revolves around a secret society that pulls the strings on the world political stage and an analyst at a national think tank who discovers that his employers are not who they seem to be. Horwitch penned the pilot and is executive producing alongside Maurer. Production is set to begin in October.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[08/15/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Upload" - Official Trailer - Hulu
The show's first three seasons are now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
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[08/14/26 - 11:31 PM]
Disney Sets the Stage for What's Next in Entertainment at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event
Other TV highlights include "Oswald," an all-new live-action animated hybrid series based on the classic character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
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[08/14/26 - 11:09 PM]
Development Update: Week of August 10-14
Updates include: Starz's "SWAT: Exiles" land early renewal; Hulu cancels "Deli Boys" after two seasons; and Disney+, HBO Max pass on projects.
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[08/14/26 - 09:23 PM]
Season 2 of the Emmy Award-Winning Series "Ahsoka" Premieres Exclusively on Disney+ January 20
The new season, which once again stars Rosario Dawson in the titular role, is a story set after the fall of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic, which has Ahsoka confronting what it means to be a Jedi, while the galaxy faces a formidable opponent in Grand Admiral Thrawn.
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[08/14/26 - 09:02 PM]
Video: First Look at Marvel Television's "VisionQuest" on Disney+
Marvel Television's "VisionQuest," an all-new original series coming exclusively to Disney+ October 14, concludes the epic trilogy that began with 2021's groundbreaking, award-winning "WandaVision" and 2024's acclaimed "Agatha All Along."
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[08/14/26 - 08:30 PM]
Video: "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Drops Electrifying Season Three Teaser Trailer at D23: The Ultimate Fan Event
Season 3 of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" marks the first time that the third book - "The Titan's Curse" - comes to screen and is the third installment of Disney Hyperion's bestselling book series by acclaimed author Rick Riordan.
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[08/14/26 - 07:58 PM]
Global Video Game Phenomenon "Kingdom Hearts" Greenlit for First-Ever Original Television Series on Disney Channel and Disney+
The series reimagines the iconic adventure with a brand-new story that will expand on the universe of Kingdom Hearts while celebrating the characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
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[08/14/26 - 01:45 PM]
ABC News Is No. 1 on Sunday Morning and Friday Night
"20/20" saw year-to-year increases in all key target demos: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.
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[08/14/26 - 12:01 PM]
HBO Max Renews Original Comedy Series "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" for a Second Season
New episodes are being released weekly on HBO Max, with the season finale scheduled for release on Thursday, September 24.
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[08/14/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Expands Young Adult Slate with New Series "Sid & Zoey," "Sunshine Girls" and More
Plus: "Finding Her Edge" to begin production on Season 2; and Randall Park joins the cast of "Minimum Wage."
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[08/14/26 - 09:01 AM]
Stream "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" on Disney+ September 2
The galaxy's favorite duo is bringing the adventure home.
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[08/14/26 - 08:47 AM]
FOX One to Live Stream IROC Presented by Chevrolet as Part of FOX Sports' Coverage of Historic Freedom 250 Weekend in Washington, D.C.
The races bring together legendary names from NASCAR and INDYCAR, including Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Rusty Wallace, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti, all piloting authentic historic IROC Pontiac Firebirds.
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[08/14/26 - 03:22 AM]
Video: New Season Update - "Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya" - Prime Video
Seasons two and three are now in development.
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[08/13/26 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "Mousetrap" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A reclusive writer wakes to find his identity stolen - and must ally with a ruthless loan shark to reclaim his life from a man known as "The Rat."
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[08/13/26 - 03:39 PM]
ESPN Delivers Its Second Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Game in 30 Years of Coverage!
The New York Liberty-Indiana Fever matchup averaged 2 million viewers on Tuesday, August 11.
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