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[10/07/08 - 06:24 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, October 7
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!
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS (FOX, New!) - Christine Zander ("Samantha Who?") is developing a domestic take on the infamous U.K. comedy, about the friendship of two boozy, over-40 best friends who are desperate to stay hip and youthful. The project, which has script commitment with a penalty attached, is set up at Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum's Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount banner. Jennifer Saunders, the mind behind the U.K. original, along with Ian Moffitt will also executive produce via BBC Worldwide Productions. ABC was the last network to take a stab at importing the show nearly a decade ago with Roseanne Barr and Carrie Fisher in the roles made famous by Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
THE RICHES (FX) - The cable channel confirmed this week the Minnie Driver/Eddie Izzard-led drama won't return for a third season. The news had been widely expected as its strike-shortened sophomore run experienced a significant 44% drop in the key 18-49 demographic. Dmitry Lipkin was behind the hour, which was co-produced by Fox Television Studios, FX Productions and Maverick Television.
THE WASHINGTONIENNE (HBO) - Rachael Taylor, Amanda Walsh and Bitsie Tulloch have scored the lead roles in the Sarah Jessica Parker-produced comedy, about the professional and personal lives of three smart, sophisticated 28-year-old girls working on Capitol Hill. Taylor will play Jackie, "a recent transplant from New York who has decided to pursue a career as a speechwriter but first must work her way up from the intern desk"; with Tulloch as April, her mentor friend from college "who has been on the Hill since graduation and lives a prematurely middle-age lifestyle with a boyfriend who seems more in love with his flashy senator boss than with her"; and Walsh as Laura, "a small-town girl whose workaholic ways often come at the expense of a social life and who is constantly defending her Republican views to her liberal friends." Also signing on is David Furr as April's boyfriend Tom, an aide to a charismatic senator. Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz penned the pilot script based on Jessica Cutler's semi-autobiographical book. Vanessa Taylor was previously attached to pen the adaptation. Parker, Parker's producing partner Alison Benson, Sarah Condon and Stacy Traub are the executive producers.
WIPEOUT (ABC) - Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against ABC, alleging "Wipeout" is "a blatant copycat" of several of its classic Japanese competition series, including "Takeshi's Castle," "Sasuke" and "Kuniochi." Spike TV's "MXC" and G4's "Ninja Warrior" feature footage from "Castle" and "Sasuke," respectively, here in the U.S. "ABC's willful and wrongful use of Plaintiff's shows to create 'Wipeout' is egregious, inexcusable and not to be tolerated," the complaint reads. Among its claims: ABC bought search terms such as "MXC" on Google to help drive traffic to the official "Wipeout" page and a memo from Alphabet executive VP Howard Davine indicating producers to "carefully scrutinize" whether licensing foreign formats "is necessary or appropriate." A separate lawsuit against producer Endemol is also said to be pending.
THE WISHING WELL (Hallmark, New!) - Ernest Borgnine, Jordan Ladd and Sally Kellerman are set to star in a new original movie at the cable channel about a reporter (Ladd) sent to Slow Creek, Illinois, to write a fluff piece on the local wishing well, which ends up having an impact on her life. Borgnine then plays a local innkeeper with Kellerman as a waitress/the unofficial town therapist. David Jackson is directing the movie, from a script by Steven H. Berman with Larry Levinson executive producing and Brian Gordon and Susan McGuire producing.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[03/11/14 - 03:39 PM]
NBC Confirms First Wave of Finale Dates
Look for season swan songs from Thursday, April 17 ("Community," "Parenthood") through Friday, May 23 ("Hannibal").
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[03/11/14 - 03:34 PM]
Bravo Media's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" Returns for a Juicy Ninth Season Premiering Monday, April 14 at 9PM ET/PT
Shannon Beador and Lizzie Rovsek will join returning cast members Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge and Heather Dubrow.
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[03/11/14 - 03:11 PM]
Monday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: "The Voice," "The Bachelor" Claim Top Spots
Plus: numbers for Syfy's "Lost Girl," Bravo's "Southern Charm" and Discovery's "Heirs to the Dare."
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[03/11/14 - 02:13 PM]
Cartoon Network Opens a Jar of Sunshine with "Clarence"
The series, premiering Monday, April 14 at 7:00/6:00c, features the voice talents of Skyler Page, Tom Kenny, Sean Giambrone, Katie Crown and Eric Edelstein.
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[03/11/14 - 01:14 PM]
Not Your Typical Mob Scene - WE tv Presents "Sopranos" Week on "Law & Order"
Look for said installments Monday, March 17 through Friday, March 21 from 5PM to 8PM ET/PT.
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[03/11/14 - 01:02 PM]
"48 Hours: The Blue River Murder" Is Saturday's #1 Program with Adults 25-54
CBS spins the numbers for Saturday, March 8.
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[03/11/14 - 01:01 PM]
TBS Wins the Week as Basic Cable's #1 Network in Primetime Among Adults 18-49
Turner spins the numbers for the week of March 3-9.
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[03/11/14 - 12:27 PM]
E!'s "Fashion Police" Runs the Court with "Fash Fabness"
DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles and Victor Cruz of the New York Giants are among the show's upcoming guests.
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[03/11/14 - 12:20 PM]
Sunday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: "Resurrection," "Walking Dead" Top Both Viewers, Demos
Plus: numbers for Bravo's "Online Dating Rituals of the American Male," History's "No Man's Land" and Spike TV's "Catch a Contractor."
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[03/11/14 - 12:15 PM]
Saturday's Cable Ratings & Broadcast Finals: College Basketball Leads Demos, "48 Hours" Tops Viewers
Plus: numbers for Lifetime's "The Trip to Bountiful," Hallmark's "A Ring by Spring" and Spike TV's "Cops."
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[03/11/14 - 12:12 PM]
The Paley Center for Media Announces Verizon Digital Media Services Will Provide Live Streaming Coverage
"Veronica Mars" will kick things off this Thursday, March 13 at 8:00 pm PT / 11:00 pm ET.
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[03/11/14 - 12:04 PM]
After a Successful TV Career Spanning More Than Three Decades, Anne Sweeney Announces Her Departure from The Walt Disney Company in January 2015
Sweeney, who joined the company in 1996, is currently co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group.
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[03/11/14 - 11:37 AM]
Harpo Films Acquires Film Rights to "The Invention of Wings" by Bestselling Author Sue Monk Kidd
An exclusive interview with Oprah and Kidd will be broadcast on the Emmy(R) Award-winning series "Super Soul Sunday" on Sunday, April 13 on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
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[03/11/14 - 11:35 AM]
Original Programming Thrives at Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel spins the numbers for the week of March 3-9.
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[03/11/14 - 11:27 AM]
Oxygen Media Earns Strongest Sunday Prime of the Year with "Snapped" Delivering Season High Ratings Among All Key Demos
Oxygen spins the numbers for Sunday, March 9.
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