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[10/15/08 - 06:10 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 15
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!
THE AMAZING MRS. NOVAK (Lifetime) - Amy Pietz ("Aliens in America"), Tom Verica ("American Dreams") and Kristen Dattilo ("The Chris Isaak Show") are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about a supermarket manager who unexpectedly becomes the governor of New Jersey. Pietz will play the title role of Trish Novak with Verica as her husband Frank and Dattilo as her sister-in-law Goldie. Vanessa Taylor is behind the hour, which comes from Warner Horizon Television and Kudos Film & Television. Carolyn Bernstein, Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett also serve as executive producers.
ELI STONE/THE GOODE FAMILY (ABC) - The Alphabet has asked for four more scripts of "Eli Stone," which returned for its second season last night. It's understood the network is pleased with the episodes filmed to date and gave the actual go ahead shortly before yesterday's premiere. Meanwhile, midseason entry "The Goode Family" has likewise been asked for seven additional scripts. The early request is a result of the lead time needed to potentially produce additional episodes the series, an animated comedy from "King of the Hill" co-creator Mike Judge.
THE IRENA SENDLER STORY (CBS, New!) - Anna Paquin ("True Blood") is set to topline a new Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation about Irena Sendler, a Polish woman credited with saving the lives of thousands of Jewish children during World War II. Paquin will play the Nobel Peace Prize nominee, who died at age 98 earlier this year. Production on the telefilm is set to begin next month in Riga, Latvia, for an April premiere. John Kent Harrison is directing from his own script, based on Anna Mieszkowska's book "Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Irena Sendler Story," with Brent Shields and Jeff Most executive producing.
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (NBC, New!) - Josh and Jonas Pate ("Surface") have scored a script commitment from the Peacock for a new drama based on the famed Greek myth following a bidding war with at least one other network. The project, which has a penalty attached should it not move forward to pilot, is expected to be shot entirely on green screen, a la the recently launched Sci Fi series "Sanctuary." The Pates then are penning the pilot and will executive produce for Media Rights Capital. NBC previously aired an "Argonauts" mini-series (from Hallmark Entertainment) back in May of 2000.
MADE OVER (ABC, New!) - "Miss/Guided" co-creator Caroline Williams has landed a put pilot order from the Alphabet for a new comedy about a shallow, image-obsessed cosmetics executive who has a crisis of conscience and quits her job. She subsequently joins a younger woman with completely different values to start a unique consulting company. The project, which Williams will write and executive produce, is set up at Warner Bros. Television.
MEDIUM (NBC) - The Peacock has asked for three more scripts of the drama, which is set to return at midseason on the network. Thus far NBC has only ordered 13 episodes for the show's fifth season. The additional scripts however suggest that number may increase in the coming months.
RITA ROCKS (Lifetime) - The Nicole Sullivan-led comedy, which bows with a weeklong stunt next week, has gotten an order for three additional scripts. Following the aforementioned stunt, "Rita" will air Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c starting October 28.
UNTITLED DAVID E. KELLEY PROJECT (NBC, New!) - David E. Kelley's latest legal drama has received a series commitment from the Peacock, home to his 1986-1994 drama "L.A. Law." The newcomer, which Kelley wrote on spec, is set in a Chicago law firm and revolves around an aging partner and his daughter who works with him as well as a host of eccentric characters around them. The news marks Kelley's first new project since moving to Warner Bros. Television earlier this year. Kelley will then executive produce the pilot, which has a multimillion-dollar penalty if it doesn't go to series.
UNTITLED TRIBECA PROJECTS (CBS, New!) - Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal have inked a three-for-one pilot deal with CBS. The pact calls for the pair's Tribeca Productions to develop three projects for the network, one of which is ultimately guaranteed a pilot order. Already in the works: an untitled hour set in New York from Oscar-winner William Monahan ( "The Departed"). No other specifics about the project were released.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[10/31/25 - 02:22 PM]
FOX Sports Hits 14.6 Million Viewers for Game 5 of the World Series
The telecast reached a peak viewership of 16,034,000 viewers on FOX between 10:00-10:15 PM ET.
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[10/31/25 - 10:42 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Scares Up More Wins - Rising for Historic Sixth Week in a Row
"Dancing with the Stars" is the only fall show to increase its overall audience for six consecutive weeks following its season premiere.
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[10/31/25 - 06:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record College Football Viewership at the Midway Point of the Season, "College GameDay" Continues on Historic Run
Through nine weeks, ESPN networks are averaging 2.3 million viewers per game, their largest audience since 2009 and an increase of 20 percent year-over-year.
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[10/31/25 - 06:30 AM]
NBC Sports and Royal Ascot, One of the World's Most Prestigious Horse Racing Meets, Partner on Multi-Year Media Rights Extension
NBC Sports has been presenting Royal Ascot via linear and digital platforms since 2017.
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[10/31/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Frankenstein" - Guillermo del Toro - Final Trailer - Netflix
Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley's classic tale of a brilliant scientist and the creature his monstrous ambition brings to life.
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[10/30/25 - 10:31 PM]
Family, Food, and Films: Netflix's "Dining with the Kapoors" Arrives November 21
The special is a heartfelt celebration marking 100 years of the legendary Raj Kapoor, and close to a century of the Kapoor family ruling the box office and our hearts - then, now and always.
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[10/30/25 - 03:05 PM]
14.8 Million Viewers Tuned in for World Series Game 4 Across FOX, FOX Deportes & FOX Sports Streaming Services
Viewership peaked at 16,695,000 viewers on FOX between 10:00-10:15 PM ET.
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[10/30/25 - 03:01 PM]
Debut of NBC Sports' "Coast 2 Coast Tuesday" Delivers NBA's Largest Pre-Christmas Tuesday Audience Since 1996
"Coast 2 Coast Tuesday" - featuring the New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks (8 p.m. ET) and LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors (11 p.m. ET) - averaged 3.0 million viewers in primetime across NBC and Peacock.
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[10/30/25 - 03:01 PM]
Kate Winslet to Narrate Upcoming Documentary from The King's Foundation and Prime Video - "Finding Harmony: A King's Vision"
The new documentary will tell the story of His Majesty The King's lifelong commitment to the philosophy of Harmony and the environment, urging viewers to protect our planet and create a more sustainable future for the next generation.
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[10/30/25 - 11:03 AM]
Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" Three-Part Reunion Begins Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen is joined by Shannon Storms Beador, Heather Dubrow, Tamra Judge, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson, Jennifer Pedranti and Katie Ginella to reflect on an emotionally charged season 19 that led to shifting alliances and broken trust within the group.
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[10/30/25 - 10:52 AM]
Video: National Geographic Documentary Films Unveils Trailer and Theatrical Release Dates for Award-Winning "The Tale of Silyan"
The award-winning documentary will make its theatrical debut this fall, opening in select U.S. theaters on November 28 and in U.K. cinemas on December 12.
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[10/30/25 - 10:33 AM]
FX's "Adults" Renewed for Second Season on Hulu
The comedy follows a group of twenty-somethings in New York trying to be good people, despite being neither "good" nor "people" yet.
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[10/30/25 - 10:01 AM]
Hulu's "King of the Hill" Renewed for Seasons 16 and 17
The upcoming 15th season of "King of the Hill" will premiere on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US, and on Disney+ internationally in 2026.
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[10/30/25 - 09:30 AM]
Video: Starz Unveils Trailer Full of Sex and Slaughter for "Spartacus: House of Ashur" Premiering December 5
The outrageous new chapter in the world of "Spartacus" debuts with a two-episode premiere on Friday, December 5.
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[10/30/25 - 08:06 AM]
ID November Programming Highlights
Look for newcomers "The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder" and "Who Hired the Hitman?" alongside new seasons of "Body Cam" and "The Murder Tapes."
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