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[11/03/08 - 06:22 PM]
Development Update: Monday, November 3
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!
BLOCK PARTY (CBS, New!) - The Eye has ordered seven episodes of a new reality series that pits a neighborhood of families against each other for a significant prize. Reality guru/film producer Mike Fleiss ("The Bachelor") and his Next Entertainment are behind the project, which comes from Warner Horizon Television. No other details were given about the series, which is set to begin casting shortly. The pickup marks the first project commissioned by incoming CBS reality chief Jennifer Bresnan.
CHANGING POSITIONS (NBC, New!) - "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers" co-writer Jim Herzfeld has booked a new multi-camera comedy at the Peacock about a Wall Street guy in his late 30s who loses everything and is forced, along with his wife and their teen kids, to move in with his parents. Universal Media Studios and Doug Liman and David Bartis's Dutch Oven are behind the half-hour, which Herzfeld will write and executive produce. The Hollywood Reporter goes on to add that the parents are "a wealthy, very sexually active couple in their mid 50s who live in a large compound in the Hollywood Hills after amassing a fortune making (and starring in) instructional sex videos in the 1980s when they also invented the 'standing O' position."
GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - Co-star Brooke Smith has been let go from the popular drama, fueling speculation her ouster was related to her character's recently revealed sexual orientation. The actress, whose final episode airs on November 6, told Entertainment Weekly: "I found out in mid-September soon after shooting the monologue that aired last week where Erica has the revelation that she's gay. They even came down and told me it was a great scene -- one of the best they ever shot on the show. So I was really, really shocked. I was floored when they told me [I was being let go]. It was the last thing I expected. In fact, when they told me I asked, "When is this happening?" And they said, "The [next episode] is your last," which is the one that airs this Thursday. So it was very sudden." Executive producer Shonda Rhimes subsequently released a statement saying: "Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian. Clearly it's not an issue as we have a lesbian character on the show � Calliope Torres. Sara Ramirez is an incredible comedic and dramatic actress and we wanted to be able to play up her magic. Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke's character would sustain in the long run. The impact of the Callie/Erica relationship will be felt and played out in a story for Callie. I believe it belittles the relationship to simply replace Erica with 'another lesbian.' If you'll remember, Cristina mourned the loss of Burke for a full season."
HEROES (NBC) - Co-executive producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb have exited the show due to creative differences. The pair, who joined the series after its pilot, are the first victims of an expected overhaul of the show's writing staff, which includes Cathy Mickel Gibson, Joe Pokaski, Lori Motyer, Aron Eli Coleite, Rob Fresco, Jim Chory, Adam Armus and Kay Foster. Creator Tim Kring executive produces the series alongside Dennis Hammer, Allan Arkush and Greg Beeman. The news comes after the Universal Media Studios-produced "Heroes" posted a series low 8.20 million viewers last week. That, coupled with an overall creative backlash and rumblings of overruns on its sizable $4 million per-episode budget, lead to the shakeup.
KING OF THE HILL (FOX) - ABC reportedly is eyeing the animated veteran following the news FOX won't be moving forward with a 14th cycle of the series. The Alphabet is home to "Hill" co-creator Mike Judge's (and fellow "Hill" executive producers John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky's) new animated effort "The Goode Family," due at midseason. Producer 20th Century Fox Television however would only confirm another network is interested in the show, but didn't offer any specifics. Due to the lengthy lead time needed for animated projects, it's unlikely "Hill" could make the move until late 2009 or early 2010.
KINGS (NBC) - Michael Green, the creator and executive producer of the upcoming drama, has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with producer Universal Media Studios. The pact covers his duties on the newcomer as well as his future development.
STATEN ISLAND (FX, New!) - Lawrence O'Donnell ("The West Wing") is developing a new drama at the cable channel about a compromised police chief based in the famed New York City borough. Mandalay Television, FX Productions and Fox 21 are producing the project, which O'Donnell will write and executive produce.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, Entertainment Weekly
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[07/08/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of June 30: "Squid Game" Season 3 Leads Top 10 Globally, Climbs to No. 3 on Most Popular
Plus: "The Waterfront" maintained its Top 10 empire as the No. 1 English show in its third week with 5.6 million views.
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[07/08/25 - 11:47 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights Latest "Ripped from the Headlines" Thriller "Girl in the Cellar" Starring Kyla Pratt and Kelcey Mawema Premiering August 23
Inspired by real stories, the film follows a single mother who resorts to extreme measures to control her teenage daughter.
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[07/08/25 - 11:45 AM]
CBS Studios Returns to Comic-Con International with Fan Favorite "Star Trek" Universe, "Ghosts" and New Series "NCIS: Tony & Ziva"
Attendees will not want to miss panel presentations from beloved series and franchises.
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[07/08/25 - 11:16 AM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art Debut - "Zarna Garg: Practical People Win"
Zarna Garg is bringing the heat (and the guilt trips) in her laugh-out-loud Hulu debut, taking aim at husbands, kids, in-laws, and anyone who dares question an Indian mom's wisdom.
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[07/08/25 - 11:10 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases First Look Images, Teaser, and Announces Premiere Date for "Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy"
From 1972-1978, thirty-three young men were kidnapped, murdered, and buried in a crawl space beneath their killer's house. And no one was the wiser.
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[07/08/25 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix Serves Up a Fresh Slate of Food Series with Exciting New Titles and Fan-Favorite Returns
Fan-favorite "Is It Cake?" is back with a triple helping of themed seasons - "Is It Cake? Halloween," "Is It Cake? Holiday" Season 2, and an "Is It Cake? Valentines" special.
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[07/08/25 - 10:30 AM]
"New Girl" Summer on Hulu: Creator Liz Meriwether Picks Essential Summer Episodes
All seven seasons of "New Girl" are available to stream on Hulu.
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[07/08/25 - 09:33 AM]
Disney Entertainment Television Announces 2025 San Diego Comic-Con Programming with a Lineup for Every Fan in the Family
Beginning Thursday, July 24, Hulu's King of the Hill backyard cookout, ABC's A Very Abbott Block Party, FX's "Alien: Earth" - "The Wreckage," and The Percy Jackson Experience outdoor activations will be open to the public directly outside the San Diego Convention Center.
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[07/08/25 - 09:11 AM]
Nickelodeon Airs Animated Series, "Unicorn Academy" and "Vida the Vet," from Spin Master Entertainment, Beginning July
This marked the series' respective linear debuts in the U.S. - "Unicorn Academy" on Nickelodeon and "Vida the Vet" on the Nick Jr. channel.
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[07/08/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for "Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War"
The three-part docuseries, from executive producers Blye Faust and Cori Shepherd, premieres July 23 on Prime Video.
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[07/08/25 - 09:00 AM]
"Big Brother": A Summer of Mystery Cast Revealed
This season's cast includes a professional bull rider, event curator, marketing manager, AI consultant, aura painter, attorney and a dungeon master, among others.
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[07/08/25 - 08:07 AM]
Apple TV+ Announces Seventh Season for Celebrated Spy Drama "Slow Horses"
Season five is slated for September 24; while season six was announced last year.
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[07/08/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Untamed" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In the vast expanse of Yosemite National Park, a woman's death draws a federal agent into lawless terrain - where nature obeys no rules but its own.
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[07/08/25 - 07:32 AM]
FOX Nation Enters Live Sports Arena with All-New PBR Partnership
In the lead up to the live weekly team events, the platform will roll out season two of the hit series "Last Cowboy Standing" beginning on Friday, July 11.
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[07/08/25 - 07:01 AM]
"Grantchester" Begins Production on Its 11th and Final Season
"We're so grateful to all the loyal viewers and can't wait to bring you the final chapter of this story," said PBS.
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