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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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[09/17/26 - 09:01 AM]
Disney and "Like Nastya," Globally Renowned Kids' Creator, Strike Content and Development Deal
The deal includes development of an original animated preschool series for Disney Jr. and Disney+, along with new live-action content for kids, tweens, teens and families.
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[09/17/26 - 09:00 AM]
Additional Performers Revealed for "2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)" Airing Live Sept. 27 on CBS
GENER8ION, Gunna, LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey, SIENNA SPIRO and Yung Lean will join show opener Madonna for performances during this year's event.
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[09/17/26 - 09:00 AM]
Production Revs Up on AMC's New NASCAR Drama, "Thunder Road"
Centered on family dynamics, fierce rivalries and the untold stories behind one of America's most iconic sports, "Thunder Road" follows the multigenerational saga of the fictional Whitlock family, whose legacy in stock car racing is as deep as the family's ties to the Southern hill country roots that shaped them.
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[09/17/26 - 08:16 AM]
Video: Date Announcement, Trailer & Key Art Debut - "The Kardashians" Season Eight
Season eight premieres October 8 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
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[09/17/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer for the Original Drama Series "War," Debuting October 1
Created by George Kay, and starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller, the series is co-produced by New Pictures and Observatory Pictures with new episodes of the eight-episode season debuting weekly on Thursdays.
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[09/17/26 - 08:01 AM]
Prime Video Casts Siobhan McGroarty, Sophia Reid-Gantzert, West Mulholland, Gigi Zumbado and Curtis Hamilton in "Rose Hill"
Elsie Silver's bestselling romance saga will premiere on Prime Video, produced by Temple Hill.
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[09/17/26 - 08:00 AM]
Bill Murray and Friends Hit the Road for a Genre-Bending Golf Adventure in "A Course Called Ireland" Premiering October 25 on Paramount+
In the six-part documentary series, Bill Murray and author Tom Coyne play their way across some of Ireland's most legendary golf courses.
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[09/17/26 - 07:31 AM]
Luke Bryan Marks New Album Debut with an Exclusive "Live from Roku City" Concert
The country superstar's "Live from Roku City" performances will launch September 19 on Roku, the day after the release of Bryan's ninth studio album, "Signs."
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[09/17/26 - 07:16 AM]
Make Your Hallmark Movie Checklist and Check It Twice Because Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" Gifts Viewers a Holiday Filled with Everything Nice!
Highlights include 34 original movie premieres and the return of "Mistletoe Murders," now it its third season.
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[09/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Tyson" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The raw four-part documentary peels back the curtain on Mike Tyson's explosive life, from a brutal Brooklyn childhood and a meteoric rise to heavyweight glory to the addiction, jail time, public breakdowns, and infamous ear bite that almost ended it all.
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[09/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple TV's BAFTA Award-Nominated Docuseries "Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars" Debuts September 25
Across season two, "Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars" follows 16 restaurants at pivotal moments in their journeys.
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[09/17/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Lanterns" - Midseason Trailer - HBO Max
The blackest night is yet to come.
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[09/17/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Steps" - Official Teaser Trailer - Netflix
A fresh twist on the classic Cinderella story - this time, told from the perspective of Lilith, one of the so-called "evil" stepsisters.
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[09/17/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Debuts "The Terminal List" Season Two Official Trailer and Key Art, Starring Chris Pratt
All eight episodes, executive produced by Chris Pratt, Antoine Fuqua, David DiGilio, and author Jack Carr, will premiere on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[09/17/26 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Fading Grandeur" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Desperate to sell his crumbling mansion, a fallen marquis tries to make a quick deal with a charming yet mysterious millionaire who has her own agenda.
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