or


[01/12/09 - 06:10 PM]
Development Update: Monday, January 12
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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!


BARELY LEGAL (NBC, New!) - Hilary Duff has been tapped to star in a new half-hour comedy based on the true story of Kathleen Holtz, who in November 2007 passed the notoriously difficult California bar at age 18 to become the state's youngest lawyer. Elisa Bell ("Little Black Book") is behind the project, which comes from actor/producer Rob Morrow's ("NUMB3RS") Bits and Pieces Productions and Universal Media Studios. Duff's involvement is the result of a talent holding deal the actress recently inked with the network and studio. Bell then is penning the script and executive producing alongside Morrow.


LIGHT YEARS (The CW) - Shiri Appleby ("ER"), Kristoffer Polaha ("Valentine") and Kerr Smith ("Justice") have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Lux (Brittany Robertson), a foster child who, on her 16th birthday, decides to track down her slacker biological father and mother, who haven't spoken since high school when their one-night stand resulted in pregnancy. Appleby then will play said mom, morning radio host Cate Campbell (Appleby); with Polaha as her dad, bar owner Nick "Baze" Basile; and Smith as Ryan, Campbell's boyfriend and co-host on the show. Liz Tigelaar is behind the CBS Paramount Network Television-based hour, which Gary Fleder is directing.


MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE (TNT) - The cable channel has ordered 10 episodes of the Ray Romano-led/produced drama about three fortysomething college buddies (Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula) who are each coming to terms with a midlife that doesn't live up to their previous expectations. Romano and Mike Royce co-created the hour, which they'll also executive produce alongside Rory Rosegarten and Cary Hoffman for TNT Original Productions. Scott Winant directed the pilot, while Brian White and Richard Gant also star. Production is expected to begin in time for a January 2010 premiere.


STARZ AT THE TCA - The pay channel has confirmed newcomer "Party Down" and the third season of "Head Case" will both roll out on Friday, March 20. "Down," from executive producers Dan Etheridge, John Enbom, Paul Rudd and Rob Thomas, follows a Los Angeles catering team - a sextet of Hollywood wannabes (Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr and Ryan Hansen) stuck working for tips while hoping for their "big break." Jerry Seinfeld, Tori Spelling, Geri Halliwell and Hugh Hefner have already signed on to make cameos on the series. Fellow freshman entry "Spartacus," a green screen remake of the Roman slave revolt tale, then is expected to bow this summer, while no decision has been made about the fate of recently wrapped "Crash."


THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW (Syndication) - Debmar-Mercury is officially moving forward with a national rollout of the syndicated talk show, which aired a six-week test run over the summer on Fox owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Detroit. The series is a go in more than 70% of the country, including stations in all the top 20 markets. Rob Dauber will return as executive producer with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia alum Liz Koman serving as executive VP of branded marketing for the show. "Williams" will also remain in New York, home to her popular "Wendy Williams Experience" daily radio show on R&B station WBLS-FM.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· BARELY LEGAL (NBC)
· CRASH (STARZ)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ER (NBC)
· HEAD CASE (STARZ)
· JUSTICE (FOX)
· LIFE UNEXPECTED (CW)
· MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE (TNT)
· NUMB3RS (CBS)
· PARTY DOWN (STARZ)
· SPARTACUS (STARZ)
· VALENTINE (CW)
· WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW, THE (SYNDICATION)





[12/03/25 - 12:30 PM]
CBS Announces Second Season Orders for the Top Two New Broadcast Series - #1 "Boston Blue" and #2 "Sheriff Country"
The series average 8 million viewers and 7.6 million viewers, respectively, in Nielsen live plus 7-day multiplatform ratings.

[12/03/25 - 11:59 AM]
"9-1-1: Nashville" Season Premiere Catapults to Over 19 Million Total Viewers
Over 35 days, ABC's Thursday night drama premieres amassed impressive audiences based on competitive cross-platform broadcast series rankings, with all three dramas landing in the Top 10 among Adults 18-49.

[12/03/25 - 11:27 AM]
Star-Studded Cast of Cooking Disasters Take on Culinary Boot Camp in "Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check"
This season, Chefs Jeff Mauro and Tiffany Derry are on a mission to transform an all-star cast from cooking disasters to kitchen masters with an intense culinary boot camp like no other.

[12/03/25 - 11:25 AM]
Fresh Off Successful Theatrical Run, Great American Media Announces "Another Sweet Christmas," Starring Candace Cameron Bure and Cameron Mathison, Streams Exclusively on Great American Pure Flix, Beginning December 18
The sequel to "Home Sweet Christmas" also premieres on Great American Family and GFAM+, Saturday, December 20 (8 p.m. ET).

[12/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
Hulu Renews "Chad Powers" for a Second Season
Glen Powell will return as the titular character.

[12/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
Broadcast Talent Announced for Inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games December 17 in Primetime on Golf Channel and USA Network
Current PGA Tour player Keith Mitchell will serve as an analyst for coverage of the Optum Golf Channel Games alongside longtime Golf Channel commentator Steve Sands, who will provide play-by-play commentary.

[12/03/25 - 10:31 AM]
Louis Carr Appointed President of BET
Carr assumes leadership of BET from Scott Mills, who earlier today announced his departure after 23 years at the company.

[12/03/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "A Thousand Blows" - Season 2 Trailer - Hulu
It's the dawn of a new era.

[12/03/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Music Box: Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?" Debuts December 18
The film is an intimate documentary chronicling the rise of the band Counting Crows and the unrelenting pressure that followed their breakout success.

[12/03/25 - 09:32 AM]
Get Ready to Hit the Casino with a New Untitled Vegas Television Series
The new series from the creators of "Billions" is executive produced by the legendary Martin Scorsese.

[12/03/25 - 09:00 AM]
The Unbelievable True Story of "Roofman" Premieres on Paramount+ December 9
Channing Tatum stars as the film's titular character, as well as a stellar cast including Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang and Peter Dinklage.

[12/03/25 - 08:57 AM]
Record NFL Viewership Caps Thanksgiving Night on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo
Bengals-Ravens is the most-watched Thanksgiving night NFL game ever with an average of 28.4 million viewers.

[12/03/25 - 08:55 AM]
"NFL on CBS" Shatters Record for Most-Watched Regular-Season Game in NFL History with More Than 57 Million Viewers
Viewership peaked with 61.357 million viewers for the game's thrilling conclusion (7:45-8:00 PM ET).

[12/03/25 - 08:49 AM]
FOX Sports Feasts on Thanksgiving Day with 47.7 Million Viewers for Packers-Lions
Viewership peaked with 57,957,000 viewers from 4:00-4:15 PM ET.

[12/03/25 - 08:47 AM]
Most-Watched NBA on ESPN Thanksgiving Eve in Six Years
The inaugural tripleheader averaged 2,099,000 viewers, up 54 percent from last year's Thanksgiving Eve doubleheader, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.