or


[01/22/09 - 06:55 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, January 22
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!


MERCY (NBC, New!) - Elizabeth Heldens ("Friday Night Lights") has received a pilot order for the Peacock for a new drama about three nurses bound together in friendship by the highs and lows of their personal and professional lives. The project is set up at Universal Media Studios with Heldens executive producing.


RHI ENTERTAINMENT PROJECTS (Various) - TV movie mogul Robert Halmi Sr., who's currently celebrating his 85th birthday and his 30th year in the television business, has lined up a slew of new projects at Sci Fi and ABC. The former has already commissioned three efforts: "The Phantom," based on Lee Falk's adventure comic strip about a costumed crimefighter operating from the African jungle, is slated to begin filming in Montreal in late winter/early spring (with Paolo Barzman directing); "Riverworld," a new take on Philip Jose Farmer's book in which the human race is resurrected as illness-free immortal beings on an Earthlike planet, will begin filming in Vancouver in March (with Stuart Gillard directing); and "Alice," a contemporary retelling of "Alice in Wonderland," is on track for a May start in Vancouver (with Nick Willing directing). Meanwhile at the Alphabet, Halmi is developing "Planet Earth Conspiracy," a thriller set against the backdrop of our planet in peril because of climate change, and "Grapes of Wrath," a long-in-the-works adaptation of John Steinbeck's infamous novel. And finally, Halmi is also eyeing a sequel (or even a weekly series) based on NBC's "The Last Templar," premiering this weekend, this time set in India. Halmi is executive producing all the aforementioned projects alongside his son Robert Halmi Jr.


THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (ABC) - The Alphabet has ordered a pilot for its small screen take on the John Updike novel, best known as the 1987 feature that starred Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeifer and Jack Nicholson. Maggie Friedman ("Related") is behind the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which will center on three women who discover they have supernatural powers after a mysterious man comes to their small town. Friedman penned the pilot and will executive produce.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· ALICE (SYFY)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EASTWICK (ABC)
· FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (DIRECTV)
· GRAPES OF WRATH (ABC)
· LAST TEMPLAR, THE (NBC)
· MERCY (NBC)
· PHANTOM, THE (SYFY)
· PLANET EARTH CONSPIRACY (ABC)
· RELATED (WB)
· RIVERWORLD (SCI FI)
· RIVERWORLD (SYFY)
· RIVERWORLD (SCI FI)





[03/06/26 - 12:24 PM]
FOX Entertainment Studios Signs First-Look Deal with Writer, Actor, and Creator River Gallo
Gallo is the star, writer and creator of "Ponyboi," the inaugural feature film produced under FOX Entertainment Studios' new independent film label, Tideline.

[03/06/26 - 10:51 AM]
Shudder Announces Four All-New Specials of the Cult Favorite "The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs" in 2026
The announcement comes ahead of the Shudder original's celebratory series finale, airing live tonight, Friday, March 6 at 9pm ET on Shudder and AMC+.

[03/06/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Boarders" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
The coming-of-age comedy drama returns March 15.

[03/06/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel" - Official Trailer - Netflix
An in-depth look at the formative years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the profound influence of original guitarist, Hillel Slovak.

[03/06/26 - 09:31 AM]
Paramount+ Announces New Original Series, "Garfield" (w/t), from Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Starring Emmy Award-Winning Lamorne Morris
Inspired by the original comic strip by Jim Davis, the series features the chonky feline at his finest, with each episode featuring the pop culture icon's signature sarcasm and hilarious lackadaisy.

[03/06/26 - 07:01 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "Hollywood and the Oscars: Still Golden?" Now Streaming on CNN App
The documentary special is now streaming for CNN's streaming subscribers and will air Saturday, March 14 at 10pm ET on CNN, on the eve of Hollywood's biggest night.

[03/06/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Melania" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Coming soon to Prime Video, March 9.

[03/06/26 - 06:01 AM]
"The Night Agent" Answers the Call for a 4th Season
Season 3 hit #2 on the English TV list and earned 9.9 million views in its second week, with fans driving Seasons 1 and 2 back into the Global Top 10 list.

[03/05/26 - 11:16 AM]
Netflix Announces New Comedy Series "I Suck at Girls" Based on Justin Halpern's Bestselling Autobiography
The series will star Kayo Martin, Jeremy Ray Taylor, and Laila Pruitt.

[03/05/26 - 11:05 AM]
ABC Renews "9-1-1, "9-1-1: Nashville" and "High Potential"
The Alphabet confirmed all three moves on social media today.

[03/05/26 - 11:04 AM]
More Stars Take the Stage To Present at the 98th Oscars
Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the latest additions.

[03/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
Sandra Bernhard, Vincent Cassel, Dylan Ennis, Corentin Fila, Ari Graynor, and Nadia Tereszkiewicz Join Season 4 of "The White Lotus"
New reservations continue to fill up.

[03/05/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Harry Styles. One Night in Manchester." - Official Trailer - Netflix
In a special one off concert in Manchester, recorded on the evening of March 6, Harry Styles will play his new album, "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally." for the very first time.

[03/05/26 - 09:47 AM]
Paramount+ Announces Unscripted Relationship Series "Making Love" (w/t) to Release in 2027
From the producers of "Love Is Blind" and "Married at First Sight" comes a bold new relationship experiment, where singles take their destiny into their own hands and attempt to turn their desires into a lifetime of love.

[03/05/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Imaginative Trailer for Season Two of "Wonder Pets: In the City"
Produced by Nickelodeon Animation and developed by Emmy Award winner Jennifer Oxley, the new 13-episode season is set to premiere globally on Apple TV on March 20, 2026.