 |
 |
[03/11/09 - 06:17 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, March 11
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!
90210 (The CW) - Model-turned-actress Sara Foster has booked a recurring role on the freshman drama. She'll play the sister to AnnaLynne McCord's character who arrives in town to stir up trouble. It's believed her first episode airs May 5.
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (CBS) - "Ugly Betty" co-star Ashley Jensen has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, which stars Jenna Elfman as a movie critic who gets pregnant after a fling with a younger man. She'll play the best friend of Elfman's character. Her casting is in second position to her duties on "Betty." Pamela Fryman is helming the CBS Paramount Network Television-based project from a script by Claudia Lonow.
BACK (CBS) - "Jericho" alum Skeet Ulrich has scored the lead role in the drama pilot, about a man who returns home to discover he was reported missing eight years earlier - after September 11 - and must now reconnect with his family and a world that has moved on without him. He'll play Richard Miles, said man, in the hour, which comes from CBS Paramount Network Television and creator Dean Widenmann. Mark Pellington is directing.
THE BODY POLITIC (The CW) - Minka Kelly ("Friday Night Lights") and Jason Dohring ("Moonlight") have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, about young staffers in Washington. She'll play Hope, "an all-American girl who leaves her life in Michigan after the death of her mother and heads to D.C., where her long-lost dad, Sen. Webster (Tim Matheson), has just been appointed Attorney General, and takes a job on his staff." Dohring then will play Charlie Morris, a reporter with the Washington Post. Like Jensen (see above), Kelly's casting is in second position to her role on the NBC drama. Bill Robinson and Jason Rothenberg are behind the CBS Paramount Network Television-based hour, which Scott Winant is attached to direct.
EASTWICK (ABC) - Sara Rue has booked a role on the drama pilot, about three witches (Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman) coming into their powers. She'll play the best friend of Price's character in the hour, which comes from Warner Bros. Television, creator Maggie Friedman and director David Nutter.
THE FISH TANK (CBS) - Former Nickelodeon mainstay Drake Bell is set to topline the comedy pilot, about a teen who winds up getting the family house to himself during the week when his parents start commuting. Bell's casting lifts said contingency off the pilot's production. Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa are behind the half-hour, which is based at CBS Paramount Network Television.
GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP (NBC, New!) - BBC Worldwide Productions has landed an eight-episode commitment from the Peacock for a new reality series in which seven families will drive cross-country to complete in challenges at iconic landmarks such as the Grand Canyon and the Washington Monument. The project is set to roll out this summer, however no specific premiere date has been released.
HOUSE RULES (CBS) - Eion Bailey ("ER") and Kristin Bauer ("True Blood") are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about the freshman class of Congress. He's set as Alan Levi, a former Wall Street hotshot who enters politics as a Republican congressman, while she's on board as a newly elected Democrat from California who is estranged from her husband. Michael Seitzman penned the hour, which comes from ABC Studios and The Mark Gordon Company.
MASTERWORK (FOX) - "The Tudors" alum Natalie Dormer is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, "a globe-trotting adventure in which a male FBI agent and a female MI-5 agent (Dormer) team to recover the world's most sought-after artifacts." Jeffrey Nachmanoff is helming the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour from a script by Paul T. Scheuring.
MTV ORIGINAL SERIES (MTV, New!) - The cable channel has ramped up its scripted development, giving a series commitment to the animated series "DJ and the Fro" as well as pilot orders to five projects. "Fro," which has a 20-episode order, follows two office drones who swap viral videos while surrounded by workplace mayhem. On the pilot front there's "Private High Musical," based on Taryn Southern's online series that produces raunchy versions of high school shows; "Long Distance Relationship," likewise based on Dan Levy's web series about a high school couple who go to separate colleges and conduct a relationship via webcam; "Popzilla," a sketch comedy show from "SCTV's" Dave Thomas that lampoons celebrity news and gossip; "Hard Times," from writer Seth Grahame-Smith and producer David Katzenberg, about a well-endowed high school geek whose social status is greatly improved after accidentally exposing himself at a basketball game; and "Who's Your Daddy?", an animated comedy from Les Firestein about the multicultural adopted kids of a celebrity couple.
REINCARNATIONIST (FOX) - Richard Schiff ("The West Wing") has been cast in the drama pilot, about investigators solving present mysteries caused by past-life traumas. He'll play a legendary scientist in the field of reincarnation. Deran Sarafian is helming the hour from a script by David Hudgins. Warner Bros. Television is the studio attached.
SONS OF TUCSON (FOX) - "Reaper's" Tyler Labine has signed on to star in the comedy pilot, about a thirtysomething man who's hired by a group of boys to portray their father while their real dad is in jail. He'll play Ron Snuffkin, the aforementioned man, a role which is in second position to "Reaper." Greg Bratman and Tommy Dewey co-created the half-hour, which is based at 20th Century Fox Television.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [march 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[12/04/25 - 01:31 PM]
Heroes Rise Together! Disney+ Original Series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Official Branded Merchandise Now Available
Inspired by the series' rich storytelling, the dedicated e-commerce store will feature a wide variety of Camp Half-Blood-themed merchandise tailored for enthusiasts of the acclaimed series.
|
[12/04/25 - 12:56 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer for the Original Drama Series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," Debuting January 18
From the world of Westeros comes an endearing tale centered on the adventures of an unexpected duo.
|
[12/04/25 - 12:07 PM]
Video: "Mo' Waffles" - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
When a hip hop legend vanishes before his waffle joint's opening, his oddball crew must crack the case, wondering if one of them could be the culprit.
|
[12/04/25 - 12:00 PM]
Video: A New Generation of Camp Rockers Vie to Become the Opening Act for Connect 3 in First "Camp Rock 3" Teaser
The teaser includes a first look at the Jonas Brothers' return as Connect 3 and the new generation of campers joining the iconic franchise.
|
[12/04/25 - 11:02 AM]
"The Masked Singer" Returns with an All-New Season of Epic Themes and Massive Unmaskings on FOX!
Season 14 takes its beloved themed episodes to new heights, celebrating some of the most recognizable and nostalgic moments in pop culture history.
|
[12/04/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Debuts Official Trailer for Sports Docuseries "Rise of the 49ers," Narrated by Executive Producer Tom Brady
The limited series event, exploring the dramatic and iconic run of the San Francisco 49ers during the '80s and early '90s, premieres with the first two episodes on Sunday, February 1 at 9pm ET/PT, followed by the remaining two episodes on Monday, February 2 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+.
|
[12/04/25 - 10:39 AM]
Meryl Streep, Jon Batiste, Kathryn Hahn, Regina Hall, Parker Posey, Zachary Quinto, Kelly Ripa and Adam Scott to Present Honors in the 19th Annual "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute"
This year, the third annual CNN Heroes Legacy Award will continue the new tradition of honoring not-so-everyday people dedicated to a lifetime of service by recognizing Robert Redford with a special tribute and appearance by former Vice President Al Gore accepting the award on behalf of the Redford family.
|
[12/04/25 - 10:31 AM]
"The Hunting Wives" Season 2 Adds Kim Matula and Alex Fitzalan
The duo joins previously announced returning cast members Brittany Snow, Malin Akerman, Jaime Ray Newman, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, George Ferrier, Karen Rodriguez, Hunter Emery, and Branton Box.
|
[12/04/25 - 10:28 AM]
"A CNN Special Event: Roy Wood Jr.'s Very Very Very Merry Holiday Special" Airs Sunday, December 14 at 8pm ET on CNN
Filmed in front of a live audience in the nation's capital, Wood Jr. will dive into the joy, and occasional chaos, of the holiday season with his signature blend of sharp wit and warm humor.
|
[12/04/25 - 10:01 AM]
The World Knew Him as Dirty John: New Documentary Series Exposes the Real John Meehan
From Bunim/Murray Productions, a Banijay Americas company, and Empress Films, director Emma Cooper and executive producers Julie Pizzi, Jesse Daniels, and Melissa G. Moore, comes the definitive documentary series of the man behind the myth.
|
[12/04/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hularious Original "Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts"
The latest special in the Hularious stand-up slate premieres Friday, December 19 on Hulu, and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers, in the US, and on Disney+ internationally.
|
[12/04/25 - 09:41 AM]
Hallmark Media Announces That Matthew Lawrence and TLC's Chilli Will Host an All-New, Original Series "Second Chance Love"
The all-new, unscripted series gives five couples, ranging from their 30's to 70's and who dated 5 to 40 years ago, a second chance to reconnect with the one who got away against the backdrop of a romantic Italian resort.
|
[12/04/25 - 09:32 AM]
Food Network Will Kick Off 2026 with a Fresh New Competition Series, "Baking Championship: Next Gen"
Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown are the hosts and judges of the series, due on Monday, January 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
|
[12/04/25 - 09:31 AM]
First Look - Bert Kreischer Stars in Netflix's "Free Bert"
The new scripted comedy series, starring Bert Kreischer, premieres on Netflix in January 2026.
|
[12/04/25 - 09:06 AM]
PBS and WETA Announce Four-Part Documentary "Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History" with Henry Louis Gates Jr. to Premiere February 3, 2026
Black and Jewish Americans began on fundamentally different footing, but by the early 20th century, they were drawn together by entrenched racism and rising antisemitism.
|
|
|
|
