or


[09/18/09 - 06:03 PM]
Development Update: Friday, September 18
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!


THE BORGIAS (Showtime, New!) - Feature helmer Neil Jordan is developing a new historical drama at the pay channel about the infamous Borgia clan, "the notorious Italian noble family that ran amok during the Renaissance." Showtime is said to be close to a pilot commitment for the project, which also comes from DreamWorks Television and Robert Zemeckis's ImageMovers banner. Jordan penned the script on spec and has completed a story bible for the series. He'll also executive produce alongside Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank of DreamWorks and Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey of ImageMovers. As for specifics, the series will revolve around Rodrigo Borgia, "who served as Pope Alexander VI from 1492-1503 before dying suddenly, and his murderous and larcenous children Lucrezia, Cesare and Juan."


CHUCK (NBC) - Vinnie Jones ("X-Men: The Last Stand") is set to guest star on the show's third season. He'll play Karl Stromberg, "an expert hit man with a soft side." No other details were given about said role.


IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA, New!) - John McNamara ("Eyes") has been tapped as the showrunner of the series, which returns for its third season next year. He'll take over for David Maples and Paul Stupin, who announced their departure earlier this year. The news is the result of a new overall deal the prolific writer/producer has inked with Universal Media Studios. In addition to his "Sight" duties, he'll develop new series projects for the studio. Production on the new season of "Sight" begins in January in Albuquerque.


LEAPFROG (ABC, New!) - Shana Goldberg-Meehan ("Joey") has landed a pilot commitment from the Alphabet for a new multi-camera comedy about "two sisters at different stages in their romantic relationships - one sister is in a happy, long-term relationship but isn't married; the other gets pregnant and winds up quickly marrying her new beau." Warner Bros. Television is the studio attached.


PREGNANCY PACT (Lifetime) - Thora Birch and Nancy Travis are the first to be cast in the original movie, which is inspired by "the true story of the boom of teen pregnancies at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts." Birch will play Sidney Bloom, "an opinionated blogger who returns to her hometown to investigate the sudden spike in teenage pregnancies at her old high school." Travis then is set as Lorraine Dougan, "head of a local conservative-values group and mother of Sara, a pregnant 15-year-old." The Gloucester story drew national attention after a Time magazine story suggested the pregnancies were the result of a pact among the girls. Robert M. Sertner and Frank von Zerneck are behind the project, which Rosemary Rodriguez will direct from a script by Pamela Davis and Teena Booth.


UNTITLED BRETT PAESEL/MARSH MCCALL PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Brett Paesel and Marsh McCall have booked a script commitment from the Alphabet for a new comedy about Megan McPhee, "a newly divorced woman who, in an attempt to rebuild her life, takes a rather unusual job." ABC Studios is behind the multi-camera half-hour with Warren Littlefield also executive producing.


UNTITLED PENN & TELLER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Vegas magicians/comedians Penn and Teller ("Penn & Teller: Bullshit") are set to topline a potential new dramedy at the network about a pair of "magicians by night and reluctant detectives by day." Leonard Dick ("House") is writing the Warner Bros. Television-based project and will executive alongside the duo. Peter Golden is also onboard as a co-executive producer.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [september 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BETTER WITH YOU (ABC)
· BORGIAS, THE (SHOWTIME)
· CHUCK (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EYES (ABC)
· HOUSE (FOX)
· IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA)
· JOEY (NBC)
· PENN & TELLER: BULLSHIT (SHOWTIME)
· PREGNANCY PACT (LIFETIME)
· UNTITLED MCCALL & PAESEL PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED PENN & TELLER PROJECT (ABC)





[04/26/24 - 09:33 AM]
Paramount+ Announces "Apartment 7A," A New Original Film Starring Golden Globe Winner Julia Garner, to Premiere This Fall
Set in 1965 New York City, the film tells the story prior to the legendary horror classic Rosemary's Baby, exploring what happened in the apartment before Rosemary moved in.

[04/26/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: China Anne Mcclain & Kylie Cantrall Perform "What's My Name (Red Version)" from "Descendants: The Rise of Red" Soundtrack in New Music Video
"Descendants: The Rise of Red" premieres Friday, July 12 exclusively on Disney+, followed by a special encore on Friday, August 9, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel.

[04/26/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Secrets of the Neanderthals" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The film takes viewers on a journey from their preconceptions of Neanderthals as a dim-witted creature to a complex and creative people, through the lens of a unique, ongoing excavation and a landmark new discovery - the best-preserved Neanderthal skeleton found in over a quarter century.

[04/25/24 - 02:31 PM]
On the Heels of "The Daily Show's" Huge Ratings Growth, The Emmy Award-Winning Franchise Expands Its All-Star News Team
The show enlists Troy Iwata, Josh Johnson, and Grace Kuhlenschmidt as Correspondents.

[04/25/24 - 11:31 AM]
Netflix Greenlights Leanne Morgan Scripted Comedy from Co-Creator Chuck Lorre
Additionally, Morgan will do two stand-up specials for Netflix.

[04/25/24 - 11:01 AM]
Netflix & Shondaland Announce New "Bridgerton" Season 3 Product Collections & Brand Collaborations
In celebration of its upcoming Season 3 premiere, Netflix and Shondaland are announcing new product collections with leading lifestyle brands that speak to the essence of the Bridgerton universe and the underpinnings of the romantic Regency era releasing this spring.

[04/25/24 - 10:37 AM]
ABC's "Will Trent" Continues Momentum as Series Logs Highest Total Viewer Audience to Date and Highest Adults 18-49 Rating in Over a Year
After 35 days of viewing on ABC, Hulu and digital platforms, "Will Trent" continues its ratings climb in episode three of season two, growing to 11.23 million Total Viewers and marking its highest multiplatform telecast to date.

[04/25/24 - 10:07 AM]
Video: "Prom Dates" - Official Trailer - Hulu
"Prom Dates" follows best friends Jess and Hannah, who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom.

[04/25/24 - 10:02 AM]
HGTV Picks-Up New Season of Popular Hawaii-Based Series "Renovation Aloha"
The new season is slated to premiere in 2025.

[04/25/24 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Debuts Official Trailer and Key Art for Third Season of "Mayor of Kingstown"
In season three, a series of explosions rock Kingstown and its citizens, as a new face of the Russian mob sets up shop in the city, and a drug war rages inside and outside prison walls.

[04/25/24 - 10:00 AM]
The CW Network Enters Exclusive Multi-Year Agreement to Air Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants
The 73rd Miss USA Pageant will air live on Sunday, August 4 while the companion pageant, Miss Teen USA, will air live on Thursday, August 1.

[04/25/24 - 09:29 AM]
The Brenner Brothers Are Back with a Sequel This Holiday Season on Hallmark Channel!
Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Margaret Colin reprise their roles in the all-new sequel to "Three Wise Men and a Baby" - the #1 most-watched original movie premiere of 2022.

[04/25/24 - 09:01 AM]
The History Channel to Premiere Two-Night Event "The Great War" Executive Produced by Robin Roberts on May 27
The documentary series is told through dramatic narrative sequences, insightful interviews and contemporary scholarship, and dynamic archival footage.

[04/25/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Clipped" - Official Trailer - Laurence Fishburne, Jacki Weaver, Cleopatra Coleman, Ed O'Neill - FX
The scandalous story of LA's other basketball team.

[04/25/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for the New Documentary Series "Hollywood Con Queen," Featuring the Unbelievable Story of One of Hollywood's Biggest Scams, Premiering Globally May 8
"Hollywood Con Queen" hails from Emmy winner Chris Smith and Library Films.