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[09/24/09 - 06:04 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, September 24
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!
24 (FOX) - Stephen Root ("True Blood") is the 16th addition to the show's massive season eight ensemble, due in January. He'll play Ben Prady, an officer of the Department of Corrections looking into a parolee gone missing, in a multi-episode arc.
AMERICAN IDOL (FOX) - The network and Simon Cowell are reportedly in talks to import his U.K. series "The X Factor." Said development comes as negotiations continue with the judge to extend his current pact, which ends after the upcoming season. The "Idol" portion of the deal is said to be valued in the nine-figure range to return for two more seasons while "Factor" could net just as much per season. Cowell's existing "Idol" deal prohibited him from bringing "Factor" to the U.S., hence the added pressure to either keep Cowell exclusive or fold "Factor" under the FOX tent.
THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW (TBS) - The cable channel has pulled the plug on the sitcom after three seasons. In a statement released to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the network said: "TBS has cancelled The Bill Engvall Show after three seasons. We had a great experience working with Bill and the cast. Bill is a terrific comic, and we have tremendous respect for him. While the show didn't attract the audience we need to renew it for another season, we're proud of the work of everyone involved."
THE CAPE (NBC, New!)/THE MYSTERIES OF OAK ISLAND (FOX, New!) - Tom Wheeler ("Empire") has landed script commitments - with penalties attached - for new dramas at FOX and NBC. The former, the Warner Bros. Television-based "The Mysteries of Oak Island," revolves around "a single mom and her two children who inherit a 200-year-old lighthouse on [a] mysterious island off the coast of Nova Scotia known for numerous quests to find treasure believed to be buried there." Meanwhile, "The Cape" centers on "a former cop framed for a crime he didn't commit who becomes the Cape, a masked hero, to clear his name and reunite with his son." Said hour, set in the fictional Jefferson City ("a Los Angeles-type city where corrupt private industries are taking over everything"), comes from Universal Media Studios and fellow executive producers Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman.
HOUSE (FOX) - Entertainment Weekly reports Jennifer Morrison is departing the series later this season. Said development is being billed as "a creative decision on the part of producers." It's understood Morrison's character, who will say goodbye during an episode in November, won't be killed off but rather exit for other reasons. Producers nevertheless reportedly will leave the door open for future appearances.
LAWMAN (FX) - "Dirty Sexy Money" alum Natalie Zea has joined the cast of upcoming drama, about "a modern-day, 19th-century-style lawman (Timothy Olyphant) enforcing his brand of justice." She'll play the ex-wife of said character after guest starring in the pilot. Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions are behind the hour, which rolls out early next year.
SKY JOCKEYS (FOX, New!) - RDF Media and UKTV, a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media, are set to team for a potential new animated comedy set inside an airport. Anil Gupta (U.K.'s "The Office") and Richard Pinto ("Mutual Friends") are behind the half-hour, the pilot of which has been sold to FOX. The project is a result of RDF Media's new script-development deal with UKTV's digital outlet Dave which calls for the company to develop three half-hour scripts, including "Sky Jockeys," at least one of which will be picked up for broadcast sometime in late 2010. No other details about "Jockeys" however were released.
UNTITLED JIM BREUER PROJECT (NBC, New!) - "SNL" alum Jim Breuer is set to topline a new multi-camera comedy at the Peacock about "a father who decides to stay home and raise his three daughters and at the same time take care of his elderly parents." Wil Calhoun ("What I Like About You") is penning the half-hour for Sony Pictures Television. It's understood the project, which has a script commitment, is inspired by Breuer's recent documentary "More Than This," which followed the comedian as he embarked on a stand-up tour with his father. Breuer and Calhoun then will executive produce alongside Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter of Varsity Pictures and Judi Brown-Marmel of Levity Entertainment Group.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[09/16/25 - 04:46 PM]
Apple's Global Hit Drama "The Morning Show" Renewed for Season Five
Said renewal comes ahead of the season four premiere due tomorrow, Wednesday, September 17.
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[09/16/25 - 03:39 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" and College Football on ESPN/ABC Both Off to Stellar Starts in 2025
ABC is off to its best three-week start ever, averaging 7.8 million viewers per game.
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[09/16/25 - 03:02 PM]
"20/20" Is the No. 1 Program Across Broadcast and Cable on Friday Night
"20/20" ranked as the No. 1 broadcast program on Friday night in Total Viewers (2.457 million).
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[09/16/25 - 03:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49, Leading CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in All Three Measures
For the 2nd week in a row, "Nightline" improved on the previous week in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.
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[09/16/25 - 02:45 PM]
FOX NFL Smashes All-Time Viewership Records with Week 2 Super Bowl Rematch
A massive 33.8 million viewers delivers FOX Sports its best-ever regular season Sunday telecast, most-watched Week 2 NFL telecast on record and more all-time viewership highs!
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[09/16/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of September 8: "Canelo vs. Crawford" Packs a Punch, "Wednesday" Season 2 Joins Most Popular List
In movies, "KPop Demon Hunters" danced its way back to No. 1 on the English Film list with 22.6 million views.
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[09/16/25 - 11:01 AM]
NFL Christmas Gameday Is Back with a New Line-Up of On-Air Booth Talent in Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis, Minnesota
Netflix's NFL Christmas Gameday 2024 reached 65 million U.S. viewers, according to Nielsen.
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[09/16/25 - 11:00 AM]
Prime Video Announces October 23 Premiere Date for "Allen Iv3rson"
The three-part docuseries is about the captivating life of basketball legend and global sensation Allen Iverson, whose authentic voice and unapologetic expression of style paved the way for future generations and revolutionized the culture of the NBA.
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[09/16/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Prime Minister" Debuts September 30
The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary.
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[09/16/25 - 09:56 AM]
Daytime Emmy-Nominated "The Jennifer Hudson Show" Comes to Streaming Audiences for Free on Tubi
Starting today, fans can stream each episode of season four of "The Jennifer Hudson Show" for free on Tubi the day after it airs on linear television.
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[09/16/25 - 09:30 AM]
"On the Bench" -- NBC Sports Introduces Dedicated Team Analysts Seated Courtside for Peacock NBA Monday Throughout 2025-26 NBA Season
Rather than sitting next to the play-by-play voice, the analysts will be positioned near the assistant coaches of their assigned team during the action, listening in on huddles and timeouts, and delivering information straight from the bench.
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[09/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
"Superman" Soars Onto HBO Max Exclusively on September 19
HBO Max will feature an in-app "Superman" takeover offering viewers a transformed homepage and unique user experience.
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[09/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In the shadowy world of espionage, Sam Fisher is a rumor and a legend. Pulled back into action, he must help a new recruit unravel a global conspiracy.
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[09/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
Bravo Embarks on the Ultimate Fish-Out-of-Water Social Experiment When "Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition" Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
"The Real Housewives" featured are Angie Katsanevas (Salt Lake City), Emily Simpson (Orange County), Melissa Gorga (New Jersey) and Dr. Wendy Osefo (Potomac).
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[09/16/25 - 08:45 AM]
ESPN and the NWSL Announce Supplemental Media Rights Agreement
Under the agreement, ABC and ESPN networks will carry 16 more regular-season games each year, increasing the total number of NWSL matches available on The Walt Disney Company networks from 17 to 33 per season.
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