 |
 |
[10/21/09 - 06:29 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 21
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!
BOYFRED (ABC, New!) - Newcomers Blake Silver, Jarrod Zimmerman, Alan Schmuckler and Michael Mahler have landed a script order from the Alphabet for a new comedy about six twentysomething friends who use a web site to keep in touch after one of them moves overseas. The project, which has a penalty attached, is based on a 15-minute presentation the quartet shot last summer for $6,000. Thomas Schlamme has subsequently come on board to executive produce the half-hour, which is set up at Sony Pictures Television. As for specifics, said effort revolves around Fred, "a Web designer in Chicago whose girlfriend goes overseas, so he creates a Web site for their circle of friends to keep in touch." In addition, "many of the show's characters are involved in Chicago's music scene, and their music blogs are central to the shared Web site, Boyfred.com." Silver directed the presentation with Schmuckler, Mahler and Zimmerman starring and Schmuckler and Mahler providing original music.
FLASH FORWARD (ABC) - Marc Guggenheim has stepped down as co-showrunner of the freshman drama. The move comes as production wraps on the show's original 13 episode order, which Guggenheim was brought in to supervise alongside co-creator David Goyer. Goyer then will fly solo for the remaining 12 episodes of its 25-installment freshman run. As for Guggenheim, he'll transition to development through his overall deal with producer ABC Studios.
I'M WITH STUPID (ABC, New!) - Judy Greer ("Miss/Guided") is set to topline a new multi-comedy at the network about Kas Sienkiewicz, "a Manhattanite who has a fling with a park ranger while on safari in South Africa" who returns home to find the ranger has tracked her down where his "limited intellectual capabilities" are ultimately revealed. Elaine Szewczyk, whose novel upon which the show is based, is penning the half-hour alongside Allan Loeb. Loeb, Steven Pearl and Richard Lewis then are executive producing the project, which has a script commitment, with Szewczyk serving as a co-executive producer. ABC Studios is producing the half-hour, which was originally developed by Lionsgate Television.
OLIVE PRODUCTIONS PROJECTS (Various, New!) - Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci and Wren Arthur's Olive Productions has booked a pair of projects around town. At HBO there's an untitled hour from Stu Zicherman ("Six Degrees") about "a brilliant, one-time powerful politician struggling to rebuild his career and relationships with his family and friends after being brought down by a scandal." Tucci is attached to play said role. Meanwhile, TBS has ordered "Good and Evel," an animated comedy about twin brothers Jack Good and Bo Evel who were "stolen by gypsy cab drivers at birth and taught how to behave and drive badly, Bo is a career petty criminal, and Jack bends over backward to mend his brother's ways and help his dysfunctional family." "Daria" co-creator Glenn Eichler penned said half-hour, which also comes from The Gotham Group's Lee Stollman and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein. Both projects are set up at Lionsgate Television where Olive has a first-look deal. Buscemi, Tucci and Arthur then will executive produce alongside the aforementioned creators.
UNTITLED PAUL RUST PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Paul Rust ("I Love You, Beth Cooper") is set to write and star in a new comedy at the Peacock based on his stint as a Wal-Mart employee. Universal Media Studios and Conan O'Brien's Conaco banner are behind the half-hour, which will track Rust's story of graduating from the U. of Iowa, returning to his hometown of LeMars, Iowa and taking a job at Wal-Mart (to be replaced by a fictional big-box store) - "only to find that his co-workers included his former high school principal." Rust, O'Brien and David Kissinger will then serve as executive producers.
WE ARE HERE (ABC, New!) - Hilary Winston ("My Name Is Earl") is developing a new comedy at the Alphabet about "four friends from the U. of Texas, all of whom still live in Austin, but deal with the arrival of adulthood in different ways." Anthony and Joe Russo ("Community") are also on board to executive produce the half-hour for Sony Pictures Television. The network has given a script commitment to the project with a penalty attached.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [october 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[11/20/25 - 11:01 AM]
ESPN Signs Women's Basketball Analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo to Multi-Year Extension
She will continue as one of ESPN's lead voices on women's college basketball and WNBA coverage, including regular-season games, Champ Week, the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and the WNBA Finals.
|
[11/20/25 - 11:01 AM]
BritBox Announces Season Three of Jimmy McGovern's Award-Winning "Time" Starring David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran
Set within a Young Offenders Institution, the season will explore the impact of locking up teenagers and the effects on those who look after them.
|
[11/20/25 - 10:10 AM]
Tubi's YA Original Film "How to Lose a Popularity Contest" Premieres Exclusively on Tubi on January 16
The film is a sharp, flirty high school rom-com about a charming underachiever and a type-A overachiever teaming up to win student body president - and maybe each other.
|
[11/20/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Paul Anka: His Way" Debuts December 1
From teen idol to chart-topping songwriter, Paul Anka has spent seven decades as one of the most prolific musicians in the world and he's still going.
|
[11/20/25 - 10:01 AM]
BET+ Original Film, "Love After Holidays," Premieres Thursday, December 4
The film stars Jacinth Headlam, Jeremy Meeks, Trina, Amia Brock, and Malik Yoba.
|
[11/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Train Dreams" - Final Trailer - Netflix
A logger leads a life of quiet grace as he experiences love and loss during an era of monumental change in early 20th-century America.
|
[11/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces Premiere Date for "Beast Games" Season Two and Shares First Look at New Beast City
The first three episodes will be available on January 7 with following episodes dropping weekly thereafter leading up to the Season Two finale on February 25.
|
[11/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
Lainey Wilson Set to Perform at the 99th "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade"
Wilson will take the stage in front of the iconic Herald Square flagship store.
|
[11/20/25 - 08:48 AM]
FOX's Reimagined "Baywatch" Brings the California Dream Back to Los Angeles Thanks to the State Film Commission's 40% Tax Credit
The tax credit was granted as part of the CFC's ongoing efforts to keep high-profile, job-creating productions in The Golden State.
|
[11/20/25 - 08:22 AM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Hits Season Highs with Best Performance Among Total Viewers and Households in Five Months
Friday's "Live's Halloween Show: "It's Trending!" posted its top telecast in Total Viewers (2.554 million) and Households (1.62 million) in over six months.
|
[11/20/25 - 08:12 AM]
Apple TV Announces New Culinary Adventure "The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina"
In the series, Nora embarks on a deeply personal cross-country journey as she explores contemporary Asian American cuisine, starting with her family's remarkable legacy.
|
[11/20/25 - 08:04 AM]
Drew and Jonathan Scott Star in Five New Episodes of HGTV's Hit Series "Celebrity IOU" Beginning Sunday, Dec. 28, at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The star-studded series attracted more than 6.5 million viewers across linear and streaming in its last run.
|
[11/20/25 - 08:01 AM]
Stuart Scott's Legacy Comes to Life in ESPN's Upcoming 30 for 30 "Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott," Presented by Modelo, Premiering December 10 at 9pm ET on ESPN
Premiering December 10 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN app, the film takes an intimate look at the life and legacy of Stuart Scott - the trailblazing "SportsCenter" anchor whose words, wit and authenticity transformed the way sports stories are told.
|
[11/20/25 - 07:45 AM]
HBO Announces Season Renewals for Two "Game of Thrones" Franchise Series, Setting New Seasons Each Year Through 2028
As previously announced, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" premieres Sunday, January 18.
|
[11/20/25 - 07:11 AM]
HBO Renews Original Comedy Series "The Chair Company" and "I Love LA" for Second Seasons
From Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, "The Chair Company" continues to pace as HBO's top freshman comedy in platform history, with the season averaging 3.3 million (L+3) U.S. cross-platform viewers and growing.
|
|
|
|
