or


[10/29/09 - 06:17 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, October 29
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 C WORD (Showtime) - Oliver Platt ("Huff") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, which stars Laura Linney as Cathy, "a suburban wife and mother forced to face a diagnosis of cancer but who manages to find the lighter side of a dark situation." He'll play her husband, Paul, "a narcissistic but lovable manchild." John Benjamin Hickey and Phyllis Somerville also star in the half-hour, which is also expected to feature Gabourey Sidibe in a recurring role. Darlene Hunt wrote the script, to be directed by Bill Condon, with Neal Moritz, Vivian Cannon and Linney also serving as executive producers.


DAD CAMP (VH1, New!) - 3 Ball Productions has booked a new reality series at the cable channel in which "first-time fathers receive a crash course in grown-up responsibilities." The project is the latest effort by VH1 to rebrand its image away from its current controversial light. No other specifics were given about the project, which will be executive produced by JD Roth, Jeff Olde, Adam Greener, Todd Nelson, Matt Assmus, Jill Holmes, Sean Boyle and Csherian Coleman.


DEFYING GRAVITY (ABC) - In an interview with CliqueClack.com, creator James Parriott indicates the sets for the series have been struck and the actors have been released from their contracts. Said development comes as Fox Home Entertainment prepares to release the 13 completed episodes on DVD on January 19. ABC ran eight installments over the summer but has remained mum on air dates from the remaining five episodes (which have since broadcast in Canada). Sources suggest it's unlikely those episodes unseen by U.S. viewers will be broadcast here before said date.


DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Marc Cherry and Bob Daily have both reupped their respective overall deals with ABC Studios. The two-year extensions will keep the creator and his top lieutenant at the helm of the veteran soap should it run through its ninth season. Currently the principal cast members are only locked in through the 2010-11 season, the show's seventh. Cherry likewise will continue to develop new projects for the studio, including a previously announced drama co-written by Alexandra Cunningham. Also in the works is a multi-camera comedy from writers Jeffrey Bowen and Hunter Bell about two mismatched brothers - one gay and one straight - who share a gynecological practice, but neither knows the first thing about women. Sabrina Wind and Michael Barresse are also attached as executive producers to said half-hour, which Cherry is shepherding.


UNTITLED DAN FESMAN PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Dan Fesman ("NCIS") is developing a new drama at the network about "a master magician whose career is in ruins after he develops stage fright and agoraphobia" who is subsequently recruited by an elite law enforcement agency to take an unusual approach to cracking tough cases. David Percelay ("Level 9") and Jon Amiel ("Entrapment") are also on board to executive produce the hour for Universal Media Studios. Amiel is likewise attached to direct.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [october 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· BIG C, THE (SHOWTIME)
· DAD CAMP (VH1)
· DEFYING GRAVITY (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· HUFF (SHOWTIME)
· LEVEL NINE (UPN)
· NCIS (CBS)
· UNTITLED BELL & BOWEN PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED CHERRY & CUNNINGHAM PROJECT (ABC)
· UNTITLED DAN FESMAN PROJECT (NBC)





[06/22/26 - 12:00 PM]
"Love Island USA" Heads to Casa as Peacock Reveals the New Casa Amor Men
Tonight, the surprises continue with 12 new Casa men in a spicy round of speed dating.

[06/22/26 - 11:55 AM]
BET's Hit Comedy Series "Ms. Pat Settles It" Season 3B Returns Tuesday, June 30
Ms. Pat will be back on the bench, calling on a jury of her friends, celebrity guests, and fellow comedians to help settle real-life cases where everything from family ties and friendships to messy breakups and rocky romances hang in the balance.

[06/22/26 - 11:54 AM]
Ms. Pat Signs Expanded Exclusive Overall Deal with BET Studios, with Content Spanning Across Paramount Platforms & Ability to Sell to Third-Party Studios
The sixth season of "The Ms. Pat Show" will stream on Paramount+, the new streaming home for BET+ content, bringing the beloved series to a global platform with nearly 80 million subscribers.

[06/22/26 - 10:30 AM]
NBCUniversal Unveils Rock Studios, A Next-Generation Creative Engine Powering Brand Growth Across Iconic IP and Fandoms
With a portfolio anchored in the world's most powerful sports, influential entertainment, and cultural properties, Rock Studios transforms media investment into integrated experiences, pairing unmatched reach with cultural relevance to deliver measurable business impact for brands of all sizes.

[06/22/26 - 10:09 AM]
AMC Global Media's July Highlights Include "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "The Vampire Lestat," "Inspector Ellis," "The Ridge," "Harry Wild" and More
Film premieres for the month include "Chum," "Touch Me," "Faces of Death," "Exit 8," "Saccharine," "Over Your Dead Body," and "Da'partments."

[06/22/26 - 09:25 AM]
Linda Cohn, ESPN's Longest-Tenured "SportsCenter" Anchor, to Retire from ESPN June 30
Cohn joined ESPN in July of 1992 and hosted her first "SportsCenter" edition at 2 a.m. on July 11, 1992.

[06/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New "Gabby's Dollhouse" Series, A "Sesame Street" Collection, and Even More for Preschoolers and Kids
In addition to the new series, Gabby and the Gabby Cats return on September 14 for Season 14 of "Gabby's Dollhouse," which was the No. 4 series on Netflix in the second half of 2025 with roughly 108 million views.

[06/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Award-Winning Rece Davis Joins ESPN's Wimbledon Coverage as Host
A mainstay at ESPN for more than 25 years, Davis is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of college football's premier pre-game show, "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot," as well as other football and basketball-related ESPN programs.

[06/22/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Golden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid-" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In a fierce three-way fight over a hoard of Ainu gold, Asirpa and Sugimoto head to Abashiri Prison, where Noppera-Bo and the truth about her father wait.

[06/22/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Reveals Special Honorees for "The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One," Airing Wednesday, July 15, at 8 P.M. on ABC and Streaming on the ESPN App
Jason Collins will posthumously receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Jim Abbott will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.

[06/22/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Ricky Gervais "Alley Cats" - Official Trailer - Netflix
It follows a gang of foul-mouthed feral cats who cause havoc while musing on the meaning of life and fighting for survival in a brutal human world.

[06/22/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Sheep Detectives" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
"The Sheep Detectives" arrives June 24 on Prime Video.

[06/21/26 - 01:31 PM]
Peacock to Debut Companion Video Podcast "The Five Star Weekend Official Podcast" July 9 in Line with the Series Premiere of "The Five Star Weekend"
Best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand unpacks "The Five Star Weekend" with the show's cast and crew.

[06/20/26 - 12:23 PM]
USMNT's 2-0 Win Over Australia Scores FOX Best Friday Afternoon Telecast on Any Broadcast Network Since 2022
14,781,000 viewers watched the USMNT blank Australia 2-0 Friday afternoon on FOX.

[06/20/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Sparks of Tomorrow" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In an alternate past, an unlikely duo team up to look for a missing catalog that could bring electricity to the smoke-filled streets of Kyoto.