 |
 |
[12/10/09 - 06:13 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, December 10
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!
AMERICA: THE STORY OF US (History) - Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Colin Powell, Brian Williams, Buzz Aldrin, Tommy Franks, Donald Trump, John Lasseter and Stevie Wonder have all been tapped to participate in the upcoming 12-part event, which will "focus on the elements that distinguish American democracy, the conflicts that shaped it and the myriad social and industrial innovations that have fueled the country's prosperity." Said talent will serve as on-camera commentators with Jane Root executive producing via her Nutopia production banner. "America" is due sometime in 2010.
DELTA BLUES (TNT) - Alfre Woodard ("Three Rivers") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee), "a Memphis police officer who lives with his mother (Celia Weston) and moonlights as a tribute artist." She'll play "the formidable new lieutenant who tries to exercise her power over Dwight," a role presumably in second position to the hiatused "Rivers." Warner Horizon Television and Smokehouse Productions are behind the hour, which also stars Abraham Benrubi, DJ Qualls, Leonard Howz, Robyn Lively and Sam Hennings. Clark Johnson is directing from a script by Joshua Harto and Liz Garcia.
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO) - Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have announced via their web site their pay channel series won't be returning for a third season. "We've noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won't be returning for a 3rd season," said the statement. "We're very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We'd like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist." The show wrapped its second season back in March.
GLEE (FOX) - Tony-winning actress Idina Menzel ("Wicked") is reportedly in talks to recur on the back half of the show's freshman season. She would play the coach to glee club "Vocal Adrenaline," the McKinley High glee club's main competition. Menzel had already been the focus of a fan campaign to cast her as Rachel Berry's (Lea Michele) biological mother. Also signing on for a five to six episode arc is Jonathan Groff. He'll play the lead male vocalist of "Vocal Adrenaline" and a potential love interest for Rachel Berry. Groff co-starred opposite Michele in the Broadway production of "Spring Awakening."
KEEP HOPE ALIVE (FOX) - Kate Micucci ("Scrubs") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about Jimmy (Lucas Neff), "a 25-year-old single parent raising an infant with the help of his quirky family after the mother of the baby -- with whom he had a one-night stand -- ends up on death row." She'll play Mike, "an unkempt, fairly oblivious cousin of Jimmy living in a tent in the laundry room of their great-grandmother's house." Said role was originally envisioned a male. Garrett Dillahunt, Kate Micucci, Martha Plimpton and Olesya Rulin also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which Michael Fresco is directing from a script by Greg Garcia.
THE SIX (ABC, New!) - Merv Griffin Entertainment has landed a presentation order from the Alphabet for a new game show based on the Russian format "What? Where? When?" Said project, which has been running for 35 years in its home country, is being redubbed "The Six," after the number of contestants on the show. The late Vladimir Voroshilov created (and hosted) the series, which pits a panel of six knowledgeable persons against the viewing audience. Said experts are tasked with answering audience-submitted questions listed on a spinning horizontal wheel divided into segments. If the experts answer correctly in the allotted 60 seconds they receive a point, if they don't the audience receives a point with question's author also earning a prize. (Sample question: "They first appeared in 1908 in Mexico. There were two of them. Over time, they came closer and closer together, like wings of a black raven. Name them." Answer: "Frida Kahlo's eyebrows.") Exact format details however are still being worked out. Merv Griffin's Roy Bank is executive producing the project alongside Ukranian-born actor Alex Reznik, Jonathan Barry and Ron Ward. Dwight Smith and Michael Agbabian are the showrunners with Brian Veskosky serving as a co-executive producer.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
|
|
|
 [december 2009]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[06/02/26 - 01:17 PM]
FX's "The Drop: A Snowfall Saga" Set as New Title for Spinoff Series Coming Later This Year on FX and Hulu
Set in '90s Los Angeles, the new series follows "Snowfall" characters Wanda (Gail Bean) and Leon (Isaiah John) as they fight to take West Coast rap mainstream while gang wars erupt and record labels move to exploit hip hop culture for their own gain.
|
[06/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 25 - "The Boroughs" Makes Itself at Home at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Plus: "Nemesis" stole away with the No. 2 spot on the list, commanding 5.9 million views.
|
[06/02/26 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Announces Additional Summer 2026 Premiere Dates
Highlights include the return of "Kitchen Nightmares" on Tuesday, July 21 and "Beat Shazam" on Tuesday, July 28.
|
[06/02/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: BET Debuts Trailer and Announces Premiere Date for New Original Comedy Series, "Lot Patrol" from Manny Halley Productions
The series will premiere on BET on June 30, 2026 at 10 pm ET / 9 pm CT.
|
[06/02/26 - 09:29 AM]
Catch a New Season of "Lakefront Bargain Hunt Renovation" Premiering June 16 on Magnolia Network
With a bit of imagination and a lot of muscle, families transform their new vacation homes into the relaxing getaways they had always envisioned.
|
[06/02/26 - 09:21 AM]
BET Announces First-Ever Board of Advisors, Marking a New Era of Leadership and Cultural Stewardship
Established under the leadership of Louis Carr, President of BET, the Board brings together an influential collective of cultural icons, business leaders, and industry visionaries who will help guide BET's continued evolution as a force at the intersection of media, community, and culture.
|
[06/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" - Season 3 Official Trailer - Netflix
A new batch of hopefuls face fierce competition, high expectations and even higher kicks as they vie for a spot with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
|
[06/02/26 - 08:30 AM]
Video: The Reign Ends Here - "All the Queen's Men" Reveals Trailer and First Look at Fifth and Final Season Premiering June 10 Only on Paramount+
The series will launch with two episodes, followed by a weekly rollout culminating in the mid-season finale on Wednesday, July 22.
|
[06/02/26 - 08:01 AM]
"Kaulitz & Kaulitz" Season 3 - Exclusively on Netflix from July 23, 2026
Germany's most popular twins once again take us along for the ride in their turbulent lives, sharing intimate moments, arguments, and scenes that go straight to the heart.
|
[06/02/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Tony Hinchcliffe: Man of the People" - Sneak Peek - Netflix
Tony Hinchcliffe returns with another brutally unapologetic hour from comedy's favorite equal-opportunity offender.
|
[06/02/26 - 07:01 AM]
"The Marlow Murder Club" Is Back in Action Filming Season 4
Season 3 premieres this fall on PBS.
|
[06/02/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV Unveils Trailer for Third Season of Its Globally Acclaimed Drama "Silo"
The 10-episode third season will premiere on Apple TV with the first episode on July 3, followed by one new episode every Friday through September 4, 2026.
|
[06/01/26 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "Husbands in Action" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A detective teams up with his ex-wife's new husband to chase down her kidnappers. Can this unlikely duo put aside their differences for one wild rescue?
|
[06/01/26 - 02:03 PM]
Exclusive Announcement Live From Crime Con 2026: Season 4 of the Hit Docuseries "Betrayal" to Stream on Hulu This August
In a room of thousands of fans of true crime and scandals, the team made a surprise exclusive announcement that Season 4 of the popular docuseries will stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for Bundle subscribers this August.
|
[06/01/26 - 02:02 PM]
"Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House," A New Docuseries from Executive Producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Begins Streaming June 4 on Hulu
The six-part series follows ordinary people blindsided by manipulators who know exactly how to weaponize tenant protections and turn the legal system against the very people it's supposed to protect.
|
|
|
|
