 |
 |
[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 |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[07/28/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Here the Whole Time" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Felipe just wanted a quiet summer with his artsy mom and every musical he could binge... when his childhood crush knocked on his door to join the party.
|
[07/28/26 - 06:01 AM]
MGM+ Picks Up Action Thriller Series "Embassy," Starring Anna Kendrick, Sam Heughan and J.K. Simmons from AGC Television, Ascendant Fox, and Turbine Studios
When armed mercenaries storm the U.S. Embassy in London, Layla (Kendrick), a sharp and resourceful American diplomat, faces an impossible choice: protect the U.S. Ambassador (Simmons) or follow his orders to exfiltrate a high value asset being held at the embassy.
|
[07/28/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV's Emmy Award-Winning Series "Ted Lasso" Returns to the Pitch in Season Four Trailer
"Ted Lasso" returns with its 10-episode new season on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 with one episode, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through October 7 on Apple TV.
|
[07/28/26 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and ESPN Set August 4 Launch for CW Sports Live Streaming on the ESPN App
More than 800 annual hours of CW Sports will be broadcast live on The CW Network as well as stream live on the ESPN App for viewers with an ESPN Unlimited subscription plan.
|
[07/28/26 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Mourinho" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This trophy-packed, insider-fueled documentary charts José Mourinho's iconic rise as one of the world's top footballing managers of the most elite clubs.
|
[07/27/26 - 04:01 PM]
Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love" Sets November 6 Netflix Release Ahead of Venice and Toronto Premieres
The film follows two married couples - a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary filmmaker and her husband - whose paths cross when the filmmaker sets out to film them, bringing both marriages face to face with their different lives and hidden desires.
|
[07/27/26 - 02:00 PM]
ABC Announces Fall 2026 Premiere Dates
The news comes following a successful season where ABC delivered 10 of the Top 20 programs in the 2025-2026 broadcast season across Adults 18-49, more than any other broadcast network.
|
[07/27/26 - 12:56 PM]
"How to Catch a Dirtbag" Premieres August 5 on Discovery Channel
A new series featuring the "investigations" of internet sensation Michael McWhorter, aka "Tizzy Ent", who has popularized the art of internet crowd sourcing to help identify those who appear to do horrible things in public and seem to get away with it.
|
[07/27/26 - 12:02 PM]
"Power" Is Coming to Netflix This November!
Look for all four series to date to be available this fall.
|
[07/27/26 - 11:06 AM]
Celebrity Guest Judges Join the First-Ever "America's Got Talent" Judges' Callbacks Round
Emma Bunton, Nikki Glaser, Sebastián Yatra, Lele Pons, Normani and Poo Bear will help contestants compete for remaining live show spots.
|
[07/27/26 - 10:59 AM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Scores Robust Year-Over-Year Gains with Festive Holiday Week
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for more than three years (179 consecutive weeks) across all key measures.
|
[07/27/26 - 10:00 AM]
Starz to Premiere Record-Breaking Biopic "Michael" on August 10, in Its Exclusive Streaming Debut
The channel will also be home to the blockbuster's exclusive television premiere on the same day at 7:00 PM ET/PT.
|
[07/27/26 - 10:00 AM]
CBS Announces Fall Primetime Premiere Dates for the 2026-2027 Season
The official "CBS Premiere Week" kicks off on Sunday, October 4.
|
[07/27/26 - 09:11 AM]
Welcome to "Rose Hill" - The Prime Video Series Based on Elsie Silver's Bestselling Romance Saga Is Now in Production
The cast includes Jake Weary as West Belmont; Sean O'Pry as Ford Grant Jr.; Hannah Galway as Rosie Belmont; and Sadie Dickerson as Skylar Stone.
|
[07/27/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Summer" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Grab your shades - it's summer Bake Off time. Taran Killam, Michelle Buteau, Jay Pharoah, and Natasha Rothwell swap the spotlight for aprons and compete for the Star Baker title in the sun-filled tent.
|
|
|
|
