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[12/10/09 - 06:13 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, December 10
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!
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
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[08/18/17 - 12:05 PM]
Walkers Are Invading AMC for "The Walking Dead" Multi-Weekend Marathon Event Beginning Sunday, August 20 at 9:00 A.M. ET/PT
Plus: look for "The Walking Dead: Season 8 Preview Special" on Sunday, September 10.
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[08/18/17 - 11:29 AM]
MTV Announces New Host Terrence J. and Cast for Its Hit Matchmaking Series "Are You the One?" Premiering Wednesday, September 20th at 10:00 P.M. ET/PT
Before the premiere, audiences can get a sneak peek at the new cast in an audition tape casting special, airing Wednesday, September 13.
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[08/18/17 - 09:54 AM]
Viceland Announces Fall Line-Up with New Shows & Returning Favorites
Returning are network staples "Bong Appétit" with Abdullah Saeed, Vanessa Lavorato and Ry Pritchard, "Weediquette" with Krishna Andavolu, "Cyberwar" with Ben Makuch, and "Hamilton's Pharmacopeia" with Hamilton Morris.
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[08/18/17 - 09:01 AM]
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon to Executive-Produce One-Hour Telecast "EIF Presents: XQ Super School Live" to Inspire the Public to Rethink High School and Explore Ways to Prepare Students for Careers of the Future
The one-hour special will air across ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC on Friday, September 8 at 8:00/7:00c.
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[08/18/17 - 09:00 AM]
Season Two of Original Scripted Series "Chesapeake Shores" Catapults Hallmark Channel as Top-Rated and Most-Watched Cable Network
The Hallmark Channel further spins the numbers for the week of August 7-13.
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[08/18/17 - 08:20 AM]
Video: WE tv Releases Cast & Sneak Peek for Season 9 of Hit Series "Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars"
The season will feature a brand new house of dysfunctional couples including Kailyn Lowry and Javi Marroquin, Bobby Panahi and Asifa Mirza, Juelia Kinney and JJ Lane, Peter Gunz and Amina Buddafly & Mehgan James and DeAndre Perry.
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[08/18/17 - 08:12 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS, "Big Brother" Hold Onto Top Spot
The Eye wins the evening in both total viewers and adults 18-49.
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[08/18/17 - 07:49 AM]
Car Pros Make Room for the Under "Dogs" in Discovery's All-New Series "Gear Dogs (WT)"
The series, formerly known as "House of Cars," premieres Monday, September 4 at 10:00/9:00c on the cable channel.
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[08/17/17 - 11:43 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, August 17
Updates include: ABC lands live-action take on "The Jetsons"; Frances O'Connor to star in Hulu's "Locke & Key"; and Paul Scheer to pen the "Galaxy Quest" TV series for Amazon.
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[08/17/17 - 03:30 PM]
AXS TV Greenlights Season Three of the Popular Original Music Series "Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar Presented by Mercury Insurance"
Production on the 12-episode season began this month and is scheduled for air in early 2018.
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[08/17/17 - 02:47 PM]
MTV's Iconic "Unplugged" Franchise Returns This Fall
The new season will feature an eclectic, superstar lineup of global pop culture artists and will kick off with multi-platinum, award-winning singer/songwriter and "2017 Video Music Awards" nominee and performer, Shawn Mendes.
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[08/17/17 - 12:55 PM]
Buddy and His Team of Skilled Bakers Return to TLC's "Cake Boss," with Early Premieres on the Network's TV Everywhere Platform, TLC GO
Look for five new episodes becoming available on TLC GO this Friday, August 18 and an additional five episodes on Friday, August 25.
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[08/17/17 - 12:45 PM]
Freeform Gets Its Wings with First Original Christmas Movie, "Angry Angel," from Sony Pictures Television
From Golden Globe-nominated director and writer Will Gluck, the two-hour special holiday feature stars Jason Biggs, Brenda Song, Ricky Mabe, Andrew Bachelor and Andy Favreau.
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[08/17/17 - 12:34 PM]
TBS's "Conan" Heads to Israel for a Special Primetime Episode to Air September 19
O'Brien plans to visit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem among other locales to be announced in the coming weeks.
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[08/17/17 - 12:26 PM]
National Geographic Goes Inside ISIS in Powerful New Drama, "The State"
A compelling fictional story based on extensive research, "The State" follows the experiences of four young British men and women who have left their lives behind to join ISIS in Raqqah, Syria.
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