or


[01/19/10 - 07:33 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, January 19
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!


ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5TH GRADER? (Syndication) - Twentieth Television has cleared the syndicated incarnation of the game show for a second season. The series is a go in the top five markets, including WPIX New York, KTTV/KCOP Los Angeles and WFLD/WPWR Chicago. Mark Burnett and Zoo Productions are behind the project.


BODY OF EVIDENCE (ABC, New!) - Chris Murphey ("Dead Lawyers") has snagged a pilot order from the Alphabet for a new drama about Megan Hunt, "a former neurosurgeon-turned-medical examiner who brings a unique and crime-solving perspective to the ME's office that often puts her at odds with her superiors." Murphey penned the hour and is executive producing alongside Matt Gross, on whose idea the project is based. ABC Studios is producing.


HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC, New!) - Newcomer David Caspe has booked a pilot commitment from the network for a new single-camera comedy about "a couple that breaks up at the altar, forcing them and their group of friends to figure out how to maintain their friendships after the split." Sony Pictures Television is behind the half-hour, which is executive produced by Jamie Tarses and her studio-based FanFare Productions banner.


NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX, New!) - Ajay Sahgal is once again developing the multi-camera comedy, about "two brothers from a traditional Indian background - one defies his family's expectations by dating a Caucasian woman, while the other agrees to enter an arranged marriage." FOX has ordered a pilot for the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, the third time it has received such a commitment. NBC originally took a stab back in the spring of 2004 with Kal Penn and Judy Greer in the lead roles. David Schwimmer helmed the half-hour, which didn't make the cut for the 2004-05 season. The producers then opted to reshoot the pilot that summer with Sahgal himself as the male lead but the Peacock passed on that incarnation as well. FOX topper Kevin Reilly shepherded both versions while at NBC, making its revival not much of a surprise. Sahgal won't topline the FOX version, which is likewise based on his experiences as the son of Indian immigrants who eventually married a Caucasian woman (actress Kelli Williams). It's not clear if original executive producers Schwimmer, Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke will be involved in the update.


THE ODDS (CBS, New!) - Feature writer/director Jeff Wadlow ("Never Back Down") has scored a pilot order from the Eye for a new drama billed as "a buddy cop show set in Las Vegas where the cops are just as outrageous as the crimes they solve." Wadlow penned the Warner Bros. Television-based hour and is executive producing alongside Joel Silver with Beau Bauman producing. No other specifics were given.


OFF THE MAP (ABC) - The Alphabet has greenlit production on Jenna Bans's ("Grey's Anatomy") drama pilot, about "three doctors, each anxious for a fresh start, [who] leave the comfort of the States to work at an isolated tropical clinic, where they face both exotic and unusual medical challenges as well as personal ones." ABC Studios is behind the hour, which is set up at Shonda Rhimes's studio-based Shondaland banner. Bans and Rhimes then will executive produce alongside Betsy Beers.


THE STRIP (A.K.A. UNTITLED THOMAS LENNON PROJECT) (NBC) - The Thomas Lennon led comedy has received a pilot order from the Peacock. The multi-camera half-hour revolves around "a former child star (Lennon) who now owns a Hooters-type restaurant in a strip mall on the outskirts of Vegas." Lennon and Robert Ben Garant co-wrote the script to the Universal Media Studios-based project, which Garant will also co-star in a supporting role. The duo will also executive produce alongside Peter Principato and Paul Young.


TORCHWOOD (FOX) - Russell T. Davies is developing a U.S. incarnation of the "Doctor Who" spin-off about "a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity." BBC America currently holds the broadcast rights to the original incarnation, which wrapped its third season last summer. The Hollywood Reporter suggests co-star John Barrowman may be part of the new version, however the project is still in the early stages of development. Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter are the executive producers attached for BBC Worldwide Productions.


UNTITLED BROADWAY MUSICAL PROJECT (Showtime) - Theresa Rebeck ("Canterbury's Law") has been tapped to pen the potential drama, which "chronicles the development of an original Broadway musical, from the inception of the idea through the opening night and everything in between." Storyline Entertainment's Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and DreamWorks Television's Steven Spielberg, Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey are all behind the hour, which would spawn an actual Broadway musical at the end of the first season. Also on board are Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman as songwriters, who are expected to receive an executive producing credits.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? (SYNDICATION)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· CANTERBURY'S LAW (FOX)
· DEAD LAWYERS (SYFY)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOCTOR WHO (DISNEY PLUS)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HAPPY ENDINGS (ABC)
· NEARLY NIRVANA (NBC)
· NEVERMIND NIRVANA (FOX)
· ODDS, THE (CBS)
· OFF THE MAP (ABC)
· SMASH (NBC)
· STRIP, THE (NBC)
· TORCHWOOD (STARZ)
· TORCHWOOD (FOX)





[10/15/25 - 01:01 PM]
Season 2 Announcement - "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch"
In this first-ever adaptation of the acclaimed stealth video game franchise, legendary agent Sam Fisher is drawn back into the field when a wounded young operative seeks out his help.

[10/15/25 - 01:01 PM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts First Look at "Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age," Featuring the Playful Snow Sloths of the Pleistocene
Narrated by Golden Globe and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston, with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, the five-part series premieres globally on Apple TV on November 26.

[10/15/25 - 12:30 PM]
Follow Chris Hemsworth and His Father, Craig, on a Deeply Emotional Road Trip Back in Time in "Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember"
The one-hour special premieres Sunday, November 23 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

[10/15/25 - 12:01 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - November 2025
Highlights include the premiere of Hulu's "All's Fair"; the return of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"; and the debut of "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie" on Disney+.

[10/15/25 - 11:14 AM]
"OWN For the Holidays" Returns for Its Seventh Year with Three Festive New Movies
"Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Showdown," and "Very Merry Mystery" will premiere on successive Saturdays beginning November 29.

[10/15/25 - 11:01 AM]
National Geographic Documents Athlete Jim Morrison's Unprecedented, Historic Ski Descent on North Face of Mount Everest on October 15, 2025
National Geographic Documentary Films once again teams with Oscar and BAFTA Award-winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin to film the exhilarating and heartbreaking odyssey for the upcoming documentary "Everest North" (wt).

[10/15/25 - 11:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces New Stand-Up Comedy Special "Kathleen Madigan - The Family Thread"
The one-hour special will premiere November 21 on Prime Video.

[10/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
"His & Hers" - Official First Look & Date Announcement
From visionary filmmaker William Oldroyd, this six-episode, twisty psychological thriller is adapted from Alice Feeney's novel of the same name and stars Tessa Thompson (who also executive produces) and Jon Bernthal.

[10/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO and Raw Are in Production on a Documentary Series About the Epic Release of a Famous Whale
The series, directed by Becky Read, will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

[10/15/25 - 09:37 AM]
Viaplay November 2025 Exclusive U.S. Premieres: "Vanguard"; "Meaning of Life," Season 2; "A Life's Worth"
"Vanguard" is a five-part, award-winning drama series featuring high-stakes deals, groundbreaking innovation, and fierce family rivalries.

[10/15/25 - 09:14 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights "Bosch: Start of Watch," A New Prequel Series to the Iconic Detective Franchise
The series stars Cameron Monaghan as rookie cop Harry Bosch and Omari Hardwick as veteran officer Eli Bridges.

[10/15/25 - 09:13 AM]
"Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films" to Premiere Exclusively on Disney+ November 7
The two-part documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into the making of the Oscar-winning box office phenomenon "Avatar: The Way of Water" and a first look at the upcoming "Avatar: Fire and Ash," features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, and interviews with cast and filmmakers.

[10/15/25 - 09:05 AM]
Video: NBC Releases Official Season 2 Trailer for Comedy Series "St. Denis Medical"
The series returns Monday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC with back-to-back episodes and will be available to stream on Peacock.

[10/15/25 - 09:02 AM]
Sirens On: BAFTA-Winning "Blue Lights" Returns to BritBox for Explosive Third Season
Other November highlights include "Belgravia," "Friday Night Dinner," and "Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators."

[10/15/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "All's Fair" - Meet the Women of All's Fair - Hulu
Starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close, "All's Fair" tells the story of a team of fierce female divorce attorneys who leave a male-dominated firm to start their own.