or


[01/29/10 - 07:07 PM]
Development Update: Friday, January 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!


187 DETROIT (ABC) - Newcomer John Michael Hill is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about "a fictional documentary crew that follows a top homicide division." He'll play Det. Damon Washington, a rookie cop who's also an expectant father. Jeff Nachmanoff is helming the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Jason Richman. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films also serve as executive producers.


AWKWARD SITUATIONS FOR MEN (ABC) - Tony Hale ("Chuck") and Matt Letscher ("Eli Stone") have both joined the cast of the Danny Wallace-led comedy pilot, about his experience "moving to the U.S. with his wife, Meg, only to discover that his everyday behavior clashes with American values and gets him into trouble." Hale will play Will MacDonald, Danny's first American friend and a travel writer who never seems to travel, while Letscher is set as Bob Randall, Meg's insecure ex-boyfriend whom she works with at the corporate headquarters of a smoothie giant. Wallace co-wrote the half-hour alongside Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo for Warner Bros. Television and Heyday Films.


CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS) - Matt Ryan ("The Tudors") is on track to join the cast of the potential spin-off, about "a new group of profilers who work outside the FBI bureaucracy." He'll reportedly play Mick Fleming, "a Cambridge-educated British ex-Mercenary, formerly of the British Special Forces, an expert sniper and a ladies man." Forest Whitaker also stars in the hour, which Richard Shepard is directing from a script by Chris Mundy and Ed Bernero. ABC Studios, CBS Television Studios and The Mark Gordon Company are co-producing.


EMERGENCY SEX (HBO, New!) - Maria Bello, Simon Beaufoy and Russell Crowe are developing a new drama at the pay channel about "the larger-than-life exploits of expatriate nongovernment-organization workers who find their sanity tested in the face of atrocities, loneliness and primal desires." The Beaufoy-penned hour is based on Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson's memoir, "Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story From Hell on Earth." Bello would also star in the project as well as executive produce alongside Beaufoy, Crowe, John Carrabino and Keith Rodger. No other details were given.


GLORY DAZE (TBS, New!) - Walt Becker ("Wild Hogs") and Michael LeSieur ("You, Me and Dupree") have scored a cast-contingent pilot commitment from the cable channel for a new hourlong comedy about "the lives of four incoming freshman in the 1980s who pledge a fraternity at a Wisconsin college." The pair co-wrote the project with Becker likewise attached to direct.


HOW TO BE A BETTER AMERICAN (ABC, New!) - Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley ("Scrubs") have scored their second pilot commitment, this time for a single-camera half-hour at ABC. Said project, from ABC Studios, centers on "a father who, in this case, embarks on a journey to be a better person and drags his family kicking and screaming along." The pair, who also have their redo of "This Little Piggy" at NBC, penned the effort and are executive producing.


JERSEY SHORE (MTV) - The cable channel has finalized a deal to renew the series for a second season. 12 new episodes are set to roll out this summer. To avoid the New Jersey winter however, production will be shifted to another location with Miami Beach believed to be a frontrunner. "Our audience has fallen in love with 'Jersey Shore' and its amazing cast who have really grown together as a family," MTV programming chief Tony DiSanto said about the pickup. "That bond gives the show its heart, and we're thrilled to reunite these friends to bring fans more of what they love - laughs, love, drama and of course, GTL."


LINCOLN HEIGHTS (ABC Family) - The network has reportedly passed on ordering a fifth season of the veteran drama, about "the lives of the Sutton family, led by Eddie, an ambitious police officer who moved his wife and three kids to the inner-city neighborhood where he was raised in hopes of cleaning it up and making a difference." No specific reason was given for the decision. Said move comes the same day the cable channel ordered its multi-camera comedy pilot "Melissa & Joey" to series.


MR. SUNSHINE (ABC) - Emmy-winner Allison Janney ("The West Wing") has joined the cast of the Matthew Perry-led comedy pilot, about "the manager of an aging San Diego stadium who realizes on his 40th birthday that he can no longer get by on just his charming, noncommittal ways." She'll play Crystal Cohen, his boss at said arena, in the project, which comes from Sony Pictures Television. Perry co-wrote the half-hour alongside Alex Barnow and Marc Firek while Tommy Schlamme is attached to direct. Jamie Tarses also serves as an executive producer.


PARKS & RECREATION (NBC) - The Peacock has given an early third season pickup to the Thursday comedy. The Hollywood Reporter indicates said renewal is being "done strictly for production reasons to lock in actors' schedules." "Parks" is the least-watched of the network's comedy lineup, which also includes "Community," "The Office" and "30 Rock." All three are likewise expected to return for the 2010-11 season.


UNTITLED DANA GOULD PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Comedian Dana Gould is set to topline a potential new multi-camera comedy at the Alphabet. The untitled half-hour, which Gould also wrote, revolves around "a guidance counselor at a local high school and father to two young children, who is caught between his father's old school parenting beliefs and his wife's very progressive ideals." Warner Bros. Television and 3 Arts Entertainment are behind the project, which Gould will executive produce alongside Tom Lassally and Dave Becky.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [january 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· AWKWARD SITUATIONS FOR MEN (ABC)
· CHUCK (NBC)
· COMMUNITY (YAHOO)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· CRIMINAL MINDS: SUSPECT BEHAVIOR (CBS)
· DETROIT 187 (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ELI STONE (ABC)
· EMERGENCY SEX (HBO)
· GLORY DAZE (TBS)
· HOW TO BE A BETTER AMERICAN (ABC)
· JERSEY SHORE (MTV)
· LINCOLN HEIGHTS (ABC FAMILY)
· MELISSA & JOEY (ABC FAMILY)
· MR SUNSHINE (ABC)
· NOLAN KNOWS BEST (ABC)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· SCRUBS (ABC)
· THIS LITTLE PIGGY (ABC)
· THIS LITTLE PIGGY (NBC)
· TUDORS, THE (SHOWTIME)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)





[03/02/26 - 01:05 PM]
Bravo Reveals Cast for "The Real Housewives of New York City" Season 16
Hailey Glassman, Erika Hammond and Daisy Toye join the cast as fulltime Housewives for season 16.

[03/02/26 - 12:36 PM]
Video: "Donna Hay Coastal Celebrations" - Official Trailer - Streaming April 1 Exclusively on Disney+
Donna Hay invites you into a season of effortless entertaining.

[03/02/26 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "1000 Women in Horror" - Official Trailer - Shudder
This documentary offers a deep dive into how women pioneers revolutionized horror cinema through their groundbreaking work as directors, actors, and creators since 1895, leaving an indelible mark on the genre's evolution.

[03/02/26 - 10:11 AM]
PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports Extend Media Rights Agreement Through 2033
"Extending our partnership with NBC Sports and USA Sports through 2033 reflects the strength of our collaboration and our shared vision for the future of the game," said Terry Clark, PGA of America CEO.

[03/02/26 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios Announces Four New Cast Members
Louis Cunningham, Ben Chapple, Evelyn Miller, and Island Austin are the latest additions.

[03/02/26 - 09:20 AM]
FOX's "Best Medicine" Renewed for Season 2
The series premiere delivered 12.6 million total multiplatform viewers, and the series ranks among broadcast's Top 2 highest-rated drama debuts this season among Adults 18-49.

[03/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Harry Styles. One Night in Manchester." - Announcement - Netflix
In a special one off concert in Manchester, recorded on the evening of March 6, Harry Styles will play his new album, "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally." for the very first time.

[03/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice" - Official Trailer - Hulu
A time-traveling, double-crossing, ass-kicking comedy.

[03/02/26 - 09:01 AM]
"This City Is Ours: A Crime Family Saga" Set to Premiere Thursday, March 5, Exclusively on AMC+
The series follows the chaos that ignites when notorious gang boss Ronnie (Sean Bean) steps back from his criminal empire, triggering a violent power struggle between his volatile son Jamie (Jack McMullen) and trusted lieutenant Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), who suddenly sees a chance to claim the throne.

[03/02/26 - 09:00 AM]
"Welcome to Plathville" Returns to TLC with a Defining New Chapter on Tuesday, March 31 at 10PM ET/PT
The fresh chapter is focused on moving forward, whether that means protecting and fighting for love, rebuilding relationships, or confronting the past head-on.

[03/02/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Announces Premiere Date and Reveals Title Sequence for Upcoming Animated Series, "Kevin," from Aubrey Plaza, Joe Wengert, and Dan Murphy
All eight episodes will debut exclusively on Prime Video on Monday, April 20, 2026, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[03/02/26 - 08:00 AM]
"ZOMBIES 5" Greenlit for Disney+ and Disney Channel, with Breakout Stars Malachi Barton and Freya Skye Set to Return
Franchise stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly return to executive produce, while Trevor Tordjman returns as Bucky, the beloved cheer captain and cousin of Addison from the original trilogy.

[03/02/26 - 07:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Mind-Blowing Science Competition Series, "SCHOOLED!", Hosted by Former NASA Engineer Mark Rober
Mark Rober is on a mission to discover the next generation of Inventors, Makers, and Engineers.

[03/02/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "One Piece" Season 2 - Final Trailer - Netflix
Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates set sail for the legendary Grand Line, encountering wondrous new lands and fresh dangers in their quest for treasure.

[03/02/26 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "53 Sundays" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When three siblings agree to meet and discuss their aging father's future, their reunion spirals into bickering, bantering and reliving old grudges.