or


[10/21/10 - 07:17 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, October 21
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!


BONES (FOX) - Walter Sherman, the lead character of Richard Greener's "The Locator Series," is set to be the featured in an upcoming episode of the veteran drama. Said installment will serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential series about the character, "an eccentric, obstreperous and amusing reclusive man in his late 20s-30s with highly sought after abilities to find anything." As for specifics, the yet-to-be-cast Sherman is a former military policeman who "was injured overseas and suffered brain damage which lead to his honorable discharge, as well as his ever present state of paranoia." He "knows Agent Booth (David Boreanaz) from their time serving in Iraq together, and the two dislike each other very much [whereas] Dr. Brennan (Emily Deschanel) finds him very intriguing." Bones creator Hart Hanson will pen the hour and supervise the series for 20th Century Fox Television should it move forward.


JERSEY SHORE (MTV) - Executive producer SallyAnn Salsano has indicated the show's third season, featuring the cast's return to Seaside, New Jersey, will kick off Thursday, January 6 on the cable channel. In addition, cameras rolled for 55 days for the upcoming cycle, up from the first season's 40. It's not clear how many episodes that will translate to.


JUSTIFIED (FX) - Jeremy Davies ("Lost") is set to recur on the show's upcoming second season, due in February. He'll play Dickie Bennett, "the smartest of three brothers and a high school rival of Givens [who] still walks with a limp due to an altercation with Raylan on the baseball field when they were both 17." Said breakdown adds that "Dickie's family traffics in weed, for which Bennett spent time in prison."


NURSE JACKIE (Showtime) - Gbenga Akinnagbe ("The Wire") has snagged a role on the show's third season. He'll play the new temp nurse at All Saints, who's "handsome, qualified, and much-liked by his peers." Said arc is billed as for at least seven episodes.


PERCEPTION (TNT) - Eric McCormack ("Trust Me") is in negotiations to star in the drama pilot, about "an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex cases." He'd play Dr. Geoffrey Pierce, the man in question, in the project, which comes from co-creators Kenneth Biller and Mike Sussman. ABC Studios is producing.


PLAN THIS (ABC, New!) - Feature writer Heather Hach ("Freaky Friday") is developing a new single-camera comedy at the Alphabet loosely based on the life of Beverly Hills-based party planner to the stars Mindy Weiss. Said half-hour, from ABC Studios, will be executive produced by Anonymous Content's Alex Goldstone and Elana Barry with Hach serving as a co-executive producer. Among Weiss's clients: Ellen Degeneres & Portia Rossi; Ashlee Simpson & Pete Wentz; Eva Longoria & Tony Parker; Heidi Klum & Seal; Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale; Jackie & Adam Sandler; and Kate Beckinsale & Len Weisman.


TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO) - Bill Pullman and Matthew Modine are the latest additions to the docudrama's sprawling cast. They'll play Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Chase, and John Thain, former chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch, respectively in the project, which also stars William Hurt, James Woods, Paul Giamatti and Cynthia Nixon. Curtis Hanson is directing the telefilm which is based on Andrew Ross Sorkin's book of the same name.


UNTITLED MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG PROJECT (The CW, New!) - Michelle Trachtenberg ("Gossip Girl") is developing a starring vehicle at the network about "a young criminology student with a gift for profiling and a dark past." Stuart Zicherman ("Six Degrees") is on board to pen the hour, which is set up at Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage's Fake Empire banner. Warner Bros. Television and CBS TV Studios are co-producing with Len Goldstein, Zicherman, Schwartz and Savage serving as executive producers. Trachtenberg, who's also set to guest star on NBC's upcoming anthology "Love Bites," then would also receive a producing credit.


UNTITLED PATTON OSWALT PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Actor/comedian Patton Oswalt is set to topline a potential new comedy for the network. The single-camera entry would feature Oswalt would as "a man whose wife of twenty years splits, forcing him to reenter the dating world and fend for himself." Scott Aukerman ("Mr. Show") is co-writing the half-hour, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television. American Work's Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan are also attached as executive producers.






  [october 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· BONES (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FINDER, THE (FOX)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· JERSEY SHORE (MTV)
· JUSTIFIED (FX)
· LOST (ABC)
· LOVE BITES (NBC)
· NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
· PERCEPTION (TNT)
· PLAN THIS (ABC)
· SINGLE AT 40 (FOX)
· SIX DEGREES (ABC)
· TOO BIG TO FAIL (HBO)
· TRUST ME (TNT)
· UNTITLED MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG PROJECT (CW)
· WIRE, THE (HBO)





[12/12/25 - 01:46 PM]
ID Sets January Return for "People Magazine Investigates," Featuring More Ripped from the Headlines Cases That Captivated the Nation
The new season premieres Monday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c on ID, with new episodes airing weekly.

[12/12/25 - 01:31 PM]
Hallmark Expands the Universe of "When Calls the Heart" with Prequel Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres and Jill Hennessy
The eight-episode series begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+.

[12/12/25 - 10:05 AM]
Meet the 14 Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: House of Fear," Premiering Wednesday, January 14th at 9/8c on FOX
Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting - and fear is a weapon.

[12/12/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: What's Coming in Early 2026 - "Shrinking," "Monarch," "Hijack" & More - Apple TV
Also on tap are "The Last Thing He Told Me" and "Eternity."

[12/12/25 - 09:06 AM]
Crave Greenlights "Heated Rivalry" Season 2, While Global Momentum Continues
Also confirmed today, HBO Max U.S. and Australia, and NEON (Sky New Zealand), who already exclusively stream Season 1 in those respective markets, have all committed to the streaming rights for a second season.

[12/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Best Medicine" Season 1 Official Trailer (Starring Josh Charles) - FOX TV
Dr. Martin Best leaves his career as a Boston surgeon to become the general practitioner in the quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent his childhood summers.

[12/12/25 - 08:09 AM]
HBO Max Rolls Out In-App Curated Channels for Fan-Favorite Series and Genres in the U.S.
Designed for an effortless streaming experience, this feature enables users to seamlessly enter a continuous feed of curated episodes from fan-favorite titles, making it easier than ever to find an episode of their favorite programming.

[12/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces Season Two for Acclaimed Thriller "Down Cemetery Road"
Season two reunites Zoƫ Boehm (Emma Thompson) and Sarah Trafford (Emma Wilson) chasing down another twisted mystery.

[12/12/25 - 05:00 AM]
Video: HBO Max Brand Spot Teases 2026 Original Programming Slate with Never-Before-Seen Footage and First Looks
Including exclusive first looks on HBO Max social accounts, the spot underscores HBO Max's commitment to delivering high quality, must-see stories that inspire, entertain, and spark conversations around the globe.

[12/11/25 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Target Demos
The series also saw gains on the same week last year in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[12/11/25 - 11:58 AM]
Lifetime to Kick Off 2026 with Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Eastwood, Katie Cassidy, Luke Humphrey, Chloe Lanier, Dillon Casey, and Maddy Hillis are among the featured talent.

[12/11/25 - 11:22 AM]
A&E's New Series "Crime in Progress" Follows the Evolution of Investigations Told Exclusively Through Raw Footage Premieres January 1 at 10pm ET/PT
The story of each crime is woven together through raw, unfiltered video from the point of view of officer body cam and surveillance footage for a first-hand look at justice in action.

[12/11/25 - 11:01 AM]
New Netflix Doc Series About Jonestown Dives Into One of the Deadliest Mass Murders in American History
From Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper comes a three-part documentary series about the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre.

[12/11/25 - 10:32 AM]
Lola Petticrew Will Join the World of "Assassin's Creed" Alongside Toby Wallace in the New Live-Action Series Adaptation of Ubisoft's Best-Selling Video Game Franchise
Netflix confirmed the news on social media this morning.

[12/11/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Breakdown: 1975" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This documentary explores how a turbulent era gave rise to iconic movies like "Taxi Driver," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Network."