[02/10/11 - 10:40 PM] Development Update: Thursday, February 10 By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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BENT (NBC) - Amanda Peet ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip") has been tapped for the lead role on the comedy pilot, about Alex Meyers, a recently divorced "type A" single mother who tries hard not to fall for Pete Riggins, the sexy "surfer-dude" contractor she hires to re-do her kitchen. In addition, Craig Zisk ("United States of Tara") has signed on to direct the single-camera pilot, which comes from Universal Media Studios and creator Tad Quill. Zisk likewise is helming Kari Lizer's half-hour for the network, a workplace multi-camera comedy about a woman helping people transition between jobs.
CHARLIE'S ANGELS (ABC) - Ramon Rodriguez ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, a reboot of the private eye franchise starring Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Annie Ilonzeh. He'll play John Bosley, their able sidekick in the project - a role previously filled by David Doyle, Bill Murray and Bernie Mac over the years. He's further detailed as "a perfect specimen of 21st-Century American manhood - a chiseled, whip-smart, tech-savvy, preppy charmer." Marcos Siega is helming the Sony Pictures Television from a script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
DALLAS (TNT) - Jesse Metcalfe ("Chase") and Julie Gonzalo ("Eli Stone") are the latest additions to the pilot, a modern take of the 1978-91 series focusing on the Ewing offspring - J.R. Ewing's (Larry Hagman) son, John Ross (Josh Henderson), and the adopted son of Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Pam Ewing, Christopher. Metcalfe, whose involvement is presumably in second position to the NBC drama, will play Christopher in the hour with Gonzalo as Rebecca, his fiancee. Jordana Brewster also stars as Elena, who is involved in a love triangle with Christopher and John Ross. Warner Horizon Television is behind the hour, with Michael M. Robin directing from a script by Cynthia Cidre.
THE EX MEN (A.K.A. UNTITLED MARK REISMAN PROJECT) (TV Land) - Mindy Schultheis and Michael Hanel ("Retired at 35") have been tapped to supervise the pilot's production. Said half-hour, penned by Mark Reisman, revolves around three divorced men (David Alan Basche, Donald Faison and Wayne Knight) who live in an apartment building together where the landlord is a smart and sexy divorce attorney (Kristen Johnston). Andy Cadiff is directing the project, to tape next week. Schultheis and Hanel are also behind fellow TV Land pilot "Rip City."
GOOD CHRISTIAN BITCHES (ABC) - Alan Poul ("Swingtown") is on board to direct the drama presentation, about "a recently divorced mother of two who, to get a fresh start, moves back to the affluent Dallas neighborhood where she grew to find herself in the whirling midst of salacious gossip, Botox, and fraud." He'll work from a script by Robert Harling, which in turn is based on the book of the same name by Kim Gatlin. ABC Studios is producing.
HOME GAME (CBS) - Constance Zimmer ("Entourage") is the first to be cast in the comedy pilot, about a retired NFL player who returns home to his wife, Lisa, and their three daughters - Tess (17), Julia (15) and Charlotte (13). She's on board as the aforementioned wife ("a petite dynamo") in the half-hour, which is based on the life of former NFL star Mark Schlereth. Christopher J. Nowak and Warren Bell co-wrote the multi-camera project, which comes from CBS Television Studios.
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (USA) - Veteran character actor Jay O. Sanders has joined the cast of the show's final season. He'll play the incoming captain of the Major Case Squad who supervises Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe's characters. Jamey Sheridan, Eric Bogosian and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio previously filled said role on the series. "Criminal Intent's" eight-episode swan song begins Sunday, May 1 at 9:00/8:00c.
PAN AM (ABC) - Australian actress Margot Robbie is the first to board the pilot, a period drama about the iconic airline in the 1960s. She'll play Laura, "a radiantly beautiful new stewardess whose candid graduation shot is on the cover of Life Magazine." Jack Orman is behind the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, to be directed by Thomas Schlamme.
PARTNERS (ABC) - Kenneth Mitchell ("Jericho") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about two female police detectives (Scottie Thompson and another yet to be cast) who are fiercely loyal to one another since they're also secretly half-sisters. He'll play Ray Henry, a fellow detective who's good-looking (but doesn't know it) and confident in his sleuthing abilities. Yves Simoneau is directing the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by creator Edward Allen Bernero.
[06/19/13 - 01:39 PM] TNT Bumps Newcomer "72 Hours" to Friday Nights The reality competition series, which had been airing on Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c, will relocate to Fridays effective immediately.
[06/19/13 - 12:17 PM] ESPN to Present World Series of Poker Main Event To kick off ESPN's WSOP coverage, the inaugural World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific Main Event Final Table will air on Tuesday, July 23.
