or


[02/11/11 - 10:31 PM]
Development Update: Friday, February 11
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!


17TH PRECINCT (NBC) - Stockard Channing ("The West Wing") is the first to board the drama pilot, a police procedural set in a world where magic rules instead of science. She'll play Mira Barkley, a veteran detective on the cusp of retirement who's asked to transfer back to homicide to mentor Jimmy Travers (yet to be cast), a burgeoning detective. Sony Pictures Television is behind the hour, which Michael Rymer is directing from a script by Ronald D. Moore.


AMONG THE SPIRITS (Syfy, New!) - Steve Valentine and Paul Chart's graphic novel, about Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle solving mysteries in 1920s, is being developed as a potential drama series at the cable channel. The duo are co-writing the small screen take for Entertainment One and executive producing alongside Daniel J. Frey. Said effort would then follow Houdini and Doyle "who, with the help of a female cop, try to solve bizarre murders and strange occurrences that look like hauntings and other supernatural events using steampunk technology."


BIG MIKE (A&E) - Anthony Ruivivar ("The Whole Truth") and Nicole Ari Parker ("The Deep End") are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Mike O'Bannon (Greg Grunberg), a plus-sized homicide detective in a world where plus-sized is a minus. Ruivivar is set as Mike's partner/childhood friend, Armando Romero, an ex-Marine who - much to Mike's chagrin - has the annoying ability to eat twice his weight in food every day and not gain a single pound. Parker then will play Grace Peterson, the duo's smart, efficient lieutenant, the youngest to hold said post in San Diego history. In addition, Paris Barclay ("In Treatment") has been tapped to direct the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which was co-created by Ed Decter and John Strauss. Ken Leung also stars.


HOME GAME (CBS) - Rob Riggle ("Gary Unmarried") has been tapped for the lead role on the comedy pilot, about a retired NFL player who returns home to his wife (Constance Zimmer) and three teenage daughters. He'll play Mark, the man in question, who's loosely based on former NFL star Mark Schlereth. Riggle was previously attached to a comedy from Robert Smigel that didn't move forward to the pilot stage. Christopher J. Nowak and Warren Bell co-wrote the multi-camera project, which comes from CBS Television Studios.


IDENTITY (ABC) - Wentworth Miller ("Prison Break") and Orlando Jones ("The Evidence") are reportedly in talks to join the cast of the drama pilot, a procedural set at the Identity Crimes Division, the FBI's first cyber-crime unit mixed with traditional investigators. Miller would play John Bloom, a former undercover agent who's reluctantly drafted to the team, with Jones as Anthony Wareing, a prideful, ambitious agent. John Glenn penned the hour for ABC Studios.


LIVE TO DANCE (CBS) - The Paula Abdul-led competition series won't be returning for a second season, TVLine.com reports. Wednesday's finale posted a modest 4.706 million viewers and a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49, well behind its broadcast competition. A CBS spokesperson however maintains that no final decision has been made.


SMALLVILLE (The CW) - Michael Rosenbaum has closed a deal to reprise his role of Lex Luthor in the show's May 13 series finale. "It feels like the stars are aligning, literally. We couldn't be more excited about having Michael back," executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson told TVLine.com. "And as far as the way he returns... there'll be no doubt about how Lex becomes the great rival in Clark Kent's life. He is the villain of the story." Rosenbaum himself added that, "I'm simply doing it for all of the fans out there who made Smallville the great success it is... I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness and even their threats. Ha ha. I can't wait to hug the old crew back in Vancouver one last time and see all of my old friends once again..... Oh, and for Lex to become the badass he's destined to be."


TAGGED (FOX) - Gary Cole ("Entourage") is the first to be cast on the comedy pilot, a workplace ensemble set at the Los Angeles County's coroner's office. He'll play James Percy, a "stiff, serious, professorial type and the most respected man in the building." David Guarascio and Moses Port co-wrote the half-hour, which is set up at Sony Pictures Television.


UNTITLED MORGAN SPURLOCK PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Oscar-winners Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana ("Brokeback Mountain") are developing a potential series at the pay channel billed "a big-canvas Texas political drama." Said hour is based on an idea by Morgan Spurlock who will executive produce alongside McMurtry, Ossana, Adam Shulman, Jennifer Berman, The Shuman Co.'s Larry Shuman and Warrior Poets' Jeremy Chilnick.






  [february 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· 17TH PRECINCT (NBC)
· AMONG THE SPIRITS (SYFY)
· BIG MIKE (A AND E)
· DEEP END, THE (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· EVIDENCE, THE (ABC)
· GARY UNMARRIED (CBS)
· HOME GAME (CBS)
· IDENTITY (ABC)
· IN TREATMENT (HBO)
· LIVE TO DANCE (CBS)
· PRISON BREAK (FOX)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· TAGGED (FOX)
· UNTITLED MORGAN SPURLOCK PROJECT (HBO)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)
· WHOLE TRUTH, THE (ABC)





[05/25/12 - 03:22 PM]
Production for Season Two of "Grimm" Commences on May 30
Repeats of the series will air Mondays at 10:00/9:00c this summer as a build up to the show's return in August.

[05/25/12 - 02:26 PM]
Interview: "Mrs. Eastwood & Company" Star Dina Eastwood
E!'s latest reality entry airs Sundays at 10:00/9:00c after "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

[05/25/12 - 01:51 PM]
Thursday's Cable Ratings: Heat Clincher Puts ESPN in Front
Plus: numbers for Animal Planet's "Swamp Wars," TLC's "On the Fly" and "Tattoo School."

[05/25/12 - 12:58 PM]
TBS's New Original Sitcom "Men at Work" Scores More than 2.6 Million Viewers And 1.6 Million Adults 18-49 in Thursday Night Debut
TBS spins the numbers for Thursday, May 24.

[05/25/12 - 11:43 AM]
Celebrate Father's Day as SOAPnet Presents "A Veronica Mars Marathon: Who's Your Daddy?" on Sunday, June 17 3PM - 7PM
The four-hour marathon revolves around whether or not Keith Mars is Veronica's biological father.

[05/25/12 - 10:29 AM]
Video: Trailers from CBS's Upfront Presentation
The full previews are now available for the Eye's new fall series.

[05/25/12 - 09:39 AM]
ABC Family Celebrates Father's Day With an All Day Marathon of Movies Dads Love Sunday, June 17 Starting at 7AM
Highlights include the basic cable premiere of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time."

[05/25/12 - 09:33 AM]
Return to a Galaxy Far, Far Away as Spike TV Launches Into Hyperspace With the World Premiere of the Next Big "Star Wars(TM)" Game Franchise
A first look at this top secret project will be revealed on Thursday, May 31, as a part of the pre-E3 episode of Spike's hit video game show "GTTV."

[05/25/12 - 09:33 AM]
Dierks Bentley Delivers His New Hits and Adds His Own Bluegrass Touch to an Adele Smash When CMT.com Premieres "Unplugged" on Tuesday, May 29
The episode will also air as a half-hour special on Palladia (Saturday, June 2) and CMT (Monday, June 25).

[05/25/12 - 08:41 AM]
ABC's "Duets" Tops Fox's "Dance"/"Rookie Blue" Marks Most-Watched Telecast Since Aug '10
ABC spins the numbers for Thursday, May 24.

[05/25/12 - 08:37 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: "So You Think You Can Dance" Opens Summer on Top
FOX's mainstay however is down 25% from last year's launch among adults 18-49.

[05/25/12 - 08:11 AM]
Wedding Season Replaces Football Season When "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Brides" Premieres Friday, June 2 on CMT
The one-hour special features Cassie Trammell, Sunni Cranfill and Trisha Trevino "as they juggle work, school and practice all while planning their dream wedding."

[05/25/12 - 07:05 AM]
ABC to Exclusively Broadcast Celtics-Sixers Game Seven
Mike Breen and analyst Jeff Van Gundy will call the game, which starts at 8:00/7:00c, with reporter Doris Burke.

[05/25/12 - 06:34 AM]
Lifetime's Major Program Event, "The Week the Women Went," to Premiere in August
The four-part series was previously slated to launch on Wednesday, June 6.

[05/25/12 - 06:00 AM]
2012 MTV Movie Awards to Feature Exclusive Footage From "The Dark Knight Rises" on Sunday, June 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV
Plus: Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey, stars of the upcoming film "Magic Mike," will join its impressive line-up of presenters.