 |
 |
[03/21/11 - 10:59 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 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!
ANGLER (HBO, New!) - Barton Gellman's book of the same name - about former Vice President Dick Cheney - is being developed as a potential mini-series at the pay channel. Rick Cleveland ("Six Feet Under") is penning the adaptation, which will track Cheney's life from "his early days as Donald Rumsfeld's protege in the Nixon administration, to the nation's youngest Chief of Staff under President Ford, to serving as Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, through two controversial terms as Vice President under President George W. Bush." Spring Creek Productions and Fair Catch Productions are co-producing with Paula Weinstein, Jeffrey Levine, David Kennedy and "Frontline's" David Fanning and Michael Kirk executive producing.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC) - Jonathan Cake ("Six Degrees") is set to join the cast of the long-running soap. He'll play Aaron, "a handsome, sexy, college-educated police detective with strong family values who becomes involved with Bree (Marcia Cross) when he comes to Wisteria Lane to investigate a case," in an upcoming four-episode arc before returning as a regular next season.
EATING WITH THE ENEMY (HBO, New!) - James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") is set to star in and executive produce a potential docudrama at the pay channel about the true story of Bobby Egan, the owner of a Hackensack, New Jersey rib joint who became involved in back channel negotiations with North Korea to stop producing nuclear weapons. Said project is based on Egan and Kurt Pitzer's book of the same name, subtitled "How I Waged Peace With North Korea from My BBQ Shack in Hackensack." Egan improbably made inroads with the North Korean government after showing up at the doorstep of their consulate near the U.N. and offering his friendship. He subsequently made several trips to North Korea itself, where he was approached by the State Department to be their conduit in backdoor nuke talks. As for the film, Mark Armstrong, Nancy Sanders, Jane Rosenthal, Brandon Brito and Megan Lyvers will executive produce for Tribeca Productions and Gandolfini's Atta Boy Productions with Pitzer and Kimberly Levin co-producing. No other auspices were given.
FREE AGENTS (NBC) - Kathryn Hahn ("Hung") is set to star opposite Hank Azaria in the comedy pilot, about "the attraction between two quirky PR executives working together - Alex (Azaria) and Helen (Hahn) - who both are on the rebound, Alex from a divorce and Helen from the loss of a fiance." Todd Holland is directing the Universal Media Studios-based half-hour, from creator John Enbom. Mo Mandel also stars.
LOSING IT WITH JILLIAN (NBC) - Network sources have confirmed the Jillian Michaels-led series, in which "The Biggest Loser" trainer travels across the country to transform one family at a time, won't be returning for a second. Said effort was absent from the Peacock's summer lineup, which was revealed earlier today.
MORE AS THE STORY DEVELOPS (A.K.A. UNTITLED AARON SORKIN PROJECT) (HBO) - Jeff Daniels is reportedly in talks to topline the Aaron Sorkin-penned drama pilot, set behind the scenes of a nightly cable news show. He'd play Will McCallister, "a famous cable newsman of the Anderson Cooper/Brian Williams mold who is smart and talented guy but just a pain in the ass to work with and for." Sorkin and Scott Rudin are the executive producers.
PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC) - Benjamin Bratt ("The Cleaner") is on track to join the cast of the veteran drama. Details about his role are being kept under wraps, however it's understood he'll be introduced in the season finale. Said casting is designed to fill the void left by Audra McDonald, who's departing the series at the end of the season.
R.E.M. (NBC) - Cherry Jones ("24") and Michaela McManus ("The Vampire Diaries") have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Mark Britten (Jason Isaacs), a police detective living in two different realities following a horrible car accident: one in which his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) lives, another in which his wife Hannah lives - each with their own partner and psychiatrist. In addition, co-star Laura Allen has been recast as Hannah ("stunning, warm"). The actress was previously attached as Tara ("long, slender, like someone who not only plays a sport for a living, but does it well"), Rex's tennis coach and trusted confidante. Said role will now go to McManus. Jones then is set as Stephanie Evans, Mark's psychiatrist in the reality where Rex lives. The previously cast B.D. Wong conversely is Mark's psychiatrist in the reality where Hannah lives, while Steve Harris and Wilmer Valderrama play Mark's respective partners. David Slade is directing the Kyle Killen-penned hour, from 20th Century Fox Television.
SECRET CIRCLE (The CW) - Natasha Henstridge ("Eli Stone") and Australian actor Louis Hunter have both landed roles on the drama pilot, about Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), a California teen who moves to her mom's hometown of New Salem, Maine and discovers that she comes from a family of witches. She'll play Dawn Chamberlain ("a strikingly beautiful woman in her late 30's"), the vice principal at Cassie's school and an old friend of her mother's; while Hunter is on board as Nick Armstrong ("good physique, and he knows it"), Cassie's new neighbor, another member of the circle, a coven of young witches. Jessica Parker Kennedy, Phoebe Tonkin, Shelley Hennig and Thomas Dekker also star in the hour, which Liz Friedlander is directing from a script by Andrew Miller.
TITANIC (ABC, New!) - Simon Vaughn's long-in-the-works mini-series has found a U.S. broadcast home at the Alphabet. Said effort will chronicle the famous ship's maiden and final voyage through multiple points of view, using both fictional and historical characters. Production is set to begin in Hungary shortly for a premiere in April 2012 - the 100th anniversary of the boat's sinking. Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park") penned the project with ITV Studios, Lookout Point, Deep Indigo Productions, Sienna Films and Mid Atlantic Films co-producing.
VINCE UNCENSORED (CBS) - Elizabeth Perkins ("Weeds") has booked the female lead on the comedy pilot, about Vince Donohue (Michael Chiklis), "a man who decides to take a more honest approach to life after a life-altering experience." She'll play his Wife, Janet, a middle school teacher and mother to their three daughters. Kelsey Grammer is directing the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, from creator Phoef Sutton.
|
|
|
 [march 2011]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[04/29/26 - 04:01 PM]
"American Idol" Scores 5.3 Million Total Viewers with Biggest Audience in Over 2 Months During Taylor Swift Night
Monday's episode was the No. 1 entertainment program on the night among Total Viewers (5.34 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.42 rating).
|
[04/29/26 - 02:41 PM]
Record Breaker! ESPN Airs Most-Viewed First Round Game 5 Ever on Cable, Extending Milestone Run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year.
|
[04/29/26 - 12:17 PM]
First-of-Its-Kind Competition Reality Series "Designed to Last" Begins Streaming May 5
Hosted by Maria Menounos, the Hulu series follows three teams of architects, engineers, and inventors as they compete in 10-hour build challenges, modifying tiny homes to withstand specific environmental hazards.
|
[04/29/26 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix Announces the Emmy Nominated Masterpiece, "Bad Thoughts," Tom Segura's Dark and Twisted Comedic Series, Will Return for Its Second Season on May 24
In this six-episode dark comedic series, Tom Segura navigates unthinkable situations and fantasies within a cinematic world.
|
[04/29/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New Adult Animated Comedy Series "Dad's House"
In small-town suburban Australia, thirteen year old child of divorce, Sean, spends every second weekend with his laidback, but well meaning dad, Ian.
|
[04/29/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas" Debuts May 13
The film is a tapestry of personal vignettes from across the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in America.
|
[04/29/26 - 09:46 AM]
Netflix Wins Romantic Drama "Lovesick," Orders Hot Package Straight-to-Series
The straight-to-series Netflix drama stars Danes as Annika, a renowned breast cancer surgeon whose world changes after receiving her own cancer diagnosis.
|
[04/29/26 - 09:13 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "Behind the Bob: Vogue's Anna Wintour" Now Streaming on CNN App
The documentary special is now streaming at CNN.com/Watch and on the CNN app for streaming subscribers and will air Sunday, May 3 at 8pm ET on CNN, just one night before the iconic Met Gala.
|
[04/29/26 - 09:05 AM]
"The Other Bennet Sister" Premiere: BritBox Shines a Light on Austen's Overlooked Heroine This May
Other highlights include "Twenty Twenty Six," "I Literally Just Told You," and "QI."
|
[04/29/26 - 09:01 AM]
Celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th Birthday with "Ocean with David Attenborough"
The world's preeminent natural historian turns 100 on May 8.
|
[04/29/26 - 09:01 AM]
Season 2 of "Ransom Canyon" Returns to Netflix on Thursday, July 23, 2026
The new season of the beloved western drama, starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, features eight brand new episodes.
|
[04/29/26 - 09:00 AM]
Video: The Main Stage Is Set - Trailer and Guest Judges Revealed for "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" Season 11 Premiering May 8 on Paramount+
Brian Tyree Henry, Bronwyn Newport, Christina Ricci, Cooper Koch, Evan Mulrooney, Gina Gershon, Jamal Sims, Janelle James, Juno Temple, Kate Hudson, La Toya Jackson, Law Roach and Reneé Rapp will serve as celebrity guest judges for the eleventh season.
|
[04/29/26 - 08:28 AM]
First Look at Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and Robert De Niro in "The Whisper Man," Premiering August 28th
When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as "The Whisper Man."
|
[04/29/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts First Look Teaser & New July 9 Premiere Date for "The Five Star Weekend"
The series stars Jennifer Garner, D'Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant.
|
[04/29/26 - 08:00 AM]
TLC Unveils New Season of "90 Day: The Last Resort" as Six Couples Face Make-or-Break Moments in an English Castle
This season, "90 Day Fiance" couples Jenny and Sumit, Shekinah and Sarper, Kara and Guillermo, Paola and Russ, Thais and Patrick, and Rebecca and Zied have all reached relationship breaking points.
|
|
|
|
