 |
 |
[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 |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[10/17/19 - 11:07 AM]
ABC News, in Partnership with ITN Productions and ITV News, Presents Special Prime-Time Documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey," Airing Wednesday, Oct. 23
The world's most talked-about couple - the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - speak exclusively with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby and candidly address the pressures and challenges they face as a young family living in the glare of the world's media.
|
[10/17/19 - 10:41 AM]
HBO Max to Premiere Melissa McCarthy Comedy Film "Superintelligence"
Bobby Cannavale, Brian Tyree Henry, Jean Smart and James Corden also star in the film.
|
[10/17/19 - 10:09 AM]
New HBO Drama Series "The Outsider" Debuts January 12, 2020, Exclusively on HBO
Based on Stephen King's bestselling novel of the same name, the drama series explores the investigation into the gruesome murder of a local boy and the mysterious force surrounding the case.
|
[10/17/19 - 10:00 AM]
Greg Kinnear Joins CBS All Access' "The Stand" as Glen Bateman
Kinnear joins previously announced cast members James Marsden, Amber Heard, Heather Graham, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara, Hamish Linklater, Alexander Skarsgård and Whoopi Goldberg.
|
[10/17/19 - 09:33 AM]
CBS Announces Contract Extension with Stephen Colbert
Colbert, who was originally signed through August 2020, will now be locked in through August 2023.
|
[10/17/19 - 09:31 AM]
HBO Max Acquires US Streaming Rights to Studio Ghibli Films
Available at launch of the service will be the Academy Award(R)-winning Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya and more.
|
[10/17/19 - 09:06 AM]
Award-Winning "The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage!" to Debut on Nickelodeon December 2019
The live television production will capture all-new depths of theatrical innovation where the power of optimism really can save the world.
|
[10/17/19 - 08:31 AM]
Showtime(R) Documentary Films Announces New Docu-Series "SuperVillain" Profiling Tekashi 6ix9ine
The three-part series will trace how a New York City deli clerk named Daniel Hernandez exploded into Tekashi 6ix9ine, the tattooed face of Gen Z and hip hop's prince of trolls, boasting 2.6 billion streams and 15 hits on the Billboard charts.
|
[10/17/19 - 08:17 AM]
Video: YouTube Debuts Official Trailer for All-New "Mind Field" Special That Explores the Science of Fear
Michael Stevens asks where fear comes from and uncovers why fear is such a fundamental and important part of being human.
|
[10/17/19 - 08:13 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: "Chicago" Crossover Puts NBC on Top
The Peacock wins the night in total viewers, shares the adults 18-49 crown with FOX.
|
[10/17/19 - 07:01 AM]
Quibi Teams Up with E! and Rotten Tomatoes to Create Two Daily Entertainment Shows
As part of the new agreement, two daily shows will be developed and produced in collaboration with the NBCUniversal Digital Lab for Quibi's curated news and information programming, Daily Essentials.
|
[10/16/19 - 03:41 PM]
Torrey DeVitto, Chad Michael Murray, Lolita Davidovich, Grant Show and Drew Seeley Star in "Write Before Christmas," A New, Original Movie Premiering November 17, on Hallmark Channel
When Jessica (DeVitto) is dumped by her boyfriend right before Christmas, she sends the five cards meant for him to five people who changed her life and somehow sets off a chain reaction of love.
|
[10/16/19 - 03:40 PM]
HBO Max Bolsters Premium Original Drama Team
"The premium drama bar is set high, and I have no doubt this talented team will deliver and be great creative partners to great creators," said Kevin Reilly.
|
[10/16/19 - 03:40 PM]
Kristin Chenoweth and Scott Wolf Discover Love at the Holidays in "A Christmas Love Story," A Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation Premiering December 7, on Hallmark Channel
Youth choir director Katherine Clark (Chenoweth) is preparing her students for their annual Christmas Eve show and discovers a new teen volunteer, Danny (Kevin Quinn), has an incredible voice.
|
[10/16/19 - 01:43 PM]
Video: Check Out the Official Trailer for Hulu Original Comedy Series "Dollface"
Kat Dennings, Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell and Esther Povitsky star in the project, due on Friday, November 15.
|
|
|
|
