or


[05/18/07 - 05:15 PM]
Development Update: Week of May 14-18
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!


THE ANATOMY OF HOPE (A.K.A. UNTITLED TOM SCHULMAN/RAFAEL YGLESIAS PROJECT) (HBO) - Chris Messina, John Ortiz, Simon Callow, Valerie Pettiford, Matt Craven, Deepti Daryanani, Daryl Edwards, Diego Klattenhoff, Kerry Condon and Sarah Knowlton have all been cast in the pilot, a hospital drama that explores cancer battles from the patients' point of view. In addition, executive producer J.J. Abrams has confirmed he'll direct the hour from a script by Tom Schulman and Rafael Yglesias. As for specifics, Messina will play an oncologist who goes between being overly friendly and aloof; Ortiz will play a recent cancer survivor; Callow is set as one of the top oncologists in the U.S.; Pettiford is playing a terminally ill cancer patient; Craven will play a hyper guy who may have prostate cancer; Edwards will play a patient with advanced cancer; Klattenhoff is playing a recently engaged young man with bone cancer in his leg with Condon as his fiancee; Daryanani is set as a beautiful young doctor; and Knowlton will play a nurse who runs the chemo ward. Abrams, Schulman and Yglesias then are executive producing alongside Bad Robot's Bryan Burk via the company's overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.


BIG LOVE (HBO) - The pay channel has commissioned a trio of three-to-five minute mini-episodes of the series collectively dubbed "Big Love: In the Beginning." All three installments will feature the regular cast and crew as well as fill in various elements of the backstory of the Henricksons. The first, "Post-Partum," is set five years ago when Bill's wife Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) suffers a breakdown after her child is born; the second "Meet the Babysitter," takes place three years ago when youngest wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) comes into the picture; and the last, "Moving Day," focuses on an incident set a little over a year ago when the family considers a move to the suburbs. HBO on Demand subscribers will have access to the episodes starting Monday, June 4 before they're actually broadcast on the channel itself on Sunday, June 24 at 7:45/6:45c.


FAMILY MAN (TNT, New!) - William H. Macy ("The Wool Cap") has been tapped to star in a potential new drama series for the cable channel, about a man who organizes charity drives by day and cracks the safes of major corporations by night. Macy himself will co-write the script with longtime collaborator Steven Schachter (who will also direct) as well as executive produce alongside Craig Zadan and Neil Meron via their Sony Pictures Television-based Storyline Entertainment. As for specifics, it's understood the story will be told with the use of flash forwards, with Macy's character seen in prison in the future.


JOURNEYMAN (NBC) - Alex Graves, who helmed the drama pilot to the series, has inked a one-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pact calls for Graves to continue on as an executive producer for the first 13 episodes of the project as well as develop new series projects for the studio.


JUDGMENT DAY (Lifetime) - Graham Norton ("The Graham Norton Show") has been tapped to host the pilot, which is described as an in-studio popularity contest where seven women are voted off one by one by a female audience based on how they handle a series of questions and challenges, demonstrating how people all too often judge a book by its cover. Production on the hourlong project, from Simon Andreae ("Ebaum's World") and Fox Television Studios, is set to begin next month in Los Angeles.


MR. & MRS. SMITH (ABC) - Regency Television reportedly is set to begin shopping the pilot to other networks as early as next week. The project, which was co-produced by Doug Liman's Dutch Oven banner, didn't make the cut for ABC's 2007-2008 schedule this week. It's understood creator Simon Kinberg and co-stars Jordana Brewster and Martin Henderson are all still attached to the pilot, however no option length was given.


UGLY BETTY (ABC) - Executive producers Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez have signed a new two-year overall deal with the show's producer ABC Studios. The pact sets up their Ventanarosa Productions at the studio where they'll develop new series projects as well as continue with their duties on "Betty."


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [may 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· ANATOMY OF HOPE, THE (HBO)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EBAUM'S WORLD (USA)
· FAMILY MAN (TNT)
· GRAHAM NORTON SHOW, THE (BBC AMERICA)
· JOURNEYMAN (NBC)
· JUDGMENT DAY (LIFETIME)
· MR. AND MRS. SMITH (ABC)
· UGLY BETTY (ABC)
· WOOL CAP, THE (TNT)





[11/04/24 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Zombieverse 2: New Blood" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The groundbreaking K-zombie series returns bolder than ever, with enhanced zombies, new members and wilder quests full of non-stop thrills and laughter.

[11/04/24 - 02:01 PM]
"Outer Banks" Renewed for Fifth and Final Season Following Fan Celebrations at Poguelandia and Multi-Country Pogue Tour
The news comes two days after the second Poguelandia: An Outer Banks Experience, held November 2 at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

[11/04/24 - 01:31 PM]
Acorn TV's Hit Detective Crime Drama "Dalgliesh" Returns with All-New Episodes Monday, December 2
Season 3 is made up of three distinct mysteries, each two episodes long.

[11/04/24 - 12:01 PM]
NBC Unveils Lineup of New and Returning Beloved Holiday Programming
New programming for 2024 includes "Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular" and "A Motown Christmas," hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey.

[11/04/24 - 11:01 AM]
The Final Bell: Production Begins for the Third and Final Season of "Heartbreak High"
In Season 3, it's time for Hartley High's graduating class to say 'goodbye' to school, and 'hello' to adulthood!

[11/04/24 - 11:01 AM]
NBC's "The Voice" Taps Music Icon Sting and Multi-Hyphenate Jennifer Hudson as Season 26 Mega Mentors
Hudson joins Michael Bublé and Reba McEntire while Sting joins coaches Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani to mentor the remaining artists as each team prepares for the Knockouts, beginning Monday, November 11.

[11/04/24 - 10:31 AM]
Aussie Luke Hemsworth Joins the Cast of Prime Video's Global Hit Series "Deadloch" Season Two
Hemsworth will join lead cast members Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama and Alicia Gardiner.

[11/04/24 - 08:32 AM]
Netflix Announces Release of the Documentary "Avicii - I'm Tim" and Avicii's Last Show from Ibiza's Ushuaia
The documentary "Avicii - I'm Tim" and "Avicii - My Last Show" will launch globally on Netflix on December 31.

[11/04/24 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson" - Narrator Announcement, Sneak Peek & Key Art Debut
Ice T will narrate the three-part follow-doc leading up to the Netflix and MVP's heavyweight boxing mega-event.

[11/04/24 - 08:02 AM]
"La Liberacion" Will Premiere Exclusively on Prime Video on January 17
The unique series created and directed by noted filmmaker Alejandra Márquez Abella premieres January 17 on Prime Video.

[11/04/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey" - Official Trailer - Netflix
On December 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up the morning after a loving family Christmas to discover their youngest child, six-year-old JonBenét, was missing, a chilling ransom note left downstairs.

[11/04/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland" - Official Trailer - Hulu
St Nick (voiced by Gerard Butler) receives a delayed letter on Christmas Eve from the Princess of Hearts.

[11/03/24 - 07:30 PM]
Video: AMC Networks Releases a First Look at Season Three of "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon"
Starring Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride as the beloved characters "Daryl Dixon" and "Carol Peletier," the new season is set to premiere in 2025 on AMC and AMC+.

[11/02/24 - 06:12 PM]
Video: "Outer Banks" Season 4 - Part 2 Official Trailer - Netflix
Buried secrets surface as the Pogues race to find a legendary artifact - with a dangerous gang of rival treasure hunters hot on their trail.

[11/01/24 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News Studios Announces "Price of Fame: The Liam Payne Story - A Special Edition of 20/20," Airing Nov. 3 at 10 P.M. EST on ABC
The one-hour special explores Liam Payne's meteoric rise to celebrity as a member of boy band One Direction and his personal journey, including his struggles with mental health and the pressures of stardom, as well as his efforts to reinvent himself as a solo artist.