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[03/27/08 - 11:05 AM] Development Update: Thursday, March 27 By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
ANYTOWN BEATDOWN (G4, New!) - "The Celebrity Apprentice" alum/Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Tito Ortiz is developing a new reality series at the cable channel in which friends and rivals resolve their differences by fighting in "The Octagon." G4 has given a pilot order to the project, originally dubbed "Anytown Throwdown," which will track Ortiz as he trains the participants in mixed-martial arts fighting and then lets them duke it out. No other specifics were released.
DOLLHOUSE (FOX) - Tahmoh Penikett ("Battlestar Galactica"), Fran Kranz ("Welcome to the Captain"), Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj are the latest wave of additions to the Eliza Dushku-led drama, about a top-secret world of people programmed with different personalities, abilities and memories depending on their mission. Penikett will play Paul Smith, who's billed in the casting notice as: "30s, any ethnicity, good-looks hardened by a cynical distaste for most of humanity. An FBI field agent, he's been chasing the urban myth of the "Dollhouse" long enough to have lost any shot at promotion. Becomes obsessed with, and twisted romantic foil for, Echo." Kranz then is set as Topher Brink - "20's, any ethnicity, genius programmer who's articulate, nerdily attractive and blithely amoral. He's responsible for imprinting the dolls - and making sure they stay unaware of anything. Is fascinated by the science and kind of digging the illegality. Fun to be around, but might not be remotely trustworthy." - with Lachman as Sierra - "20's, Asian or any ethnicity - certainly not Caucasian. Strikingly beautiful. A Doll like Echo, she has every personality in the world but her own. Is not as self-aware as Echo, but is instinctively drawn to her as a friend." - and Gjokaj as Victor - "20's, any ethnicity, handsome and fit. A Doll, and the other closest thing to a friend Echo has. Childlike when he's inactive, and everything from Errol Flynn to (young) DeNiro when he's active." Joss Whedon is behind the hour, which is based at 20th Century Fox Television.
MYTHOLOGICAL X (CBS) - Rachel Boston, late of FOX's comedy pilot "Hackett," has signed onto the drama pilot, about a woman who, after learning from a psychic that she already has dated the man she's supposed to marry, revisits all her past relationships. She'll play Denise, who's detailed in the casting notice as: "26-32. Michaela's little sister and a bundle of sass and energy. She's fiercely loyal to her older sister, defending her at every turn, mostly when it's unnecessary. She's a professional dancer of the non-exotic variety. She's the girl who had posters of ballet shoes on her walls throughout her youth then went away to college to fully reinforce the negative stereotype of partying, promiscuous dance majors. She makes her living doing videos and commercials but the ageist industry is starting to shun her. She is about to get married to her long-term boyfriend." Diane Ruggiero is behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which Timothy Busfield is helming.
NY-LON (CBS) - Elisha Cuthbert ("24"), Caterina Scorsone ("1-800-Missing") and Johnny Whitworth ("CSI: Miami") are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about a New York literacy teacher/record store clerk and a London stock broker who embark on a cross-continental romance. Cuthbert is playing the female lead, Edie Miller, who's detailed via the casting breakdown as follows: "25-29, American, an incredibly appealing, feisty, cool downtown woman who's adopted NY as her home. She teaches adults literacy, and she's totally committed to her students, although she doesn't make much money doing this. She believes in doing what she can to help the world. To make ends meet she also works at a Bleeker Bob's-type used record store for serious music-heads; she loves music. She comes from money but has rejected it, living independently in NYC. Her mother died of cancer when she was young. She's emotional, feisty, strongminded and loyal, someone who women totally identify with and men will follow anywhere. Edie meets Michael (a Brit) on a trip to London. When her bag gets stolen and she finds herself in a bar - broke and without a phone - she asks Michael for help. What starts up as a guarded but flirty exchange ends up as a full-on New York-London relationship, two people not looking for love but falling into it nonetheless."
Scorsone then is set as Astrid - "25-29, American (can be any ethnicity) and Edie's rocker, bohemian, slutty roommate. She's in London with Edie on this fateful trip. She works as a bartender in a funky bar and sleeps around unapologetically. She's totally committed to her "downtown" lifestyle. While she's hip, edgy and audacious, underneath it all, she is clearly lonely. She has relied on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll to hook up, but we see her vulnerability in that she's in love with Luke, Edie's ex." - with Whitworth as Luke - "Mid-Late 20's, American. Edie's hot, cool, soulful, very sexy bad boy rocker and ex-boyfriend with whom she has recently broken up. His life on the road was too much for her, especially since she suspects he cheated on her. Now that he's just about to "break" as a musician, he doesn't want to be tied down and is totally absorbed with his career. But when his brother, Cookie, dies of an overdose in Edie's apartment (Cookie was house sitting while Edie and Astrid were in London), Luke leans heavily on Edie and quickly realizes that he should never have let her go. He has a long history with Edie and they continue to be attracted to each other. Luke is the guy you've been waiting for forever to come around but never has. Now it feels like he might just be ready. Is it too late? He's intense, he feels things deeply, and he's hot." Rashida Jones, Rachel Miner and David Rogers originated said roles in the U.K. original. Larry Shaw is directing the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by co-creators Lara Runnels and Patti Carr.
THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY (ABC, New!) - Playwright Jessica Goldberg, actor Hamish Linklater ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") and executive producers Chris Brancato and Bert Salke are set to team for a new gothic family soap with "Hamlet" overtones set in the world of the Detroit auto business. Goldberg and Linklater penned the pilot script to the project, which is based at ABC Studios. Goldberg, Brancato and Salke then are executive producing with Linklater, who's not attached to star, serving as a consulting producer.
SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is importing all eight episodes of Chris Lilley's Australian comedy series, a mocumentary about life at a high school. Lilley created and executive produced the half-hour, which sees him assuming three different roles: Mr. G, a self-important, high-strung drama teacher; Ja'mie, a haughty, private-school female exchange student; and Jonah, a delinquent, break-dancing obsessed student. Bruce Kane also serves as an executive producer with Laura Waters producing and Stuart McDonald directing. It's understood HBO plans to pair the series with its new animated series "The Life and Times of Tim" on Friday nights this June.
UNTITLED DAVID HEMINGSON PROJECT (ABC) - David Hemingson's dramedy has been given the green light to produce a pilot. The untitled hour revolves around a recent law school grad with blue collar roots who ends up working in a boutique L.A. firm. Hemingson penned the pilot script and is executive producing for 20th Century Fox Television. The Alphabet originally gave the project a put pilot commitment back in August (read the story).
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[11/22/24 - 01:31 PM] Video: "Suits LA" Arrives February 2025 - NBC The all-new spinoff of the beloved legal drama, starring Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg, lands on the West Coast.
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[11/22/24 - 12:11 PM] Video: Peacock Releases First Look at the Third Season of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors" Returning January 9 with Alan Cumming as Host Last season, "The Traitors" became the #1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen.
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[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM] Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.
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[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM] Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024 Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.
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[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM] Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6 The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!
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[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM] 2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17 In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.
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[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM] Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).
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[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM] Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.
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[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM] "They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.
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[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM] Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.
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[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM] "Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.
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[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM] ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins" First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.
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[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM] 2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.
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[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM] "Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.
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[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM] NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place" The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.
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