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[10/07/08 - 06:24 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, October 7
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!
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS (FOX, New!) - Christine Zander ("Samantha Who?") is developing a domestic take on the infamous U.K. comedy, about the friendship of two boozy, over-40 best friends who are desperate to stay hip and youthful. The project, which has script commitment with a penalty attached, is set up at Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum's Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount banner. Jennifer Saunders, the mind behind the U.K. original, along with Ian Moffitt will also executive produce via BBC Worldwide Productions. ABC was the last network to take a stab at importing the show nearly a decade ago with Roseanne Barr and Carrie Fisher in the roles made famous by Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
THE RICHES (FX) - The cable channel confirmed this week the Minnie Driver/Eddie Izzard-led drama won't return for a third season. The news had been widely expected as its strike-shortened sophomore run experienced a significant 44% drop in the key 18-49 demographic. Dmitry Lipkin was behind the hour, which was co-produced by Fox Television Studios, FX Productions and Maverick Television.
THE WASHINGTONIENNE (HBO) - Rachael Taylor, Amanda Walsh and Bitsie Tulloch have scored the lead roles in the Sarah Jessica Parker-produced comedy, about the professional and personal lives of three smart, sophisticated 28-year-old girls working on Capitol Hill. Taylor will play Jackie, "a recent transplant from New York who has decided to pursue a career as a speechwriter but first must work her way up from the intern desk"; with Tulloch as April, her mentor friend from college "who has been on the Hill since graduation and lives a prematurely middle-age lifestyle with a boyfriend who seems more in love with his flashy senator boss than with her"; and Walsh as Laura, "a small-town girl whose workaholic ways often come at the expense of a social life and who is constantly defending her Republican views to her liberal friends." Also signing on is David Furr as April's boyfriend Tom, an aide to a charismatic senator. Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz penned the pilot script based on Jessica Cutler's semi-autobiographical book. Vanessa Taylor was previously attached to pen the adaptation. Parker, Parker's producing partner Alison Benson, Sarah Condon and Stacy Traub are the executive producers.
WIPEOUT (ABC) - Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against ABC, alleging "Wipeout" is "a blatant copycat" of several of its classic Japanese competition series, including "Takeshi's Castle," "Sasuke" and "Kuniochi." Spike TV's "MXC" and G4's "Ninja Warrior" feature footage from "Castle" and "Sasuke," respectively, here in the U.S. "ABC's willful and wrongful use of Plaintiff's shows to create 'Wipeout' is egregious, inexcusable and not to be tolerated," the complaint reads. Among its claims: ABC bought search terms such as "MXC" on Google to help drive traffic to the official "Wipeout" page and a memo from Alphabet executive VP Howard Davine indicating producers to "carefully scrutinize" whether licensing foreign formats "is necessary or appropriate." A separate lawsuit against producer Endemol is also said to be pending.
THE WISHING WELL (Hallmark, New!) - Ernest Borgnine, Jordan Ladd and Sally Kellerman are set to star in a new original movie at the cable channel about a reporter (Ladd) sent to Slow Creek, Illinois, to write a fluff piece on the local wishing well, which ends up having an impact on her life. Borgnine then plays a local innkeeper with Kellerman as a waitress/the unofficial town therapist. David Jackson is directing the movie, from a script by Steven H. Berman with Larry Levinson executive producing and Brian Gordon and Susan McGuire producing.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[01/22/25 - 03:06 PM]
HBO Renews "The White Lotus" for a Fourth Season
The eight-episode third season debuts Sunday, February 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.
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[01/22/25 - 03:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers"
On Monday (1/13/25), "Nightline" scored its most-watched telecast (1.340 million) in over 1 year.
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[01/22/25 - 01:27 PM]
College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T Tops College Football Postseason Viewership, Delivering 22.1 Million Viewers
Said broadcast peaked with 26.1 million viewers from 8:30-8:45 p.m. ET.
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[01/22/25 - 12:49 PM]
PBS and BBC Release First-Look Images from the Series "Walking with Dinosaurs" Premiering Later This Year
This new six-part series will take viewers on a unique journey back through time, revealing the incredible life stories of these long-lost giants.
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[01/22/25 - 12:00 PM]
Prime Video Reveals First-Look Images for Season Three of "The Wheel of Time"
This release is part of #WOTWednesdays, a fan-favorite weekly reveal of series news and assets leading up to the season premiere.
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[01/22/25 - 11:30 AM]
CBS Program Advisory: "Hollywood Squares" Moves to 8PM on CBS' Wednesday Game Night
Beginning January 29, Wednesdays will kick off with original episodes of "Hollywood Squares" (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by "The Price Is Right at Night" (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and then "Raid the Cage" (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).
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[01/22/25 - 11:25 AM]
"Doc," FOX's New Hit Medical Drama, Delivers Nearly 16 Million Viewers with Debut Episode, +609% Increase Over Live+Same Day
"Doc" is also FOX's most streamed premiere episode across 7-day viewing in over a year.
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[01/22/25 - 11:02 AM]
Paramount+ Announces New Documentary "The Carters"
The new two-part documentary takes a deeply personal look at the extreme highs and tragic lows of a family propelled into the spotlight by the meteoric rise of the musical careers of two brothers, Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) and the late pop sensation Aaron Carter.
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[01/22/25 - 10:44 AM]
ABC and ESPN Platforms Present the 2025 NWSL Season
ABC will broadcast six games, up from four in 2024, including three playoff matches in November.
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[01/22/25 - 10:36 AM]
TNT Sports Announces First Half of 2025 MLB Tuesday Regular Season Schedule on TBS & Max
MLB Tuesday will begin its coverage on Tuesday, April 1, with a matchup of the two most recent World Series runners-up: unanimous 2024 AL MVP Aaron Judge and the reigning American League Champion New York Yankees will host 2024 NL All-Star Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7 p.m. ET.
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[01/22/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: National Geographic Dishes Up Deliciously Exciting New Series Trailer for "No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski"
This tantalizing docuseries invites viewers to join culinary expert and Emmy Award-winning star of "Queer Eye" Antoni Porowski as he guides celebrity guests on epic journeys to explore their ancestral gastronomic roots.
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[01/22/25 - 10:01 AM]
"Love Is Blind" Celebrates 5 Years and Is Renewed Through Season 10
This Valentine's Day marks the 5th anniversary of the beloved series, coinciding with the highly anticipated premiere of Season 8.
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[01/22/25 - 10:00 AM]
CBS Presents a Never-Before-Seen Look at the Making of Music's Biggest Night, on "Inside the 67th Annual Grammy Awards," Airing Friday, Jan. 31 on CBS
The one-hour special replaces the previously scheduled premiere of "NCIS: Sydney," which moves to a new date and time: Friday, February 7 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).
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[01/22/25 - 09:30 AM]
New Max-Starz Streaming Bundle Launches on Prime Video in the U.S.
Customers can access the ad-free Max and Starz bundle for $20.99/month, an approximate 25 percent savings.
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[01/22/25 - 09:30 AM]
Legendary Comedian George Lopez Sets Premiere Date for Upcoming and Final Comedy Special
"George Lopez: Muy Católico" will premiere February 18 on Prime Video.
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