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[12/10/09 - 06:13 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, December 10
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!
AMERICA: THE STORY OF US (History) - Meryl Streep, Michael Douglas, Colin Powell, Brian Williams, Buzz Aldrin, Tommy Franks, Donald Trump, John Lasseter and Stevie Wonder have all been tapped to participate in the upcoming 12-part event, which will "focus on the elements that distinguish American democracy, the conflicts that shaped it and the myriad social and industrial innovations that have fueled the country's prosperity." Said talent will serve as on-camera commentators with Jane Root executive producing via her Nutopia production banner. "America" is due sometime in 2010.
DELTA BLUES (TNT) - Alfre Woodard ("Three Rivers") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee), "a Memphis police officer who lives with his mother (Celia Weston) and moonlights as a tribute artist." She'll play "the formidable new lieutenant who tries to exercise her power over Dwight," a role presumably in second position to the hiatused "Rivers." Warner Horizon Television and Smokehouse Productions are behind the hour, which also stars Abraham Benrubi, DJ Qualls, Leonard Howz, Robyn Lively and Sam Hennings. Clark Johnson is directing from a script by Joshua Harto and Liz Garcia.
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO) - Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have announced via their web site their pay channel series won't be returning for a third season. "We've noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won't be returning for a 3rd season," said the statement. "We're very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We'd like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist." The show wrapped its second season back in March.
GLEE (FOX) - Tony-winning actress Idina Menzel ("Wicked") is reportedly in talks to recur on the back half of the show's freshman season. She would play the coach to glee club "Vocal Adrenaline," the McKinley High glee club's main competition. Menzel had already been the focus of a fan campaign to cast her as Rachel Berry's (Lea Michele) biological mother. Also signing on for a five to six episode arc is Jonathan Groff. He'll play the lead male vocalist of "Vocal Adrenaline" and a potential love interest for Rachel Berry. Groff co-starred opposite Michele in the Broadway production of "Spring Awakening."
KEEP HOPE ALIVE (FOX) - Kate Micucci ("Scrubs") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about Jimmy (Lucas Neff), "a 25-year-old single parent raising an infant with the help of his quirky family after the mother of the baby -- with whom he had a one-night stand -- ends up on death row." She'll play Mike, "an unkempt, fairly oblivious cousin of Jimmy living in a tent in the laundry room of their great-grandmother's house." Said role was originally envisioned a male. Garrett Dillahunt, Kate Micucci, Martha Plimpton and Olesya Rulin also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which Michael Fresco is directing from a script by Greg Garcia.
THE SIX (ABC, New!) - Merv Griffin Entertainment has landed a presentation order from the Alphabet for a new game show based on the Russian format "What? Where? When?" Said project, which has been running for 35 years in its home country, is being redubbed "The Six," after the number of contestants on the show. The late Vladimir Voroshilov created (and hosted) the series, which pits a panel of six knowledgeable persons against the viewing audience. Said experts are tasked with answering audience-submitted questions listed on a spinning horizontal wheel divided into segments. If the experts answer correctly in the allotted 60 seconds they receive a point, if they don't the audience receives a point with question's author also earning a prize. (Sample question: "They first appeared in 1908 in Mexico. There were two of them. Over time, they came closer and closer together, like wings of a black raven. Name them." Answer: "Frida Kahlo's eyebrows.") Exact format details however are still being worked out. Merv Griffin's Roy Bank is executive producing the project alongside Ukranian-born actor Alex Reznik, Jonathan Barry and Ron Ward. Dwight Smith and Michael Agbabian are the showrunners with Brian Veskosky serving as a co-executive producer.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[12/31/24 - 02:01 PM]
"Nightline"' Ranks No. 1 in All Key Demos for the Week of Dec. 23 Versus CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers"
Plus: ABC News' "Nightline" averaged 939,000 Total Viewers, 213,000 Adults 25-54 and 142,000 Adults 18-49 during the 4th Quarter 2024, based on Most Current Data from Nielsen Media Research.
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[12/31/24 - 12:17 PM]
"Squid Game" Season 2 Smashes Top 10 Viewing Records as Millions Worldwide Take Part in Fan Activations
Season 2 enthralled fans all over the world as it skyrocketed to the top of the Netflix Global Top 10, amassing an astounding 68 million views in its debut.
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[12/31/24 - 12:00 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of Dec. 23: "Squid Game" Season 2 Scores Record-Breaking Debut
Meanwhile, "Carry-On" flew high for its third consecutive week at No. 1 on the English films list with 34.9 million views.
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[12/31/24 - 11:17 AM]
NFL Christmas Day Games on Netflix Average Over 30 Million Global Viewers
The games ranked #1 (Ravens-Texans) and #2 (Chiefs-Steelers) on Netflix's Global Top 10 for the week, and hit the Top 10 across multiple countries.
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[12/31/24 - 07:18 AM]
Video: "The Kardashians" - Season 6 - Teaser - Hulu
Season 6 of "The Kardashians" premieres February 6 on Hulu, Disney+ internationally, and Star+ in Latin America.
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[12/31/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Official Trailer #2 - "Common Side Effects" - February 2 - Adult Swim
"Common Side Effects" premieres February 2 at 11:30/10:30c on Adult Swim - next day on Max.
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[12/30/24 - 03:15 PM]
ABC's "The Year: 2024" Ranks #1 Across the Board in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49
In addition, the annual ABC News special led its two-hour time slot, beating CBS and NBC programming in Adults 18-49 for the 5th consecutive year - since 2020.
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[12/30/24 - 01:00 PM]
Video: Denis Leary Is "Going Dutch!" - Season 1 Extended Trailer - FOX TV
Tune in for the series premiere Thursday, January 2, on FOX and next day on Hulu.
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[12/30/24 - 11:06 AM]
NBC Sports Delivers Its Most-Watched Year Since 2016
Collectively, the most prestigious events and properties in sports propelled NBC Sports to its most-watched year since 2016, with more than 400 billion minutes (or more than 7 billion hours) consumed across NBCUniversal platforms.
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[12/30/24 - 09:34 AM]
Viewership Update: NBA on ESPN Platforms Up Five Percent From Last Year
Through 34 games, NBA games on ESPN platforms are averaging 1,959,000 viewers.
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[12/30/24 - 09:25 AM]
Video: "Shifting Gears" Official Trailer
Look for the series premiere January 8 at 8:00/7:00c on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.
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[12/30/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Coach Prime" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Prime Video
In his second season as Colorado head coach, Deion Sanders leads the Buffaloes in their return to the Big 12.
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[12/30/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Miss Scarlet" Season 5 Trailer
Season 5 premieres on Sunday, January 12 at 8:00/7:00c on PBS.
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[12/30/24 - 07:01 AM]
Aced It! ESPN Scores Stellar Viewership During 2024 NCAA Women's College Volleyball Season
The 2024 Women's NCAA Volleyball Tournament was the most-consumed ever, with more than 1.3 billion minutes watched across ESPN platforms.
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[12/30/24 - 06:01 AM]
Enjoy Apple TV+ for Free the First Weekend of 2025
Enjoy Apple TV+ for free the first weekend of 2025 (January 3 through January 5), Apple TV+ will be free on any device where Apple TV+ is available.
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