Pyxelbox: Freedom from the Tyranny of Television

Several more pilots add cast members

2010-02-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Wolk has landed the lead in Fox's Marc Webb-directed drama pilot "Midland," and "Avatar" co-star Laz Alonso will star in another hourlong Fox pilot, "Breakout Kings." Elsewhere, "Prison Break" alum Amaury Nolasco has joined NBC's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced pilot "Chase," "Crossing Jordan" alumna Kathryn Hahn has boarded Fox's comedy pilot "Most Likely to Succeed," Erinn Hayes has landed a lead in NBC's comedy pilot "This Little Piggy," Utkarsh Ambudkar will co-star in Fox's comedy pilot "Nevermind Nirvana" and Damon Wayans Jr. has come aboard the ABC comedy pilot "Happy Endings."

ION acquires slew of films, TV series

2010-02-12T05:31:00.000-08:00

ION Television is acquiring more than 30 films and TV series as part of its effort to bulk up its programming slate. Titles include such films as Paramount's "The Godfather" trilogy and "Top Gun" and Warner Bros.' "The Fugitive" and "Goodfellas" as well as TV shows like "Shark" and "Texas Justice." Read about it here!

CBS orders Larry Charles project

2010-02-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

CBS has handed a presentation order to an untitled comedy from "Borat" and "Bruno's" Larry Charles and Ant Hines. The semi-scripted project, from Sony TV and Tantamount, stars English actor Paul Kaye as a British low-life moving to LA to reconnect with his daughter who is a teen celebrity. Read about it here!

U.S. sends six series to Monte Carlo TV fest

2010-02-12T05:27:00.000-08:00

Six scripted series -- three dramas and three comedies -- have been selected to represent the United States at the 50th Monte Carlo TV Festival, which will take place Jun. 6 -10. Read about it here!

Freddy Rodriguez joins CBS' Chaos

2010-02-11T03:15:00.000-08:00

Freddy Rodriguez has been tapped as the lead on CBS' Brett Ratner-directed drama pilot "Chaos," and "Numbers" star David Krumholtz is set as the lead on Ron Howard's untitled IRS comedy pilot for Fox. Elsewhere, David Strathairn has landed a lead role in ABC's drama pilot "Matadors" and Cole Hauser has been tapped to co-star on NBC's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama "Chase." Read about it here!

Alex O'Loughlin to star in Hawaii Five-0

2010-02-11T03:13:00.000-08:00

Alex O'Loughlin is the new Detective Steve McGarrett. The "Moonlight" star has closed a deal to topline CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" remake. Read about it here!

Stan Lee creating new comic book property

2010-02-11T03:11:00.000-08:00

Andy Heyward's recently launched A Squared Entertainment and Archie Comics have partnered with Stan Lee for a multimedia comic book property, "Super Seven," which will feature the comic book icon. Lee, the Marvel legend and chairman and founder of POW!, is creating "Seven," about seven aliens who find themselves stranded on Earth after their spaceship crashes and are befriended by Lee himself. Taking them under his care, Lee becomes their leader and enables them to resume their lives as superheroes. Read about it here!

Bailout Treaser Trailer with Mike Michalowicz

2010-02-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

Hulu Leaps Into Original Web Series Game

2010-02-10T03:23:00.000-08:00

Back in December Hulu, along with Clear Channel, MySpace, Ford and Pepsi all signed on as sponsors and production partners for If I Can Dream, a new online docusoap Web series by reality programming mastermind Simon Fuller (American Idol). TheWrap (along with Tubefilter) covered the deal announcement, but overall, it didn’t generate much in the way of media or Web series industry buzz. But it’s time to take a closer look. Read about it here!

Andrea Anders, Jesse Metcalfe join pilots

2010-02-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

"Better Off Ted" star Andrea Anders has landed the female lead opposite Matthew Perry on ABC's comedy pilot "Mr. Sunshine." Nate Torrence also has been cast in "Mr. Sunshine." Elsewhere, Jesse Metcalfe has been tapped to co-star on NBC's drama pilot "Chase," Matt Jones has landed a lead opposite Gary Cole on TBS' hourlong pilot "Uncle Nigel," and Eamonn Walker has joined ABC's drama pilot "The Whole Truth." Read about it here!

Prison Break actor joins ABC's Gates

2010-02-10T03:11:00.000-08:00

"Prison Break" alum Frank Grillo has landed the lead in ABC's supernatural crime drama series "The Gates." Luke Mably, Janina Gavankar and Chandra West also have been cast in the project, which Terry McDonough has come on board to direct.

TBS loads up on comedy pilots

2010-02-10T03:09:00.000-08:00

TBS has picked up two more hourlong comedy pilots with cast-contingent orders: "In Security," from comedy feature director Pete Segal and broadcast comedy veteran Ric Swartzlander, and "Franklin & Bash," from broadcast drama veterans Kevin Falls and Bill Chais. "Security" was written by Swartzlander ("Gary Unmarried") and Segal ("Get Smart"), who are executive producing with Chris Albrecht. Read about it here!

NBC eyeing Paul Reiser pilot

2010-02-10T03:07:00.001-08:00

NBC is finalizing a deal for a pilot order to a single-camera comedy project from "Mad About You" star and co-creator Paul Reiser and Warner Bros. TV. The project, which Reiser penned on spec, is said to be in the vein of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and star Reiser in a show based on his real-life family life.

Sundance Channel starts scripted programming

2010-02-10T03:06:00.000-08:00

Sundance Channel is entering the scripted-series arena with a slate of four projects in development from such auspices as John Malkovich and Tony To. Following sister network AMC into original programming, the network will kick off its foray into original scripted programming in the fall with three-part French miniseries "Carlos," about terrorist Carlos the Jackal, which the channel acquired in November. Read about it here!

ABC, NBC pilots expand casts

2010-02-09T02:47:00.000-08:00

In the latest round of pilot castings, Jennifer Finnigan is set to star opposite Joanna Garcia in ABC's untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan comedy, Patrick Flueger has landed a co-starring role on ABC's summer series "Scoundrels," and Rose Rollins has been cast in NBC's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced drama pilot "Chase."

Rich Appel signs new 20th TV deal

2010-02-09T02:46:00.000-08:00

Veteran comedy writer-producer Rich Appel has inked a new three-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, extending his 15-year relationship with the studio. Under the rich seven-figure pact, Appel, who co-created freshman Fox/20th TV animated comedy "The Cleveland Show," will continue as executive producer/showrunner on the "Family Guy" spinoff, which has been renewed for next season. Read about it here!

Bones creator joins Fox's Guilty pilot

2010-02-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

"Bones" creator Hart Hanson has joined the Fox drama pilot "Pleading Guilty" as executive producer. On the directing front, U.K.-born Mick Jackson, hot off strong notices for the HBO movie "Temple Grandin," is set to helm NBC's remake of the cult British series "Prime Suspect." Read about it here!

The CW sets premieres for Fly, 'High

2010-02-09T02:42:00.000-08:00

The CW announced premiere dates for its two midseason reality series, "Fly Girls" and "High Society." Both shows will have a lead-in from special 90-minute versions of "America's Next Top Model." Read about it here!

Minka Kelly falls for True Love pilot

2010-02-09T02:40:00.000-08:00

"Friday Night Lights" alumna Minka Kelly has been tapped as a lead on CBS' comedy pilot "True Love." The project, from writer Matt Tarses ("Scrubs"), is an ensemble comedy about four friends in New York -- Henry, Kate, Larry and Connie -- who are looking for love. Read about it here!

Laura Benanti joins CBS pilot Open Books

2010-02-09T02:38:00.000-08:00

Broadway actress Laura Benanti has been tapped as the lead in CBS' comedy pilot "Open Books." Read about it here!

Faith Evans starring in reality series

2010-02-09T02:36:00.000-08:00

Hip-hop artist Faith Evans will chronicle her return to the music scene in "It's All About Faith," a reality series to be produced by E1 Television and Ten2One Entertainment. Read about it here!

50 Science Fiction Webseries, Distilled Into 46 seconds

2010-02-08T14:34:00.001-08:00

Online Video Viewers Want to Choose Their Own Ad

2010-02-08T03:20:00.000-08:00

Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi unit announced today that Hulu’s Ad Selector was tops among video ad units tested as part of its “Pool” research project, suggesting that Hulu might be revolutionizing the video ad market by allowing its users to select the ad they want to see. Read about it here!

10 More Sites for Free and Legal Torrents

2010-02-08T03:07:00.000-08:00

People tend to equate BitTorrent with piracy, and we’re not going to pretend that there isn’t a lot of loot out there on torrent sites. However, there’s also plenty of opportunity to download lots of legal goodies, from free documentaries to Creative Commons-licensed music to indie feature films hoping for some P2P buzz. Read about it here!

Big TV producers staying in familiar genres

2010-02-08T03:01:00.000-08:00

Many big TV producers are back with new projects this pilot season, and most of them are sticking to the genre that made them successful. After venturing into the world of TV reporters last pilot season with "Inside the Box," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" creator Shonda Rhimes is staying in the medical soap field this year with the ABC pilot "Off the Map." Read about it here!