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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!
CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION (Paramount+) - Josh Stewart took to social media with the news he will not be returning for the revival's sophomore run. (@J0SHSTEWART, 1/17)
DYING FOR SEX (FX) - Jenny Slate will star opposite Michelle Williams in the limited series, "the story of Molly (Williams), a woman diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer who leaves her husband of 15 years and begins to explore her sexuality. She gets the courage and support to go on this adventure from her best friend Nikki (Slate), who stays by her side all the way to the very end." Slate's Nikki is "joyful and life-affirming. She agrees to be Molly's caretaker on her journey of sexual exploration in the face of death." (Deadline.com, 1/17)
FAMILY BUSINESS SPIN-OFF SERIES, THE (BET+, New!) - Brandon T. Jackson will topline an eight-episode spin-off of Carl Weber's book-turned-TV series: "In the spinoff, when the New Orleans side of the Duncan family gets caught in a vicious turf war with corrupt politicians, dirty land developers, and ruthless crime bosses all vying for the family's underground casino and night club business, they call on their relatives from New York to help wield their own brand of justice. Big Shirley Duncan, owner of popular New Orleans club Midnight Blues, and her son Marquis (Jackson), get dragged into a brutal power struggle between the most dangerous people in the city on both sides of the law, all wanting a piece of their business and land for secret malicious reasons. Fearing that her family may lose control of The Blues, Big Shirley sends Marquis to New York to see her brother-in-law, crime boss LC Duncan, who in turn enlists his nephew, Bounty Hunter Curts Duncan, and his highly trained niece, Lauryn Duncan, to help add some muscle and security to their family's business." Weber, ND Brown and Trey Haley executive produce for Tri Destined Studios with Jackson as an associate producer. (Deadline.com, 1/17)
FLIGHT ATTENDANT, THE (Max) - The Kaley Cuoco-led series is signing off after two seasons. Cuoco said, "What started out as an attention-grabbing book cover quickly evolved into an extraordinary flight of a lifetime. I always envisioned TFA as a limited series and thanks to an incredible creative team, we were able to deliver two thrilling seasons. Personally, playing Cassie has been a dream come true and I am so grateful for everyone who played a part in bringing this extremely original series to life." (Deadline.com, 1/19)
FROM SCRATCH (Netflix) - Creators Attica and Tembi Locke have signed an overall deal with Universal Television. First up: a proposed adaptation of Attica's novel "Bluebird, Bluebird," which "revolves around Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger who is deeply ambivalent about growing up Black in the lone star state and was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could - until duty called him home." (THR.com, 1/18)
GHOST AND MOLLY MCGEE, THE (Disney Channel) - Creator Bill Motz has confirmed on social media the series won't return for a third season. (@InevitablyBill, 1/14)
GOING DUTCH (FOX, New!) - Joel Church-Cooper has sold a new single-camera comedy to the network in which "a decorated, hard-ass colonel is tasked with running the least important U.S. Army base in the world, located in the tulip-hugging, wine-chugging Netherlands." Amoeba's Denis Leary and Jack Leary will also executive produce for FOX Entertainment. (Deadline.com, 1/18)
GOOD DOCTOR, THE (ABC) - Kayla Cromer and Wavyy Jonez will both recur on the show's final season. Cromer will play Charlene "Charlie" Lukaitis, "a third-year medical student who's excited both for this rotation and the chance to work with her hero, Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore)"; with Jonez as Dominick "Dom" Hubank, "another third-year med student who is hoping this surgical rotation is just a box to check on his way to become the family doctor in his underserved community." (Deadline.com, 1/18)
HARRY POTTER LIVE-ACTION SERIES (Max) - Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie are among the writers pitching to adapt J.K. Rowling's seven books as a TV series. They'd potentially join Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts and David Heyman as executive producers for Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com, 1/19)
LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME (NBC) - Michael Trotter has been cast as Joe Stabler Jr. on the series: "Joe Jr. is the youngest brother, who spent more than a decade in the Army before being dishonorably discharged; the exact reason behind his departure from the military remains unknown. He now works as the right-hand man to a British wine merchant - and there's something about the work that makes him ashamed to come face-to-face with Elliot, whom he greatly admires." (TVLine.com, 1/16)
LIGHT SHOP (Disney+, New!) - Kang Full has booked a new series at the streamer, "an adaptation of Kang's popular webtoon of the same name, and tells the story of a group of strangers, each struggling to come to terms with a traumatic event in their past. Going about their daily lives, each individual is mysteriously drawn to a light shop that sits at the end of a seedy alleyway. Guarded by a vigilant shopkeeper, the light shop could hold the key to the strangers' pasts, presents and futures." Due in the second half of 2024, it stars Bae Seong-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Park Bo-young and Lee Jung-eun, and is directed by Kim Hee-won. (THR.com, 1/18)
LINCOLN LAWYER, THE (Netflix) - Production is underway on the show's 10-episode third season, which will be based on the fifth book in series by Michael Connelly, "The Gods of Guilt." Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson and Yaya DaCosta will reprise their roles with Neve Campbell, Elliott Gould, Krista Warner, Fiona Rene and Devon Graye also due back. (Deadline.com, 1/18)
MISS AUSTEN (PBS) - Synnøve Karlsen has been cast as the younger version of Cassandra Austen (played by Keeley Hawes) in the four-part adaptation of Gill Hornby's novel. (Variety.com, 1/16)
MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY (Netflix) - Emmy winner Nathan Lane is the latest addition to true-crime anthology series as "writer and investigative journalist Dominick Dunne who covered the Menendez brothers trial for Vanity Fair." (Deadline.com, 1/15)
NIGHT COURT (NBC) - Nyambi Nyambi - who guested on the show's January 16 episode as Wyatt Shaw, "the court's new quick-witted and sarcastic clerk" - has been promoted to series regular. (Variety.com, 1/18)
OFFICE, THE (REBOOT SERIES) (NBC) - Executive producer Greg Daniels is "setting up a development room with his trusted writers [to] explore ideas for a follow-up series." (Deadline.com, 1/13)
RAP SH!T (Max) - The streamer has canceled the comedy series after two seasons. "We are extremely grateful to Issa Rae for creating Rap Sh!t, a one-of-a-kind comedy with compelling social commentary that reached viewers in a way only Issa's talents can accomplish," a Max spokesperson said in a statement. "A huge thank-you to Issa, showrunner Syreeta Singleton and the teams at Hoorae and 3 Arts Entertainment for introducing us to Shawna and Mia, a duo whose journey fans have been invested in and who they have continued to root for through everything. We'll never get Seduce and Scheme out of our heads, and we wouldn't have it any other way." (Deadline.com, 1/18)
RESCUE: HI-SURF (FOX) - Arielle Kebbel, Adam Demos, Robbie Magasiva, Kekoa Kekumano, Alex Aiono and Zoe Cipres are set to topline the upcoming drama with Sea Shimooka also slated to recur. Kebbel will play Emily "Em" Wright, "the first female lieutenant in Ocean Safety history, an accomplished surfer and record setting paddler who has her sights set on the captain's job, a position currently held by Sonny, her struggling mentor and friend." Demos then is Will Ready, "an Aussie surfer and certified lifesaver since his nipper days at the local board riders club"; with Magasiva as Harlan "Sonny" Jennings, "a surfer, waterman, and North Shore lifeguard captain with deep ties to his community and an iron clad commitment to his team of heavy water first responders"; Kekumano as Laka Hanohano, "an uber-fit Native Hawaiian lifeguard from Honolulu who patrols the busy North Shore beaches with a style all his own"; Aiono as Kainalu, "with a politician father who's on the rise, Kainalu is defying lots of expectations (like finishing college) to be a rookie North Shore lifeguard"; Cipres as Hina, "a rookie North Shore lifeguard from a large, working-class Hawaiian family"; and Shimooka as Jenn, "a big wave surfer and working EMT born and raised on Kauai." Magasiva and Kekumano previously played said roles in the original HBO Max incarnation of the project, "Ke Nui Road." (Deadline.com, 1/18)
ROOKIE, THE (ABC) - Danielle Campbell is slated to recur on the new season as Blair, "a psychiatrist for the LAPD." (TVLine.com, 1/18)
SCHMIGADOON! (Apple TV+) - Co-creator Cinco Paul shared the news on Instagram the streamer has canceled the series after two seasons despite writing being completed on a third. (@cincopedia, 1/18)
WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE (REBOOT SERIES) (Disney Channel, New!) - David Henrie is attached to reprise his role of Justin Russo in a sequel to the 2007-12 series with fellow original cast member Selena Gomez also appearing as Alex Russo in a guest role. Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele and Mimi Gianopulos will also star in the project, which has a pilot order: "It picks up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind, opting for a normal, human life with his wife and two sons. But he gets a surprise when a powerful young wizard in need of training shows up at his door... and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World." Brown will play "the powerful young wizard Billie, whom Justin takes under his wing"; with Thiele as Roman Russo, "Justin's oldest son"; and Gianopulos as "Justin's wife, Giada." Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas penned the script and will also executive produce alongside Henrie, Gomez, Gary Marsh and director Andy Fickman. (Deadline.com, 1/18)
YELLOWJACKETS (Showtime) - The third season of the network's flagship drama won't return until 2025. (Deadline.com, 1/15)
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