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[05/18/07 - 05:15 PM]
Development Update: Week of May 14-18
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!
THE ANATOMY OF HOPE (A.K.A. UNTITLED TOM SCHULMAN/RAFAEL YGLESIAS PROJECT) (HBO) - Chris Messina, John Ortiz, Simon Callow, Valerie Pettiford, Matt Craven, Deepti Daryanani, Daryl Edwards, Diego Klattenhoff, Kerry Condon and Sarah Knowlton have all been cast in the pilot, a hospital drama that explores cancer battles from the patients' point of view. In addition, executive producer J.J. Abrams has confirmed he'll direct the hour from a script by Tom Schulman and Rafael Yglesias. As for specifics, Messina will play an oncologist who goes between being overly friendly and aloof; Ortiz will play a recent cancer survivor; Callow is set as one of the top oncologists in the U.S.; Pettiford is playing a terminally ill cancer patient; Craven will play a hyper guy who may have prostate cancer; Edwards will play a patient with advanced cancer; Klattenhoff is playing a recently engaged young man with bone cancer in his leg with Condon as his fiancee; Daryanani is set as a beautiful young doctor; and Knowlton will play a nurse who runs the chemo ward. Abrams, Schulman and Yglesias then are executive producing alongside Bad Robot's Bryan Burk via the company's overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.
BIG LOVE (HBO) - The pay channel has commissioned a trio of three-to-five minute mini-episodes of the series collectively dubbed "Big Love: In the Beginning." All three installments will feature the regular cast and crew as well as fill in various elements of the backstory of the Henricksons. The first, "Post-Partum," is set five years ago when Bill's wife Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) suffers a breakdown after her child is born; the second "Meet the Babysitter," takes place three years ago when youngest wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) comes into the picture; and the last, "Moving Day," focuses on an incident set a little over a year ago when the family considers a move to the suburbs. HBO on Demand subscribers will have access to the episodes starting Monday, June 4 before they're actually broadcast on the channel itself on Sunday, June 24 at 7:45/6:45c.
FAMILY MAN (TNT, New!) - William H. Macy ("The Wool Cap") has been tapped to star in a potential new drama series for the cable channel, about a man who organizes charity drives by day and cracks the safes of major corporations by night. Macy himself will co-write the script with longtime collaborator Steven Schachter (who will also direct) as well as executive produce alongside Craig Zadan and Neil Meron via their Sony Pictures Television-based Storyline Entertainment. As for specifics, it's understood the story will be told with the use of flash forwards, with Macy's character seen in prison in the future.
JOURNEYMAN (NBC) - Alex Graves, who helmed the drama pilot to the series, has inked a one-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pact calls for Graves to continue on as an executive producer for the first 13 episodes of the project as well as develop new series projects for the studio.
JUDGMENT DAY (Lifetime) - Graham Norton ("The Graham Norton Show") has been tapped to host the pilot, which is described as an in-studio popularity contest where seven women are voted off one by one by a female audience based on how they handle a series of questions and challenges, demonstrating how people all too often judge a book by its cover. Production on the hourlong project, from Simon Andreae ("Ebaum's World") and Fox Television Studios, is set to begin next month in Los Angeles.
MR. & MRS. SMITH (ABC) - Regency Television reportedly is set to begin shopping the pilot to other networks as early as next week. The project, which was co-produced by Doug Liman's Dutch Oven banner, didn't make the cut for ABC's 2007-2008 schedule this week. It's understood creator Simon Kinberg and co-stars Jordana Brewster and Martin Henderson are all still attached to the pilot, however no option length was given.
UGLY BETTY (ABC) - Executive producers Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez have signed a new two-year overall deal with the show's producer ABC Studios. The pact sets up their Ventanarosa Productions at the studio where they'll develop new series projects as well as continue with their duties on "Betty."
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[06/18/26 - 03:01 PM]
"Bet" Season 2 Sets Additional Cast and Starts Production in Toronto
Season 1 reached the global top 10 on Netflix in 77 countries and spent three weeks on the list with over 10 million views during that time.
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[06/18/26 - 03:00 PM]
AMC Global Media's Critically Acclaimed Drama, "The Audacity," Commences Season 2 Production
Production of the eight-episode second season is underway in Vancouver, Canada, with the series returning to AMC and AMC+ in 2027.
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[06/18/26 - 02:47 PM]
Stars Shine Bright on FOX as Strong FIFA World Cup 2026 Viewership Continues
9,082,000 viewers witnessed Lionel Messi's hat trick with Argentina defeating Algeria 3-0 Tuesday on FOX.
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[06/18/26 - 01:56 PM]
"Rulers of Fortune": Netflix Gathers Cast to Celebrate the Start of Season 2 Production
Season 1 was a massive success, reaching Netflix's Global Top 10 and spending six weeks among the platform's most-watched non-English-language titles worldwide.
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[06/18/26 - 12:30 PM]
Wonder Project Unveils First-Ever Line-Up of Six Stand-Up Comedy Specials - "Wonder Presents: The Stand-Ups" - Beginning July 2
From award-winning comedy studio, New Metric Media, each of the six specials will debut weekly, starring comedians Caroline Rhea, K. Trevor Wilson, Sterling Scott, Ola Dada, Zabrina Douglas, and Erica Sigurdson.
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[06/18/26 - 11:11 AM]
Prime Video Announces Season Three of "Fallout" Adds Emily Mortimer, Manny Jacinto, and Thomasin McKenzie to Cast
The critically acclaimed global hit series, from Kilter Films, returns to Los Angeles this month to begin filming season three.
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[06/18/26 - 11:01 AM]
Apple Original Films to Bring Beloved Children's Book "Little Santa" to the Screen
How did Santa become Santa? The answer is in the evergreen musical comedy adventure, "Little Santa."
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[06/18/26 - 11:00 AM]
FOX Creator Studios Expands Roster with New Wave of Creator Partners, Original Formats and Premium IP
Now joining the FCS roster, which already ranges from culinary icon Gordon Ramsay to renowned comedian Tom Segura, are popular creators including Josh Richards, Emelia Hartford, Speeed Co, Sorted Food, MyHealthyDish, Mad Realities, and Christina Richardson.
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[06/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix's "The God of the Woods" Rounds Out Cast with Tracy Letts, John Gallagher Jr. Lola Kirke, Colton Ryan and More
The multi-generational drama series explores the Van Laar family's dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13 year old Barbara Van Laar from her family's summer camp - in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related.
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[06/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" Announces a Strong Lineup of Summer Guest Hosts
Tiffany Haddish will lead things off, hosting the week of July 6, followed throughout the summer by Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Colman Domingo and Jelly Roll.
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[06/18/26 - 10:12 AM]
Missing Woman, Endless Questions: David Morrissey Stars in "Gone" - BritBox's Latest Gripping Crime Thriller
Packed with twists and emotional stakes, the series premieres July 23 on BritBox.
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[06/18/26 - 10:01 AM]
Proximity Media Television Signs New Creative Partnership with Netflix
As part of the new deal, the team behind Proximity Media Television will exclusively develop new series for Netflix.
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[06/18/26 - 10:01 AM]
NBC's Civilian-Led "New Blood" Season of "The Traitors" to Debut on Thursday, September 17 with a Supersized 2-Hour Premiere Event
In lieu of celebrities and socialites, Emmy-winning host Alan Cumming will open the doors to his now-infamous Scottish castle to 22 everyday Americans, hand selected from a nationwide search resulting in over 60,000 hopeful applicants.
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[06/18/26 - 10:00 AM]
New Animated Television Series "Warrior Cats," Based on Beloved Children's Book Saga, Lands at Disney+ and Disney Channel
Created by Working Partners, a Coolabi Group company, and penned by Erin Hunter, the hugely successful "Warrior Cats" book series is about clans of wild cats.
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[06/18/26 - 09:31 AM]
"Simon Says"... A New Twist on the Classic Game Is Coming to Netflix
A new reality competition series based on the OG playground game of the same name is premiering on Netflix in 2027.
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