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[03/19/08 - 05:19 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, March 19
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!
BIG IN JAPAN (ABC, New!) - Arthur Smith ("Hell's Kitchen") is developing a new reality competition series at the Alphabet in which Americans go to a foreign country to compete in local challenges while trying to adapt to their culture. ABC has given a series commitment to the project, which Smith will executive produce via his A. Smith & Co. banner. It's understood said title is tentative as producers are considering several different countries, including Japan. No other format specifics were released.
ENTOURAGE (HBO) - Rob Weiss, an executive producer on the series, has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with the pay channel. The pact covers his duties on the upcoming fifth season of the comedy series, which resumes shooting at the end of April for a September premiere. In addition, Weiss, who's said to be one of the inspirations for the show's bombastic director Billy Walsh, will develop new projects for the network.
GOSSIP GIRL (The CW) - Michelle Trachtenberg ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") has landed a multi-episode arc on the freshman drama. She'll play Georgina Sparks, a troubled friend of Blake Lively's character who rolls back into Manhattan from rehab and shakes up her world. No other details were given.
HOW TO TEACH FILTHY RICH GIRLS (The CW) - Marsha Mason is the first to be cast on the drama pilot, about a Yale-educated young woman hired to be the live-in tutor/life coach to two rich heiresses in Palm Beach. She'll play the grandmother of said heiresses who becomes their guardian. Rina Mimoun is behind the project, which is set up at Alloy Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television.
UNITED STATES OF TARA (Showtime) - John Corbett ("Sex and the City") is set to star opposite Toni Collette in the comedy pilot, about a woman with a multiple personality disorder. He'll play her husband, Max Gregor, a ruggedly handsome contractor who lives a life of stress and tries to read as much as he can about his wife's condition. Craig Gillespie is directing the half-hour from a script by Oscar-winning Diablo Cody. Production is set to begin next month.
UNTITLED KIRSTIE ALLEY PROJECT (Syndication, New!) - Kirstie Alley has inked a development deal with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The pact includes the potential development of a daily talk show hosted by the actress, who made headlines after appearing in a bikini on Winfrey's show after a major weight loss achieved via Jenny Craig. Alley previously teamed with Buena Vista Productions and Fisher Entertainment to develop a talk show back in 2002 that never got off the ground.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[02/19/26 - 11:50 AM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Deliver Audience Milestones as Romance Blooms With Valentine's Day Episodes
"Shifting Gears" earned 6.90 million Total Viewers and 0.99 rating among Adults 18-49, after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
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[02/19/26 - 11:01 AM]
Oscar Winners Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldana Return to the Oscars Stage
All return to the Oscars stage after winning last year in their respective acting categories.
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[02/19/26 - 10:32 AM]
Baseball Returns! ESPN to Stream More MLB Spring Training Games Than Ever
The offerings include four national games on ESPN, six games on ESPN Unlimited, and more than 250 out-of-market games via MLB.TV on ESPN platforms.
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[02/19/26 - 10:00 AM]
Daring Dark Polish Comedy "The Stroke" Exclusive U.S. Debut Thursday, March 12, 2026 Only on European Streamer Viaplay U.S.
In a fearless performance, Jacek Poniedzialek plays a celebrated culinary critic and TV personality, brilliant and caustic, who built a career skewering bourgeois taste while privately unraveling.
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[02/19/26 - 09:36 AM]
Nickelodeon to Air "Bedtime Stories with Ryan," Starring Ryan Reynolds, Beginning Monday, March 2, on Nick Jr. Channel
In the series, Ryan Reynolds reads new and classic bedtime stories as the tales magically come to life around him - creating a warm, playful and imaginative wind-down experience for kids and parents to enjoy together.
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[02/19/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The series premieres on Thursday, March 19, 2026, only on Netflix.
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[02/19/26 - 08:46 AM]
Netflix Announces New Adult Animated Comedy Series "DANG!", Starring Stephanie Hsu, Poppy Liu and Andrew Law
The series follows a brother and sister duo whose fun, messy lives in New York City are interrupted when their worst nightmare comes true: their high-achieving older sister shows up and wants to hang out with them.
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[02/19/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "House of the Dragon" Season 3 - Official Teaser - HBO Max
From fire comes darkness.
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[02/19/26 - 08:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces Season Two Premiere Date and New Key Art for "House of David"
Season two premiere will debut on March 27, 2026 globally on the service, with all episodes available to stream at launch.
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[02/19/26 - 07:59 AM]
ESPN to Launch "Women's Sports Sundays," A First of Its Kind Summer Weekly Primetime Franchise Showcasing the Best of Women's Sports in Premium Windows
Debuting in Summer 2026, the new Sunday night destination will feature top-tier WNBA and NWSL on ESPN presented by Ally matchups, elevating the biggest moments, rivalries and stars across women's sports on ESPN networks in premium windows.
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[02/19/26 - 07:30 AM]
Prime Video Announces Ensemble Cast of "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat"
The highly anticipated followup will feature Alex Bonifer, Blair Beeken, Emily Pendergast, Erica Hernandez, Jerry Hauck, Jim A. Woods, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Rachel Kaly, Rob Lathan, Ryan Perez, Stephanie Hodge, Warren Burke, and Wendy Braun.
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[02/19/26 - 07:03 AM]
ESPN's 2026 UFL Commentator Lineup Features Signature Voices, Veteran Spring Football Experts
The three teams, with all 13 voices returning from the 2025 season, will once again bring fans inside the game in innovative and engaging ways, utilizing the full breadth and depth of on-field technology to showcase the action and go inside the sideline strategy.
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[02/19/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black" Season 2 - Part 2 Official Trailer - Netflix
Under threat from Jules and the Bellaries, Kimmie forges fragile alliances in an empire where surviving at the top means dancing with the devil.
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[02/19/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - "Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese"
Three teenage girls share an unbreakable bond until terrible secrets threaten to emerge on social media. When one friend vanishes, the search for answers unearths a web of lies, betrayal, and murder - sending shockwaves through an unsuspecting community.
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[02/19/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Hunt" - Official Trailer - Apple TV
The most dangerous enemy is the one you can't see. Benoît Magimel and Mélanie Laurent star in the gripping thriller - streaming March 4 on Apple TV.
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