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[04/04/08 - 12:00 AM]
Development Update: Friday, April 4
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!
CAN OPENERS (CBS) - Eion Bailey ("ER") is the latest addition to the drama pilot presentation, about a brain surgeon (Lauren Lee Smith) who fights to survive in the competitive boys club that is the seven-year neurosurgical residency. He's set as Dr. Pete Anderson, a chief resident at the end of his seven-year neurosurgical residency. Sony Pictures Television and Apostle Productions are behind the project, which comes from creator Elle Johnson and fellow executive producers Denis Leary and Jim Serpico. Production is set to begin shortly in New York City.
DOLLHOUSE (FOX) - Olivia Williams ("X-Men: The Last Stand") is the latest addition to Joss Whedon's upcoming drama series, about a group of young men and women, known as "Dolls," who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments. She'll play Adelle DeWitt, who's detailed in the casting notice as follows: "40 something, any ethnicity, beautiful, sophisticated, cold as an alp. Runs the Dollhouse with an efficiency that is both ruthless and protective. Would die before she showed anyone how lonely she is." There she'll join the previously cast Dichen Lachman, Eliza Dushku, Enver Gjokaj, Fran Kranz and Tahmoh Penikett. Whedon wrote the pilot and is directing for 20th Century Fox Television.
EXIT 19 (CBS) - Matthew Lillard ("Scooby-Doo") is set to star opposite Geena Davis in the drama pilot presentation, about Gloria (Davis), a quirky Manhattan homicide detective who also is a single mom to two kids in the suburbs on Long Island. He'll play Gloria's younger brother who lives with her. Jeffrey Bell is behind the ABC Studios/CBS Paramount Network Television-based project, which also comes from fellow executive producers Gene Stein and Nina Wass.
NY-LON (CBS) - Will Kemp ("Step Up 2: The Streets") has been tapped as the male lead in the drama pilot, about a New York store clerk (Elisha Cuthbert) and a London stock broker (Kemp) who embark on a cross-continental romance. His character, Michael Antonioni, is further detailed in the casting notice as follows: "30-34, British, rakishly handsome, charming, and confident. He's a successful, ambitious broker. He has plenty of casual relationships with women but has avoided intimacy. Mostly because he has extensive responsibilities; he supports his younger sister in college, his nephew and sister-in-law, and is about to take on his newly pregnant on-again/off-again sex partner. He won't be an irresponsible father like his own dad and his deadbeat brother. He's deeply emotional but that's masked with wit, charm, and cockiness. Until he falls hard for Edie, even though he's from a different world. Then he's hooked. He likes Edie's independence; she's different from the women he knows." Stephen Moyer played said role in the U.K. original. Caterina Scorsone and Johnny Whitworth also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which comes from creators Lara Runnels and Patti Carr. Armyan Bernstein, Chris Coelen, Laurie Zaks and Rob Pursey also serve as executive producers while Larry Shaw is directing.
SMALLVILLE (The CW) - Co-creators/executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar are departing the veteran drama after seven seasons. "As the creators of 'Smallville' we look back at 7 amazing years. We look back at 152 episodes. We look back knowing that the show will continue into Season 8 without us. After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on," began an open letter to the show's fans on Kryptonsite.com. In their absence, fellow executive producers Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will now serve as showrunners beginning next season.
SONY PICTURES TELEVISION (New!) - Graham Yost ("Raines"), Kevin Falls ("Journeyman"), David Guarascio & Moses Port ("Aliens in America"), Josh Berman ("Vanished"), Jenny Bicks ("Men in Trees"), Bill Martin & Mike Schiff ("Cavemen") and Will Gluck ("The Loop") have all inked development deals with the studio. The pacts, ranging from blind, two-script commitments to multi-year overall deals, come after said parties were force majeured out of their previous studio pacts during the recent WGA strike. Yost, Guarascio and Port were previously based at Universal Media Studios while Bicks was at Warner Bros. Television, Martin and Schiff at ABC Studios, Gluck at CBS Paramount Network Television and Berman and Falls at 20th Century Fox Television.
SPACED (FOX) - Yara Martinez ("The Unit") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about two strangers (Sara Rue, Josh Lawson) who pose as a married couple in order to rent an apartment. She'll play Marsha Klein, the woman's best friend. Julia Deakin originated said role in the original U.K. version. Federico Dordei also stars in the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which Charles Stone is directing from a script by Adam Barr. Barr then is executive producing alongside Granada International's Robert Green and Wonderland Sound and Vision's McG and Peter Johnson.
STYLEDOME (The CW, New!) - BermanBraun ("Duel") and Super Delicious Productions ("Amne$ia") have scored a pilot commitment from the network for a new reality project which combines the traditional beauty makeover series with a race-against-the-clock competition show. The former's Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun are executive producing the hour alongside the latter's Joanna Vernetti, Cara Tapper and Adam Cohen. As for specifics, each week well-known stylists will head up a team of makeover artists as they attempt to give new looks to three worthy contestants. A live audience vote following the reveal then determines the winner. No prize however was mentioned.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[04/21/26 - 02:35 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Scores Double-Digit Year-Over-Year Growth
2,094,000 viewers tuned-in to FOX Saturday for a two-game slate highlighted by Atlanta's 3-1 victory over Philadelphia in most of the country.
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[04/21/26 - 11:00 AM]
New Series "Food Network's Top 10" Delivers a Craveable Weekly Countdown from Restaurants Across America
Award-winning chefs break down the bites that are truly worth the hype, the splurge, and even a road trip.
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[04/21/26 - 10:51 AM]
A New High! NHL on ESPN Networks Score Most-Viewed Regular Season of the Current Rights Deal
Individually, the NHL on ESPN averaged 602K viewers (38 games) and the NHL on ABC averaged 1.1 million viewers (16 games), both new highs in ESPN's current rights era.
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[04/21/26 - 10:04 AM]
Investigation Discovery Sets Premiere Date for "The Many Lives of Benjaman Kyle," A Shocking Documentary Event Exploring the Dark and Dangerous Mystery Behind One Man's Hidden Identity
The shocking two night documentary event premieres on Monday, May 25 and Tuesday, May 26 from 9-11pm ET on Investigation Discovery, with episodes available to stream on HBO Max.
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[04/21/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Worst Ex Ever" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
From chilling betrayals to murder plots, this true-crime documentary series dissects the dark side of love through eyewitness testimonies.
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[04/21/26 - 09:27 AM]
Award-winning Nordic Noir "Black Sands" Returns in Addictive Final Season on the Viaplay Streaming Service Beginning Thursday, May 14
During the bleak Arctic winter, Season 2 picks up fourteen months after the Black Sands tragedy, where the survivors are still haunted by the revelation that a beloved resident was a serial killer.
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[04/21/26 - 09:01 AM]
CNN to Air "America Laughs with Matt Friend" - A CNN Political Comedy Special
The special will be filmed from the nation's capital and will celebrate the longstanding tradition of combining comedy and politics to bring people together from across the political spectrum during the weekend of the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
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[04/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Destination World Cup 2026" - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
Three football stars. One global stage. Marc Cucurella, Harry Wilson, and Weston McKennie chase their spot in the 2026 World Cup.
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[04/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Your Favorite Amateur Sleuths Are on Their Way - "The Marlow Murder Club" and "Marble Hall Murders" Will Both Premiere on Sunday, September 6th
Both series are coming to "Masterpiece" on PBS this fall.
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[04/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Devil May Cry" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
A war between worlds ignites as Dante confronts his own devils and must battle the only force that mirrors his own: his estranged twin brother, Vergil.
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[04/21/26 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Reveals Premiere Date and Official Trailer for "Citadel" Season Two
All seven episodes will be released on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[04/21/26 - 07:31 AM]
Acclaimed Comedian Stavros Halkias Returns to Netflix for His Next Stand-Up Special, "Uncle Stav"
His latest stand-up special, "Fat Rascal," is streaming on Netflix, following his debut special "Live at the Lodge Room," which hit one million views in its first four days and has since surpassed seven million.
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[04/21/26 - 07:30 AM]
Psychological Thriller Drama, "Summerwater," Premieres Monday, May 25 Exclusively on Acorn TV in the U.S. and Canada
Written and created for television by BAFTA Award-nominated John Donnelly, the suspenseful series stars Shirley Henderson, Dougray Scott, and Valene Kane.
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[04/21/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple's Globally Acclaimed Drama "Silo" Returns for Season Three on July 3
The 10-episode third season will premiere on Apple TV with the first episode on July 3, followed by one new episode every Friday through September 4, 2026.
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[04/21/26 - 07:00 AM]
Disney Signs Music and Development Deal with Lenny Pearce for Disney+
As part of the deal, Pearce will develop new original animated content inspired by the "Toddler Techno" remix versions of its hit shows for Disney+ which will join Disney+'s leading preschool lineup.
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