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[12/26/08 - 06:43 PM]
Development Update: Week of December 22-26
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!
BITCHES (FOX, New!) - Feature writer Michael Dougherty ("Superman Returns") has scored a hefty script commitment from the network for a new drama about a quartet of female friends in New York who are werewolves. The project, which has a penalty attached should it not move forward to pilot, is set up at Warner Bros. Television. Writer/producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts ("Pushing Daisies") have been tapped to supervise Dougherty and executive produce. No other specifics were given.
GILMORE GIRLS (The CW) - One day after filing a lawsuit against CBS over "Two and a Half Men" (see below), Warner Bros. Television itself has been sued by producer Gavin Polone over "Gilmore Girls." The breach-of-contract lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims the vertically integrated Time Warner companies Warner Bros. Television and The WB "have colluded to defraud the originator of hit 'Gilmore Girls' television series with a scheme that rivals the greed and bravado of any story line defendants could script." Hofflund/Polone, Polone's company with Judy Hofflund, alleges the "modified adjusted gross," the money the show earns after costs are deducted, for "Gilmore's" first six seasons was modified by the studio - through "collusion among defendants to set below-market license fees" and a series of improper charges - which cut into Hofflund/Polone's profits as a result. A third-party audit commissioned by Hofflund/Polone in October 2006 alleges that number was understated by $45.5 million and the company has asked for "tens of millions of dollars" in damages as a result. Warner Bros. has yet to comment on the suit.
LOST & FOUND (NBC) - Australian actor Damon Herriman ("All Saints") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, which centers on Tessa Cooper (Katee Sackhoff), an offbeat LAPD detective who, after butting heads with higher-ups, is sent as punishment to the basement to work on John and Jane Doe cases. He'll play Anthony Yeckel, an oddball civilian consultant to the police's lost-and-found department who has an obsessive love of old detective TV shows. Brian Cox and Josh Cooke also star in the Universal Media Studios/Wolf Films-based hour, which Michael Engler is directing from a script by creator Chris Levinson.
TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS) - Warner Bros. Television filed a $49 million breach of contract lawsuit against CBS on Tuesday. Said suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims the network owes Warner Bros. additional fees toward the production deficit carried by the studio. The "deficit recoupment" was understood to be tied to "Men" hitting certain ratings milestones as specified by the show's original four-year license agreement signed in 2003. The suit indicates the studio incurred a $61.1 million deficit over the course of the first four years of the show (for instance CBS paid $750,000 per episode during "Men's" first season while Warner Bros. actual cost to produce the show came in at $1.22 million), a cost which CBS would cover should "Men" finish as a top 10 show. Additionally, should "Men" finish in the top five in its fourth season, CBS would pay an additional $650,000 more per episode in the fifth and sixth seasons (with a downward scale from there). "CBS has reaped the benefits of the tremendous success of 'Two and a Half Men" but wants to deny Warner Bros. the right to its agreed-upon share," Warner Bros. said in a statement. CBS countered with simply, "Wow, I wonder what they got the other networks for Christmas."
UGLY BETTY (ABC) - "Dexter" co-star Lauren Velez has booked a multi-episode arc on the Thursday dramedy. She'll play Elena, a nurse that enters the lives of the Suarez family, whom reports speculate will be linked to a major plot development. It's not clear when her first episode will air.
UNTITLED MARIA BELLO PROJECT (HBO, New!) - Maria Bello ("The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor") is set to topline a potential new drama at the pay channel about a woman who's forced into a life of crime to support her three teenage sons after her husband is killed. Gary Lennon ("The Shield") is penning the hour, which sees the woman using her sons as henchmen, leading them all down a destructive road. Bello herself will executive produce alongside Lennon, Gavin Polone and John Carrabino.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[02/24/26 - 02:28 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Detroit Pistons vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Added on March 28
This game replaces the previously postponed Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves matchup on January 24.
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[02/24/26 - 01:48 PM]
Nearly 21 Million Viewers Watched NBCUniversal's Coverage of USA-Canada Olympic Men's Gold Medal Hockey Game, Peaking at 26 Million for Game-Winning Goal on NBC & Peacock
The USA-Canada gold-medal game delivered an average live audience of 18.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock (8:15-11 a.m. ET).
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[02/24/26 - 01:30 PM]
Video: Trailer Debut - Spanish Hulu Original "If It's Tuesday, It's Murder"
The series starring Álex García, Inma Cuesta, Ana Wagener, Pedro Casablanc and Biel Montoro, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in the UK and Ireland and Hulu in the US on March 31.
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[02/24/26 - 01:21 PM]
Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules" Two-Part Reunion Kicks Off Tuesday, March 3 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen sits down with Lisa Vanderpump, Venus Binkley, Jason Cohen, Shayne Davis, Chris Hahn, Angelica Jensen, Marcus Johnson, Audrey Lingle, Natalie Maguire, Demy Selem and Kim Suarez to reflect on the season.
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[02/24/26 - 01:01 PM]
"One Piece: Into the Grand Line" Coming to Netflix and Select Theaters for Fan Events on March 10
Experience your favorite adventurers like never before, surrounded by other fans just like you.
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[02/24/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of Feb. 16 - "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model" Sashays to No. 1 in Top 10
Plus: Season 3 of "The Night Agent" took No. 2 on the English TV list with 8.4 million views.
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[02/24/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" Reveals Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxter and Character Posters
The animated series premieres April 23, 2026 on Netflix.
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[02/24/26 - 10:55 AM]
Video: New "Scrubs" Title Sequence Released, Confirming They're Still "Superman"
The first two episodes of "Scrubs" premiere back-to-back Wednesday, February 25 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.
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[02/24/26 - 10:05 AM]
Ed Skrein Signs On to Play Baldur in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
Previously announced cast members include Ryan Hurst as Kratos, Callum Vinson as Atreus, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Mandy Patinkin as Odin.
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[02/24/26 - 10:04 AM]
Bravo Serves Fresh Peaches and Fierce Vibes as "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Returns on Sunday, Apr. 5 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Returning "housewives" include Porsha Williams, Phaedra Parks, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Angela Oakley and Kelli Ferrell.
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[02/24/26 - 09:52 AM]
Presenters Announced for the "57th NAACP Image Awards"
NAACP also announced that iconic group Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spindarella will be inducted into the esteemed NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, presented by Tide, during this year's ceremony.
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[02/24/26 - 09:39 AM]
2026 NAACP Image Award Nominated Series "Love & Marriage: Huntsville" Returns with New Episodes Starting March 7 on OWN
The series will continue to follow the lives of a group of longtime friends and frenemies from Huntsville, Alabama whose bold personalities, complicated relationships and business ambitions keep emotions running high.
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[02/24/26 - 09:31 AM]
Netflix's "Untold" Returns with Four New Films
Premiering weekly, these gripping, character-driven stories feature raw, first-person perspectives from those at the heart of the action - revealing the determination, setbacks, and surprising truths that unfold behind the scenes.
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[02/24/26 - 09:05 AM]
CBS Sports Reaches Agreement for Paramount+ to Become Exclusive U.S. English-Language Home of All Concacaf Women's Competitions Through 2030
Across four distinct competitions featuring club and national team matches, CBS Sports will present more than 250 games with every match on Paramount+ and select matches co-airing on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
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[02/24/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Great British Baking Show: Juniors" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Host Harry Hill welcomes talented junior bakers to the iconic Baking Show tent, where judges Liam Charles and Ravneet Gill will crown Britain's best junior baker.
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