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[03/08/10 - 12:04 AM]
Development Update: Monday, March 8
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!
BETWIXT (The CW) - Jessy Schram ("Life") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about three teens - Morgan Brower, Nix Uyarak and Celine Halstead - who discover they're actually "changelings," the children of mythological fairies. She'll play one of them, Morgan, who can transform into a creature with claws, fangs and yellow eyes. Allison Miller also stars as Celine, who can fly. Christian Duguay is helming the hour from a script by Elizabeth Chandler. CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television are co-producing.
BODY OF EVIDENCE (ABC) - "Past Life" alum Nicholas Bishop has booked the male lead in the drama pilot, about Megan Hunt (Dana Delany), "a medical examiner whose background as a neurosurgeon gives her a unique and refreshing crime-solving perspective but puts her at odds with nearly everyone." He'll play Peter Maxwell, an employee of the Medical Examiner's Office who's "tall with rough good looks and still maintains the body of the professional football player he once was." Bishop joins the previously cast Geoffrey Arend, Jeri Ryan, John Carroll Lynch and Windell Middlebrooks. Nelson McCormick is helming the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Chris Murphey.
THE CAPE (NBC) - Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Vince Faraday (David Lyons), "a former cop set up as a criminal who becomes a masked hero." He's set as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend of Vince's who tries to recruit him to join the Lynx Corporation, an ominous company. Writer Tom Wheeler and director Simon West are behind the hour, which is set up at Universal Media Studios.
FRANKLIN & BASH (TBS) - Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar have scored the title roles on the drama pilot, about "two street lawyers and lifelong friends who, after taking down a white-shoe law firm in a high-profile case, are recruited by the firm's patriarch." Meyer will play Jared Franklin, who "is bent on sticking it to the Man," while Gosselaar is set as Steven Bash, who "has an uncanny ability to connect with a jury and judge." Their casting lifts said contingency off the pilot's production. Kevin Falls and Bill Chais co-wrote the hour, which is set up at Jamie Tarses's Sony Pictures Television-based FanFare Productions.
GLORY DAZE (TBS) - Kelly Blatz, Julianna Guill, Callard Harris, Matt Bush, Hartley Sawyer, Drew Seeley and Tim Meadows have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about the lives of four incoming freshman in the 1980s who pledge a fraternity at a Wisconsin college. Said quartet consists of Joel Harrington (Blatz), "wide-eyed and eager to
leave home and become his own man"; Eli Schwartz (Bush), "a pudgy 18 year old Jewish virgin from suburban Chicago"; Brian Vandergriff (Sawyer), "a tall, athletic Freshman and a
quintessential California golden-boy"; and Jason Wilson (Seeley), who keeps a "gourmet coffee maker and the signed photo of Ronald Reagan" in his room. Harris then is set as Mike Reno, a junior that indoctrinates the guys into the world of Omega Chi House, with Guill as Christie Dewitt, who's "everything a Freshman guy could want...and more." Rounding out the ensemble is Meadows as Professor Haines, "a relic of 60's radical politics." Walt Becker and Mike LeSieur co-wrote the hour, the former of which is directing. Said project was previously cast-contingent.
HELLCATS (The CW) - Aly Michalka ("Phil of the Future") and Gail O'Grady ("Desperate Housewives") are the first to be cast in the presentation, a drama set in the world of competitive college cheerleading. The former will play Marty Berger ("wicked smart, an acerbic outsider"), a student at Memphis' Lancer University who's forced to try out for the Hellcats - the college's competitive cheerleading team - after she loses her scholarship. O'Grady will play her mother Wanda who tends bar at a rathskeller type snack bar on campus that serves food and drinks. Kevin Murphy penned the hour, which comes from CBS Television Studios, Tom Welling Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE (ABC) - James Patrick Stuart ("90210") and Cheyenne Jackson ("30 Rock") are the latest additions to the comedy pilot, about exes - Karen (Leah Remini) and Howard - who join forces to raise their 15-year-old boy, George. Stuart will play Carl, Karen's new husband, a sports fanatic, while Jackson is set as Scott, Howard's "really good looking" boyfriend. Casey Johnson and David Windsor co-created the half-hour, which is set up at ABC Studios and The Mark Gordon Company. Michael Fresco is directing.
KINDREDS (NBC) - Kathy Bates ("The Office") is reportedly in final talks to topline the drama pilot, about "a curmudgeonly former patent lawyer (Bates) and her group of misfit associates." Said character, Harry Korn, was originally written as a man. He was detailed as "mid-fifties, an exasperated curmudgeon" who while crusty, has "an undeniable sweetness to him." Ben Chaplin also stars in the David E. Kelley-penned hour, to be helmed by Bill D'Elia. Warner Bros. Television is producing.
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED (FOX) - Tim Peper is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about "a group of friends who were superstars in high school but are facing the reality of adulthood." He's on board as Griff Brooks, who was once voted most likely to succeed but is now unemployed. Kaitlin Doubleday, Kathryn Hahn and Malcolm Barrett also star in the half-hour, which comes from creator David Walpert and 20th Century Fox Television. Michael Patrick Jann is directing.
THE PINK HOUSE (NBC) - Michael Cassidy ("Privileged") has booked one of the lead roles on the comedy pilot, about "two Midwestern guys who move to Los Angeles and rent a house on the beach." He'll play one of them, either John "Fitz" Fitzgerald or Rob "Bernie" Burnett, both of whom are described as in their "twenties, handsome and in good shape." Katharine McPhee also stars in the Universal Media Studios-based half-hour, which was penned by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Weiner. Michael Lembeck is directing.
TRUE BLUE (ABC) - Scott Foley ("The Unit") is the latest to book a role on the drama pilot, about "six former best friends who rose through the ranks at the San Francisco Police Department and reunite to solve the murder of one of their own." He'll play Peter Callahan ("mid-30s, moviestar good looks, Italian suit"), now an Assistant District Attorney. Ana Ortiz, Eric Lange, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Marc Blucas and Poppy Montgomery also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which Peter Horton is directing from a script by Chris Brancato and Jon Harmon Feldman.
UNTITLED TAD QUILL PROJECT (CBS) - The Eye has shelved the comedy pilot, about "a widowed father of a 12-year-old boy who re-enters the dating world." Said decision is reportedly tied to difficulties in casting the lead, Jack Lewis, and Sebastian, his 12-year-old son. Tad Quill is behind the multi-camera half-hour, which is set up at CBS Television Studios.
UNTITLED WYOMING PROJECT (The CW) - Ryan Hawley and Kathleen Chalfant have each booked roles on the drama pilot, about Gideon (Sean Faris), a horse trainer who becomes the patriarch of a Wyoming family after both their parents pass away. Hawley will play Dakin, Gideon's younger, estranged brother who returns home from Stanford University to help out. Chalfant then is set as Marie December, the crotchety grandmother of Gideon's love interest Lucy (Scarlett Johnson), whom she's returned home from New York to take care of. Alan Ruck and Renee Smith co-star in the hour, which comes from co-creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino. CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television are producing.
WRIGHT VS. WRONG (ABC) - Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") and Melissa Rauch ("The Big Bang Theory") have both joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Evelyn Wright (Debra Messing), "a driven conservative pundit who tries to maintain her public persona despite facing her own vulnerabilities." He'll play Adrian Manly, Evelyn's contributing writer, "a hip, NYU grad biding his time until he can get a job at The Daily Show... he and his wife, Tami, are organic, Prius liberals." She's set as Crystal Ball, Evelyn's personal assistant, whose "wide-eyed freshly scrubbed face makes it hard to peg her age, she could be 18 or 40... she is the best Christianity has to offer; kind, non-judgemental, joyous, a true lamb of God." Andy Fickman is helming the Sony Pictures Television-based project, which was penned by Stephanie Weir.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[03/18/26 - 01:13 PM]
"Saturday Night Live" Launches New Short-Form Digital Original Series, "The Rundown"
Guests will stop by Studio 8H to select a favorite segment from the show's history to add to the iconic Rundown board, building an all-star episode along the way.
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[03/18/26 - 01:03 PM]
All New Series "Conspiracies & Coverups" Premieres April 1 at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
Former CIA covert intelligence officer Andrew Bustamante exposes the truth behind some of the most sensational, "ripped from the headlines" conspiracy theories in the all-new series.
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[03/18/26 - 12:32 PM]
The Ultimate Test of Survival: "Lord of the Flies" Debuts May 4 on Netflix
Innocence descends into savagery when a group of English schoolboys becomes desert island castaways in the first television adaptation of William Golding's landmark dystopian classic.
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[03/18/26 - 12:31 PM]
Darren Star & David Schulner Uncork New Napa Valley Rom-Com Series for Netflix
"Uncorked" delves into the life of a talented but self-destructive winemaker who returns to Napa for her second chance at love, legacy and that elusive 100 point wine.
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[03/18/26 - 11:59 AM]
ID's Titans of True Crime Return with New Seasons of "Homicide Hunter: American Detective with Joe Kenda" and "On the Case with Paula Zahn"
The series will premiere back-to-back beginning Wednesday, April 15 at 9:00/8:00c.
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[03/18/26 - 11:48 AM]
FOX Advertising Announces a Season-Long Major Brand Partnership with Toyota and the Reimagined FOX Primetime Series "Baywatch"
The series will showcase the Toyota Tacoma as the official Baywatch lifeguard vehicle which will be fully customized to authentically reflect the LA County lifeguard vehicles.
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[03/18/26 - 11:31 AM]
Jinkies! Netflix Casts Mckenna Grace, Tanner Hagen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Maxwell Jenkins in the Live-Action "Scooby-Doo" Series
The series will uncover how this mystery-solving crew, and their beloved dog, first teamed up to crack the haunting case that started it all.
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[03/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
TBS Orders New Season Pick-Up of "Impractical Jokers," Cable's #1 Original Series of the Year, Amid Record-Breaking Ratings
The final two episodes of season 12 air Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 following NCAA coverage on TBS.
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[03/18/26 - 10:31 AM]
"Million Dollar Secret" Season 2 - Only on Netflix April 15
This season, the stakes are higher than ever as players face trickier agendas, grueling challenges and navigate the ever-changing game of deception.
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[03/18/26 - 10:01 AM]
Peacock Reveals July 16 Premiere Date & Releases First Look Images for "The Five Star Weekend"
The series stars Jennifer Garner, D'Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant.
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[03/18/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Nemesis" - Official First Look, Teaser Art & Date Announcement
The series, due on May 14, is the story of two men on either side of the law, the tale of what happens when an unstoppable force (an expert criminal) meets an immovable object (a brilliant police detective).
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[03/18/26 - 10:00 AM]
Rewatch "Ready or Not" on Hulu Before the Highly Anticipated Sequel "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" Hits Theaters This Friday
Audiences can revisit the film that started it all and get a special look for what's to come.
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[03/18/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Sheng Wang: Purple" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this special, Sheng delves into what it means to be a grown-up and explores ordinary life moments: sharing prized berries with your friends' kids, cooking with shallots, braving the ghosts in your house, finding joy in nature and much more.
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[03/18/26 - 09:28 AM]
Vice Studios Secures Worldwide Adaptation Rights for Iconic Video Game IP "Payday" Partnering with Starbreeze Entertainment to Expand the Video Game Franchise Into Film and Television
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[03/18/26 - 09:07 AM]
"Be My Guest with Ina Garten" Welcomes Allison Janney, Jon Batiste, Hoda Kotb and Michael Barbaro in New Season
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