or


[04/02/10 - 12:08 AM]
Development Update: Friday, April 2
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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!


HELLCATS (The CW) - Robbie Jones ("One Tree Hill") and Heather Hemmens ("The Candy Shop") are both on board the presentation, a drama set in the world of competitive college cheerleading. He's believed to be playing Luis Famosa, an "easy and laid-back, seriously unserious" member of the squad who befriends Marty (Aly Michalka), much to the chagrin of Dan (Matt Barr). Said role was originally written for someone of Cuban descent. Hemmens then is set as Alice Vandermark ("a willowy beauty with jaded New York cool"), a fellow Hellcat that suffers a hairline wrist fracture. Ashley Tisdale and Gail O'Grady co-star in the hour, which was penned by Kevin Murphy. CBS Television Studios, Tom Welling Productions and Warner Bros. Television are co-producing.


HITCHED (CBS) - Riki Lindhome has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about a twentysomething newlywed couple (Jack Carpenter, Kristin Kreuk) navigating their new life together. She's on board as Shari Ratner, the bride's best friend, "a ball buster" whose husband never speaks. Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which also stars Eugene Levy, Kurtwood Smith and Thomas Middleditch. Rob Greenberg is directing.


HUGE (ABC Family) - Gina Torres ("Gossip Girl") is the latest addition to the series, which launches Monday, June 28 at 9:00/8:00c. She'll play Dr. Dorothy Rand in the hour, about "the lives of seven teens and the staff at a weight-loss camp, as they look beneath the surface to discover their true selves and the truth about each other." Andrew Caldwell, Ari Stidham, Ashley Holliday, Harvey Guillen, Hayley Hasselhoff, Nikki Blonsky and Zander Eckhouse also star in the ensemble.


LAW & ORDER (NBC) - S. Epatha Merkerson is departing the series after 17 seasons. Said decision comes as production is about to begin on the show's 20th season finale. Merkerson reportedly made the request in time to give her character an appropriate send-off. Earlier this week, the Peacock announced Olympic Gold Medal winning skier Lindsey Vonn would guest star on the aforementioned finale, to be written and directed by Rene Balcer. As for the future of the series, rumblings persist that a 21st season will be contingent on whether or not TNT, home to its off-network run, will extend its contract beyond season 20 which in turn will help offset the cost of production.


PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (ABC Family) - Chad Lowe ("24") has joined the cast of the upcoming drama, about "four estranged best friends who are reunited one year after their best friend and queen bee of the group, Alison, goes missing only to discover they are receiving messages from an anonymous "A" who knows all their secrets." He'll play Byron, one of the girls' (Lucy Hale) fathers, a "handsome professor that the college girls on campus all talk about when they get drunk and horny." Alexis Denisof originated the role in the pilot. No reason was given for the recasting. Ashley Benson, Laura Leighton, Nia Peeples, Shay Mitchell as Emily and Troian Bellisario also star in the project, which bows Tuesday, June 8 at 8:00/7:00c.


STRANGE BREW (FOX) - Greg Germann ("In Case of Emergency") and Damon Gupton ("Deadline") have both booked roles on the comedy pilot, about a family-owned brewery. The former will play Burt ("fit, comfortable in his Republican skin"), a president of a rival company who tries to convince patriarch Ted (Jere Burns) to sell him a piece of the business. Gupton then is set as Lester Lewis III, a third generation brewmaster who's a de facto member of the family. Aya Cash, Laurie Metcalf, Mo Mandel and Skylar Astin also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which Marc Buckland is directing from a script by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [april 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· 24 (FOX)
· DEADLINE (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· HELLCATS (CW)
· HITCHED (CBS)
· HUGE (ABC FAMILY)
· IN CASE OF EMERGENCY (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· ONE TREE HILL (CW)
· PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (FREEFORM)
· STRANGE BREW (FOX)





[05/15/26 - 10:42 AM]
The Biggest Home Cook Competition of All-Time Heats Up Food Network This Summer with New Series "100 Cooks"
Hosted by Terry Crews, the series welcomes 100 of the country's best home cooks to run through an epic seven-week culinary gauntlet where 99 cooks will be eliminated and only one is named America's best home cook and wins as much as $250,000.

[05/15/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: Maggie and Negan Unite to Save Manhattan in New Action-Packed Teaser for Season Three of "The Walking Dead: Dead City"
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan as fan-favorite characters Negan and Maggie, the compelling new season premieres Sunday, July 26 on AMC and AMC+.

[05/15/26 - 09:31 AM]
Ella Rubin Joins Netflix's Series Adaptation of "The God of the Woods"
Rubin joins previously announced cast members Kerry Condon and Maya Hawke.

[05/15/26 - 09:01 AM]
"The Bride!" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max May 22
The film stars Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe winners Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, with Academy Award nominees Annette Bening and Jake Gyllenhaal and winner Penélope Cruz.

[05/15/26 - 07:30 AM]
Amy Wang's Breakout Film "Slanted" Now Streaming on Paramount+
The buzzy coming-of-age satire follows a Chinese-American teen willing to go to shocking lengths to become prom queen - offering a razor-sharp take on identity, belonging and the price of chasing perfection.

[05/15/26 - 06:01 AM]
For Keeps - Meet the Cast of "Boys of Tommen"
Nancy Surridge, Conor Sánchez, James O'Donoghue, and Sophie McGibbon will star in the Prime Video series.

[05/15/26 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Dutton Ranch" - Final Trailer - Paramount+
A new Dutton legacy begins now.

[05/15/26 - 03:01 AM]
BritBox Announces New Original Series "Chocolate Wars" (wt), Inspired by Deborah Cadbury's Book and the True Story of the Cadbury Family
The warm-hearted family drama follows the visionary Cadbury family, the underdogs of the cocoa world, on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury's chocolate bar.

[05/14/26 - 11:27 PM]
Meet the 100 Contestants of "Physical 100: Sweden"
The reality competition series will have a global premiere on Netflix in 2027.

[05/14/26 - 09:31 PM]
A Mother, Two Daughters and One Big Scandal: Netflix's Crime-Comedy "Maa Behen" Premieres June 4
With the film, Netflix brings audiences a wildly entertaining story that blends small-town eccentricity with universal family madness.

[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Peacock - 15-Time #1 Primetime Show - Unveils 2026 Schedule
It all begins with the NFL's season opener as the New England Patriots visit the champion Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday, September 9 on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.

[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
FOX NFL's Loaded 2026 Regular Season Schedule Features Most Windows of Any Network
In Week 10, FOX NFL presents its first tripleheader in over a decade, opening coverage on Sunday, November 15, at 9:30 AM ET with an international game from Munich between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.

[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
ESPN to Deliver Company's Largest NFL Game Portfolio Ever, Headlined by Top-Tier Matchups on "Monday Night Football" and the International Series on NFL Network
Comprised of "Monday Night Football" and NFL Network, the company will present 28 games during the regular and postseason, plus Super Bowl LXI, marking game 29.

[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
"NFL on CBS" Follows Record-Breaking Season with Showstopping 2026 Schedule Led by TV's No. 1 Program
Building on last season's historic viewership and with more than 100 regular-season games, CBS Sports continues to demonstrate the unmatched power and reach of its multiplatform approach across broadcast television and streaming on Paramount+.

[05/14/26 - 05:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces 2026 "Thursday Night Football" Schedule
An exciting mix of cross-divisional games, elite quarterback showdowns, and the first ever NFL regular season game at the Bills' brand-new Highmark Stadium highlight the regular-season slate.