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[04/02/10 - 12:08 AM]
Development Update: Friday, April 2
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!
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
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[03/03/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of February 23 - "Bridgerton" Season 4 Lives Happily Ever After at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Coming in at No. 2 on the English TV list is Season 3 of "The Night Agent" with 9.9 million views.
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[03/03/26 - 11:01 AM]
Here Come the VIPs: Celebrities Are Entering the World of "Squid Game"
With more on the line than ever before, players and celebrity VIPs enter the "Squid Game: The VIP Challenge" for the chance at winning it all.
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[03/03/26 - 11:01 AM]
Lacey Chabert and Scott Michael Foster Star in "Paris Is Always a Good Idea" A New, Limited Series Premiering Later This Year Exclusively on Hallmark+
Based on the bestselling romance novel of the same name by Jenn McKinlay, the six-episode limited series is shooting on location in Paris and Spain.
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[03/03/26 - 10:42 AM]
"Foul Play with Anthony Davis" Star Studded Lineup Including LeBron James, Jordan Chiles, Tara Lipinski, Howie Mandel, Cooper Flagg, Puka Nacua and More Ignite the Ultimate Prank Wars
Hosted by 10-time NBA All-Star and Washington Wizards' Anthony Davis, the series will premiere on Monday, April 6 following the NCAA Championship Game and will simulcast across TBS,?TNT?and truTV.
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[03/03/26 - 10:16 AM]
NBC Renews Innovative Reality Travel Competition Series "Destination X" for Season Two
Produced by Twofour and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, production on "Destination X" will begin later this year.
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[03/03/26 - 10:02 AM]
HBO Original Documentary Series "Born to Bowl" Debuts March 16
The series takes viewers inside the colorful world of professional bowling, chronicling five stars of the sport - Kyle Troup, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Cameron Crowe, and Jason Belmonte - as they chase glory, respect, and much-needed prize money on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour.
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[03/03/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Little House on the Prairie" Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's enduring, almost 100-year-old book series about growing up in the American West in the 1800s, will premiere on July 9, 2026 - and it's already coming back for more.
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[03/03/26 - 09:43 AM]
OWN Celebrates Women's History Month with a Special OWN Spotlight Honoring the Life and Legacy of Roberta Flack
"OWN Spotlight: Roberta" airs Thursday, March 12 at 9pm ET/PT on OWN.
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[03/03/26 - 09:09 AM]
TNT Sports Announces Multi-Year Extensions with Jimmy Rollins and Jeff Francoeur
MLB Tuesday on TBS will open its 2026 regular season coverage on Tuesday, March 31, with a matchup of baseball's home run leaders from the past two seasons: 2025 Home Run Champion Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners will host 2024 Home Run Champion Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees at 9:30 p.m. ET.
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[03/03/26 - 09:06 AM]
Meet Your Max and Chloe in the Upcoming "Life Is Strange" Series on Prime Video
Tatum Grace Hopkins and Maisy Stella have been cast as Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, respectively.
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[03/03/26 - 09:01 AM]
The History Channel Announces Global Rollout of Landmark Series "World War II with Tom Hanks" Launching This Memorial Day
The landmark 20-episode documentary series reexamines World War II through the lens of a new century, offering a deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global conflict.
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[03/03/26 - 08:54 AM]
Intense, Action-Packed Ukrainian Series "Double Stakes" Makes Exclusive U.S. Debut Thursday, March 19, 2026 on European Streamer Viaplay
Arriving at a cultural moment when American audiences are hungry for authentic stories from Ukraine, this eight-part series blends the moody atmospherics of Nordic Noir with the gritty realism of a modern Ukraine.
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[03/03/26 - 08:31 AM]
Roku Adds Apple TV to Premium Subscriptions
Using their Roku account, customers can now subscribe to Apple TV through Premium Subscriptions on The Roku Channel to access Apple TV's premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, live sports, and kids and family entertainment in one seamless experience.
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[03/03/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This documentary traces the life of Lamar Odom, from his rise to NBA fame and marriage to Khloé Kardashian to his near-fatal overdose in a Nevada brothel.
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[03/03/26 - 08:03 AM]
HGTV Star Designers Team Up with Celebrities for the Ultimate Las Vegas Gamble in a New Season of Blockbuster Hit "Rock the Block"
HGTV's highest-rated series, which attracted over 16.6 million viewers across linear and streaming to its last run, will return for seven fresh episodes hosted by popular carpenter, craftsman and design expert Ty Pennington and take the ultimate gamble on four unexpected duos.
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