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[08/12/11 - 10:25 PM]
Development Update: Friday, August 12
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!
90210 (The CW) - "American Idol" alumnus Kellie Pickler has snagged a role on the netlet's veteran soap. She'll play Sally, "the country-singing cousin of local cowboy Austin (Justin Deeley)." Said role will include performing "Tough," her latest single to land on Billboard's Hot Country chart.
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER (NBC) - Upright Citizens Brigade performer Luka Jones has been tapped as the male lead on the midseason comedy, about best friends (Jessica St. Clair, Lennon Parham) who promise to support each other - no matter what the cost or circumstances. He'll play the latter's live-in boyfriend Joe, a role originated by Adam Pally. With Pally in first position to ABC's "Happy Endings" this past development cycle, producers were forced to recast the role. Stephen Schneider and Daija Owens also star.
BODY OF PROOF (ABC) - Nathalie Kelley ("The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift") is set to recur on the show's sophomore run. She'll play Dani, the "confident, street smart" driver of the M.E. van who "has a real interest in forensics and ultimately wants to be a part of the team."
COMMUNITY (NBC) - Mel Rodriguez ("Running Wilde") has snagged a recurring role on the show's upcoming third season. He'll play "Sergeant" Nunez, a campus cop who takes his job very seriously. Other new faces this season include John Goodman and Michael K. Williams.
THE GREGORY BROTHERS (Comedy Central, New!) - Viral video standouts The Gregory Brothers ("Auto-Tune the News") are set to topline a pilot for the cable channel featuring "the musical and comedic stylings of the Emmy-nominated trio, Andrew, Evan and Michael, along with Evan's wife Sarah." It's understood Peyton Reed is in talks to direct the effort, which is being co-written by Tom Scharpling ("Monk"). Dave Becky will then executive produce alongside Scharpling.
LOVE'S CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (Hallmark New!) - Sean Astin, JoBeth Williams, Natalie Hall, Dylan Bruce and Greg Vaughan are set to star in the latest installment of the Janette Oke franchise, due in November. Here's the network's description: "While still mourning the loss of her husband and daughter, recently widowed Ellie King (Hall) visits her brother Aaron Davis, (Vaughan) a sheriff in the small town of Haddonton, and his two children during the Christmas holiday. Ellie does her best to enjoy the holidays, even making new friends with Beatrice (Williams), a local shop keeper and Deputy Strode (Bruce). Settling in nicely with her brother's family, Ellie agrees to watch her niece and nephew when Aaron travels out of town to purchase adjacent land for farming. But when a corrupt attorney in town leaves a young man to blame for Mayor Wayne's (Astin) barn catching fire and burning, Ellie ignores distrusting townspeople and steps in to help to prove his innocence. To her dismay, the season's festivities are threatened when Aaron goes missing. When all seems lost, Ellie not only gets the perfect holiday miracle-her brother delivered home safely on Christmas morning-but also the chance at a new life when she finds herself falling in love again."
MODERN FAMILY (ABC) - Aubrey Anderson-Emmons has been tapped as Lily, the adopted daughter of Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), on the third season of the series. She'll take over for Jaden and Ella Hiller, who originated the newly expanded role. Meanwhile, Benjamin Bratt is set to return as Javier - ex-husband of Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and absentee father of Manny (Rico Rodriguez) - in an upcoming installment set at a race track.
THE OFFICE (NBC) - Justin Spitzer has inked a two-year, seven-figure overall deal with producer Universal Media Studios. The pact covers his duties on the veteran comedy, where he serves as a writer/co-executive producer, and calls for him to develop new series projects for the studio.
UNTITLED SHAWN RYAN/SIMON MIRREN PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Shawn Ryan ("The Chicago Code") and Simon Mirren ("Criminal Minds") have snagged a put pilot order from the Eye for a new drama about "a genetic scientist who uses his newfound discovery that he has the psychopath gene to help the FBI catch killers." Mirren will pen the hour, which is based on the true story of UC Irvine Professor James Fallon, "a brilliant but genetically flawed scientist who, while helping to unlock the mysteries of the genome code, discovered that he was a psychopath linked to a long line of serial killers, including axe murderer Lizzie Borden." He'll also executive produce alongside Ryan for Sony Pictures Television where both recently signed overall deals.
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[08/20/25 - 11:07 AM]
Alicia Silverstone-Led Crime Drama "Irish Blood" Is the Biggest New Series Premiere in Acorn TV History
The August 11 premiere also drove the biggest day of subscriber sign-ups on Acorn TV's direct-to-consumer platforms in nearly two years.
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[08/20/25 - 11:01 AM]
Global Boxing Superstars Jake "El Gallo" Paul and Gervonta "Tank" Davis to Face Off in Most Valuable Promotions "Jake vs. Tank" on Friday, November 14 from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Live Globally Only on Netflix
Paul now returns to Netflix following his record-shattering Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson matchup in November 2024.
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[08/20/25 - 09:42 AM]
New Animated Series "Paris & Pups," Inspired by Paris Hilton and Her Real-Life Pets, Set to Premiere on YouTube September 23, 2025
Created for kids 5-8, the series launches with four episodes in week one, followed by weekly episode drops.
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[08/20/25 - 09:18 AM]
ESPN Taps John Cena, Complex, Lyft, Samsung and More in Massive Multi-Platform Marketing Campaign for ESPN Direct-to-Consumer & Enhanced App Launch
The campaign - which features John Cena in its creative TV spots - is designed to build excitement and encourage personalization around the reimagined ESPN App and DTC service.
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[08/20/25 - 09:06 AM]
Tilly Ramsay to "Dish It Out" in New Prime Video Original Series September 5
The 32-episode series will release eight new episodes weekly on Fridays through September 26.
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[08/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Reasonable Doubt" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Hulu
After a tumultuous season of fighting to save her best friend from a life sentence while healing from her own deadly affair, Jax Stewart has finally earned some peace in her life... even if she sees it all as a little boring.
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[08/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Names John Wall to NBA on Prime Studio Team
The longtime Washington Wizards guard will make appearances in-studio alongside Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker and Udonis Haslem.
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[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
A24's "Friendship" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max September 5
The film stars Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Paul Rudd.
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[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
"Survivor" Announces the 18 New Castaways Competing on the 49th Edition with a Two-Hour Season Premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 24
The series returns with a fresh set of dynamic and determined competitors, including two players who will ultimately compete in the show's landmark 50th season, premiering in spring 2026.
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[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
Acorn TV's Brooke Shields Mystery Series "You're Killing Me," Produced by Topsail Entertainment & Shaftesbury, Cast Amalia Williamson and Tom Cavanagh
The six-episode series, which starts production in Nova Scotia, Canada this September, is set to debut on Acorn TV in 2026.
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[08/20/25 - 08:31 AM]
MTV and Paramount+ Greenlight New Seasons of "RuPaul's Drag Race," "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" and "Untucked"
"RuPaul's Drag Race" will return to MTV for its 18th season following a standout year, with season 17 delivering the highest-rated premiere in seven years.
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[08/20/25 - 08:02 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Reveals Official Teaser for "Mayor of Kingstown" Season Four, Starring Oscar Nominee Jeremy Renner and Emmy and Golden Globe Winner Edie Falco
In season four, Mike's control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians' wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.
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[08/20/25 - 08:02 AM]
Antonia Thomas, Josh Dylan and Imelda Staunton to Star in "Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence" for BritBox
In the first contemporary English language television series adaptation of Agatha Christie's stories, Tommy and Tuppence are a detective duo for the ages.
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[08/20/25 - 08:01 AM]
Benvenuto! "Emily in Paris" Season 5 First Look & Date Announcement
All episodes of Season 5 will premiere on December 18.
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[08/20/25 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art - Hulu Original K-Drama "Tempest"
The new spy thriller with an international cast, including Gianna Jun, Gang Dongwon, John Cho and more, is launching with three episodes on September 10 on Hulu and Disney+.
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