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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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[04/03/26 - 08:00 AM]
Season Six of The Global Hit Series "The Chosen" Premieres Exclusively on Prime Video, November 15, 2026
Featuring six episodes, season six will debut three episodes on November 15, followed by the release of a weekly episode through December 6.
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[04/03/26 - 07:01 AM]
BET to Air "HBCU AWAREFEST Benefit Concert Special" Sunday, April 5 at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT
The star-studded benefit concert supporting HBCUs features a genre-spanning lineup including Jill Scott, Tems, Common, Jeezy, Yolanda Adams, Coco Jones, Kirk Franklin, BigXthaPlug, and more.
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[04/03/26 - 07:00 AM]
James Marsden Returns to Host "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat" Reunion Special For Prime Video On April 10
The bonus episodes will debut on April 10, 2026, and will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[04/03/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Fake Profile" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Camila meets her Prince Charming through a dating app. After an idyllic romance, she plans to surprise him - only to end up trapped in a false paradise.
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[04/02/26 - 08:01 PM]
Video: Competition Heats Up with Intrigue and Spices - Netflix Unveils Trailer for New Drama "Made with Love"
At the heart of this culinary showdown is Luka, an ambitious young chef determined to become head chef at her mother's legendary restaurant.
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[04/02/26 - 01:46 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers Sunday Morning, in Late-Night and Friday Night
ABC News' "20/20" ranked as Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine during the 1st quarter 2026 in Total Viewers (4.023 million) and Adults 25-54 (673,000), based on Most Current Big Data+Panel Ratings.
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[04/02/26 - 01:45 PM]
Katie Conway Promoted to Executive Producer of Robin Roberts Production Unit at ABC News Studios
Conway joined the unit in 2023 when it launched as a senior producer.
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[04/02/26 - 12:31 PM]
Paramount+ Greenlights New Reality Series, "Team Moms," Executive Produced by Kim Kardashian and Love Island Producers, ITV
"Team Moms" launches viewers into the world of nationally competitive youth baseball via immersion into the Legendary Prep Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona's first and only baseball prep school.
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[04/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
Jamie Bell and Charlie Heaton Lead a New Generation of "Peaky Blinders" and First Look of Bell as Duke Is Revealed
Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch, and Lucy Karczewski are also on board.
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[04/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
"Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" Returns for One Last Spell This Summer on Disney+ and Disney Channel
Executive producer Selena Gomez to make her directorial debut with the premiere episode.
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[04/02/26 - 11:44 AM]
First-Ever "American Idol" Simulcast on ABC and Disney+ Surges Double Digits
Season to date, "American Idol" averages 5.11 million Total Viewers and stands as one of the few shows to notch year-over-year gains this season.
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[04/02/26 - 11:11 AM]
Sarah Drew and Eric Johnson to Headline "When I Said I Do" (wt), The New Movie Inspired by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black's Beloved Duet of the Same Name
The movie is set to premiere Saturday, May 23 at 8/7c as part of the network's upcoming spring "Love of a Lifetime" original movie slate.
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[04/02/26 - 11:07 AM]
Thursday Night Heats Up as "9-1-1: Nashville" and "9-1-1" Soar to Best Performance of the Season
On linear over three days, "9-1-1" earned 5.94 million Total Viewers, also nearly matching the show's previous season high in January.
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[04/02/26 - 11:05 AM]
Hulu's Critically Acclaimed Comedy Series "Deli Boys" Returns for a Second Season on May 28
Andrew Rannells and Kumail Nanjiani join as recurring guest stars for the second season, alongside series regulars Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan and Fred Armisen.
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[04/02/26 - 10:58 AM]
ESPN to Present WNBA Expansion Draft Friday, April 3
Malika Andrews will host the special, joined by analysts Carolyn Peck and Monica McNutt.
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