or


[10/19/11 - 10:56 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 19
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!


THE COMMUNION LETTERS (Syfy, New!) - Dave Matalon and Jonathan Gruber ("Kyle XY") are developing a small screen take on Whitley Strieber and Anne Strieber's book which "examines claims by those who believe they have been abducted by or have had encounters with aliens." Universal Cable Productions is behind the hour, which they'll executive produce alongside Vincent Newman. (Variety.com)


DEVIOUS MAIDS (ABC, New!) - "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry is developing a domestic take on the Televisa telenovela "The Disorderly Maids of the Neighborhood." The project is set up the ABC Studios-based Cherry/Wind Productions with Cherry, Sabrina Wind, David Lonner, Larry Shuman and John Mass executive producing. It's understood the U.S. incarnation, to be penned by Cherry, "will center on four Latina women who are maids in Beverly Hills." (Deadline.com)


DRONES (FX, New!) - Chad Kultgen (CBS's "Waiting to Die") has snagged a script order from the cable channel for a dark comedy about "drone pilots in Nevada who commute to war." He'll write and executive produce alongside Milo Ventimiglia and Russ Cundiff of Divide Pictures. No other specifics were released. (Deadline.com)


FAT CHANCE (TBS, New!) - Jay Lacopo (NBC's "Man of Your Dreams") has booked a potential multi-camera comedy at the cable channel about "what happens to two best friends - the overweight Chance Hubbard and the incredibly good-looking Rollie - when a beautiful girl named Alex enters their lives." Said half-hour is set up at Warner Horizon Television with Conaco's Conan O'Brien, David Kissinger and Jeff Ross executive producing alongside Lacopo. (THR.com)


MISFITS (New!) - "Chuck" co-creator Josh Schwartz is looking to bring the U.K. drama - about a group of young offenders forced to work in a community service program, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm - to the States. Schwartz's Warner Bros. Television-based Fake Empire has reportedly secured the rights to the show, which has delivered more than 9 million views to date on Hulu. No details however were given about the U.S. take, which Schwartz and original creator Howard Overman will co-write and executive produce alongside Stephanie Savage, Len Goldstein and Clerkenwell Films' Murray Ferguson. (NYMag.com)


PALM BEACH (NBC, New!) - Feature helmer Burr Steers ("Charlie St. Cloud") has sold a new drama to the Peacock billed as an "Upstairs, Downstairs"-style family soap set in the exclusive enclave of Palm Beach. ABC Studios is behind the hour, which Di Bonaventura Pictures Television's Lorenzo DiBonventura and Dan McDermott will executive produce alongside Steers, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Shawn Simon. (Deadline.com)


SWAMPLANDIA (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is developing a comedy based on Karen Russell's book of the same name, about Ava Bigtree, "a 12-year-old alligator wrestler who embarks on an improbable journey through the mangrove wilderness of southwest Florida as she searches for her lost sister." Scott Rudin ("The Social Network") is behind the half-hour, which is currently searching for a writer. Russell herself will serve as a consultant. (THR.com)


UNTITLED MINNIE DRIVER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Minnie Driver has inked a talent holding deal with the Alphabet. The pact calls for the network to develop a series project around the actress or cast her in one of its existing properties. Driver toplined the drama pilot "Hail Mary" at CBS this past development cycle however the deal isn't limited to dramas. (Deadline.com)


VANISH (NBC, New!) - Trevor Munson ("Moonlight") has booked a new drama at the Peacock about "a man with a mysterious past who protects deserving people from danger, and helps them disappear." Sony Pictures Television is behind the hour with Stars Road Entertainment's Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen executive producing alongside Michael Dinner, who's also attached to direct. No other details were given. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Marissa Jaret Winokur will take over for Casey Wilson as David's (Johnathan McClain) sister Amy on season two of TV Land's "Retired at 35" (Deadline.com); French Stewart will visit "Community" as the owner of a celebrity impersonator service Abed (Danny Pudi) uses for his latest film (EW.com); plus Madchen Amick will swing by "Ringer" as a "confident, sexy and strong-willed" socialite who once counted Siobhan (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as one of her closest friends (TVLine.com).






  [october 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· CHUCK (NBC)
· COMMUNION LETTERS, THE (SYFY)
· COMMUNITY (YAHOO)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DEVIOUS MAIDS (LIFETIME)
· DRONES (FX)
· FAT CHANCE (TBS)
· HAIL MARY (CBS)
· KYLE XY (ABC FAMILY)
· MAN OF YOUR DREAMS (NBC)
· MISFITS (FREEFORM)
· MOONLIGHT (CBS)
· PALM BEACH (NBC)
· RETIRED AT 35 (TV LAND)
· RINGER (CW)
· SWAMPLANDIA! (USA)
· UNTITLED MINNIE DRIVER PROJECT (ABC)
· VANISH (NBC)
· WAITING TO DIE (CBS)





[11/25/25 - 12:29 PM]
The Second and Final Season of the HBO Original Drama Series "Like Water for Chocolate" Debuts February 15
The series returns Sunday, February 15 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) on HBO Latino in the U.S. and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

[11/25/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of November 17 - 3 Cheers for "Champagne Problems" at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys continued to keep audiences guessing in their psychological thriller "The Beast in Me," which took the No. 1 spot on the English TV list for a second week with 14.1 million views.

[11/25/25 - 11:30 AM]
TNT Sports Unveils World Class Commentators for First-Ever World Sevens Football 7v7 Soccer Tournament in North America - Coverage Kicks Off Friday, Dec. 5
The fast-paced W7F series has redefined women's soccer with elite talent from eight of the best clubs in the world, an immersive fan-first experience, and a groundbreaking $5 million prize pool, the largest in the sport, designed to fuel intense, high-stakes competition.

[11/25/25 - 10:31 AM]
Toby Wallace Is Entering the World of "Assassin's Creed"
He's the first series regular cast for the live-action series adaptation of Ubisoft's best-selling video game franchise.

[11/25/25 - 10:02 AM]
Hulu Renews Hit Emmy Award-Nominated Series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"
The series has been renewed for a 20-episode order, with new episodes coming early 2026.

[11/25/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Sean Combs: The Reckoning" - Date Announcement - Netflix
This documentary series unpacks the shocking allegations behind Sean "Diddy" Combs and his Bad Boy empire, spanning decades of his life and career.

[11/25/25 - 09:01 AM]
"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" Will Stream on Paramount+ Starting December 4
The jaw-dropping eighth film in one of the most iconic film series of all time will stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada.

[11/25/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Unveils First Look Images of "Scarpetta," Based on Patricia Cornwell's Bestselling Novels, Premiering March 11
The crime thriller series stars Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Rosy McEwen, Amanda Righetti, Jake Cannavale, and Hunter Parrish.

[11/25/25 - 08:31 AM]
"Wednesday" Season 3: Eva Green Joins the Addams Family as Aunt Ophelia
"I'm thrilled to join the woefully twisted world of 'Wednesday' as Aunt Ophelia," said Green. "This show is such a deliciously dark and witty world, I can't wait to bring my own touch of cuckooness to the Addams family."

[11/25/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Star Search" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Netflix's iconic talent competition series will premiere live on January 13, 2026 with Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Anthony Anderson set to host.

[11/25/25 - 01:01 AM]
Video: "How to Ruin Love: The Lobola" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Wedding bells are ringing - or are they? With feuding families and complicated lobola negotiations, Zoleka's walk down the aisle is anything but certain.

[11/25/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "The Town" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A group of cash-strapped friends find their morals and relationships tested when they stumble upon a stolen fortune in their hometown.

[11/24/25 - 03:18 PM]
FX Orders Anthology Series "Far Cry" to Stream on Hulu
The limited series from Noah Hawley and Rob Mac, with Mac set in the starring role, is based on Ubisoft's global hit video game franchise of the same title and the series will retain "Far Cry's" signature standalone storytelling format, with each season set in a new setting following a new cast of characters.

[11/24/25 - 03:01 PM]
Netflix's "One Piece" Season 3 Begins Production & Four Cast Members Upped to Series Regulars
Mikaela Hoover (Chopper), Joe Manganiello (Mr. 0), Lera Abova (Miss All Sunday) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Nefartari Cobra) have been upped to series regulars for Season 3.

[11/24/25 - 02:08 PM]
The Nader Sisters Will Take a Second Bite Out of the Big Apple as "Love Thy Nader" Is Renewed for Season Two on Hulu and Freeform
The bold coming-of-age reality series follows the unapologetic and determined Nader sisters - Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann and Sarah Jane - who left their humble beginnings in the Louisiana bayou for the glamour and grind of New York City.