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[12/09/11 - 10:51 PM]
Development Update: Friday, December 9
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!
AGAINST THE WALL (Lifetime) - The cable channel has pulled the plug on the Rachael Carpani-led drama. "I'd like to thank @lifetimetv, the #AgainstTheWall writers and the Amazing fans of Against The Wall but unfortunately we've been canceled," co-star Brandon Quinn posted to his Twitter account earlier today. The show's 13-episode run averaged 1.636 million viewers and a 0.5 rating among adults 18-49, ahead of the recently axed "The Protector" (1.294 million viewers, 0.3 adults 18-49 rating in prime airings) but behind the network's staples "Army Wives" (3.615 million viewers, 1.2 adults 18-49 rating) and "Drop Dead Diva" (2.264 million viewers, 0.7 adults 18-49 rating).
THE BLUE LAGOON (Lifetime) - Neil Meron and Craig Zadan's revival of Henry De Vere Stacpoole's book-turned-feature film franchise - about "a boy and a girl marooned on a tropical island, where they grow up together, fall in love and discover sexuality" - has been greenlit by the cable channel. Lifetime originally put the project into development in March of 2004 with Heather Rutman and Matt Heller tapped to write the script. Sony Pictures Television and Judith Verno's Peace Out Productions are likewise behind the film, which Verno will executive produce alongside Storyline Entertainment's Meron and Zadan. Production is set to begin this February in Puerto Rico as casting is underway. (Deadline.com)
CELEBRITY WIFE SWAP (ABC) - The celebrity incarnation of the series is now set to premiere Monday, January 2 at 10:00/9:00c following the season premiere of "The Bachelor." "Swap" will then settle into its regular Tuesday, 9:00/8:00c slot the following night.
DREAM CITY (HBO, New!) - Eddie Murphy is on track to play Marion Barry in a biopic of the former Washington, D.C. mayor from director Spike Lee and writer John Ridley. Said effort is based on Washington journalists Tom Sherwood and Harry Jaffe's 1994 book of the same name, subtitled "Race, Power and the Decline of Washington, D.C." HBO previously optioned the book nearly a decade ago but the resulting project - starring Jamie Foxx and executive produced by Chris Rock - didn't come to fruition. Barry served four terms as mayor of D.C. despite infamously being videotaped smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room during an FBI sting operation, eventually serving six months in federal prison on a misdemeanor drug possession conviction. He currently serves on the D.C. Council, representing one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. Lee and Ridley, who are also working on the network's drama pilot "Da Brick," will also executive produce. (WashingtonPost.com)
THE MOMENT (USA, New!) - Former NFL MVP Kurt Warner is set to host a new reality series at the cable channel focusing on personal reinvention and life transformation. Charlie Ebersol and Justin Hochberg are behind the project, which is set to roll out in the second quarter of next year. The pilot was shot in Los Angeles earlier this year. No other specifics were given. (Variety.com)
THE NATE BERKUS SHOW (Syndication) - Sony Pictures Television and Harpo Studios plan to wrap the series after its current second season. "After careful consideration, we have decided that The Nate Berkus Show will not return for a third season in the fall," said the companies said in a joint statement. "We are grateful for the hard work and heart that Nate, [executive producer] Corin Nelson and their entire team have poured into the show, and we're very proud of what they've delivered." Berkus himself also released a statement saying, "I'm incredibly proud of my hard working and talented staff, and proud of the show we were able to produce every day." (BroadcastingCable.com)
A SMILE AS BIG AS THE MOON (ABC) - The Alphabet has booked its second Hallmark of Hall of Fame production for Sunday, January 29 at 9:00/8:00c. John Corbett and Jessy Schram topline the film, based on the true story of Mike Kersjes, "a high school football coach and special-education teacher who teams up with fellow teacher Robynn McKinney (Schram) to achieve an impossible dream: to take a group of special-ed children to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama." Cynthia Watros also stars as Space Camp Director Deborah Barnhardt. James Sadwith directed from a script by Tom Rickman, based on Kersjes's memoir (with Joe Layden) of the same name. Brent Shields and Dan Paulson are the executive producers.
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Diane Neal will guest on "A Gifted Man" as a defense attorney who grills Michael (Patrick Wilson) about a patient's brain tumor which he says caused him to become a firebug (TVLine.com); Alanis Morissette will turn up on NBC's "Up All Night" as a hip-hop legend from Ava's '90s band, Sound LLC (TVLine.com); Lowe's has pulled its advertising on TLC's "All-American Muslim" after "hearing the concerns we received through emails, calls, through social media and in news reports" (THR.com); plus Caspar Zafer and Nathaniel Buzolic will recur on "The Vampire Diaries" as Klaus' (Joseph Morgan) other Original brothers (TVGuide.com).
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[12/17/25 - 09:46 AM]
Netflix Announces Series Adaptation of Liz Moore's "The God of the Woods"
Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the new series follows the wealthy Van Laars as they fight to hold their family together, unearthing devastating secrets in the process.
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[12/17/25 - 09:18 AM]
Video: "Paul Anka: His Way" - Official Trailer - HBO
The film follows the iconic, chart-topping songwriter and musician Paul Anka through stardom and reinvention in an ever-changing industry.
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[12/17/25 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix and Barstool Sports Announce Exclusive Video Podcast Partnership
The podcasts joining Netflix in early 2026 include "Pardon My Take," "The Ryen Russillo Show," and "Spittin Chiclets."
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[12/17/25 - 09:00 AM]
Obsessive Compulsions and Strange Fixations Are Back in a Compelling New Season of TLC's "My Strange Addiction"
The series explores the unfiltered stories of people whose obsessive behaviors have taken over their lives. Each episode dives into bizarre, real-world situations revealing how these addictions shape daily routines and impact the way they navigate the world.
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[12/17/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Starz Releases "Outlander" Final Season Opening Title Sequence Performed by Academy and Grammy Award Winner Annie Lennox
The eighth and final season of the groundbreaking series will premiere on Friday, March 6, 2026.
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[12/17/25 - 09:00 AM]
Comedian and Actor Bert Kreischer and Country Music Star Hardy to Host "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash," Airing Dec. 31 on CBS and Paramount+
Social media star Haley Baylee will correspond from New York City and count down with the East Coast at midnight ET for New York City's Ball Drop.
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[12/17/25 - 08:01 AM]
First Behind-the-Scenes Look at Netflix's "Mercenary: An Extraction Series," with Production Underway
The highly-anticipated series starring Omar Sy recently wrapped filming in Ireland and is resuming production in Morocco.
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[12/17/25 - 08:01 AM]
MGM+ and Prime Video Unveil First Look Images and Premiere Date for New Mystery Thriller Series "Vanished" Starring Kaley Cuoco and Sam Claflin
The four-part mystery thriller series will premiere on Sunday, February 1 in the U.S., Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Latin America with a weekly release.
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[12/17/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Tell Me Lies" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Hulu
The new season follows Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) as they've rekindled their tumultuous romance in time for spring semester at Baird College.
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[12/17/25 - 08:00 AM]
Season Three of the Critically Acclaimed Crime Drama "Gangs of London," Starring Sope Dirisu and Joe Cole, Makes Its Streaming Debut Thursday, January 15 on AMC+
In Season three, ex-undercover cop turned gangster Elliot (Dìrísù)?is now operating as a top-level criminal alongside the Dumanis, but their business is thrown into chaos when their shipment of cocaine is spiked, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians all over London.
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[12/17/25 - 07:41 AM]
ID's "The Curious Case of..." Returns with New Season of Bizarre and Unbelievable Stranger-Than-Fiction Stories
The new season will feature eight new episodes tackling bizarre, stranger-than-fiction cases filled with twists, turns, and shocking revelations through unprecedented first-hand accounts.
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[12/17/25 - 07:10 AM]
Family of Innovators Breathe New Life Into Rustic Spaces in "Maine Cabin Masters," Premiering December 29 on Magnolia Network
Builder Chase Morrill, along with Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge, his sister and brother-in-law, rebuild cabins in some of the most beautiful areas of Maine.
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[12/17/25 - 07:03 AM]
"The Year: 2025" to Air Monday, Dec. 29, on ABC, Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
This two-hour special brings audiences an expansive look at the moments that shaped 2025 through the stories that sparked conversation, captured global attention, and defined our cultural landscape.
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[12/17/25 - 07:01 AM]
Paramount Affirms Commitment to Superior $30 Per Share All-Cash Offer for Warner Bros. Discovery
David Ellison, Chairman & CEO, Paramount said: "We remain committed to bringing together two iconic Hollywood studios to create a unique global entertainment leader."
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[12/17/25 - 06:42 AM]
Cricket Celebration Bowl Delivered Double-Digit Increases on ABC
Coverage averaged 2.3 million viewers with a peak of 3.0 million.
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