or


[02/07/12 - 10:51 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, February 7
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!


ANGER MANAGEMENT (FX) - Noureen DeWulf ("Hawthorne") has been cast in the upcoming Charlie Sheen-led comedy, about "a former baseball player with anger issues who winds up as an unconventional anger management therapist." She'll play one of the members of his therapy group, "a spoiled rich girl who was sent to a court-appointed anger management classes after shooting her boyfriend who cheated on her." Selma Blair and Shawnee Smith also star in the Lionsgate Television-based project. (Deadline.com)


CULT (The CW) - Jessica Lucas has scored a lead role on the drama pilot, about "an inquisitive, young female production assistant on a wildly popular television show called 'Cult' who, after a rash of disappearances and a likely murder, joins a journalist blogger in investigating the rabid fans of the series who might be re-creating crimes seen on the program in real life." She'll play the former, Skye Yarrow ("late 20s, smart-cute"), in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which comes from writer Rockne S. O'Bannon and director Jason Ensler. (Deadline.com)


EL JEFE (FOX) - Michael Patrick Jann ("Emily's Reasons Why Not") is set to helm the comedy pilot, about "an upper-middle class 30-year-old guy who finally gets booted out of his dad and step-mom's house and moves in with his cleaning woman's family since he had nowhere else to go." David Guarascio and Moses Port co-wrote the half-hour for Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)


THE FAMILY TRAP (A.K.A. UNTITLED MANDY MOORE PROJECT) (ABC) - The Mandy Moore-led comedy - about newlyweds who get the opportunity of a lifetime to run a hip, new restaurant in her hometown bringing her closer to her needy and high maintenance family - has been ordered to pilot by the Alphabet. Bob Fisher and Stacy Traub penned the single-camera project, which Shawn Levy will direct for 20th Century Fox Television. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements will also executive produce alongside said auspices with Moore's manager John Leshay serving as a producer. (Deadline.com)


FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER (NBC) - Allison Janney and Tony Shalhoub are on track to star in the comedy pilot, about a quirky family that has dinner together every Friday night. They'll play the clan's parents, Barbara ("has trouble fitting into the society of mature, responsible middle-aged women because her sons and husband suck her into their shit") and Gene (whose "inappropriate behavior and disconnection from modernity has only increased" with retirement), respectively. David Koechner also stars as their neighbor, "a lonely weirdo with an odd fixation on Barbara." Ken Kwapis is directing the Universal Television-based half-hour from a script by Greg Daniels. (Deadline.com)


MISTRESSES (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has given a straight-to-series pickup for a domestic take on the U.K. drama, which follows the lives of four female friends and their involvement in an array of illicit and complex relationships. The original, from S.J. Clarkson and Lowri Glain, ran for seasons on BBC One from 2008 to 2010 with BBC America carrying the series in the States (the finale for which airs tomorrow night). Lifetime previously shot a pilot for the project in 2008, which starred Brooke Burns, Camille Sullivan, Holly Marie Combs, Rochelle Aytes and Sarah Glendening. Sergio Mimica-Gezzan directed from a script by Melissa Carter for Fox 21. As for the new incarnation, K.J. Steinberg penned the script for ABC Studios with Bob Sertner and Ecosse Films' Douglas Rae also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


SAVE ME (NBC) - Michael Landes and Alexandra Breckenridge have each scored roles on the comedy pilot, about Beth Harper (Anne Heche), a woman who lets herself go while in a broken marriage goes through a transformation where she becomes the best version of herself and creates miracles along the way. He'll play her husband Tom ("40-ish and real-world handsome"), a manager at an upscale hotel; while she's set as Carly Brugano ("hot without any effort"), "a laid-off high school student counselor with a master's in psychology who works as a concierge at Tom's hotel and serves as his therapist and lover." John Scott Shepherd is behind the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, to be directed by Scott Winant. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JOHN LEGEND PROJECT (Showtime, New!) - John Legend is set to host and executive produce a backdoor pilot special for the pay channel which "features top artists from different genres who discuss their careers and perform an original musical collaboration before live studio audience." Jesse Dylan directed the pilot, which recently taped at the historic EastWest Studios in Los Angeles with Faith Hill ("You're The One Whose Waiting") and B.o.B ("Ghost in the Machine") among the guests. Hill and B.o.B likewise performed a live rendition of "Son of a Preacher Man" alongside Legend. Get Lifted Film Co.'s Mike Jackson; Tollin Productions' Michael Tollin; Station3's R.D. Robb and Tom Carter; and Wondros' Priscilla Cohen are executive producing alongside Legend. (Deadline.com)


WHITE VAN MAN (ABC) - Kyle Bornheimer ("Perfect Couples") has been tapped to topline the comedy pilot, based on the U.K. series about "a man who is forced to put his dreams on hold in order to take over the family handyman business from his father." His casting lifts said contingency off the pilot's production. In addition, Michael Fresco has signed on to direct the single-camera project, from writer Bobby Bowman and the ABC Studios-based Mark Gordon Co. Bornheimer and his brother Ryan previously sold a comedy pitch to ABC earlier this development cycle that didn't move forward. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED HILARY WINSTON PROJECT (NBC) - Adam Shankman ("Rock of Ages") has signed on to direct the comedy pilot, about "a shy, focused woman who, after being dumped by her fiance, leans on her co-workers to help her come out of her shell and plot her revenge." He'll work from a script by Hilary Winston, who's executive producing via Jamie Tarses's Sony Pictures Television-based FanFare banner. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Bailee Madison, Noah Bean and Roger Daltrey are among the latest actors set to stop by "Once Upon a Time" (Variety.com, TVLine.com, EW.com); Ryan Murphy confirmed on "Watch What Happens Live" that Jessica Lange will return in some capacity for "American Horror Story's" second season, which will take place on the East Coast in a horror institution (BravoTV.com); Stephen Lang has booked a three-episode arc on "In Plain Sight" as the troubled father of Mary McCormack's Mary Shannon (TVGuide.com).






  [february 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)
· ANGER MANAGEMENT (FX)
· CULT (CW)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EL JEFE (FOX)
· EMILY'S REASONS WHY NOT (ABC)
· FAMILY TOOLS (ABC)
· FAMILY TRAP, THE (ABC)
· FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER (NBC)
· HAPPY VALLEY (NBC)
· HAWTHORNE (TNT)
· IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA)
· MISTRESSES (ABC)
· MISTRESSES (LIFETIME)
· MISTRESSES (BBC AMERICA)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· PERFECT COUPLES (NBC)
· SAVE ME (NBC)
· UNTITLED JOHN LEGEND PROJECT (SHOWTIME)
· WATCH WHAT HAPPENS: LIVE (BRAVO)





[12/10/25 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Cashero" - Official Trailer - Netflix
An ordinary man who inherits super strength discovers a greater evil out to steal his power. The one catch? Every use drains money from his wallet.

[12/10/25 - 03:16 PM]
Peacock to Exclusively Stream National Coverage of Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 8 P.M. ET
Ravens-Packers marks the fourth Peacock exclusive NFL game.

[12/10/25 - 02:59 PM]
FOX NFL Scores Massive Week 14 Viewership
28 million viewers watched FOX Sports' Week 14 "America's Game of the Week," featuring the Green Bay Packers divisional win over the Chicago Bears.

[12/10/25 - 01:06 PM]
Paramount Sends Letter to Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholders
The letter "reiterates why Paramount's offer will deliver WBD shareholders with superior value and a faster, more certain path to completion than the Netflix transaction."

[12/10/25 - 12:08 PM]
NBCU's November to Remember Showcases the Power of Company's Programming
"All Her Fault" became the most-watched original series launch in Peacock history with 46 million hours.

[12/10/25 - 11:06 AM]
"LA Firestorm" Presents the Harrowing Heartbreaks and Heroics From Battles Against the Blazes that Burned Through Los Angeles Like a Blowtorch
The series premieres Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 8pm ET/5pm PT with all three parts airing back-to-back.

[12/10/25 - 11:01 AM]
Introducing - For the First Time in "The Masked Singer" History - America's Insider!
Singer, actress, dancer and social media personality Kylie Cantrall is unmasking pre-premiere and bringing fans along for the insane ride behind-the-scenes on the all-new season.

[12/10/25 - 10:03 AM]
All-New Season of "Moonshiners" Premieres Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
This season, history repeats itself as liquor prices skyrocket and trade wars cripple the legal market.

[12/10/25 - 10:01 AM]
"The Lincoln Lawyer" Season 4 - First Look & Date Announcement
Netflix's hit drama series returns for its fourth season on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

[12/10/25 - 10:01 AM]
Revisit the Beloved Classic Films from Academy Award-Winning Writer/Director/Producer James L. Brooks, Ahead of 20th Century Studios' Release of "Ella McCay," Coming to Theaters Friday
"Broadcast News," "Big," "Say Anything," "The War of the Roses," and "How Do You Know" are all available on Hulu.

[12/10/25 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Music Box: Happy and You Know It" Debuts December 25
The film explores the underestimated and wildly popular genre, delving behind the scenes to tell the origin stories of some of the top names in the field.

[12/10/25 - 10:00 AM]
Celebrate Christmas Morning with "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade," Thursday, Dec. 25, on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu
This year's special features performances by Gwen Stefani, Lady A, Bebe Rexha, Nicole Scherzinger, and more.

[12/10/25 - 09:54 AM]
ABC Unwraps Holiday Presentations of Fan Favorite Shows
"Dancing with the Holidays" was the top-performing holiday-themed special across the broadcast networks among Adults 18-49 in two years.

[12/10/25 - 09:07 AM]
Candace Cameron Bure, Aaron Ashmore, and Robin Dunne Star in, "Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Watchmaker," Streaming Exclusively on Great American Pure Flix, January 1
In the latest installment, Ainsley McGregor thought craft markets and book clubs, not corpses, would define her new life back home in Sweet River.

[12/10/25 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Boxing disruptor Jake Paul challenges heavyweight powerhouse Anthony Joshua live in a career-defining super fight from Most Valuable Promotions.