or


[12/13/12 - 11:06 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, December 13
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!


DARKNET (USA, New!) - Rene Balcer ("Law & Order") has sold a new drama to the cable channel about "a couple of cyber-crime investigators - an MIT grad whose younger sister disappeared years ago and a former hacktivist who was recruited by the FBI after serving time in jail - who stumble across a far-reaching conspiracy to change the course of human evolution." Universal Cable Productions is behind the hour, with Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan executive producing alongside Balcer. (Deadline.com)


LAUGHS UNLIMITED (HBO, New!) - Director Oren Moverman ("Rampart") and author Anthony Swofford ("Jarhead") are developing a drama at the pay channel about Billie Crown, "an Army medic who returns from serving a tour in Afghanistan only to find that her husband is divorcing her and taking custody of their daughter" and must now hide "her PTSD from family and colleagues so she can be reinstated as a Sacramento police officer, and so she can reconnect with her daughter." The Donners Company's Lauren Shuler Donner and Jack Leslie as well as Jennifer Beals and Adena Chawke are executive producing the project - the title of which refers to "a comedy club where Billie and her fellow cops hang out to relax and blow off steam" - alongside said duo. (Deadline.com)


LOVE THY NEIGHBOR/THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS (OWN) - The cable channel has detailed its two proposed series from multi-hyphenate Tyler Perry. First up is "Love Thy Neighbor," a multi-camera comedy set at Love's Diner, "where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a lot of love for its zany neighbors." The second is "The Haves and the Have Nots," a drama about "the dynamics of the affluent Cyrer family and the impoverished family of their housekeeper, Hanna, and the obstacles and secrets that exist within both." Perry will write, direct and executive produce both efforts via his Tyler Perry Studios banner. (THR.com)


OFFICE, THE (NBC) - In a video on his Facebook page, co-star Rainn Wilson revealed the show's final season will run for 24 episodes, capping the series at exactly 200 episodes. Said run - previously indicated to be 22 episodes - includes the now aborted backdoor pilot episode "The Farm," the fifth installment shot this season. (Facebook.com)


SUPER FUN NIGHT (ABC) - Kelen Coleman ("The Newsroom") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about three nerdy female friends (Lauren Ash, Liza Lapira and creator Rebel Wilson) on a quest to have super fun every Friday night. She'll play Felicity Vanderstone, "a successful professional who serves as a role model and inspiration to Wilson's character," a role originated by Anna Camp in the original CBS version. Warner Bros. Television and Conaco Productions are co-producing. (TVLine.com)


UNTITLED HATFIELDS & MCCOYS PROJECT (History, New!) - Wild Eyes Productions is developing a reality series at the cable channel featuring the real-life descendants of the Hatfields and the McCoys, the subject of History's blockbuster mini-series. No other details were given. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - NBC has ordered three more episodes of "Whitney," bringing its sophomore run total to 16 installments (Deadline.com); L.A. Reid won't return for the third season of FOX's "The X Factor" (Deadline.com); Julianne Moore is the latest "30 Rock" alum set to drop by the show's swan song (HuffPo.com); Rob Benedict will guest on "The Mentalist" as "an adjunct professor and PhD candidate who works in the same lab where a student was murdered" (EW.com); NBA legend Julius Erving will appear as himself in an upcoming episode of "The Office" as part of Jim's (John Krasinski) efforts to launch his sports marketing business (EW.com); writer Chris Baldi has inked a development deal with Nickelodeon, home to his proposed TV movie "Friend Request" (Variety.com); and Rosie O'Donnell will make a cameo during the new season of NBC's "Smash" (@Rosie).






  [december 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· DARKNET (USA)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FARM, THE (NBC)
· HATFIELDS & MCCOYS (HISTORY)
· HATFIELDS & MCCOYS: WHITE LIGHTNING (HISTORY)
· HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, THE (OWN)
· LAUGHS UNLIMITED (HBO)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (OWN)
· MENTALIST, THE (CBS)
· NEWSROOM, THE (HBO)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· SMASH (NBC)
· WHITNEY (NBC)
· X FACTOR, THE (FOX)





[02/26/26 - 02:46 PM]
Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros.
"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid," said co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.

[02/26/26 - 02:19 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Soars to Season High with Best Audience in Over a Year
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 157 consecutive weeks across all key measures.

[02/26/26 - 02:08 PM]
Britbox Unveils Spring Slate with "The Lady" Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce; Premieres March 18
Other highlights include the return of "Hope Street" and the debut of "Mudtown."

[02/26/26 - 01:36 PM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Determination of Paramount's Proposal as Superior
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "We are pleased WBD's Board has unanimously affirmed the superior value of our offer, which delivers to WBD shareholders superior value, certainty and speed to closing."

[02/26/26 - 01:16 PM]
Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors Determines Revised Proposal from Paramount Skydance Constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal"
Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a "Company Superior Proposal."

[02/26/26 - 01:00 PM]
FOX Television Network Renews Hit Joel McHale Series "Animal Control" for Season Five
In addition, the first three seasons of the series are currently streaming on Netflix, and the show has been sold in territories around the world.

[02/26/26 - 10:31 AM]
More Stars Take the Stage to Present at the 98th Oscars
Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani and Maya Rudolph are among the featured talent.

[02/26/26 - 10:30 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Unveils Captivating Sneak Peek Scene from "The Vampire Lestat"
In the new rock and roll centric season, the Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by "muses" from his wild and rebellious past.

[02/26/26 - 10:21 AM]
Feed the Children Teams Up with FOX's "Next Level Chef" to Put Child Hunger to Bed
The year-round campaign rallies the public alongside donors, volunteers, and partners to provide kids with the food and resources they need to rise and thrive every day.

[02/26/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Running Point" Season Two Returns April 23 on Netflix
Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) is no longer the surprise choice to lead the Los Angeles Waves, she's the one everyone is watching.

[02/26/26 - 10:01 AM]
Season Three of the HBO Original Comedy Series "The Comeback" Debuts March 22
New episodes of the eight-episode season will debut weekly leading up to the series finale on Sunday, May 10.

[02/26/26 - 10:00 AM]
CBS Launches New Podcast "NCIS: Partners & Probies" Hosted by Series Stars Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover, Offering Fans an Inside Look at the #1 TV Franchise Worldwide
Premiering Tuesday, March 3, new episodes will roll out weekly.

[02/26/26 - 09:14 AM]
FOX Sports Assembles World-Class Broadcast Team for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Headlining FOX MLB's coverage of Team USA matchups and knockout rounds are highly acclaimed play-by-play announcers Joe Davis, Adam Amin and Kevin Kugler; expert analysts John Smoltz, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright; and veteran reporters Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci.

[02/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art - "Sunny Nights" Starring Will Forte & D'Arcy Carden
After a critical acclaimed Australian debut, the darkly comedic crime drama starring Will Forte and D'Arcy Carden makes its U.S. debut on March 11 on Hulu.

[02/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
BritBox Announces April 7th Premiere for "A Taste for Murder"
The six-part crime procedural produced by Eagle Eye Drama and in association with ITV Studios stars Warren Brown, Phyllis Logan, and Cristiana Dell'Anna, and was shot on location in Croatia and Italy last year.