or


[01/24/13 - 11:09 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, January 24
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!


ADVOCATES, THE (CBS) - Pilot wunderkind David Nutter has signed on to direct and executive produce the drama, about "a female lawyer and a male ex-con who team up as victim advocates, going to the edge of the law to right wrongs and fight for the underdog." Nutter, who has delivered 17 of his 18 pilots to series, will work from a script by Bruno Heller for Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)


BROWSERS (Amazon) - Newcomers Dustin Ingram, Constance Wu, Bridgette Davidovici, Marque Richardson and Chris Wood have all been cast in the pilot, a musical comedy set in contemporary Manhattan that follows four young people as they start their first jobs at a news website. Details on their roles weren't given. Bebe Neuwirth also stars in the half-hour, from writer David Javerbaum and director Don Scardino. Amazon Studios is producing. (Deadline.com)


ENLISTED (A.K.A. UNTITLED KEVIN BIEGEL PROJECT) (FOX) - Kevin Biegel's comedy - about "three very different brothers working together in the Army at a small base in Florida" - has been given a pilot commitment by the network. 20th Century Fox Television is behind the single-camera project with Mike Royce also expected to serve in some capacity alongside Biegel. (Deadline.com)


GATES (NBC) - Ken Marino and Aasif Mandvi are the latest to board the comedy pilot, about the hijinks that ensue when parents drop off and pick up their kids at school each day. The former will play Mark Baxley, "a loveable, sweet, well-meaning, puppy-dog of a guy, a type B, or C, maybe even D to his wife's (Kathleen Rose Perkins) type-A personality." Mandvi then is set as another dad at the school, Trevor Palmer, "a super-driven, competitive Yale-educated lawyer who's one of these comedically intense guys who pushes his kids way too hard." Christina Kirk, Diana Maria Riva, John Grisetti and Justin Chon also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, from director Marc Buckland and writers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith. (Deadline.com)


JACK JOHNSON (HBO, New!) - Beau Willimon ("Ides of March") is spearheading a new four to six part mini-series at the pay channel about the storied life of the first African-American world heavyweight champion. Ken Burns and Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are on board to executive produce the project, which will be based on Geoffrey C. Ward's book "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson." Burns, who was behind the Emmy-winning documentary of the same name, will also direct while Willimon will serve as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)


TOGETHERNESS (HBO, New!) - Mark and Jay Duplass ("Jeff, Who Lives at Home") have likewise booked a single-camera comedy pilot at the pay network about "two couples living under the same roof who struggle to keep their relationships alive while pursuing their individual dreams." Said duo penned the half-hour and will direct and executive produce with production eyed for an April start. Stephanie Langhoff also serves as a co-executive producer for their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. (Deadline.com)


TWO WRONGS (A.K.A. UNTITLED MICHELLE MORGAN PROJECT) (FOX) - Michelle Morgan has received a pilot commitment from the network for her comedy, about "a couple whose friends and family don't think they are right for each other." The single-camera effort is set up at the 20th Century Fox Television-based Chernin Entertainment with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope as well as Kaplan Perrone Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan and Sean Perrone executive producing alongside Morgan. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED ANDREW GURLAND PROJECT (FX, New!) - Andrew Gurland ("The Last Exorcism") has scored a pilot order from the cable channel for a comedy about "a married man who is given permission by his wife to get a mistress in order to save their marriage." Said effort is set up at FX Productions with Paul Young and Peter Principato executive producing alongside Gurland. Salamo Levin will serve as a producer. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED CRAIG ROBINSON PROJECT (NBC) - The Craig Robinson-led comedy - about "a talented musician with rough edges who adjusts to his new life as a music teacher in a big-city middle school, where he encounters teacher politics and the temptations of single moms" - has scored a pilot order at the Peacock. Owen Ellickson penned the single-camera project and is executive producing alongside Greg Daniels, Tracy Katsky, Howard Klein and Mark Schulman for Universal Television. Robinson will also receive a producer credit. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese's small screen take on "Zombieland" reportedly has found a new home at Amazon (Deadline.com); John Pyper-Ferguson will guest on "Once Upon a Time" as "a widower who wants nothing more than to help his young son heal from the loss of his mother" (EW.com); Sean Patrick Flanery and Charlotte Rampling have both landed roles on the upcoming season of "Dexter" as "the ex-cop owner of a private investigation company in Miami" and "a neuro-psychiatrist who specializes profiling criminals in unorthodox ways," respectively (Deadline.com, EW.com); Larry Manetti is bound for "Hawaii Five-0" as a local lounge legend who assists the team with a case (TVGuide.com); and Sendhil Ramamurthy soon-to-debut ADA Gabe Lowen has been upped to series regular on "Beauty and the Beast" (THR.com).






  [january 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· ADVOCATES, THE (CBS)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (CW)
· BROWSERS (AMAZON)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
· ENLISTED (FOX)
· GATES (NBC)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· MARRIED (FX)
· MR ROBINSON (NBC)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· TOGETHERNESS (HBO)
· TWO WRONGS (FOX)
· UNRULY (HBO)
· ZOMBIELAND (AMAZON)





[08/29/25 - 10:46 AM]
National Geographic Documentary Films Announces Global Acquisition of Streaming Rights to Werner Herzog Documentary "Ghost Elephants" Following Venice World Premiere
The documentary will make its U.S. premiere at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend.

[08/29/25 - 10:08 AM]
"Prison Break" Turns 20: Executive Producer Dawn Olmstead Curates Episode Collections on Hulu
It's been 20 years since Michael Scofield entered Fox River State Penitentiary on a mission: break brother Lincoln out.

[08/29/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "French Lover" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a jaded actor meets a down-on-her-luck waitress in Paris, their unexpected love story begins - but will it survive the glare of the spotlight?

[08/29/25 - 08:02 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Paris Trailer and New Cast for the Final Episodes of "The Summer I Turned Pretty"
Joining the series in recurring roles are Corinna Brown, Fernando Cattori, Isaline Prevost Radeff, and Jahz Armando.

[08/29/25 - 05:43 AM]
"Sounds of Summer" - Feel-Good, Music-Packed Movie About Swedish Pop Icons Gyllene Tider Makes Exclusive US Debut Thursday, September 18, 2025 on Viaplay
Directed by Per Simonsson and named after the band's most enduring hit, "Sounds of Summer" is a breezy, very inspiring 97-minute ride that follows Gessle from small-town outsider to pop trailblazer.

[08/29/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "RIV4LRIES" - Official Trailer - Netflix
At a middle school in Pisa, no one has ever challenged the cool kids - until new girl Terry arrives with bold ideas and the rivalries begin.

[08/29/25 - 02:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: UK" Season 2 - The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Who's saying "I still do?" Emma and Matt host this season's couples and special guests as tea is spilled and secrets are revealed in a fiery reunion.

[08/28/25 - 02:03 PM]
Wonder Project Announces October 5 Streaming Subscription Launch Date on Prime Video and Premiere Date for "House of David" Season Two; Unveils First Look Images of the Hit Drama Series
Season Two of the biblical drama series House of David from Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios follows the aftermath of the battle between David and Goliath and David's rise to the throne.

[08/28/25 - 12:12 PM]
Video: "The Hospital" - A Comedy Improv Sketch Show - Premieres Wednesday, September 10
The Hospital offers a "behind-the-scenes" look at what happens when you mix improv comedy with total medical negligence.

[08/28/25 - 11:02 AM]
Shudder Launches Biggest Ever Programming Event "Season of Screams" - Featuring a Monster Lineup of New Films, Series and Live Watch Parties on Shudder TV - From September 1 Through December 31
Shudder's "Season of Screams" features highly anticipated films such as the acclaimed Dangerous Animals, a new installment in the popular "V/H/S" franchise - "V/H/S/Halloween" - and the found footage breakout hits "House on Eden" and "Hell House LLC: Lineage."

[08/28/25 - 11:01 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights "Words + Music," Inspired by the Critically Hailed Audible Original Series, Featuring Grammy Winners Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, John Legend and Alanis Morissette
"Words + Music" is set to premiere this fall on MGM+ in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

[08/28/25 - 10:06 AM]
ESPN Unveils Deep Roster of NBA Game Commentators for 2025-26 Season
Veteran analyst Tim Legler will join ESPN's lead NBA broadcast team, which includes Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Breen, analyst and NBA Champion Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters.

[08/28/25 - 10:05 AM]
HBO Original Two-Part Documentary "Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television" Debuts September 9
The project takes audiences on a two-part journey through the history of Black representation on television, showcasing how Black artists and creators both shaped and revolutionized the medium while confronting the systemic challenges that have often undermined their contributions.

[08/28/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: National Geographic Documentary Films Unveils Trailer for "Lost in the Jungle," the Unbelievable Story of Four Indigenous Children Who Survived a Plane Crash in the Amazon, Ahead of World Premiere at Telluride Film Festival
For the first time ever, the four Indigenous children who survived the Colombian plane crash on May 1, 2023 - and then endured 40 days alone in the jungle - share their extraordinary story of survival, told in their own words.

[08/28/25 - 09:38 AM]
Video: Tubi Debuts Trailer for Stand-Up Comedy Special "Rel Talk" from Lil Rel Howery
"It feels amazing to bring this special to my city, my people, and now to the millions of folks watching on Tubi," said Howery.