or


[01/29/13 - 11:05 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, January 29
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!


BIG THUNDER (ABC) - Jason Fuchs's small screen take on Disney's famed roller-coaster ride - about "a brilliant, late 19th century New York doctor who relocates his family to a frontier mining town run by a powerful, but mysterious tycoon" - has received a pilot order from the network. Chris Morgan also serves as an executive producer on the hour, from ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


BRENDA FOREVER (NBC, New!) - Andrew Leeds and David Lampson have snagged a pilot order from the Peacock for a new high-concept comedy which follows the title role both as a 31-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl. Sony Pictures Television-based Fedora Entertainment is behind the half-hour with Peter Tolan and Michael Wimer executive producing alongside said duo. Ellie Kemper ("The Office") is reportedly in early discussions to topline the project. (Deadline.com)


GOTHICA (ABC) - Matt Lopez's drama - "a sexy gothic soap set in present day that weaves together a mythology that incorporates the legends of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray among others" - is moving forward to pilot at the Alphabet. Said hour is set up at ABC Studios with Mark Gordon and Nicholas Pepper of The Mark Gordon Company also on board as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, THE (OWN) - John Schneider ("Smallville") is the first to be cast in Tyler Perry's upcoming drama, about the dynamics of the affluent Cryer family and the impoverished family of Hanna, their housekeeper, and the obstacles and secrets that exist within both families. He'll play Jim Cryer, the Cryer family patriarch. The one-hour series launches Wednesday, May 29 on the cable channel. (Deadline.com)


LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (OWN) - Jonathan Chase, Palmer Williams, Patrice Lovely, Kendra C. Johnson, Andre Hall and Darmirra Brunson have all been cast in the upcoming series, a half-hour comedy set at Love's Diner, where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a whole lot of love for its zany neighbors. Lovely will play Hattie, the diner's owner, with Johnson and Hall as her daughter Linda and grandson Danny, respectively. Rounding out the cast are Chase as Danny's co-worker/best friend Sam; Brunson as Amber, Sam's neighbor; and Williams as Floyd. Tyler Perry Studios is behind the project, which launches Wednesday, May 29. (Deadline.com)


MURDER IN MANHATTAN (A.K.A. PARK & LEX) (ABC) - The Maria Maggenti-penned hour - about a mother and daughter who team up as amateur sleuths in New York City - is the latest to receive a pilot commitment at the Alphabet. DarkFire Television's Ryan Reynolds, Allan Loeb, Jonathon Komack Martin and Steven Pearl also serve as executive producers on the project, which is set up at ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


RECKLESS (A.K.A. COUP) (ABC) - Chris Black's drama - about "a resourceful problem solver who, when his wife is unjustly imprisoned during a political uprising overseas, resorts to entering a world of political intrigue, dangerous alliances and high emotional stakes in order to get her out" - has been given a pilot order by the Alphabet. ABC Studios is behind the hour with Martin Campbell executive producing alongside Black. (Deadline.com)


WONDERLAND (NBC) - The Anthony E. Zuiker-produced drama - a sequel to Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" centering on a new character, Clara, who must wage war against Wonderland's reigning Queen, the woman we once knew as Alice - has scored a pilot commitment at the Peacock. Whit Anderson penned the hour, which is now set up at Universal Television after originally being shepherded by ABC Studios. Dare to Pass's Matt Weinberg as well as JoAnn Alfano and Margaret Riley of Brillstein Entertainment Partners are executive producing alongside Zuiker and Anderson. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Warner Bros. Pictures has given a green light to a big screen version of HBO's "Entourage" with creator Doug Ellin directing from his own script (Deadline.com); Steve Callaghan has been tapped as the new showrunner of "American Dad," succeeding co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman (Deadline.com); Neal Purvis and Robert Wade has been tapped to pen Gaumont International Television's proposed small screen take on "Barbarella" (Deadline.com); Eric Mabius will guest on "Blue Bloods" as "a likable and sexy multi-millionaire philanthropist with an unblemished record who may not be as perfect as he appears" (TVLine.com); and Mark Hamill will drop by the season finale of "The Neighbors" as a co-worker of Larry Bird's dad, played by the previously cast George Takei (TVGuide.com).






  [january 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· AMERICAN DAD (FOX)
· BIG THUNDER (ABC)
· BLUE BLOODS (CBS)
· BRENDA FOREVER (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· GOTHICA (ABC)
· HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, THE (OWN)
· LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (OWN)
· MURDER IN MANHATTAN (ABC)
· NEIGHBORS, THE (ABC)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· RECKLESS (ABC)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· WONDERLAND (NBC)





[01/21/26 - 08:13 AM]
"Dreaming Whilst Black" Season Two to Premiere on Paramount+ Friday, February 20, 2026
In season two, Kwabena is finally on the brink of his first major directing opportunity when he's offered the chance to helm a radical, "color-blind" historical drama.

[01/21/26 - 08:09 AM]
TBS Greenlights Prank Comedy Series "Foul Play with Anthony Davis" to Premiere Monday, April 6
The first batch of episodes will premiere on Monday, April 6 immediately following the NCAA National Championship game, and at 9:00PM ET/PT every Monday following.

[01/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New Unscripted Series Starring Alix Earle and Family Coming in 2026
Gen Z's ultimate "It" girl, Alix Earle, is giving her fans an unfiltered look at her life like never before with a new unscripted series arriving in 2026.

[01/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
"Tournament of Champions" Raises the Stakes to New Heights When Four Icons of the Food World Join the New Season of Food Network's Ultimate Culinary Competition
32 of the nation's best chefs including proven warriors and fierce new challengers are ready to battle, but nothing will prepare the chefs for the competition's biggest surprise ever.

[01/21/26 - 08:00 AM]
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Returns for Season 3 Later This Year on Disney+
Midway through the credits of the Season 2 finale, viewers were treated to a surprise first look at Season 3, confirming that the series will return later this year.

[01/21/26 - 07:16 AM]
"Formula 1: Drive to Survive" Season 8 Launches February 27
The series will offer never-before-seen footage as we follow new team lineups, management takedowns, fierce friendships and bitter rivalries of another high-octane season on the Formula 1 circuit.

[01/21/26 - 07:02 AM]
Video: Apple TV Reveals First Look at Season Five of Hit Space Drama "For All Mankind"
The 10-episode fifth season will make its global debut on Apple TV with one episode on Friday, March 27, followed by one new episode every Friday through May 29.

[01/21/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Being Gordon Ramsay" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Follow celeb chef Gordon Ramsay behind the scenes as he juggles family life, global empire and his biggest launch yet in this all-you-can-eat documentary.

[01/21/26 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Debuts Official Trailer and Key Art for "56 Days," Starring Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia
All eight episodes will be released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[01/21/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Night Agent" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Peter teams with a reporter to expose the elusive Broker and stop a terrorist attack, unaware that a powerful conspiracy is plotting to bury the truth.

[01/21/26 - 06:00 AM]
Best New Artist Nominees Set for Special Performance at "The 68th Annual Grammy Awards"
Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, SOMBR and The MarĂ­as will perform at the event, airing Sunday, February 1.

[01/21/26 - 05:40 AM]
Kristen Bell to Host The 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
The ceremony will stream live on Netflix Sunday, March 1, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall.

[01/21/26 - 04:08 AM]
Netflix Presents Its Italian 2026 Slate: The Year of the Stars
A key feature of the 2026 line-up is the significant production of original Italian films.

[01/21/26 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Lead Children" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a young doctor discovers that children living near a smelter are suffering from lead poisoning, she risks her career to save them.

[01/20/26 - 04:02 PM]
Netflix and MAPPA Strengthens Strategic Partnership, Aiming to Co-Create a World-Class Animation Studio Model
Through this collaboration, the two companies will work together on new projects with a global perspective - from story development to merchandise - and Netflix will exclusively stream a slate of original MAPPA-produced anime titles to members worldwide.