or


[09/23/13 - 11:08 PM]
Development Update: Monday, September 23
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!


HR (Lifetime; W: Glenn Porter; D: Darren Star) - Maulik Pancholy ("30 Rock") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Ellen Bell (Alicia Silverstone), an uptight Director of Human Resources for a global company who - after a head injury alters her outlook on life - throws standard corporate practices out the window and inspires the business to strive for new ambitions and profits. He'll play Farshid, "a Middle Eastern I.T. employee who has repeatedly drawn complaints from co-workers about his loud praying at various times of the day." Greg Germann, Kallee Stewart and Will Kemp also star. (Deadline.com)


NCIS (CBS) - Showrunner Gary Glasberg is spearheading a new spin-off of the veteran drama, which "centers on the NCIS New Orleans office which handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle." Co-star Mark Harmon is also on board to executive produce the CBS Television Studios-based project, which will be set up via two-part backdoor pilot later this season. Said locale was selected "because of its pedigree of a rich setting of music, fun and debauchery that makes it a magnet for military personnel on-leave." (Deadline.com)


RED (The CW, New!) - Tom Szentgyorgyi ("The Mentalist") is developing a new drama at the netlet about "the first human settlement on Mars and life on this new frontier, centering on the relationships between the town's female sheriff, a doctor and a criminal." Warner Bros. Television is behind the hour with Bruno Heller of the studio-based Primrose Hill Productions also serving as an executive producer. (Deadline.com)


SONGBYRD (E!/UCP; W: Krista Vernoff; D: Michael Morris) - Bethany Joy Lenz ("Dexter") has booked the title role on the drama pilot, about Lauren Byrd, a young, prolific songwriter of some of the best love songs struggles to find love in her personal life after her inspiration is revealed to be a lie. Said hour - from Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's Storyline Entertainment - will feature the songs and experiences of Grammy winner Diane Warren. Michael Morris ("Smash") is attached to direct. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Nicholas Young, one of the stars of the original "Tomorrow People," will visit The CW's revival as "the scientist who discovered the titular gifted beings" (TVLine.com); Sally Pressman has booked an arc on "Scandal" in a yet-to-be-revealed role (TVLine.com); Shannon Lucio will guest on "Supernatural" as a love interest for Misha Collins' newly-anthropomorphic alter ego, Castiel (TVLine.com); Kendra Wilkinson will make a cameo on "The Mindy Project" (USMagazine.com); and Mike Colter is bound for "Criminal Minds" as "a man who risks everything and puts his own life on the line to save a sniper's next target" (THR.com).






  [september 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
· HR (LIFETIME)
· MENTALIST, THE (CBS)
· MINDY PROJECT, THE (HULU)
· NCIS (CBS)
· NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (CBS)
· RED (CW)
· SCANDAL (ABC)
· SONGBYRD (E)
· SUPERNATURAL (CW)
· TOMORROW PEOPLE, THE (CW)





[07/16/26 - 01:09 PM]
Messi Shines, FOX Sports is Golden with Record-Breaking England-Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinal
15.063 million viewers watched Lionel Messi and Argentina knock out England in the semifinal Wednesday afternoon on FOX.

[07/16/26 - 12:03 PM]
Paramount+ Reaches Nearly 16M Viewers for UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2, Peaking with Record-Breaking 8M Streams in U.S. and Latin America
The main event concluded in 69 seconds as Max Holloway secured a first-round TKO against Conor McGregor, whose return from a five-year layoff ended after he suffered an early knee injury.

[07/16/26 - 11:33 AM]
TNT Sports to Exclusively Present NASCAR In-Season Challenge Final Four Showdown from Legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, July 19
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Adam Alexander will provide commentary for Sunday's race, as well as practice and qualifying on Saturday, July 18.

[07/16/26 - 11:00 AM]
ESPN Delivers Strongest First Half Viewership Performance Since 2012 Across Television Networks
Fans consumed a combined 288 billion minutes of sports content across ESPN and ESPN on ABC during Nielsen's first half 2026 calendar period.

[07/16/26 - 11:00 AM]
E! Greenlights Additional Episodes of "The Golden Life" Season One
The first half will premiere this fall on E!.

[07/16/26 - 10:49 AM]
Michelle Buteau, Hamish Linklater, and Simu Liu Join Elizabeth Banks in Recurring Roles in New Comedy Series from Creators Liz Heldens and Matt Ward
Good company makes for great comedy.

[07/16/26 - 10:46 AM]
TNT Sports Announces Founding Brand Partners for "Dunkman," Presented by Lilly
The new basketball entertainment property created in collaboration with Shaquille O'Neal will take flight Tuesday, July 21 as a fan-first competition celebrating elite dunking, culture and entertainment.

[07/16/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Enigma Variations" Adds Riley Keough, Devon Terrell, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Nicholas Podany
The limited series based on the novel by André Aciman tells the story of a man remade by the lovers who ignite and undo him over the course of six transformative years.

[07/16/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary Series "Monsters of God" Debuts August 6
Filmmaker Eric Goode follows his first love - reptiles - into the dark and gonzo underworld of exotic animal smuggling.

[07/16/26 - 09:51 AM]
Sophie Nelisse Joins Netflix's "This Summer Will Be Different"
Based on the novel by Carley Fortune, the series follows a young woman navigating her 20s and her first real love with her best friend's brother, the one person she was never supposed to fall for.

[07/16/26 - 09:21 AM]
Video: Starz Reveals Highly Anticipated First Look at Young Ghost & Tommy in "Power: Origins"
"Power: Origins" is currently in production in New Jersey.

[07/16/26 - 09:01 AM]
Young Stars Shine as Third Annual NFL Flag Championships Return to Disney & ESPN Platforms, July 24-26
In total, a record 30 games will air across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel and Disney XD - the most extensive linear coverage in event history.

[07/16/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Lioness" Season 3 Raises the Stakes for Its Most Dangerous Mission Yet
"Lioness" returns Sunday, August 2 with its most personal assignment yet.

[07/16/26 - 08:01 AM]
Anna Konkle, Paul Scheer, Taegen Burns, Brianna Reed, J.J. Nolan, and Tory Kittles Join the Cast of "I Suck at Girls," A New Comedy About Surviving the Messy World of Teenage Romance
The Netflix series is based on the autobiography of New York Times-bestselling author Justin Halpern.

[07/16/26 - 08:01 AM]
Apple TV's Beloved Mindfulness Series "Stillwater" Set to Premiere August 21
Based on the bestselling Scholastic "Zen" book series by Jon J Muth, "Stillwater" follows a wise panda who teaches three young siblings about the world and each other.