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[03/05/14 - 11:01 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, March 5
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
AMERICA IN THE KING YEARS (HBO) - "Treme" co-creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer has signed on to oversee Oprah Winfrey's long-in-the-works six-hour mini-series, based on the celebrated book trilogy by Pulitzer Prize-winner Taylor Branch about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1954-68. They'll succeed playwright Robert Schenkkan, who was originally attached when the project was sold in May of 2010. Winfrey is executive producing via her Harpo Films banner. (Deadline.com)
AMERICAN CRIME (ABC/ABC Studios; W/D: John Ridley) - Penelope Ann Miller and Timothy Hutton have both been cast in the drama pilot, which centers on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial in California's Central Valley as seen through the personal lives of the players involved. She'll play Eve Harmon, "the emotionally shattered mother of the killed man's badly beaten wife who is on life support"; while he's set as Chuck Skokie, "an honest but average guy working at a big-box retailer in Arizona who has made great pains to reconnect with his now adult sons, Matt and Mark." Benito Martinez, Caitlin Gerard, Elvis Nolasco, Johnny Ortiz, Richard Cabral and W. Earl Brown also star. (Deadline.com, THR.com)
ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB, THE (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Stephanie Savage; D: Nick Cassavetes) - Azure Parsons ("Salem") has been cast in the summer drama, which tells the true story of the women behind NASA's early astronauts and the struggles they face when their lives and families are catapulted into the spotlight overnight. She'll play Annie Glenn, "the wife of John Glenn whom she's known since they were toddlers in Ohio." JoAnna Garcia Swisher also stars. (Deadline.com)
COERCION (NBC/Universal; W/D: George Nolfi) - Annie Ilonzeh ("Charlie's Angels") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about the O'Connor family and their son, Alex (Gavin Stenhouse), a decorated American war hero and CIA analyst who is a true patriot and loves his country and family. Unbeknownst to him, both of his parents (Hope Davis, TBA) and his sister (Margarita Levieva) are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated. She's on board as Julia Marcus, "a no-nonsense Special Agent with the FBI assigned to work closely with Alex." (Deadline.com)
CONSTANTINE (NBC/Warner Bros.; W: Daniel Cerone & David S. Goyer; D: Neil Marshall) - Lucy Griffiths, Harold Perrineau and Charles Halford have all been cast in the drama pilot, about John Constantine (Matt Ryan), an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond. She'll play Liv Parson, "an offbeat young woman tired of her ordinary life who comes to discover that she has the ability of seeing the supernatural world among us, which makes her a key player in the battle between good and evil." Perrineau then is set as Manny, "an authoritative angel assigned to watch over Constantine who has the power to step into other people's bodies"; with Halford as Chas, "Constantine's oldest friend and staunch companion who possesses powerful survival skills that might possibly be supernatural." (Deadline.com)
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS) - Emmy-winner Patricia Arquette ("Medium") has been tapped for the lead role on the show's proposed spin-off, about Avery Ryan, "Special Agent in Charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI in Quantico, VA, who is tasked with solving high-octane crimes that start in the mind, live online, and play out into the real world." Carol Mendelsohn, Anthony E. Zuiker and Ann Donahue are behind the hour, which will air as a backdoor pilot later this season. (Deadline.com)
DAMAGED GOODS (ABC/Warner Bros.; W: Lauren Iungerich; D: Declan Lowney) - Kellee Stewart ("The Soul Man") has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about three damaged women and two damaged men who explore the minutiae of love and relationships. She's set as Betsy, a sexy dilettante who is living off alimony. Ben Lawson, Justin Hartley and Steve Talley also star. (Deadline.com)
HOW I MET YOUR DAD (CBS/20th; W: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas & Emily Spivey; D: Pamela Fryman) - Krysta Rodriguez ("Smash") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, which tells the "How I Met Your Mother" story from a female point of view, that of Sally (Greta Gerwig), and revolves around a new group of friends in New York. She'll play Sally's best friend Juliet, "a sexy, flamboyant force of nature who runs the most successful fashion blog in the country." Drew Tarver also stars. (Deadline.com)
KEEP IT TOGETHER (ABC/20th; W: Kevin Hart, Garrett Donovan & Neil Goldman; D: TBA) - Bresha Webb ("Love That Girl!") has booked the female lead on the comedy pilot, a candid look at the post-divorce life of a couple, Derek (Romany Malco) and Lorraine, trying to forge a friendship for the sake of their kids, despite differences. She's set as the aforementioned Lorraine in the project, which also stars Amber Stevens and Kevin Hart. (Deadline.com)
LIFESAVER (NBC/Universal; W: Wil Calhoun; D: TBA) - Chris Butler ("The Good Wife") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about two polar opposites - the uptight, neurotic Graham Parmenter (Christian Borle) and the energetic, large personality Leon Barrow (Jonathan Ryland) - who become inextricably linked after the latter saves the former's life by giving him a kidney. He'll play Campbell Carter, Graham's neighbor, childhood friend and world class mooch. Lindsay Price also stars. (Deadline.com)
MADAM SECRETARY (CBS/CTS; W: Barbara Hall; D: David Semel) - Patina Miller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about the personal and professional life of maverick Secretary of State Elizabeth Faulkner McGill (Tea Leoni) as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. She'll play Daisy Finch, her press coordinator. Geoffrey Arend and Tim Daly also star. (Deadline.com)
MESSENGERS, THE (The CW/CTS; W: Eoghan O'Donnell; D: Stephen Williams) - Diogo Morgado ("The Bible") is the latest to be cast in the drama pilot, about a group of unconnected strangers who seemingly die from an energy pulse, only to awaken to learn that they have been deemed responsible for preventing the impending Apocalypse. He'll play The Man, "a mysterious figure who wakes up naked and burned in the desert and sets out on a mission to provide some answers about the strange events." Also starring are Joel Courtney, Jon Fletcher and Sofia Black-D'Elia. (Deadline.com)
RED BAND SOCIETY (FOX/ABC Studios; W: Margaret Nagle; D: TBA) - Ciara Bravo and Nolan Sotillociara have both been cast in the drama pilot, about a group of teenagers who meet as patients in the children's wing of a hospital and become unlikely allies and friends. She'll play Emma Mehta, "a beautiful patient on the pediatric ward struggling with anorexia"; while he's on board as Jordi Palacios, "a very smart and resourceful young man who refuses to take no for an answer." Charlie Rowe, Griffin Gluck, Octavia Spencer, Rebecca Rittenhouse and Zoe Levin also star. (Deadline.com)
RED OAKS (Amazon, New!) - Greg Jacobs (Criminal) and Joe Gangemi (Wind Chill) have booked a pilot order at the digital distributor for "an upstairs/downstairs set at a country club that focuses on the employees and their high-end clientele." Steven Soderbergh and David Gordon Green are also on board to executive produce the half-hour, with the latter attached to direct. (Deadline.com)
STATE OF AFFAIRS (NBC/Universal; W: Alexi Hawley; D: Joe Carnahan) - Cliff Chamberlain has joined the cast of the Katherine Heigl-led drama pilot, about Charleston Whitney Tucker, a key CIA attache who counsels the president on high-stakes incidents around the world, all while balancing her intense political responsibilities with a complicated personal life. He's set as Brett Welker, a single linguist who loves B movies and cyberwarfare. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED RICHARD LAGRAVENESE PROJECT (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Richard LaGravenese; D: Taylor Hackford) - Rufus Sewell ("Parade's End") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about the love and rivalry between two equally matched, powerful socialites who play out their obsessive attraction and seduction of each other through their manipulation of others. He'll play said male lead, Philip Fitzgerald Julien, whose looks, confidence, breeding and style is immediately imposing. (Deadline.com)
VISITORS, THE (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Soo Hugh; D: Mark Romanek) - Brianna Brown ("Devious Maids") is the latest to board the drama pilot, billed as a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world by using the Earth's most precious resource: children. She'll play Lena Lawrence, who along with her husband Wes (Barry Sloane), "discovers that her daughter is being turned against her by a covert alien operation." Also starring are Catalina Denis, Derek Webster, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Lily Rabe and Milo Ventimiglia. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - AMC has passed on its sci-fi pilot "Line of Sight" from writer Blake Masters and director Jonathan Demme, starring David Morrissey (Deadline.com); Mary-Louise Parker has closed her deal to topline NBC's single-camera comedy pilot "Feed Me" (Deadline.com); Mallika Sherawat will guest on "Hawaii Five-0" as "a woman who has a history with Catherine Rollins (Michelle Borth)" (TVLine.com); and Brooke Burke-Charvet is bound for two episodes of "Melissa & Joey" as Joe's (Joey Lawrence) ex-girlfriend, "who stirs up trouble for him and Mel (Melissa Joan Hart)" (THR.com).
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[01/29/26 - 12:56 PM]
"Dirty Rotten Scandals" Premieres Wednesday, March 4 at 9PM ET/PT on E!
This season explores the darker side of some of America's most beloved television shows by delivering untold stories from past participants and new original reporting.
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[01/29/26 - 12:11 PM]
Mandy Patinkin Signs on to Play Odin in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
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[01/29/26 - 12:00 PM]
Presenters Announced for "68th Annual Grammy Awards," Sunday, Feb. 1 on CBS
Carole King, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Doechii, Harry Styles, Jeff Goldblum, KAROL G, Lainey Wilson, Marcello Hernández, Nikki Glaser, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah and Teyana Taylor are among the featured talent.
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[01/29/26 - 11:17 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors on February 11
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Memphis Grizzlies vs. Denver Nuggets game.
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[01/29/26 - 11:03 AM]
Paramount+ to Premiere True-Crime Documentary "Wild Boys: Strangers in Town" on February 18
The two-part documentary chronicles the astonishing true story of two young brothers who emerged from the forests of British Columbia in the summer of 2003, claiming they had been raised entirely off the grid - without schools, doctors or any record of their existence.
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[01/29/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Orders New Limited Series "The Chain" from Damon Lindelof
Details are under wraps, but Lindelof is said to be expanding the mythology of Adrian McKinty's award-winning thriller.
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[01/29/26 - 10:11 AM]
Olafur Darri Olafsson Signs on to Play Thor in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
Previously announced cast members include Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Max Parker as Heimdall.
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[01/29/26 - 10:10 AM]
CNN Original Series Releases First Look and Introduces "Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever"
Produced by EverWonder Studio, the series will premiere later this spring as part of CNN Originals' anticipated 2026 programming slate.
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[01/29/26 - 10:05 AM]
Bravo's "Top Chef" Returns for Season 23, Serving Bold Flavors and Carolina Charm
The Emmy, James Beard and Critics Choice Award-winning series returns Monday, March 9.
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[01/29/26 - 10:02 AM]
ESPN Original Series "On the Edge: World Cup Ski Racing" to Premiere January 30
The five-episode series follows the world's most elite ski racers across the 2025-26 season and 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
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[01/29/26 - 09:38 AM]
FOX Nation Goes Deep Inside the Power, Scandal and Secrets of America's Early Presidents in New Docudrama "The White House"
The eight-part series brings to life the shocking true stories of the presidents, spouses, family members, confidantes, and adversaries, not just in the stately, public rooms of the White House, but in the intimate spaces they shared all under one roof.
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[01/29/26 - 09:31 AM]
HBO Max Launches "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" Inspired "Squire For Hire" Social Series, Taskrabbit Partnership and Sweepstakes
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[01/29/26 - 09:30 AM]
Video: Starz Releases Emotional Final Trailer for the Timeless Romantic Drama "Outlander," Premiering March 6
The groundbreaking, time-traveling drama returns on Friday, March 6, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays.
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[01/29/26 - 09:05 AM]
57th NAACP Image Awards to Honor A$AP Rocky with Vanguard Award for Fashion
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[01/29/26 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Katt Williams' Fourth Stand-Up Special, "The Last Report"
Back for his fourth Netflix stand-up special, comedy icon Katt Williams delivers his famously bold takes on conspiracies, celebrities and the world at large in this electrifying set.
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