or


[03/18/14 - 11:37 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, March 18
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!


CLIPSTERS (TBS/WHT; W: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick; D: TBA) - Ryan Pinkston, Matt Cook and Mike Castle are the first to be cast in the comedy pilot, about an eclectic cast of stylists working in a barbershop in the Boston suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. Pinkston is set as Ben, "the greedy owner of Buzzy's, who is always trying to squeeze an extra penny out of his business and appears to be unaware that all his employees know and despise his shopworn manipulative ploys"; with Castle as A.J. Salerno, "one of the hair stylists at the shop, a true hometown boy who was his town's top hockey player before being humbled by a devastating knee injury"; and Cook as Mo, "another stylist at the shop who is Ben's best friend and his direct opposite." (Deadline.com)


DEAD BOSS (FOX/Warner Bros.; W: Patricia Breen; D: Barry Sonnenfeld) - Comedian David Cross has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about Helen Stephens (Jane Krakowski), an overachiever who is wrongfully convicted of murdering her boss and forced to rely on Laura (Justine Lupe), her train wreck of a sister to prove her innocence. He'll guest star as Eric Bridges, "the narcissistic, credit-stealing, misogynistic" title character. Amy Sedaris, Cedric Yarborough, Rachel Dratch and Ravi Patel also star. (Deadline.com)


EMPIRE (FOX/20th; W: Danny Strong & Lee Daniels; D: Lee Daniels) - Grammy winner Macy Gray has booked a role on the pilot, a unique family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire run by music superstar Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard). She'll recur as Tasha, "a woman having an affair with the much-younger Hakeem Lyon (Bryshere Y. Gray), over whom she exercises considerable influence and control." Gabourey Sidibe, Grace Gealey, Jussie Smollett, Kaitlin Doubleday, Malik Yoba and Taraji P. Henson also star. (THR.com)


FEED ME (NBC/Universal; W: Sally Robinson; D: Michael Trim) - Ethan Peck, Ed Quinn and Hart Bochner have all been cast in the Mary-Louise Parker-led comedy pilot, about a dysfunctional family bound by love and the restaurant they run together. "The three adult children of restaurant owners Alice and Len Carroll are all struggling with various romantic/sexual/marital crises, all of which seem to come to a head as they gather in a hospital waiting room to support Emma (Parker) as her husband Will (Bochner) recovers from a heart attack suffered during an extra-marital tryst." Peck then will play Ned, "Emma's terminally adolescent younger brother, a culinary artist who tries hard to bring some sophistication and modernity to his family's decades old restaurant, but his menu changes only infuriate his dad"; with Quinn as John, "the eldest and the most cynical and ironic of the three Carroll children." In addition, Michael Trim is slated to direct. (Deadline.com)


HOW AND WHY (FX/FXP; W/D: Charlie Kaufman) - Oscar-nominees Sally Hawkins and Catherine Keener have both been cast in the comedy pilot, the story of a man, Goodman Hesselman (John Hawkes), who can explain how and why a nuclear reactor works, but is clueless about life. "After losing his gig hosting children's science show How And Why, he tries to start over with a new show in a little TV market in the middle of nowhere when he encounters the supernatural world." No details were given about their characters. (Deadline.com)


JANE THE VIRGIN (The CW/CTS; W: Jennie Snyder Urman; D: Brad Silberling) - Ivonne Coll ("Switched at Birth") has booked a role on the drama pilot, about Jane Gloriana Garcia (Gina Rodriguez), a hardworking religious girl who, due to a series of outrageous events, is accidentally artificially inseminated. She'll play Alba, "Jane's 60-ish doting grandmother who teaches her at an early age the importance of staying pure until marriage." Andrea Navedo, Brett Dier, Jaime Camil, Justin Baldoni and Yael Grobglas also star. (Deadline.com)


MADAME ROSE (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is developing a biopic of original stage mom Rose Hovick, "the indomitable mother of burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee and actress June Havoc, who would do anything to advance her daughters' career in show business." Adam Shankman (Hairspray) is attached to direct and executive produce the project alongside Jennifer Gibgot via their company Offspring Entertainment. Said effort will be based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee. No writer was specified. (Deadline.com)


STATE OF AFFAIRS (NBC/Universal; W: Alexi Hawley; D: Joe Carnahan) - Tommy Savas ("Hollywood Heights") has been cast in the drama pilot, about Charleston Whitney Tucker (Katherine Heigl), 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'll play Miles Singh, Charleston's intrepid assistant, in the project, which also stars Cliff Chamberlain, Sheila Vand and Adam Kaufman. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED RICHARD LAGRAVENESE PROJECT (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Richard LaGravenese; D: Taylor Hackford) - Britne Oldford ("Ravenswood") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about the love and rivalry between Philip Fitzgerald Julien (Rufus Sewell) and Margot Worth Cole (Melissa George), two equally matched, powerful socialites who play out their obsessive attraction and seduction of each other through their manipulation of others. She's set as Cecelia Karelle, "the No. 1 fashion model/cover girl in the world who is publicly, and in truth, a virgin, yet is portrayed in every photo shoot as sexual and unattainable." Elliot Knight, Oded Fehr, Katie Holmes and Daphne Rubin-Vega also star. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - CBS has placed its single-camera comedy pilot "Taxi-22" on hold because of problems casting the lead (Deadline.com); Bille Woodruff has been tapped to direct VH1's "Drumline: A New Beat" (Deadline.com); Walon Green is set to pen and executive produce National Geographic's four hour mini-series "Killing Jesus" (Deadline.com); Heather McComb has booked an arc on "Ray Donovan" as "a working-class mother who befriends Bunchy Donovan (Dash Mihok)" (Deadline.com); Mia Vallet will recur on "Believe" as "a vulnerable woman with a dark edge who becomes an antagonist to Bo (Johnny Sequoyah)" (Deadline.com); "Modern Family" co-creator Steve Levitan has inked a massive four-year overall deal with producer 20th Century Fox Television (Deadline.com);

Cynthia Addai-Robinson has been cast as Emily West, the Yellow Rose of Texas, in History's mini-series "Texas Rising" (Deadline.com); Caterina Scorsone will reprise her role from "Private Practice" on "Grey's Anatomy" later this season (TVGuide.com); Franka Potente is bound for "The Bridge" as a "shunned Mennonite who has a no-nonsense attitude" (EOnline.com); Betsy Brandt will visit "Masters of Sex" as the new secretary to Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) (THR.com); and Michael A. Goorjian will guest on "Covert Affairs" as "a former U.S. soldier who has become disillusioned with the American Dream" (TVGuide.com).






  [march 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· BELIEVE (NBC)
· BRIDGE, THE (CBS)
· CLIPPED (TBS)
· COVERT AFFAIRS (USA)
· DANGEROUS LIAISONS (ABC)
· DEAD BOSS (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DRUMLINE: A NEW BEAT (VH1)
· EMPIRE (FOX)
· FEED ME (NBC)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS (TEEN NICK)
· HOW AND WHY (FX)
· JANE THE VIRGIN (CW)
· KILLING JESUS (NGC)
· MADAME ROSE (HBO)
· MASTERS OF SEX (SHOWTIME)
· MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
· PRIVATE PRACTICE (ABC)
· RAVENSWOOD (ABC FAMILY)
· RAY DONOVAN (SHOWTIME)
· STATE OF AFFAIRS (NBC)
· SWITCHED AT BIRTH (FREEFORM)
· TAXI 22 (CBS)
· TEXAS RISING (HISTORY)





[03/11/26 - 10:05 AM]
Josh Gates Returns with an All-New Season of "Expedition Files," Revealing Striking New Revelations Behind History's Biggest Mysteries
The series is returning with a brand-new season on Wednesday, April 1 at 9pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel.

[03/11/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Color Theories by Julio Torres" Debuts March 27
In his second HBO comedy special, Peabody-winner Julio Torres presents a helpful guide to understanding the world through his playful interpretations of colors.

[03/11/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: MLB Opening Night: Yankees vs. Giants - Official Trailer - Netflix
The 2026 Major League Baseball season leads off on Netflix, with Yankees vs. Giants in a star-studded opener live at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

[03/11/26 - 09:01 AM]
Date & Cast Announcement: Hulu's "Love Overboard"
Produced by Alex Cooper's Unwell Productions and Jeff Jenkins Productions, "Love Overboard" premieres Thursday, March 26 with all nine episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.

[03/11/26 - 09:01 AM]
Nikki Glaser Returns to Host "The 84th Annual Golden Globes" Airing Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027 on CBS and Paramount+
Glaser said, "I'm thrilled to host the Golden Globes for a third time, not only because it's the greatest gig I've ever had, but because my sister has three kids and now we will be equal in the eyes of my parents and the Lord."

[03/11/26 - 07:04 AM]
"#SKYKING," the Gripping New Documentary Set to Make Its World Premiere at SXSW 2026, Premieres on Hulu April 14
The feature-length documentary tells the story of Richard "Beebo" Russell, who captured the world's attention when he stole a commercial plane and took off on a flight that would come to embody the dreams and despair of the American working class, while offering a look at the US mental health crisis.

[03/11/26 - 07:02 AM]
New Episodes of "Rick and Morty" Premiere May 24 on Adult Swim
Get ready to portal-jump back into the multiverse - Adult Swim's #1 series returns with a season that's bigger, bolder, and more ambitious than ever.

[03/11/26 - 07:01 AM]
"Friday Night Baseball" Returns to Apple TV on March 27 for Its Fifth Season
Highlights include the storied New York Subway Series matchup between the Yankees and Mets, plus multiple appearances by reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

[03/11/26 - 06:47 AM]
Matt Vasgersian Joins NBC Sports as a Play-by-Play Voice for "MLB Sunday Leadoff" on Peacock and NBCSN
Vasgersian, who spent the last five years as a Los Angeles Angels TV play-by-play voice, will continue his role at MLB Network, a position he has held since its inception in 2009.

[03/11/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "The Hawk" - Lonnie Hawkins Character Reveal - Netflix
One of the greatest names in golf history (that you're somehow only just hearing about), American hero Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins is Will Ferrell's newest original character.

[03/11/26 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Maamla Legal Hai" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
In the new season, Ravi Kishan leads the courtroom chaos with Nidhi Bisht, Naila Grewal, Anant V. Joshi and Anjum Batra and this time Kusha Kapila is also joining the mad bunch too.

[03/10/26 - 03:04 PM]
FOX Sports Smashes World Baseball Classic Pool Play Viewership Records
Great Britain at USA drew 2.98 million viewers on Saturday, March 7.

[03/10/26 - 02:09 PM]
"R.J. Decker" Gets Down to Business with Over 11 Million Total Audience to Date for Series Debut
In fact, "R.J. Decker" was the most compatible telecast to air following "High Potential" to date, with 73% of the hit drama's live audience flowing through to the series debut.

[03/10/26 - 12:10 PM]
FOX Entertainment Names Billy Parks Head of FOX Creator Studios
In this newly created role, Parks will lead the vision, strategy, and operations of FOX Creator Studios.

[03/10/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of March 2 - "War Machine" Powers Up at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Plus: "Bridgerton" Season 4 claimed the No. 1 spot on the English TV list with 13.1 million views in its sixth week in the Top 10.