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[03/19/15 - 11:25 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, March 19
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!
COOPER BARRETT'S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE (FOX/20th; W: Jay Lacopo; D: TBA) - Charlie Saxton ("Betas") has scored a role on the pilot, a single camera comedy that celebrates the mistakes and misadventures we all make during the years after college, before settling down. He'll play Neal Kang, "one of Cooper's (Jack Cutmore-Scott) roommates. Fresh out of college, he is excited about his new job working in an office, designing scalable software platforms, but terrified about the number of strangers he's going to have to interact with." James Earl and Meaghan Rath also star. (Deadline.com)
CURSE OF THE FUENTES WOMEN, THE (NBC/WBT; W: Silvio Horta; D: Jason Ensler) - Robbie Jones ("90210") has been cast in the drama pilot, which revolves around a magical and mysterious young man (Adan Canto) who inexplicably emerges from the ocean, breathing new passion into the lives of the Fuentes women - the beautiful but lonely Lola (Christina Vidal), her ailing mother Esperanza (Rachel Ticotin) and her troubled daughter Soledad (Katie Sarife). He'll play Jean-Baptiste, "the line cook at Café Fuentes who's taken over for Esperanza. With business dwindling he spends most of his time gawking at his boss, Lola, whom he's desperately in love with." (Deadline.com)
FAMOUS IN LOVE (ABC Family, New!) - Actress Bella Thorne ("Shake It Up!") and writer I. Marlene King ("Pretty Little Liars") are set to team for a potential drama based on Rebecca Serle's romantic novel of the same name, about "a college student (Thorne) plucked from obscurity to star in a major Hollywood movie franchise who struggles with her new-found fame." Warner Horizon Television is behind the hour with Dan Farah and Long Lake Media's King executive producing and Serle, who will co-write the script with King, as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)
GRANDPA (FOX/ABCS; W: Danny Chun; D: TBA) - Ravi Patel ("Super Fun Night") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about Jimmy (John Stamos), a charismatic longtime bachelor whose life is upended when he discovers he's a father - and a grandfather. He's set as Ken, "Jimmy's good friend who is always up for a party but is never invited to one." Christina Milian, Kelly Jenrette, Paget Brewster and Josh Peck also star. (Deadline.com)
HEART MATTERS (NBC/Universal; W: Jill Gordon; D: Robert Duncan McNeill) - Comedian D.L. Hughley is the latest to be cast in the drama pilot, a medical soap that follows the outspoken Alex Panttiere (Melissa George), one of the rare female heart transplant surgeons. Alex brings an innovative eye to treating patients week to week while also balancing the complications of her professional and romantic life. He'll play Dr. Hackett, "the psychiatrist at the hospital." Dave Annable, Don Hany, Jamie Kennedy, Joshua Leonard, Maya Erskine and Shelley Conn also star. (Deadline.com)
HOUDINI & DOYLE (FOX, New!) - The network has signed onto a 10-episode drama centering on Harry Houdini, "master magician, escape artist and paranormal debunker, and Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the world's greatest detective and a paranormal aficionado - grudgingly join forces to investigate crimes with a supernatural slant. Although they're both rich, famous and brilliant, they're the original odd couple, with Houdini believing in nothing, Doyle in everything." Sony Pictures Television, Shaftesbury Films and Big Talk Productions are all behind the hour with a teleplay by David Hoselton from a story he conceived with David Titcher. They'll likewise executive produce alongside David Shore. (Deadline.com)
PREACHER (AMC/Sony; W: Sam Catlin; D: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen) - Ian Colletti ("Rake") has been cast in the drama pilot, about Jesse Custer, a conflicted Preacher in a small Texas town who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven and develops the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Along with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip (Ruth Negga), and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, the three embark on a journey to literally find God. He's set as Eugene Root, aka Arseface: "Even with his horribly disfigured face and severe speech impediment, Eugene's still the nicest kid you'll ever meet and really looks up to Jesse. Stomach-churningly difficult to look at, Eugene's the town's reviled Frankenstein's monster, but that won't change his earnest, sweet and pure outlook on life. However, he is troubled by something terrible he's done in the past - something he fears might have turned God himself against him." (Deadline.com)
WARRIOR (NBC/Universal; W: David DiGilio; D: Phillip Noyce) - Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) has been cast in the drama pilot, about Kai Forrester (Natalie Martinez), a damaged heroine who works undercover with physical and spiritual guidance from a mysterious martial arts master (Holt McCallany) to bring down an international crime lord. He'll play Koto, "a martial arts master chosen to recruit Kai (Martinez) to work with Interpol on stopping a Japanese organized crime syndicate." Andy Allo, Lance Gross, Rila Fukushima and Will Yun Lee also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - James Caan has bowed out of the FOX comedy pilot "Fantasy Life" due to scheduling issues (Deadline.com); Kelli Williams has been tapped for the lead role in UP TV's first scripted series "Ties That Bind" (Deadline.com); "Trophy Wife" creators Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins have signed a new two-year overall deal with ABC Studios (Deadline.com); "The Walking Dead" executive producer Greg Nicotero has likewise inked a two-year overall deal with AMC (Deadline.com); Necar Zadegan and Lyndon Smith have both landed roles on the new season of "Extant" (Deadline.com); Ehren Kruger is spearheading a TV series following "the swashbuckling adventures of brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm" for Miramax Television (Deadline.com); and adult film stars Amia Miley and Peta Jensen will both appear in the upcoming season of "True Detective" (THR.com).
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[02/26/26 - 02:46 PM]
Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros.
"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid," said co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
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[02/26/26 - 02:19 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Soars to Season High with Best Audience in Over a Year
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 157 consecutive weeks across all key measures.
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[02/26/26 - 02:08 PM]
Britbox Unveils Spring Slate with "The Lady" Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce; Premieres March 18
Other highlights include the return of "Hope Street" and the debut of "Mudtown."
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[02/26/26 - 01:36 PM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Determination of Paramount's Proposal as Superior
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "We are pleased WBD's Board has unanimously affirmed the superior value of our offer, which delivers to WBD shareholders superior value, certainty and speed to closing."
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[02/26/26 - 01:16 PM]
Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors Determines Revised Proposal from Paramount Skydance Constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal"
Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a "Company Superior Proposal."
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[02/26/26 - 01:00 PM]
FOX Television Network Renews Hit Joel McHale Series "Animal Control" for Season Five
In addition, the first three seasons of the series are currently streaming on Netflix, and the show has been sold in territories around the world.
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[02/26/26 - 10:31 AM]
More Stars Take the Stage to Present at the 98th Oscars
Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani and Maya Rudolph are among the featured talent.
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[02/26/26 - 10:30 AM]
Video: AMC Networks Unveils Captivating Sneak Peek Scene from "The Vampire Lestat"
In the new rock and roll centric season, the Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by "muses" from his wild and rebellious past.
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[02/26/26 - 10:21 AM]
Feed the Children Teams Up with FOX's "Next Level Chef" to Put Child Hunger to Bed
The year-round campaign rallies the public alongside donors, volunteers, and partners to provide kids with the food and resources they need to rise and thrive every day.
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[02/26/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Running Point" Season Two Returns April 23 on Netflix
Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) is no longer the surprise choice to lead the Los Angeles Waves, she's the one everyone is watching.
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[02/26/26 - 10:01 AM]
Season Three of the HBO Original Comedy Series "The Comeback" Debuts March 22
New episodes of the eight-episode season will debut weekly leading up to the series finale on Sunday, May 10.
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[02/26/26 - 10:00 AM]
CBS Launches New Podcast "NCIS: Partners & Probies" Hosted by Series Stars Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover, Offering Fans an Inside Look at the #1 TV Franchise Worldwide
Premiering Tuesday, March 3, new episodes will roll out weekly.
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[02/26/26 - 09:14 AM]
FOX Sports Assembles World-Class Broadcast Team for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Headlining FOX MLB's coverage of Team USA matchups and knockout rounds are highly acclaimed play-by-play announcers Joe Davis, Adam Amin and Kevin Kugler; expert analysts John Smoltz, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright; and veteran reporters Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci.
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[02/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art - "Sunny Nights" Starring Will Forte & D'Arcy Carden
After a critical acclaimed Australian debut, the darkly comedic crime drama starring Will Forte and D'Arcy Carden makes its U.S. debut on March 11 on Hulu.
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[02/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
BritBox Announces April 7th Premiere for "A Taste for Murder"
The six-part crime procedural produced by Eagle Eye Drama and in association with ITV Studios stars Warren Brown, Phyllis Logan, and Cristiana Dell'Anna, and was shot on location in Croatia and Italy last year.
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