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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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[03/27/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Rounds Out Cast of "Kennedy" with Production Underway in London
The new drama series based on Fredrik Logevall's book, "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956," will explore the triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family from Chernin Entertainment.
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[03/27/26 - 09:48 AM]
FOX Sports Assembles Top-Tier Roster for 2026 Major League Baseball Regular Season Coverage
Entering their fifth season together, first-ballot Hall of Famer John Smoltz and Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Davis call FOX Sports' top regular season and playoff games.
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[03/27/26 - 09:46 AM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers in Late-Night, Friday Night and Sunday Morning
"20/20" scored its best Adults 25-54 performance in 11 months.
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[03/27/26 - 09:21 AM]
"The Morning Show" News Incoming - Sean Hayes Joins the Cast of Season 5
Apple TV confirmed the news on social media this morning.
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[03/27/26 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary Series "The Dark Wizard" Debuts April 14
The four-part documentary series is an up-close and unflinching portrait of Dean Potter, one of the world's most influential and controversial climbers, BASE jumpers, and highline walkers.
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[03/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Original "Why Not Us: UMES Volleyball" to Premiere March 30
Presented by Andscape and produced by Sport & Story, the latest installment follows the inspiring journey of the newly formed men's volleyball team at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore - the first men's volleyball program at a Division I HBCU.
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[03/26/26 - 02:05 PM]
"The Madison" Marks Taylor Sheridan's Biggest Debut Season Launch with 8 Million Views Globally for Paramount+
The debut of the six-part series also marks the biggest freshman season launch for the prolific creator among women 35+.
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[03/26/26 - 12:49 PM]
Apple Original Films Lands New Sci-Fi Thriller "Liminal"
Starring Vanessa Kirby and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the feature will be directed by Louis Leterrier.
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[03/26/26 - 12:01 PM]
"After the Flood" Returns to BritBox: Tensions Rise in High-Stakes Season Two Premiere
Other April highlights include "A Taste For Murder," "Silent Witness," and "Death in Paradise."
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[03/26/26 - 12:00 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Added on April 8
The game replaces the previously scheduled Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons matchup.
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[03/26/26 - 11:30 AM]
BET and Paramount+ Announce the Sixth Season Renewal of Multi-Emmy-Nominated Comedy "The Ms. Pat Show"
The upcoming season will be among the first BET originals to stream on Paramount+, which becomes the new streaming home for BET content beginning in June, bringing the beloved series to a global platform with nearly 80 million subscribers.
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[03/26/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Springs Into April with Back-to-Back Episodes
Jack Black and Colman Domingo will host on April 4 and April 11, respectively.
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[03/26/26 - 10:03 AM]
Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales Heads Into 2026 Upfront Bringing Advertisers Branded Content Opportunities Within High Volume of Originals and a Safe Harbor of Entertainment Programming
The studio continues to elevate its media investment opportunities for advertisers through Game Show Network, a top 10 cable network and a top five general entertainment network.
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[03/26/26 - 09:30 AM]
New Docuseries "Building Back America's Trades" Premieres April 11 on Magnolia Network
The series chronicles the stories of students, mentors, and teachers as they remake the trades industry and themselves.
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[03/26/26 - 09:01 AM]
Damson Idris Requests the Pleasure of Your Company for "The Lords' Day," A New Political Thriller Series Coming to Netflix
Adapted from the Michael Dobbs novel, Damson plays a British spy who finds himself inside the Parliament amidst an escalating siege.
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