 |
 |
[03/20/15 - 11:37 PM]
Development Update: Friday, March 20
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!
CUCKOO (NBC/Lionsgate; W: Kieron Quirke & Robin French; D: TBA) - Michael Chiklis and Cheryl Hines are the latest to be cast in the comedy pilot, based on the British series about Rachel (Rachel DiPillo), a daughter who comes back from a summer abroad married to a charming but infuriating eccentric named Cuckoo (Flula Borg), much to her father's annoyance. He'll play said father, Ken, with Hines as her mom, Lori. Griffin Gluck also stars. (Deadline.com)
DICE (Showtime, New!) - Comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay is set to star in a new single-camera comedy at the pay channel which "follows the comedian as he works in Las Vegas to resurrect his career while supporting his family. And his girlfriend. And his ex-fiancé. And his ex-wife. And his mother-in-law. And his son's band." The project, which has a six-episode order, comes from writer Scot Armstrong. Sean Furst, Bryan Furst, Richard Shepard, Bruce Rubenstein, Clay and Armstrong are the executive producers for Fox 21. Production is slated to begin this year for a 2016 premiere. (Deadline.com)
HAPPY LIFE (A.K.A. JOE TIME) (CBS/WBT; W: Bill Wrubel; D: James Burrows) - Minnie Driver ("About a Boy") and Bill Smitrovich have both been cast in the multi-camera comedy pilot, about Joe (Steven Weber), a family man who struggles with the fact that everyone around him is pursuing their dreams and enjoying life more than he is. She'll play his wife Maggie, "a former doctor who left that grind to embark on a new career teaching people mindful meditation out of her home studio." Said role is in second position to the NBC comedy. Smitrovich then is set as Mitch, "Judy's (Rita Moreno) husband. He's retired and quite happy about it, after handing over the family business to his sons, Joe and Scott (Eric Petersen). Mitch has recently surprised his family with the announcement that he's always been interested in music and is about to become a cabaret performer." Duane Martin, Alli Kinzel and Noland Ammon also star. (Deadline.com)
LA CRIME (ABC/ABCS; W: Steven Baigelman; D: Tom Shankland) - David Sullivan (Argo) has snagged a role in the anthology series pilot, about two LA cops as they track a Bonnie & Clyde-esque serial killer team amidst the rock-and-roll, coke-infused revelry of the 1980s Sunset Strip. He's set as Lou Bukowski, "a crass, loudmouth detective in charge of heading up the ongoing investigation of a possible Sunset Strip serial killer." Adam Rothenberg, Anne Winters, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Ed Westwick, Erika Christensen, Gabriel Luna, Holley Fain, Karolina Wydra and Taissa Farmiga also star. (Variety.com)
LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD (NBC/20th; W: Diana Son; D: George Tillman) - LeToya Luckett ("Single Ladies") has been cast in the drama pilot, in which race, sexuality and gender roles collide when three diverse couples put modern marriage to the test. She'll play Tandi, "a happily married woman and mother, who is experiencing difficulties fulfilling her dream of having a second child." In addition, George Tillman has signed on to direct and executive produce. Brian Tee, Colin Donnell, Cynthia McWilliams, Monet Mazur, Nadine Velazquez and Rockmund Dunbar also star. (THR.com)
SHARING (NBC/Universal; W: Jeremy Bronson; D: Beth McCarthy-Miller) - Actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse and director Beth McCarthy-Miller have both been added to the pilot, a workplace comedy about the different groups of people working side by side in a shared office space. He'll play Grant, "an eager-to-please and confident office receptionist who tries hard and wants everyone to like him, but isn't that competent." Christine Taylor, Jack Carpenter, Greta Lee, Jerry Minor and Stephen Schneider also star. (Variety.com)
SONGLAND (NBC, New!) - "The Voice" executive producer Audrey Morrissey and coach Adam Levine are set to team with Grammy Award-winning songwriter Dave Stewart for a new reality series which "will pull back the curtain on the song marketplace and the power brokers within it. The project is expected to feature everyday people with compelling stories who get the opportunity to pitch original compositions to the music industry's biggest producers and artists, all hunting for the next global smash." Morrissey, Dave Stewart Entertainment's Stewart, Live Animals' Ivan Dudynsky and 222 Productions' Levine and Jordan Feldstein are the executive producers of the pilot. (THR.com)
UNTITLED TOMMY JOHNAGIN PROJECT (CBS/WBT; W: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker & Tommy Johnagin; D: TBA) - Kevin Nealon and Jane Kaczmarek are the latest additions to the multi-camera project, which revolves around a stand-up comic (Tommy Johnagin) raising a family in a small Midwestern town. He'll play "Tommy's dad Jack, a charming but manipulative loose cannon who flirts with every woman and says everything with a smile - but has a self-destructive streak and ruined his marriage to Linda (Kaczmarek), Tommy's responsible mother who owns a local diner. Linda still treats her adult children like babies and loves a chance to brag about Tommy's talk-show appearances and career path. She has held her ex-husband in absolute contempt for the past 17 years and forces him to eat at the crappiest seat in her restaurant." JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Talia Tabin also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - HBO has reportedly given a six-episode limited series order to Matthew Michael Carnahan and Steve McQueen's drama pilot "Codes of Conduct" (Deadline.com); Henry Zebrowski, Ryan Guzman and Gatlin Green are the latest additions to NBC's "Heroes Reborn" revival (Deadline.com); Tim Guinee's Collis Potter Huntington has been upped to series regular on "Hell on Wheels" (Deadline.com); Andrew Howard has booked a six-episode arc on TNT's "Agent X" as "a physically lethal and diabolically brilliant man who is an international chaos merchant" (Deadline.com); Lindsey Gort will recur on TV Land's "Impastor" as "a high-end escort" (Deadline.com); and Zachary Levi has inked a first-look deal with Universal Television (Deadline.com).
|
|
|
 [march 2015]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[03/19/26 - 01:17 PM]
Maya Hawke to Star in Netflix's Series Adaptation of "The God of the Woods"
The multi-generational drama series is set in the Adirondacks, exploring the Van Laar family's dark secrets, class tensions, and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of 13 year old Barbara Van Laar from her family's summer camp - in the wake of an earlier family tragedy that may be related.
|
[03/19/26 - 01:03 PM]
3 Million "Outlander" Fans Drive the Epic Season Eight Premiere to a Four-Year Series High
The episode, entitled "Soul of a Rebel," secured the top spot for the week among all scripted cable programs.
|
[03/19/26 - 01:01 PM]
Peacock Renews "Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together" for a Second Season
Production begins this month and the series will air later in the year.
|
[03/19/26 - 12:46 PM]
Statement from Disney Entertainment Television: "The Bachelorette"
From a spokesperson: "In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family."
|
[03/19/26 - 12:13 PM]
FOX Sports, IndyCar Announce Launch of New Digital-Exclusive Series, "All In: IndyCar"
The debut episode, "The Champ Is Here," features four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
|
[03/19/26 - 10:02 AM]
Amazon MGM Studios Has Officially Greenlit "The Challenger," A Limited Series Starring Kristen Stewart
Stewart will play astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, who in 1978 became the first American woman to fly in space.
|
[03/19/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Limited Series "Enigma Variations" Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson
The series, based on André Aciman's novel, tells the story of a man remade by the lovers who ignite and undo him over the course of 10 transformative years.
|
[03/19/26 - 09:14 AM]
New Season of "Storied Spaces" Premieres March 28 on Magnolia Network
Escape to beautifully designed and curated spaces, seen through the eyes of the families that breathed life into them.
|
[03/19/26 - 09:04 AM]
Video: "O11CE: New Generation" - Trailer - Disney+
Same team, new dream. The Hawks take the field in "O11Ce: New Generation," now streaming on Disney+.
|
[03/19/26 - 09:01 AM]
Season Two of "Hazardous History with Henry Winkler" Set to Premiere Sunday, April 19 at 9/8c on The History Channel
Each one-hour episode of this nostalgia-drenched series tells the stories of the things we did for fun, for money, or out of plain boredom that you can't do anymore.
|
[03/19/26 - 09:01 AM]
HBO to Debut Comedy Special "Josh Johnson: Symphony" This Spring
Said Josh Johnson: "I'm excited to have my breakout piece be with a company that nurtures vision like HBO does. I'm grateful to them, and you, for watching."
|
[03/19/26 - 09:01 AM]
Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Riley Green to Perform at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards
The 61st ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the world-renowned MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
|
[03/19/26 - 08:34 AM]
Must-See April U.S. Debuts from Viaplay - German Conspiracy Thriller, Award-winning Film
Highlights include "Dangerous Truth," inspired by real events surrounding the faulty intelligence that helped justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
|
[03/19/26 - 08:12 AM]
Apple Original Films' "What Happens at Night" from Martin Scorsese, Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, Begins Principal Photography
Hailing from Apple Studios, and made in partnership with STUDIOCANAL, the dream-like story follows a married American couple who travel to a small, snowy European town to adopt a baby.
|
[03/19/26 - 08:11 AM]
Netflix Canada Announces New Series "This Summer Will Be Different"
Based on the beloved novel by Carley Fortune, the series is a simmering, sun-soaked romance set across multiple summers on Prince Edward Island about Lucy, 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.
|
|
|
|
