or


[09/28/15 - 11:24 PM]
Development Update: Monday, September 28
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!


EAT PRAY THUG (FOX, New!) - Actor Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect) and writer Sanjay Shah ("Fresh Off the Boat") are set to team for a single-camera comedy about "a successful rapper (Ambudkar) who chooses to live with his Indian-American parents in Queens." The 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which has a penalty attached, is "based on the real life of rapper Heems (formerly of hip-hop group Das Racist) and his relationship with his parents who live with him in Queens." Shah is executive producing with Ambudkar as a co-executive producer and Heems (real name Himanshu Suri) as a co-producer. (Deadline.com)


I'M DYING UP HERE (Showtime/Endemol; W: Dave Flebotte; D: Jonathan Levine) - Andrew Santino and Erik Griffin are the latest additions to the Jim Carrey-produced drama pilot, which centers on L.A.'s celebrated and infamous stand-up comedy scene of the 1970s. The former will play Bill, "a comedy club favorite who can be dry, volatile and often jealous of the success of other comedians"; with Griffin as Ralph, "a Vietnam vet and comic who is as brash as he is hilarious." R.J. Cyler also stars. (Deadline.com)


MANHOOD (NBC, New!) - Jay Baxter and Shaun Zaken have landed a potential comedy at the Peacock about "three men who explore different sides of masculinity in a weekly men's group meeting, where they cry, beat drums and fire-walk to find the answer." Rob Long and David Janollari are also on board to executive produce the half-hour for the latter's Universal Television-based David Janollari Entertainment. (Deadline.com)


WHEELER DEALER (ABC, New!) - Damon Jones ("Benched") has sold a new comedy to the Alphabet about "a suburban housewife and mother who inherits her deceased husband's struggling car dealership in rural West Texas - Friday Night Lights country. In an attempt to make a fresh start, she moves her family out of their plush gated community to run the business, something she knows nothing about." Annie Mumolo and Tim Lovestedt as well as Thruline Television's J.B. Roberts and Willie Mercer also serve as executive producers on the project, inspired by the true story of Jones's sister, for ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - NBC has ordered nine additional back-up scripts for its freshman drama "Blindspot" (THR.com); Sharon Lawrence will recur on NBC's "Game of Silence" as "a smart, single, confident and formidable CEO of a huge conglomerate whose personal philosophy is all about empowering women - and distrusting men" (Deadline.com); Steve Harvey's East 112th Street Productions has inked an overall production deal with Endemol Shine North America (Deadline.com); Minka Kelly is bound for Hulu's "The Path" as Miranda Frank, "the beautiful cult member Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) suspects Eddie (Aaron Paul) of having an affair with" (Deadline.com); and Scout Taylor-Compton will recur on "Nashville" as "a 20-something east Nashville hipster sound engineer with a bit of ink and no desire to commit to anything" (TVLine.com).






  [september 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BENCHED (USA)
· BLINDSPOT (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EAT PRAY THUG (FOX)
· FRESH OFF THE BOAT (ABC)
· GAME OF SILENCE (NBC)
· I'M DYING UP HERE (SHOWTIME)
· MANHOOD (NBC)
· NASHVILLE (CMT)
· PATH, THE (HULU)
· WHEELER DEALER (ABC)





[12/15/25 - 09:31 AM]
Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix Announce On-Air Talent for MVP's Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, Live Only on Netflix on Friday, December 19 from Kaseya Center in Miami
On Friday, December 19, the Jake vs. Joshua preliminary card begins at 4:45pm ET / 1:45pm PT on Netflix's Tudum and MVP's YouTube Channel, with the main card starting at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT, live only on Netflix.

[12/15/25 - 09:19 AM]
Driven by Strong November Viewership, ESPN Earns Third Straight Month of Year-Over-Year Audience Growth for Weekday Studio Programming
Highlights include "The Pat McAfee Show" having its most-viewed November of all time across linear and YouTube with 445,000 average viewers per show and "NFL Live" reaching its second most-watched November since 2016 with 445,000 average viewers.

[12/15/25 - 09:02 AM]
TNT Sports to Present Wall-to-Wall Coverage of Saturday's College Football Playoff First Round
Saturday's game crews will include Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George and Quint Kessenich calling Tulane/Ole Miss, with Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden and Stormy Buonantony assigned to JMU/Oregon.

[12/15/25 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Announces All-New Special, "Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2," to Air Monday, Dec. 22 on CBS
This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series.

[12/15/25 - 08:01 AM]
The Wasteland Comes Bearing Gifts... "Fallout" Season Two Surprises with Early Release Date
The premiere episode will debut one day earlier on Tuesday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m. PT.

[12/15/25 - 07:01 AM]
USA Sports Announces Wednesday Night Primetime Schedule for 2026 LOVB Season on USA Network
USA Network's Match of the Week coverage begins with the first serve of the 2026 season on Wednesday, January 7, at 6 p.m. ET, featuring a rematch of the 2025 Championship when LOVB Nebraska faces defending champion LOVB Austin.

[12/15/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art and New Episodic Imagery for "Ponies"
All eight episodes of espionage thriller series starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson will debut Thursday, January 15 on Peacock.

[12/15/25 - 07:00 AM]
Golden Globe-Nominated "One Battle After Another" - Including Best Picture - Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max December 19
The film stars Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe winners Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, and Golden Globe nominees Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti.

[12/15/25 - 05:41 AM]
Video: "Stranger Things 5" - Volume 2 Trailer - Netflix
With Hawkins' children ensnared by Vecna, the party faces unimaginable peril as they fight to bring them home.

[12/13/25 - 10:02 AM]
Flex Game! LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Lakers Host Cade Cunningham and Eastern-Conference Leading Pistons on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 10:30 P.M. ET on NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports' NBA coverage on December 23, December 29, and December 30 will now feature nationwide doubleheaders, with the entire country getting both games on NBC and Peacock.

[12/12/25 - 03:04 PM]
ESPN Scored Most-Watched Jimmy V Women's Classic Ever; Men's Classic Most-Watched in Five Years
The former averaged 1.0 million viewers, peaking with 1.3 million.

[12/12/25 - 01:46 PM]
ID Sets January Return for "People Magazine Investigates," Featuring More Ripped from the Headlines Cases That Captivated the Nation
The new season premieres Monday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c on ID, with new episodes airing weekly.

[12/12/25 - 01:31 PM]
Hallmark Expands the Universe of "When Calls the Heart" with Prequel Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres and Jill Hennessy
The eight-episode series begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+.

[12/12/25 - 10:05 AM]
Meet the 14 Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: House of Fear," Premiering Wednesday, January 14th at 9/8c on FOX
Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting - and fear is a weapon.

[12/12/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: What's Coming in Early 2026 - "Shrinking," "Monarch," "Hijack" & More - Apple TV
Also on tap are "The Last Thing He Told Me" and "Eternity."