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[01/11/19 - 11:25 PM]
Development Update: Friday, January 11
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!


BLESS THE HARTS (FOX) - Mary Steenburgen and Drew Tarver are both set to recur on the upcoming animated series as Crystal, "a long time frenemy of Betty (Maya Rudolph)," and Randy, "the town weirdo," respectively. (Deadline.com)
DIVORCE (HBO) - James Lesure is set to recur as a potential love interest for Sarah Jessica Parker's Frances on the upcoming third season. No other details were given. (TVLine.com)
EMERGENCE (NBC) - Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters's thriller - about a sheriff who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened - has been ordered to pilot by the Peacock. ABC Studios is producing with Paul McGuigan already attached to direct. (Deadline.com)
EXPATRIATES, THE (Amazon) - Melanie Marnich has been tapped as co-showrunner of the series, based on the best-selling novel by Janice Y.K. Lee. She'll serve as an executive producer alongside Nicole Kidman, Per Saari, Theresa Park and writer Alice Bell. (Deadline.com)
EXTRA (Syndication) - Former "Access Hollywood" staple Billy Bush is reportedly in talks to join the series, which is moving to Fox Television Stations in seven major markets (New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Orlando and Charlotte) this fall. (Deadline.com)
FUNNY PEOPLE (FOX, New!) - John Irwin is developing a reality-competition series at the network "described as the ultimate search for the next comedy triple threat that paces the next generation of America's up-and-coming comics through a series of live stand-up, improv and sketches to determine who will be granted the crown of America's funniest person." He'll executive produce via his Irwin Entertainment banner. (Deadline.com)
GOOD TROUBLE (Freeform) - Hailie Sahar is bound for the newcomer in the recurring role of Jazmin, "Gael's (Tommy Martinez) transgender sister, who comes from a traditional family. After losing her job, Jazmin goes to her beloved brother for help." (Deadline.com)
GROWN-ISH (Freeform) - Katherine Moennig will recur on the recently launched second season as Paige Hewson, "a CalU Gender Studies teacher who instructs a class in which Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and her friends are enrolled. Professor Hewson is openly lesbian, uber-feminist, confident, yet still self-effacing. She serves as an advisor to the crew, especially Nomi (Emily Arlook), who sees the professor as someone she can look up and talk to, especially since she hasn't come out to her parents yet." (Deadline.com)
LA'S FINEST (Spectrum) - Jake Busey has been tapped to recur on Spectrum's first original series as Bishop Duvall, "an enigmatic criminal hoping to gain a foothold in the Los Angeles drug world." (Deadline.com)
ROOKIE, THE (ABC) - Sarah Shahi has booked a recurring role on the freshman drama as Jessica Russo, "a smart and intense rock star FBI agent who now uses her expertise training others in the private sector. A straight shooter with a subversive sense of humor, Jessica is an expert in hostage negotiations, predictive analysis and profiling - and wrote the definitive book on the subject to prove it." (Deadline.com)
WATCHMEN (HBO) - Hong Chau has been cast in the much-ballyhooed series, based on the iconic limited comic series, as Lady T., "who is Vietnamese." No other details were given. (Deadline.com)
WORLD'S FUNNIEST WEATHER, THE (Syndication, New!) - Entertainment Studios has commissioned a weekly half-hour comedy series featuring a "compilation series featuring weather-related video clips and comedic moments assembled from local and international television stations, national news organizations, and home videos." Byron Allen and Scott Satin are the executive producers. (Deadline.com)
ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST (NBC) - Writer Austin Winsberg and director Paul Feig's drama - about a whip-smart, socially awkward girl in her late 20s who is suddenly given an extraordinary ability to know the deepest desires of the people around her through songs - is the latest heading to pilot at the Peacock. Universal Music Group and Lionsgate Television are producing. (Deadline.com)





  [january 2019]  
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· ACCESS HOLLYWOOD (SYNDICATION)
· BLESS THE HARTS (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIVORCE (HBO)
· EMERGENCE (ABC)
· EXPATS (AMAZON)
· EXTRA (SYNDICATION)
· FUNNY PEOPLE (FOX)
· GOOD TROUBLE (FREEFORM)
· GROWN-ISH (FREEFORM)
· LA'S FINEST (SPECTRUM)
· ROOKIE, THE (ABC)
· WATCHMEN (HBO)
· WORLD'S FUNNIEST WEATHER, THE (SYNDICATION)
· ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST (NBC)





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