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[12/16/20 - 11:49 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, December 16
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!
1899 (Netflix) - Emily Beecham is the first to be cast in the eight-episode drama, which "will revolve around a migrant steamship heading from London to New York. When the passengers discover another migrant boat adrift, their journey descends into horrifying nightmare." No details were given about her character. Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese are behind the project, which is set to begin production in the spring. (Deadline.com)
BRAND, THE (CBS, New!) - Kirk Rudell has sold a potential drama to the Eye about "a driven woman with a complicated personal life is suddenly thrust into the top position at her family's brand management firm and must contend with selling her ethically dubious clients' images while redefining her own." Alex Gibney and Kevin Plunkett of Jigsaw Productions will also executive produce for CBS Studios. (Deadline.com)
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS (IMDb TV, New!) - Samantha Stratton has set up a half-hour dramedy at Amazon Studios about Ellie Brown, "a 15-year-old girl from a working-class town in West Virginia who earns a scholarship to the most elite boarding school in the country. When idealistic Ellie realizes the deck is already stacked against her, she finds herself lying, cheating, and stealing her way through the hallowed halls of the school - anything to claim a piece of the American dream denied to her friends and family back home." Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Terence Carter and David Boorstein of Westbrook Studios will also presumably executive produce with Jesse Uram producing. (Deadline.com)
DISASTERS, THE (The CW, New!) - Writer Derek Simon and director Lee Toland Krieger are spearheading a TV series take on M.K. England's novel, "set in a near-future where humans have colonized space to save Earth from climate crisis. It follows a group of washouts from Earth's prestigious military academy who are framed for treason and forced to go on the run to the Colonies to clear their names." John Sacchi of 5 More Minutes Productions and Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Madden of Berlanti Productions will also executive produce for Warner Bros. Television with Matt Groesch as a producer. (Deadline.com)
FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV+) - Michaela Conlin will recur on the upcoming season as Helena Webster, "a former pilot who is now an astronaut." (Deadline.com)
GUILTY PARTY (Paramount+) - Kate Beckinsale has signed on to star in the comedy series, about Beth Baker, a discredited journalist desperate to salvage her career by latching on to the story of a young mother sentenced to life in prison for maiming and murdering her husband, crimes she claims she didn't commit. She replaces Isla Fisher, who pulled out of the role over pandemic-related circumstances. (Deadline.com)
HEIRS (NBC, New!) - Carlos Portugal has sold a new drama to the network which "revolves around the heirs of a Latin American ex-dictator who face an unexpected dilemma when a young girl is kidnapped from their home on the night of their own daughter's lavish quinceañera." Davis Entertainment's John Davis, Jordan Davis and John Fox are also on board to executive produce for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)
HIGHTOWN (Starz) - The show's second season has tapped the following for recurring roles: Crystal Lee Brown as Janelle, "a physical therapist at a prison who gains trust with her patients"; Cecil Blutcher as Vernon, "an artsy-emo, sympathetic recovering addict"; Carlos Gomez as Rafael, "father of Jackie (Monica Raymund), [whose] past his glory days but always looking for a good time"; and Barbara Weetman as Callie, "Renee's mom, an aging beauty, rough around the edges, may be an ex-stripper herself." (Deadline.com)
LIZZIE MCGUIRE (Disney+) - Hilary Duff took to Instagram with the news her revival series is not moving forward at the streamer. Production on the project has been shut down since showrunner Terri Minsky was fired in January. (@hilaryduff)
MANIFEST (NBC) - Mahira Kakkar and Ali Lopez-Sohaili are the latest to recur on the new season as Dr. Aria Gupta, "a researcher working on a top secret study of the inexplicable phenomena surrounding Flight 828"; and Eagan Tehrani, "a Flight 828 passenger who has stayed off the grid since returning," respectively. (Deadline.com)
NIGHT COURT (NBC, New!) - John Larroquette is set to reprise his four-time Emmy-winning role of Dan Fielding in a follow-up to 1984-92 multi-camera comedy series, which "centers on the unapologetic optimist judge Abby Stone, daughter of the late Harry Stone, who follows in her father's footsteps as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew of oddballs and cynics, most notably former night court prosecutor Dan Fielding (Larroquette)." Dan Rubin is set to pen the pilot script and executive produce alongside After January's Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch for Warner Bros. Television. Larroquette will receive a producing credit. (Deadline.com)
POWER BOOK III: RAISING KANAN (Starz) - Natalee Linez and Annabelle Zasowski have both scored recurring roles on the latest spin-off series as Jessica Figueroa, "a sharp and ambitious twenty-something who moves to South Jamaica, Queens from Baltimore"; and Nicole Bingham, "a rich Upper East Side prep school student," respectively. (Deadline.com)
SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS, THE (HBO Max) - Dylan Sprouse has joined the cast of the comedy series as Nico, a junior who interacts with co-stars Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp and Alyah Chanelle Scott, four roommates at Essex College, a prestigious New England university. (Variety.com)
SHARING THE WISDOM OF TIME (Netflix, New!) - Simona Ercolani and her production company Stand by Me have landed a four-part documentary series at the streamer based on the book by Pope Francis. Said effort "will see woman and men aged over 70 from around the world share their stories with young filmmakers under the age of 30 who are from the same country. The elders represent various ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds and religions. It will also feature an exclusive interview with Pope Francis who will offer a unique point of view." (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED WAYNE BRADY PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Wayne Brady is attached to star in a hybrid comedy at the Eye about "a divorced couple who successfully co-parent in a blended multiracial family." The autobiographical project is being co-written by Brady, his ex-wife Mandie Taketa, as well as Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally. Said quartet will also executive produce for CBS Studios. (Deadline.com)
WECRASHED (Apple TV+) - Oscar winner Jared Leto is in early talks to star in the podcast-turned-limited series about the rise and fall of WeWork, with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa now set to direct. Leto would play Adam Newmann, the charismatic CEO who thought the company was going to change the world. (Deadline.com)
WIND OF CHANGE (Hulu, New!) - Alex Karpovsky is developing a potential series at the streamer based on the wild podcast of the same name, in which investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, "explores a rumor he heard from a source within the CIA: The agency was behind the 1990 international hit power ballad "Winds of Change." He will look at spies doing the unthinkable, a secret history of propaganda hidden in pop music and a maze of government secrets as he attempts to untangle one of the great mysteries of the Cold War." 20th Television is behind the project with Karpovsky, Radden Keefe, Jason Winer, Jon Radler, Tommy Vietor, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Sarah Geismer, Jenna Weiss-Berman, Max Linsky, Henry Molofsky, Liz Gateley, Chris Giliberti and Justin McGoldrick executive producing for Small Dog Picture Company, Crooked Media, Pineapple Street Studios and Spotify. (Deadline.com)
WYRD (FX, New!) - Emmy winner Matthew Rhys is set to star in a small screen take on Curt Pires and Antonio Fuso's comic series billed as "the story of the ultimate immigrant, an extraterrestrial in exile. It centers on Wyrd (Rhys) who was sent to earth in an attempt to better understand humanity. When his people don't come back for him, he's forced to assimilate - all while investigating paranormal activity and searching for a way home." Sheldon Turner is penning the adaptation with Rhys, Keri Russell, Vendetta Productions' Jennifer Klein and Dark Horse Entertainment's Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue also executive producing for 20th Television and FX Productions. (Deadline.com)
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[11/21/25 - 01:01 PM]
Netflix Wins Drama Series "Trigger Point" and Orders Hot Package Straight to Series
Joel Edgerton stars in an action crime drama about a group of former Tier One Special Forces Operators who sell their elite skills to the criminal underworld behind the front of a private military contracting firm - and the FBI agent who's hunting for them.
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[11/21/25 - 12:13 PM]
"Henry David Thoreau" to Air on PBS March 2026
The three-part, three-hour film examines the life and work of the 19th-century writer in the context of antebellum New England and the larger United States, as well as through the universal themes he focused on in his writings.
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[11/21/25 - 12:00 PM]
CBS Series Top L+7 Multiplatform Competitive Charts
Seven weeks into the 2025/26 broadcast season, "Tracker" is the #1 series, averaging 14.2 million viewers across broadcast and streaming.
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[11/21/25 - 11:00 AM]
Video: New Trailer of Upcoming Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret.
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[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM]
What's New on HBO Max This December
New films due next month include "The Family McMullen," A24's "Ne Zha II," A24 documentary "Architecton," and Bleeker Street's "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues."
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[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM]
"TMZ Presents: TMZ's Most Outrageous Moments of 2025" Premieres Tuesday, December 2 at 9/8c on FOX
TMZ brings you an ultimate year-end spectacle packed with the most jaw-dropping moments, epic surprises, and unforgettable blunders of 2025!
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[11/21/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: We TV Releases Exclusive Sneak Peek of the New Season of "Love During Lockup"
The prequel to "Love After Lockup," "Love During Lockup," reveals the fascinating moments that occur when people in the free world look for love and begin relationships with inmates, capturing their journey as they count down the days, weeks, months, or even years until the anticipated release.
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[11/21/25 - 07:39 AM]
Great American Media Celebrates "Christmas as It's Meant to Be" as the Exclusive Broadcast Home of the 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting
Great American Media will exclusively broadcast the ceremony on Great American Family Friday, December 5 at 8 p.m. ET, with streaming available on Great American Pure Flix through January 31, 2026.
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[11/21/25 - 06:03 AM]
FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw Presentation Features Unprecedented 3 1/2 Hours of Live Coverage on Broadcast Television
FOX Sports' veteran sportscasters Rob Stone and Jenny Taft will anchor the network's on-site broadcast alongside former U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) stars and acclaimed analysts Alexi Lalas and Stu Holden.
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[11/21/25 - 01:01 AM]
Video: "The Night My Dad Saved Christmas 2" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When the sneaky director of a toy company kidnaps Santa, it's up to a father and son to rescue him and save Christmas from disaster.
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[11/20/25 - 04:55 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Jumps to Season Highs with Epic "Prince Night"
The show rose dramatically over its year-ago penultimate episode in Total Viewers, with its best semifinals performance in seven years.
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[11/20/25 - 02:50 PM]
Video: Watch the Trailers - "OWN for the Holidays" Returns with Three Festive New Movies
"Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Showdown," and "Very Merry Mystery" are on tap in the coming weeks.
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[11/20/25 - 01:16 PM]
"Christmas in Nashville" Unveils Star-Studded Performer Lineup for Dec. 3 Country Music Holiday Special on NBC
Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, Lauren Alaina, NE-YO, The War and Treaty and Trace Adkins are set to perform holiday favorites.
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[11/20/25 - 12:32 PM]
"The Tonight Show" Enters the Upside Down - "Stranger Things" Cast to Make a Series of Guest Appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"
Millie Bobby Brown will co-host with Fallon on December 7, which is the final post-"Sunday Night Football" special episode of the season.
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[11/20/25 - 12:30 PM]
Video: Acorn TV Debuts Trailer and Key Art for "The Madame Blanc Mysteries" Two-Part Christmas Special
Created by and starring Sally Lindsay, the special is set to premiere on Monday, December 15 and Monday, December 22, respectively, in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
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