or


[01/24/25 - 11:45 PM]
Development Update: Week of January 20-24
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!


BACHELOR IN PARADISE (ABC) - Scott Teti has been tapped as showrunner of the series for its upcoming 10th season. (Deadline.com, 1/24)
BEEF (Netflix) - Seoyeon Jang, William Fichtner, Mikaela Hoover and musician BM have scored roles on the new installment. BM is believed to be playing "a former tennis pro running the tennis shop at the country club"; with Jang as "the billionaire owner's personal translator"; Fichtner as "a wealthy country club member"; and Hoover as "his trophy wife." (Deadline.com, 1/23)
CONTEMPORARY COWBOY SAGA SERIES (Netflix) - Tim McGraw has bowed out of the series as the star/executive producer "needed to undergo back surgery which would require recovery time." Said report adds "the future of the series, which comes from Skydance Television and McGraw's Skydance-backed Down Home, is unclear, with recasting rumored." (Deadline.com, 1/24)
DEBRIEFING THE PRESIDENT (TNT) - Rhona Mitra will star opposite Joel Kinnaman in the four-hour mini-series as Polly Stevens, "a colleague of Kinnaman's real-life CIA analyst John Nixon (Kinnaman), whose book of the same name inspired the series." (Deadline.com, 1/21)
DIPLOMAT, THE (Netflix) - Bradley Whitford will recur on the new season alongside his former "The West Wing" co-star Allison Janney "playing the First Gentleman to Janney's President." (Deadline.com, 1/24)
DRAFT DAY (New!) - Lionsgate Television, The SpringHill Company and Madison Wells are looking to bring the feature film to the small screen as a TV series, which "will capture the drama and excitement of watching basketball players get drafted and fulfill their dreams, similar to the film starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner and Chadwick Boseman set in the world of the NFL." No writer is currently attached. (Deadline.com, 1/24)
EMILY IN PARIS (Netflix) - Lucien Laviscount, who plays Alfie on the series, has made a deal to rejoin the cast as a regular for its upcoming fifth season. (Deadline.com, 1/22)
FBI: CIA (CBS, New!) - "FBI" will serve up a backdoor pilot later this spring to set up a potential spin-off series for next season: "In it, a dedicated, strait-laced FBI agent and a street-smart CIA agent are part of a new, clandestine taskforce charged with solving and preventing domestic terrorism in and around New York City." Casting is currently underway for the roles. David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman and former CIA officer David Chasteen are behind the project with Wolf Entertainment's Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski also executive producing for Universal Television. (Deadline.com, 1/22)
FBI (CBS) - Emily Alabi will recur on the series as "a new agent and is expected to be paired with Stuart Scola (John Boyd), whose longtime partner Tiffany Wallace (Katherine Renee Kane) left in early October." (Deadline.com, 1/21)
HAPPY'S PLACE (NBC) - Justina Machado and Christopher Rich will both drop by the series. Rich will play Maverick, "a local tattoo artist that is very good at his job ... as long as he's using his right hand. Turns out Maverick has had a stroke and likes to tease new clients about which hand he's going to use when he starts doing their tattoos." And Machado will appear as Maritza, "the mother of Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), a self-made woman who put herself through law school as a single mom. She started a wildly successful law practice and does not suffer fools." (Variety.com, 1/24)
LANTERNS (HBO) - Ulrich Thomsen has been cast as Sinestro on the DC Comics series, "a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet undeniably charming." (Deadline.com, 1/24)
LAW & ORDER (NBC) - Justin Chatwin will guest on the series as Nolan Price's (Hugh Dancy) brother, Thomas, who will "meet up with his assistant district attorney brother to talk about their father's failing health." (TVLine.com, 1/22)
LOVE TAKES A VILLAGE (NBC, New!) - Anna Faris and Rick Edwards are set to host a potential dating series for the network: "Love Takes A Village will see singletons go on a series of blind dates with people looking to win a second date. While the two people on the date know they're on a dating show, what they don't know is that the date, which they think is at a restaurant, is actually taking place inside a studio with a live audience watching in secret. At the end of the date, the couple find out who's been watching them." A pilot is set to film next week in the U.K. with Rob LaPlante and Jeff Spangler of Lighthearted Entertainment among the executive producers. (Deadline.com, 1/24)
MINIATURE WIFE, THE (Peacock) - Zoe Lister-Jones and Sofia Rosinsky are the latest additions to the Elizabeth Banks/Matthew Macfadyen-led series. No details about their roles however were given. (Deadline.com, 1/24)
NCIS: ORIGINS (CBS) - Caleb Foote's NIS Special Agent Bernard "Randy" Randolf have been promoted to regular on the prequel series. (Deadline.com, 1/24)
RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES, THE (HBO) - The Danny McBride-led comedy will sign off with its upcoming fourth season, due in March. Additionally, Megan Mullally, Seann William Scott and Arden Myrin will guest star. Mullally will play Lori Milsap, "a long-time friend of the Gemstone family who used to write music and sing with Aimee-Leigh"; with Scott as Corey Milsap, "Lori's son who has been a family friend of the Gemstone kids for his entire life"; and Myrin as Jana Milsap, "Corey's wife." (Deadline.com, 1/21; GQ.com, 1/23)
RUN AWAY (Netflix) - Harlan Coben's new eight-episode series has added Alfred Enoch, Lucian Msamati, Jon Pointing, Ellie de Lange, Adrian Greensmith, Ellie Henry, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Annette Badland, Ingrid Oliver, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, Finty Williams, Joe McGann and Amy Gledhill to its cast. They'll join the previously announced James Nesbitt, Ruth Jones, Minnie Driver, and Alfred Enoch. (Variety.com, 1/21)
S.W.A.T. (CBS) - Production on the Los Angeles-based series was once again put on hold Wednesday due to the Hughes fire. (Deadline.com, 1/22)
SPY HIGH (Amazon, New!) - Amazon MGM Studios has commissioned a four-part documentary series from Unrealistic Ideas about "Blake Robbins, the Pennsylvania student who filed a lawsuit against his prestigious public school for allegedly spying on him when he was accused of selling drugs." Mark Wahlberg, Archie Gips, Stephen Levinson, Aliza Rosen, Jody McVeigh-Schultz and David Wendell are the executive producers of the project, due in April. (Deadline.com, 1/23)
SUITS LA (NBC) - Patton Oswalt, Brian Baumgartner and Enrico Colantoni are the latest bound for the newcomer as "a version of themselves." No other details were given. (Variety.com, 1/22)
UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Writer Victor Fresco, director Liz Friedlander and actor/producer Paul Wesley are set to team for a potential comedy at the network which "centers on a determined 25-year-old vampire who struggles with running the family business for his murderous and suffocating vampire parents while trying to chase his dream to become an actor." Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment and Tracy Katsky of KatCo will also executive produce for FOX Entertainment. (Deadline.com, 1/21)





  [january 2025]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· BACHELOR IN PARADISE (ABC)
· BEEF (NETFLIX)
· CIA (CBS)
· CONTEMPORARY COWBOY SAGA SERIES (NETFLIX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIPLOMAT, THE (NETFLIX)
· EMILY IN PARIS (NETFLIX)
· FBI (CBS)
· HAPPY'S PLACE (NBC)
· HIGH VALUE TARGET (TNT)
· LANTERNS (HBO)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· LOVE TAKES A VILLAGE (NBC)
· MINIATURE WIFE, THE (PEACOCK)
· NCIS: ORIGINS (CBS)
· RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES, THE (HBO)
· RUN AWAY (NETFLIX)
· SPY HIGH (AMAZON)
· SUITS LA (NBC)
· SWAT (CBS)
· UNTITLED VICTOR FRESCO PROJECT (FOX)





[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."

[12/12/25 - 09:06 AM]
Crave Greenlights "Heated Rivalry" Season 2, While Global Momentum Continues
Also confirmed today, HBO Max U.S. and Australia, and NEON (Sky New Zealand), who already exclusively stream Season 1 in those respective markets, have all committed to the streaming rights for a second season.

[12/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Best Medicine" Season 1 Official Trailer (Starring Josh Charles) - FOX TV
Dr. Martin Best leaves his career as a Boston surgeon to become the general practitioner in the quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent his childhood summers.

[12/12/25 - 08:09 AM]
HBO Max Rolls Out In-App Curated Channels for Fan-Favorite Series and Genres in the U.S.
Designed for an effortless streaming experience, this feature enables users to seamlessly enter a continuous feed of curated episodes from fan-favorite titles, making it easier than ever to find an episode of their favorite programming.

[12/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces Season Two for Acclaimed Thriller "Down Cemetery Road"
Season two reunites Zoƫ Boehm (Emma Thompson) and Sarah Trafford (Emma Wilson) chasing down another twisted mystery.

[12/12/25 - 05:00 AM]
Video: HBO Max Brand Spot Teases 2026 Original Programming Slate with Never-Before-Seen Footage and First Looks
Including exclusive first looks on HBO Max social accounts, the spot underscores HBO Max's commitment to delivering high quality, must-see stories that inspire, entertain, and spark conversations around the globe.

[12/11/25 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Target Demos
The series also saw gains on the same week last year in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[12/11/25 - 11:58 AM]
Lifetime to Kick Off 2026 with Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Eastwood, Katie Cassidy, Luke Humphrey, Chloe Lanier, Dillon Casey, and Maddy Hillis are among the featured talent.

[12/11/25 - 11:22 AM]
A&E's New Series "Crime in Progress" Follows the Evolution of Investigations Told Exclusively Through Raw Footage Premieres January 1 at 10pm ET/PT
The story of each crime is woven together through raw, unfiltered video from the point of view of officer body cam and surveillance footage for a first-hand look at justice in action.

[12/11/25 - 11:01 AM]
New Netflix Doc Series About Jonestown Dives Into One of the Deadliest Mass Murders in American History
From Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper comes a three-part documentary series about the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre.

[12/11/25 - 10:32 AM]
Lola Petticrew Will Join the World of "Assassin's Creed" Alongside Toby Wallace in the New Live-Action Series Adaptation of Ubisoft's Best-Selling Video Game Franchise
Netflix confirmed the news on social media this morning.

[12/11/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Breakdown: 1975" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This documentary explores how a turbulent era gave rise to iconic movies like "Taxi Driver," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Network."