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[04/03/07 - 05:41 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, April 3
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!
3 KINGS (MTV, New!) - RDF USA ("Wife Swap") and Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Films ("Punk'd") are developing a U.S. version of the British reality format of the same name. Said project, which will be shot in front of an audience, revolves around a set of masked contestants - possibly Kutcher himself or other celebrities - competing in a series of offbeat challenges focused on three separate areas: speed, skill and pain. Among the possibilities: tossing items at a bull until the bull chases them out of a ring. The winner then assumes the role of "king" while the losers are unmasked. MTV has given a pilot order to the project, which will be executive produced by Chris Coelen, Greg Goldman, Jason Goldberg and Kutcher via their respective companies.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Ashton Kutcher, Chris Coelen, Greg Goldman, Jason Goldberg
Studios: Katalyst Films, RDF USA
DAMAGES (A.K.A. UNTITLED KESSLERS & ZELMAN PROJECT) (FX) - The cable channel has given a series order of 13 episodes to the project, a legal drama toplined by Glenn Close. Production is set to begin next month in New York for a late summer premiere. Noah Bean, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan, Ted Danson and Zeljko Ivanek also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, which comes from co-creators Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler and Todd A. Kessler. Allen Coulter directed the pilot.
Commitment: Ordered to series (13 episodes)
Cast: Glenn Close (Patty Hewes), Noah Bean (David), Rose Byrne (Ellen Parsons), Tate Donovan (Tom Kent), Ted Danson (Arthur Frobisher), Zeljko Ivanek (Ray Fiske)
Writers: Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler
Director: Allen Coulter
Executive Producers: Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler
Studio: Sony Pictures Television
THE GREAT AMERICAN SINGING BEE (NBC, New!) - The Peacock and Britain's ITV are both developing a new game show format in which contestants "sing in the blanks" when presented with partial song lyrics. The Gurin Co.'s Phil Gurin ("Weakest Link") and Juma Entertainment's Bob Horowitz ("Battle of the Network Reality Stars") are behind both projects, the ITV version of which is expected to hit the airwaves first. As for specifics, each episode reportedly starts with 28 contestants onstage who are then eliminated by being asked to sing a word, phrase or entire verse of a song, depending on the round. The winner then will take home an unspecified prize. NBC is said to be close to ordering a pilot for the project with an eye towards fast-tracking its production.
Commitment: Ordered to pilot
Cast: TBA
Writer: TBA
Director: TBA
Executive Producers: Bob Horowitz, Phil Gurin
Studios: The Gurin Company, Juma Entertainment
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[03/11/26 - 01:44 PM]
Academy Award Winner Tommy Lee Jones Joins Season Two Cast of "The Lowdown" Coming to FX and Hulu
Jones joins previously announced Betty Gilpin in the next season, which begins production this spring in Tulsa.
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[03/11/26 - 01:22 PM]
Lifetime Announces Two New "Ripped from the Headlines" Films for Spring
Nancy Travis and Stana Katic are among the featured talent.
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[03/11/26 - 01:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Studios Signs Development Commitment with Frankie Quinones for New Comedy Series
Quiñones is a Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian and actor known for his viral character, "Creeper" and for starring in the Hulu comedy series "This Fool."
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[03/11/26 - 11:30 AM]
ESPN Delivers Most-Watched Women's College Basketball Regular Season Since 2008-09
ESPN networks were home to six of the top 10 women's college basketball regular season games across all networks this season and 29 of the top 30 on cable.
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[03/11/26 - 11:01 AM]
98th Oscars Rounds Out Show Presenters
Rose Byrne, Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Kimmel, Delroy Lindo, Ewan McGregor, Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Channing Tatum and Sigourney Weaver are all on tap.
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[03/11/26 - 10:05 AM]
Josh Gates Returns with an All-New Season of "Expedition Files," Revealing Striking New Revelations Behind History's Biggest Mysteries
The series is returning with a brand-new season on Wednesday, April 1 at 9pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel.
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[03/11/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Color Theories by Julio Torres" Debuts March 27
In his second HBO comedy special, Peabody-winner Julio Torres presents a helpful guide to understanding the world through his playful interpretations of colors.
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[03/11/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: MLB Opening Night: Yankees vs. Giants - Official Trailer - Netflix
The 2026 Major League Baseball season leads off on Netflix, with Yankees vs. Giants in a star-studded opener live at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
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[03/11/26 - 09:01 AM]
Date & Cast Announcement: Hulu's "Love Overboard"
Produced by Alex Cooper's Unwell Productions and Jeff Jenkins Productions, "Love Overboard" premieres Thursday, March 26 with all nine episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
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[03/11/26 - 09:01 AM]
Nikki Glaser Returns to Host "The 84th Annual Golden Globes" Airing Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027 on CBS and Paramount+
Glaser said, "I'm thrilled to host the Golden Globes for a third time, not only because it's the greatest gig I've ever had, but because my sister has three kids and now we will be equal in the eyes of my parents and the Lord."
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[03/11/26 - 07:04 AM]
"#SKYKING," the Gripping New Documentary Set to Make Its World Premiere at SXSW 2026, Premieres on Hulu April 14
The feature-length documentary tells the story of Richard "Beebo" Russell, who captured the world's attention when he stole a commercial plane and took off on a flight that would come to embody the dreams and despair of the American working class, while offering a look at the US mental health crisis.
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[03/11/26 - 07:02 AM]
New Episodes of "Rick and Morty" Premiere May 24 on Adult Swim
Get ready to portal-jump back into the multiverse - Adult Swim's #1 series returns with a season that's bigger, bolder, and more ambitious than ever.
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[03/11/26 - 07:01 AM]
"Friday Night Baseball" Returns to Apple TV on March 27 for Its Fifth Season
Highlights include the storied New York Subway Series matchup between the Yankees and Mets, plus multiple appearances by reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
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[03/11/26 - 06:47 AM]
Matt Vasgersian Joins NBC Sports as a Play-by-Play Voice for "MLB Sunday Leadoff" on Peacock and NBCSN
Vasgersian, who spent the last five years as a Los Angeles Angels TV play-by-play voice, will continue his role at MLB Network, a position he has held since its inception in 2009.
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[03/11/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "The Hawk" - Lonnie Hawkins Character Reveal - Netflix
One of the greatest names in golf history (that you're somehow only just hearing about), American hero Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins is Will Ferrell's newest original character.
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