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[05/18/07 - 05:15 PM] Development Update: Week of May 14-18 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!
THE ANATOMY OF HOPE (A.K.A. UNTITLED TOM SCHULMAN/RAFAEL YGLESIAS PROJECT) (HBO) - Chris Messina, John Ortiz, Simon Callow, Valerie Pettiford, Matt Craven, Deepti Daryanani, Daryl Edwards, Diego Klattenhoff, Kerry Condon and Sarah Knowlton have all been cast in the pilot, a hospital drama that explores cancer battles from the patients' point of view. In addition, executive producer J.J. Abrams has confirmed he'll direct the hour from a script by Tom Schulman and Rafael Yglesias. As for specifics, Messina will play an oncologist who goes between being overly friendly and aloof; Ortiz will play a recent cancer survivor; Callow is set as one of the top oncologists in the U.S.; Pettiford is playing a terminally ill cancer patient; Craven will play a hyper guy who may have prostate cancer; Edwards will play a patient with advanced cancer; Klattenhoff is playing a recently engaged young man with bone cancer in his leg with Condon as his fiancee; Daryanani is set as a beautiful young doctor; and Knowlton will play a nurse who runs the chemo ward. Abrams, Schulman and Yglesias then are executive producing alongside Bad Robot's Bryan Burk via the company's overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.
BIG LOVE (HBO) - The pay channel has commissioned a trio of three-to-five minute mini-episodes of the series collectively dubbed "Big Love: In the Beginning." All three installments will feature the regular cast and crew as well as fill in various elements of the backstory of the Henricksons. The first, "Post-Partum," is set five years ago when Bill's wife Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) suffers a breakdown after her child is born; the second "Meet the Babysitter," takes place three years ago when youngest wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) comes into the picture; and the last, "Moving Day," focuses on an incident set a little over a year ago when the family considers a move to the suburbs. HBO on Demand subscribers will have access to the episodes starting Monday, June 4 before they're actually broadcast on the channel itself on Sunday, June 24 at 7:45/6:45c.
FAMILY MAN (TNT, New!) - William H. Macy ("The Wool Cap") has been tapped to star in a potential new drama series for the cable channel, about a man who organizes charity drives by day and cracks the safes of major corporations by night. Macy himself will co-write the script with longtime collaborator Steven Schachter (who will also direct) as well as executive produce alongside Craig Zadan and Neil Meron via their Sony Pictures Television-based Storyline Entertainment. As for specifics, it's understood the story will be told with the use of flash forwards, with Macy's character seen in prison in the future.
JOURNEYMAN (NBC) - Alex Graves, who helmed the drama pilot to the series, has inked a one-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television. The pact calls for Graves to continue on as an executive producer for the first 13 episodes of the project as well as develop new series projects for the studio.
JUDGMENT DAY (Lifetime) - Graham Norton ("The Graham Norton Show") has been tapped to host the pilot, which is described as an in-studio popularity contest where seven women are voted off one by one by a female audience based on how they handle a series of questions and challenges, demonstrating how people all too often judge a book by its cover. Production on the hourlong project, from Simon Andreae ("Ebaum's World") and Fox Television Studios, is set to begin next month in Los Angeles.
MR. & MRS. SMITH (ABC) - Regency Television reportedly is set to begin shopping the pilot to other networks as early as next week. The project, which was co-produced by Doug Liman's Dutch Oven banner, didn't make the cut for ABC's 2007-2008 schedule this week. It's understood creator Simon Kinberg and co-stars Jordana Brewster and Martin Henderson are all still attached to the pilot, however no option length was given.
UGLY BETTY (ABC) - Executive producers Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez have signed a new two-year overall deal with the show's producer ABC Studios. The pact sets up their Ventanarosa Productions at the studio where they'll develop new series projects as well as continue with their duties on "Betty."
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[11/11/25 - 12:00 PM] FOX's Winter 2026 Lineup Brings Heart Pounding Dramas, Wild Workplace Comedies and Adventure-Fueled Series The winter schedule begins Tuesday, January 6 with the series premiere of FOX's new wholly owned series "Best Medicine" (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), starring Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Josh Segarra and Annie Potts.
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[11/11/25 - 10:47 AM] Prime Video Reveals First-Look Images and Premiere Date for Season 2 of "Deadloch" The six-part crime comedy, created by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, premieres Friday, March 20, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[11/11/25 - 10:08 AM] HBO Original Drama Series "Dune: Prophecy" Begins Production on Season Two New cast members this season include Indira Varma, Ashley Walters, and Tom Hollander.
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[11/11/25 - 10:01 AM] "All the Sinners Bleed" Starts Production in Atlanta Haunted by his devout mother's untimely death, the first Black Sheriff in a small Bible Belt county must lead the hunt for a serial killer that has been preying on his Black community for years in the name of God.
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[11/11/25 - 09:02 AM] First Look & Date Announcement: "Tell Me Lies" Season 3 The eight-episode third season premieres January 13 on Hulu, with the first two episodes.
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[11/11/25 - 08:01 AM] Video: WWE - John Cena's Last RAW - Official Trailer - Netflix One last match. One unforgettable farewell. Celebrate the legacy of a true WWE legend!
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[11/11/25 - 07:01 AM] Video: "Merv" - Official Trailer - Prime Video There's nothing more complicated than a breakup. Except when you're sharing a dog.
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[11/11/25 - 05:44 AM] Video: Peacock Unveils Emmy Award-Winning "The Traitors" Season 4 Meet the Competition Video Season four debuts with the first three supersized episodes on Thursday, January 8 at 6pm PT/9pm ET.
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[11/11/25 - 02:01 AM] The Fourth Season of "Alpha Males" Arrives on Netflix on January 9 A fifth season has also been confirmed and will launch globally on Netflix.
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[11/10/25 - 08:01 PM] Video: "Three Idiots in Kenya" - Official Trailer - Netflix Once a far-off promise, now a reality -- three buddies finally hit the road in Kenya. Get ready for adventure, banter, and maybe even a giraffe selfie.
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[11/10/25 - 07:01 PM] Video: "Record of Ragnarok III" - Official Trailer 3 - Netflix After a shocking sixth round, the gods double down to humble humanity. Ragnarok continues as kings clash, beliefs collide, and fate is forged in battle.
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[11/10/25 - 05:01 PM] Park Seo-jun and Won Ji-an's Romance Series "Surely Tomorrow," Premiering Exclusively on Prime Video The series will premiere on December 6, with two new episodes released weekly in over 240 countries and territories, exclusively on Prime Video.
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[11/10/25 - 12:00 PM] Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis Return as Roku Originals Orders Fourth Season of "Honest Renovations" After Strong Season Three Performance Additionally, Roku has greenlit a third installment of "Honest Renovations: A Holiday Home Makeover," set to premiere during the 2026 holiday season.
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[11/10/25 - 11:32 AM] Emmy Award-Winning Series "The Pitt" to Debut on TNT Monday, December 1 at 9PM ET/PT As part of a special programming event, three back-to-back episodes will air weekly on Mondays through December 29 on TNT.
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[11/10/25 - 10:31 AM] "A Different World" Sequel Series Heads Back to Hillman College Free-spirited freshman Deborah Wayne, daughter of Dwayne and Whitley, is setting out to build her own legacy alongside a whole new generation of Hillman's best and brightest.
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