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[11/16/07 - 06:11 PM] Development Update: Week of November 12-16 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!
FROM GS TO GENTS (MTV, New!) - Jamie Foxx, Jaime Rucker King and Marcus King have inked a two-year, first-look production agreement with MTV and VH1. The pact gives said networks first crack at any projects from their FoxxKing Entertainment banner. Already in the works: "From Gs to Gents," a reality series in which a group of men are given social makeovers in a bid to turn them into gentlemen. No other details were given about the project, which the trio will executive produce. The company was previously set up at Paramount and MTV Films, where they signed a two-year first-look deal in October 2005.
THE KILL POINT (Spike TV) - The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Rob Owen has confirmed the limited series won't be returning for a sequel. His report includes a quote from a Spike TV spokeswoman about the cancellation, saying, "We are out of the serialized one-hour business. We need programming that we can repeat." Producers had previously been in talks about a potential follow-up to the project.
KNIGHT RIDER (NBC) - Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Grindhouse") is the latest addition to the two-hour movie/backdoor pilot, a "Transformers"-inspired sequel to the 1980s series that centers on Mike Tracer (Justin Bruening), Michael Knight's son. She'll play a feisty FBI agent who doesn't get along with Mike.
THE MAN OF YOUR DREAMS (NBC) - "Battlestar Galactica" co-star Michael Trucco has scored the lead role in the comedy pilot, about a womanizer (Trucco) who uses his expertise to help romantically challenged women. Trucco's casting lifts the contingency off the pilot's production. Jay Lacopo is behind the multi-camera half-hour, which he's executive producing alongside the Universal Media Studios-based Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger. Production on the pilot is set to begin as soon as the WGA strike ends.
THE MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER (Lifetime) - Gretchen Mol ("3:10 to Yuma") will round out the cast of the upcoming telefilm, based on the bestselling Kim Edwards novel. Mol will play a woman who gives birth to twins -- one of whom has Down syndrome and is secretly raised by another woman after Mol's character is told the child died at birth. Dermot Mulroney and Emily Watson also star in the project, which Mick Jackson ("Tuesdays With Morrie") is directing from an adaptation by John Pielmeier. Production on the movie is set to be completed in time for a March bow. Howard Braunstein and Michael Jaffe are the executive producers.
THE OAKS (FOX) - Michael Rispoli ("The Black Donnellys") and Romy Rosemont ("Prison Break") have both joined the cast of the drama pilot, about the intertwined stories of three families - a young couple who have just lost a child in 1968, a family of four in 1988 and a pregnant couple in 2008 - who live in the same house and are haunted by a restless spirit. They'll play the parents in 1988 with Rosemont taking over for the originally cast Gina McKee. Her exit is believed to be tied to the producers' desire to shift that portion of the show in a more comedic, blue-collar direction. Non-writing executive producer Gina Matthews oversaw said castings as creator David Schulner and showrunner Shawn Ryan remain on strike. Production is currently underway in Pasadena on the 20th Century Fox Television/Little Engine-based project with Michael Cuesta directing.
The original casting notices for Rispoli and Rosemont read as follows - "Frank: Early-Mid 40s, a bit sloppy and has a sense of humor , he is Molly's husband, and the father of 8 years old Lucy and 14 year old Brian, who lives in The Oaks house in 1987. He is the last one to get to use the bathroom in the mornings and often regrets entering into heated family discussions. He's trying to bring a bit of passion into his marriage at Molly's request, and grows frustrated when their attempts to schedule sex are thwarted. Eventually, though, he takes charge and tells Molly no time will be right, but they love each other and bad sex is better than no sex. He's disturbed by his daughter Lucy's recent foray into bad behavior." - and - "Molly: Early-Mid 40s. She's a harried wife and mother of two (an 8 years old daughter and 14 years old son) who is struggling to keep passion alive in her marriage. She lives in The Oaks house in 1987, and her looks, clothing and attitude reflects this (she has the full '80s aerobics outfit). The bloom is definitely off the rose in her relationship with her husband Frank, and their attempts to schedule sex don't usually go as planned, but they are devoted to one another. She is perplexed and disturbed by Lucy's recent bad behavior, which is supposedly dictated by a never-seen imaginary friend, Amelia."
SUPERMANNY (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has commissioned a pilot to a flipped version of its mainstay "Supernanny" from producer Ricochet. The series, which was in development before the WGA strike, features a male child-care worker who will take a tough-love approach to fixing chaotic households. No other specifics however were released.
UNDER (A&E) - Henry Thomas ("Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King") has signed on as the lead role in the drama pilot, about a young thug (Thomas) who, after being marked for death by the mob and turning state's evidence against them, joins the witness protection program where he works as an NYPD patrolman but is unable to escape his past. In addition, Charles S. Dutton has come aboard to helm the hour, which comes from Fox Television Studios, creator Charles Murray and fellow executive producers Gary Randall and Nancy Miller. Thomas's involvement lifts the cast contingency off the pilot's production, which is set to begin next month in Vancouver.
UNTITLED GOTHAM GROUP PROJECT (FOX, New!) - The Gotham Group ("Creature Comforts") has inked a three-for-one pilot deal with the network, which calls for the management firm to develop three half-hour animated projects - one of which is guaranteed a pilot order. The company, lead by founder/CEO Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, represents more than 300 animation writers, directors, animators and animation studios, many of which have worked on FOX's offerings in the genre. Pitching had already begun on potential series however the WGA strike has prevented any significant movement.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[02/11/26 - 02:34 PM] Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - "Watching You" Season 1 (ITV Studios) The Australian series premieres February 20, 2026 on Hulu, and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.
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[02/11/26 - 01:46 PM] "Puppy Bowl XXII" Reaches 15.3 Million Viewers on Sunday, February 8, Delivering Highest Audience in Eight Years The programming event ranked as the #1 non-sports cable telecast of the day among key adult demos and achieved a 20% year-over-year increase in reach, marking its strongest performance since 2018.
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[02/11/26 - 12:07 PM] Culture's Biggest Week Dates Announced! BET Awards Set for June 28 & BETX Returns to Los Angeles June 25-27 For 25 years, the BET Awards has recognized the artists, creators, and leaders shaping culture in real time, delivering iconic performances, unforgettable tributes, and moments that resonate far beyond the stage.
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[02/11/26 - 11:15 AM] Post-Olympics "Tonight Show" Telecast Attracts Most Viewers Since November 2024 The February 6 post-Olympics telecast of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" drew 2.4 million viewers.
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[02/11/26 - 09:33 AM] Video: Trailer Debut - "Scrubs" Season One Premiering February 25th With the show picking up in modern day, the series reunites the original cast for more heartwarming laughs and hijinks while introducing a new generation of interns.
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[02/11/26 - 09:01 AM] Video: "Rental Family" - Trailer - Hulu The Brendan Fraser-led film streams on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ February 18.
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[02/11/26 - 09:00 AM] Meet the Three New Farmers Ready to Cultivate Real Connections as "Farmer Wants a Wife" Returns Tuesday, April 21 at 8/7c on FOX Hosted once again by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, season four strips the experience down to the roots, focusing on fewer farmers and deeper connections as a new group of single women leave behind city comforts for muddy boots, early mornings and the promise of forever.
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[02/11/26 - 09:00 AM] Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall and Jack Sussman to Produce "The 79th Annual Tony Awards" Kapoor, whose live event work has earned him multiple Emmy Awards, joins the celebratory event for the first time, while Emmy winner Levine Hall and Sussman have a long history contributing to the success of Broadway's biggest night.
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[02/11/26 - 08:31 AM] Netflix's "XO, Kitty" Season 3 - First Look, Date Announcement & Synopsis Debut The new season of the spin-off series returns to Netflix on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
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[02/11/26 - 08:07 AM] ID's "Hunt for the Missing: Chicago" Looks to Find Answers to Some of the City's Most Haunting Unsolved Cases Following Retired Chicago Detective Pamela Childs, a fearless and unflinching investigator whose mission is to not let cold cases go forgotten, the series explores some of the city's most haunting unsolved missing persons cases.
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[02/11/26 - 08:06 AM] BritBox Announces March 18th Premiere for "The Lady" The four-part drama series captures the rise and fall of former royal aide Jane Andrews, and stars Mia McKenna-Bruce as Andrews, Natalie Dormer as Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Ed Speleers as Thomas Cressman.
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[02/11/26 - 07:01 AM] Video: "Vladimir" - Official Trailer - Netflix When an English professor becomes obsessed with a handsome new colleague, her already complicated marriage and career are thrown into total chaos.
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[02/11/26 - 07:01 AM] Video: Prime Video Debuts Official Key Art and Trailer for "Scarpetta," Based on Patricia Cornwell's Bestselling Novels, Premiering March 11 With over 120 million copies sold worldwide since the character's debut in 1990, this adaptation marks the culmination of decades of anticipation as the beloved forensic pathologist finally comes to the screen.
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[02/11/26 - 06:00 AM] The "Descendants/ZOMBIES Worlds Collide: Concert Special" Is Coming to Disney+ and Disney Channel The special will premiere February 19 on Disney Channel and will be available to stream the next day on Disney+.
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[02/11/26 - 01:01 AM] Video: "Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere" - Official Teaser - Netflix With rare access and no holds barred, the acclaimed documentarian investigates a growing ultra-masculine network and its controversial influencers.
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