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[01/18/08 - 06:11 PM]
Development Update: Week of January 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!
CIRCUS OF THE STARS (ABC, New!) - ABC is in "serious negotiations" to land a potential revival of the 1980s series, which has also drawn interest from CBS and FOX. Michael Dempsey (MTV's "Video Music Awards") and original executive producer Bunny Stivers are behind the project, which is said to involve a new competitive aspect much like "Dancing With the Stars." Not surprisingly, exact format details have yet to be released as they are still being worked out.
DANCE MACHINE (ABC) - E! News correspondent Jason Kennedy has been named the host of the Alphabet's upcoming reality series, a weekly dance competition featuring non-professionals competing for a cash prize. The network has given the RDF USA-based project a five-episode order. Greg Goldman, Chris Coelen and Metro Entertainment's Brian A. Veskosky are the executive producers. No premiere date however has been announced.
FRINGE (FOX) - Kirk Acevedo ("The Black Donnellys") and Mark Valley ("Boston Legal") are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about a female FBI agent who ends up paired with a troubled scientist and his estranged son in a hunt for paranormal phenomena. Acevedo is believed to be playing Charlie Francis, a good-natured FBI agent, with Valley reportedly set as John Scott, another agent with whom the lead character is involved. J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Burk and Alex Graves are all behind the Warner Bros. Television/Bad Robot-based hour, which Graves is directing from a script by the former trio. Production then is set to begin next month in Toronto.
LAST OF THE NINTH (A.K.A. UNTITLED DAVID MILCH/BILL CLARK PROJECT) (HBO) - David Milch and Bill Clark's long-in-the-works drama script has been given a pilot commitment and a title. The project is described as a gritty drama set in the New York Police Department in 1972. As for specifics, Milch told Daily Variety: "It is about an older detective's mentoring of a young detective returned from Vietnam in a department fiscally crippled, under attack by revolutionaries, and which has been brought by allegations of systemic corruption into public disrepute." The pair co-wrote the pilot script and will executive produce. Filming then is expected to begin upon the conclusion of the WGA strike. Milch has an overall deal with HBO, which was extended back in August following the cancellation of "John From Cincinnati."
SPECIAL DELIVERY (LMN, New!) - Lisa Edelstein ("House") and Brenda Song ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody") are set to topline a new "Midnight Run"-esque movie for the Lifetime sibling, about a bonded courier working in the Pacific Rim who's assigned to deliver a bratty teen to her father in China to her mother in the U.S. Edelstein will play said courier, Maxine Carter, with Song as the teen Alice. Michael Scott is set to direct the project from a script by Matt Dearborn with MarVista Entertainment's Michael Jacobs serving as executive producer and Marc Lorber producing. Production is set to begin later this year for a December air date.
TV LAND MYTHS & LEGENDS (TV Land) - TV Land is moving forward with a second season of the series, which aims to find out the truth behind mysteries, scandals, rumors and urban legends revolving around celebrities, music, TV series and movies. Seven new episodes are set to roll out on Wednesdays at 10:00/9:00c starting August 27. Among the upcoming topics: was Arnold Schwarzenegger originally cast as TV's "Incredible Hulk," is Jennifer Lopez's derriere really insured for $1 billion and did Mars Inc., maker of M&M's, turn down product placement in "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial?" The show's first season drew an average of 819,000 viewers, a 54% improvement over the same time period a year earlier. Gay Rosenthal Productions' Paul Barrosse is the executive producer.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[01/29/26 - 12:56 PM]
"Dirty Rotten Scandals" Premieres Wednesday, March 4 at 9PM ET/PT on E!
This season explores the darker side of some of America's most beloved television shows by delivering untold stories from past participants and new original reporting.
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[01/29/26 - 12:11 PM]
Mandy Patinkin Signs on to Play Odin in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
Based on PlayStation's massively popular ancient mythology-themed video game, the series has received a two-season order, with pre-production underway in Vancouver, and casting has begun.
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[01/29/26 - 12:00 PM]
Presenters Announced for "68th Annual Grammy Awards," Sunday, Feb. 1 on CBS
Carole King, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Doechii, Harry Styles, Jeff Goldblum, KAROL G, Lainey Wilson, Marcello Hernández, Nikki Glaser, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah and Teyana Taylor are among the featured talent.
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[01/29/26 - 11:17 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors on February 11
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Memphis Grizzlies vs. Denver Nuggets game.
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[01/29/26 - 11:03 AM]
Paramount+ to Premiere True-Crime Documentary "Wild Boys: Strangers in Town" on February 18
The two-part documentary chronicles the astonishing true story of two young brothers who emerged from the forests of British Columbia in the summer of 2003, claiming they had been raised entirely off the grid - without schools, doctors or any record of their existence.
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[01/29/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Orders New Limited Series "The Chain" from Damon Lindelof
Details are under wraps, but Lindelof is said to be expanding the mythology of Adrian McKinty's award-winning thriller.
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[01/29/26 - 10:11 AM]
Olafur Darri Olafsson Signs on to Play Thor in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
Previously announced cast members include Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Max Parker as Heimdall.
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[01/29/26 - 10:10 AM]
CNN Original Series Releases First Look and Introduces "Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever"
Produced by EverWonder Studio, the series will premiere later this spring as part of CNN Originals' anticipated 2026 programming slate.
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[01/29/26 - 10:05 AM]
Bravo's "Top Chef" Returns for Season 23, Serving Bold Flavors and Carolina Charm
The Emmy, James Beard and Critics Choice Award-winning series returns Monday, March 9.
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[01/29/26 - 10:02 AM]
ESPN Original Series "On the Edge: World Cup Ski Racing" to Premiere January 30
The five-episode series follows the world's most elite ski racers across the 2025-26 season and 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
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[01/29/26 - 09:38 AM]
FOX Nation Goes Deep Inside the Power, Scandal and Secrets of America's Early Presidents in New Docudrama "The White House"
The eight-part series brings to life the shocking true stories of the presidents, spouses, family members, confidantes, and adversaries, not just in the stately, public rooms of the White House, but in the intimate spaces they shared all under one roof.
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[01/29/26 - 09:31 AM]
HBO Max Launches "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" Inspired "Squire For Hire" Social Series, Taskrabbit Partnership and Sweepstakes
The digital campaign brings the spirit of Westeros to life, along with a fan sweepstakes that offers a unique way for audiences to feel as if they're part of the story.
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[01/29/26 - 09:30 AM]
Video: Starz Releases Emotional Final Trailer for the Timeless Romantic Drama "Outlander," Premiering March 6
The groundbreaking, time-traveling drama returns on Friday, March 6, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays.
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[01/29/26 - 09:05 AM]
57th NAACP Image Awards to Honor A$AP Rocky with Vanguard Award for Fashion
He is also nominated for three NAACP Image Awards for his role in "Highest 2 Lowest," which has garnered a total of nine nominations.
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[01/29/26 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix Announces Katt Williams' Fourth Stand-Up Special, "The Last Report"
Back for his fourth Netflix stand-up special, comedy icon Katt Williams delivers his famously bold takes on conspiracies, celebrities and the world at large in this electrifying set.
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