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[04/25/08 - 06:16 PM]
Development Update: Friday, April 25
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!
CASTLE (ABC) - Nathan Fillion ("Desperate Housewives") is in negotiations to topline the drama pilot, about a famous mystery novelist helping the NYPD solve crimes. Fillion would play the title character, Nick Castle. Rob Bowman is directing the ABC Studios-based project from a script by Andrew Marlowe.
CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS) - A&E and ION Media Networks have each acquired the off-network rights to the veteran CBS drama. The former, whose license fee is estimated to in the $650,000-$700,000 per episode range, will begin airing weekly repeats of the series starting next month with a five-night-a-week expansion in the fall of 2009. ION, who is said to have forked over $175,000 per episode, will likewise begin its strip of the series in the fall of 2009. The pact with co-producers ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television is capped at eight seasons. In terms of comparable off-network sales, the combined $825,000-$875,000 per episode fee falls behind recent acquisitions such as "Cold Case" (TNT, $1.4 million), "Without a Trace" (TNT, $1.4 million) and "CSI: NY" (Spike TV, $1.9 million) but ahead of "Bones" (TNT, $450,000).
LAW & ORDER (NBC) - Tom Everett Scott ("Cashmere Mafia") is set to appear in the show's final two episodes this season. He'll play Governer Shalvoy in said installments, one of which will also feature Alison Elliott ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford") as his wife, Rita. No other details about their roles were given.
LITTLE GIRL LOST: THE DELIMAR VERA STORY (LMN, New!) - Judy Reyes ("Scrubs"), Ana Ortiz ("Ugly Betty") and A Martinez ("General Hospital") have all signed on to star in a new original for the Lifetime sibling. The project, due later this year, is based on the true story of Luz Cuevas (Reyes), who believed that her infant daughter, Delimar, had perished in a fire in their Philadelphia apartment, only to spot her at a birthday part six years later. Ortiz will play Valerie Valleja, a distant relative of Luz's, while Martinez is as Angel Cruz, a councilman who helps Luz. Paul Kaufman, Joey Plager, Larry Thompson and Harvey Kahn of Front Street Productions are executive producing the project, which Kaufman is directing. Lifetime is co-producing in association with TF1.
THE MEANT TO BE'S (CBS) - Tom Hollander ("Pirates of the Caribbean") has joined the cast of the pilot, a romantic drama about a young woman (Amy Smart) who dies, but in order to "pass over," she must return to Earth and help people improve their lives. He'll play the head of the Fate division who is bending the rules to save lives. Ioan Gruffudd also stars in the project, which comes from CBS Paramount Network Television and creator Glenn Gordon Caron.
MY BROTHER'S HOT (AND OTHER DILEMMAS) (A.K.A. UNTITLED KRISTIN NEWMAN PROJECT) (ABC) - Alyssa Milano ("My Name Is Earl") is in talks to play the lead role in the comedy pilot, about a thirtysomething woman (Milano) who tries to break free of her overbearing and dysfunctional family, friends and boss. Her character, Louisa "Lou," is further detailed in the casting notice as follows: "Early 30s, Female, a bit rumpled and girl-next-door pretty, intelligent, with a sense of humor, selfless. Lou has never gotten married or even managed much of a life of her own because she's always been caught up in the lives of her parents: her larger-than-life, selfish, charming mother, Elizabeth, and her irresponsible father, Joe, both of whom got divorced when she was 12. Something of a mother figure to Joe's young children by his second wife, Lou works at a literacy program funded by a famous playboy athlete, and is pretty much put herself in call to the catastrophes/demands of both her parents. Urged by her best friend Sasha to get some "me" time and go out of town to hook up with The Nice Chicago Guy, Lou finds her plans put off - again - when her dad drops his latest bomb: he's marrying again, his kids are in rebellion, his new fiance has a hunky 35 year old son who's perfect for Lou, and worst of all--her mother chooses this moment to decide to devote the rest of her life to her relationship to Lou." The single-camera half-hour comes from creator Kristin Newman and co-producers ABC Studios and DreamWorks Television.
THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY (ABC) - Aunjanue Ellis ("Justice") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, a gothic family soap inspired by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" set in the world of the Detroit auto industry. She'll play Cora Neel in the ABC Studios-based project, which comes from co-creators Hamish Linklater and Jessica Goldberg. Her character is detailed in the casting notice as follows: "40s-50s, African-American, "Diana Ross sexy and Condi Rice ruthless," she's a member of Hamilton's board who is absolutely appalled by the information that Billy is the new owner of Hamilton Motors. She believes the best idea is to sell the entire company to a German manufacturer. She and Paul Riley have a tense relationship, and no one except Cora knows why William Hamilton appointed Cora to the board in the first place."
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[04/03/26 - 11:00 AM]
Hulu Is the Place for New Anime in April
From series launches of "Mao" and "Snowball Earth" to a new season of "Mission: Yozakura Family," there's so much for fans to sink their teeth into.
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[04/03/26 - 09:55 AM]
Video: AMC/AMC+ Releases an Inside Look at "The Audacity," From Emmy Award-Winner Jonathan Glatzer
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[04/03/26 - 09:08 AM]
Bobby Flay, Maneet Chauhan and Brooke Williamson Lead Teams of Elite Pitmasters in Return of Fiery Competition Series "BBQ Brawl"
The series returns Monday, May 11 at 9pm ET/PT with three superstar chefs leading a brand-new roster of twelve pitmasters in a fierce battle to win the title of "Master of 'Cue."
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[04/03/26 - 08:00 AM]
Season Six of The Global Hit Series "The Chosen" Premieres Exclusively on Prime Video, November 15, 2026
Featuring six episodes, season six will debut three episodes on November 15, followed by the release of a weekly episode through December 6.
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[04/03/26 - 07:01 AM]
BET to Air "HBCU AWAREFEST Benefit Concert Special" Sunday, April 5 at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT
The star-studded benefit concert supporting HBCUs features a genre-spanning lineup including Jill Scott, Tems, Common, Jeezy, Yolanda Adams, Coco Jones, Kirk Franklin, BigXthaPlug, and more.
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[04/03/26 - 07:00 AM]
James Marsden Returns to Host "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat" Reunion Special For Prime Video On April 10
The bonus episodes will debut on April 10, 2026, and will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[04/03/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Fake Profile" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Camila meets her Prince Charming through a dating app. After an idyllic romance, she plans to surprise him - only to end up trapped in a false paradise.
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[04/02/26 - 08:01 PM]
Video: Competition Heats Up with Intrigue and Spices - Netflix Unveils Trailer for New Drama "Made with Love"
At the heart of this culinary showdown is Luka, an ambitious young chef determined to become head chef at her mother's legendary restaurant.
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[04/02/26 - 01:46 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers Sunday Morning, in Late-Night and Friday Night
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[04/02/26 - 01:45 PM]
Katie Conway Promoted to Executive Producer of Robin Roberts Production Unit at ABC News Studios
Conway joined the unit in 2023 when it launched as a senior producer.
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[04/02/26 - 12:31 PM]
Paramount+ Greenlights New Reality Series, "Team Moms," Executive Produced by Kim Kardashian and Love Island Producers, ITV
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[04/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
Jamie Bell and Charlie Heaton Lead a New Generation of "Peaky Blinders" and First Look of Bell as Duke Is Revealed
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[04/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
"Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" Returns for One Last Spell This Summer on Disney+ and Disney Channel
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[04/02/26 - 11:44 AM]
First-Ever "American Idol" Simulcast on ABC and Disney+ Surges Double Digits
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[04/02/26 - 11:11 AM]
Sarah Drew and Eric Johnson to Headline "When I Said I Do" (wt), The New Movie Inspired by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black's Beloved Duet of the Same Name
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