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[05/01/08 - 06:11 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, May 1
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!
90210 (The CW) - Jessica Stroup ("Reaper") has booked a role on the netlet's "90210" relaunch. She'll play Daphne Silver, who's detailed via the casting notice as follows: "Legal 18 to play 16. Born Daphne Silver, this true product of the 21st century has dropped the "Daphne," and - like Madonna, Cher or Paris - opts for a uni-name. Silver, like many of her peers, believes in fame for fame's sake. Her primary talent is her ability to self-promote, shock, provoke, incite. Her self-produced YouTube video series, "Answers to life's inane questions answered by a 15 years old in a bikini" garnered upwards of a half-million hits each. Her ability to pull-off such stunts owes greatly to the lack of a parental figure in the picture. Her mom and stepfather, owners of the Silver Screens movie theater chain, have been "on a cruise" for as long as anyone can remember. Silver shares a swank "above Sunset" mansion with her 24 years old brother, Max. As the friendship between Silver and Annie grows, it will become apparent that Silver is the id and Annie is the ego. Oh, and Dixon makes Silver weak in the knees. It's her Holy Grail to become the only Jewish girl at Beverly Hills High with a black boyfriend." She joins the previously cast AnnaLynne McCord, Dustin Milligan, Jessica Walter, Lori Loughlin, Ryan Eggold and Shenae Grimes in the CBS Paramount Network Television-based hour, which comes from executive producers Gabe Sachs, Jeff Judah and Rob Thomas.
NEVER BETTER (ABC) - Damon Wayans ("My Wife & Kids") is set to topline the single-camera comedy pilot, about a recovering alcoholic who's determined to be a good husband and father despite his many missteps. He'll also serve as an executive producer on the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which was created by David Walpert. Wayans's casting lifts said contingency off the pilot's production. In addition, Marc Buckland ("My Name is Earl") has been tapped to direct the project, which is also executive produced by Warren Littlefield and John Heyman. "Better" is loosely based on the recently launched BBC2 comedy of the same name from writer Sintan Ryan.
PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY (ABC) - Piper Perabo ("Because I Said So") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, a Gothic family soap inspired by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," which centers on a young Harvard professor forced to return to Detroit and take over the family's auto company. She'll play Meg Riley, whom the casting notice details as follows: "Mid 20s-Early 30s, Caucasian, lovely and vibrant. She is Ophelia to Billy's Hamlet; his long lost childhood/teenage love who has never forgotten him. She is a talented sales rep for Hamilton Motors who travels throughout the country but remains stationed in Detroit. Though she is now dating Leo, her passion for Billy runs deep, and she's hurt and stunned when Billy momentarily lashes out at her." Aunjanue Ellis also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which comes from co-creators Hamish Linklater and Jessica Goldberg.
THE STARTER WIFE (USA) - David Alan Basche ("Lipstick Jungle") has joined the cast of the series, a follow-up to the highly rated mini-series of the same name. He'll take over for Peter Jacobson - who subsequently became a series regular on "House" - as Kenny Kagan, the ex-husband of Debra Messing's character. He's detailed as follows: "Early 40s. Molly's ex. He is a hugely successful movie producer, high-strung, driven, narcissistic, immature but charming, charismatic even while being bombastic. Self-pitying when his latest film bombs big-time, Kenny is given a rallying pep talk by Molly and is quickly restored to all his "cheerful sociopathic glory"." Chris Diamantopoulos and Judy Davis also star in the project, which comes from 3 Arts Entertainment, McGibbon-Parriott Productions and Universal Media Studios.
SUBURBAN SHOOTOUT (HBO) - Kerri Kenney ("Reno 911") and Rachael Harris ("Notes from the Underbelly") have both been cast in the pilot, a dark comedy about a woman who escapes the city for suburban bliss only to find herself caught between two rival gangs of homicidal housewives vying for control of the town. Kenney will play Barbara, a battle-hardened gang leader, with Harris as Natalie, a member of the opposite gang who is at odds with Barbara. Barry Sonnenfeld is helming the project from a script by Michelle Ashford.
UNTITLED DAVID HEMINGSON PROJECT (ABC) - Matt Long ("Jack & Bobby"), Norbert Leo Butz ("Dan in Real Life") and Australian Ben Lawson have all signed onto the drama pilot, about a law school grad (Long) from a blue-collar background who gets lured to join a Los Angeles boutique law firm. Butz then will play the firm's smooth-as-silk, no-holds-barred recruiter, while Lawson is set as an associate at the firm. David Hemingson is behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which Dean Parisot is directing.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[02/05/26 - 02:03 PM]
Great American Media Signs Exclusive Multi-Picture Deal with Fan-Favorite Actress, Merritt Patterson
The company also announces the first film of the new deal is "Meet Me in the Margins," adapted from bestselling author Melissa Ferguson's novel of the same name.
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[02/05/26 - 12:42 PM]
"20/20" Ranks No. 1 in the Two-Hour Time Period Across the Board
Hitting new season highs on January 30, "20/20" grew from the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
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[02/05/26 - 11:31 AM]
Apple Original Films Lands Global Rights to Sundance Film Festival Selection "The Last First: Winter K2"
Director Amir Bar-Lev tells a complex, harrowing and moving story that unpacks the industry of extreme mountain climbing and its changing culture.
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[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original "Murder in Glitterball City," A Two-Part Documentary, Debuts February 19
Inspired by the non-fiction book "A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City" by David Dominé, the film chronicles a 2010 murder case that starts with a 911 phone call that leads police to the gruesome discovery of a body buried in the basement of a Victorian mansion.
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[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer and Key Art for New Original Feature Film, "Deb Is Boss" Premiering Thursday, March 5
Before becoming a powerhouse music executive who launched Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, and French Montana, Deb Antney (Lil Mama) was a street-smart survivor navigating the dangerous underworlds of Queens, NY and Boston, MA.
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[02/05/26 - 10:31 AM]
Nicolette van Dam and Bas Smit Present the Dutch Version of "Love Is Blind"
"Love Is Blind: Netherlands" arrives on Netflix in 2026.
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[02/05/26 - 10:12 AM]
"Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time" Premieres March 27, 2026 on PBS
As the Graham Company nears its landmark 100th anniversary, "We Are Our Time" offers a rare behind-the-scenes portrait of the company, exploring Graham's legacy through the dancers who embody her work today.
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[02/05/26 - 10:03 AM]
ABC's Juggernaut Tuesday Scores More Wins
"High Potential's" January 20 episode jumped to 12.98 million Total Viewers and a 2.17 rating among Adults 18-49 after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, scoring a series high among Total Viewers.
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[02/05/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Series "Rooster," Starring Steve Carell, From Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, Debuts March 8
A comedy set on a college campus centering on an author's (Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter (Charly Clive).
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[02/05/26 - 10:01 AM]
Small State, Big Drama. Secrets Rise with the Tide on "The Real Housewives of Rhode Island," Premiering on Thursday, April 2 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
The series will move to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 9:00/8:00c on April 5.
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[02/05/26 - 09:31 AM]
CNN Original Series Releases First Look and Introduces "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose"
"Any chance I get to remind my fellow Americans that we are still the best idea for a country anyone has ever had I'm going to take it. My eagle is still bald and my banner is still spangled with stars," said Ferguson.
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[02/05/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Predator: Badlands" - Trailer - Hulu
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film streams on Hulu and with Hulu on Disney+ February 12.
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[02/05/26 - 09:00 AM]
Date Announcement: Will Forte & D'Arcy Carden's "Sunny Nights" Comes to Hulu
After a critical acclaimed Australian debut, the darkly comedic crime drama starring Will Forte and D'Arcy Carden makes its U.S. debut on March 11 on Hulu.
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[02/05/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Teaser and Premiere Date for Upcoming Original Series "The Miniature Wife"
All episodes of the series starring Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen will premiere on April 9, 2026 only on Peacock.
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[02/05/26 - 08:29 AM]
Video: "The Forsytes" Official Trailer
Don't miss the U.S. premiere of this highly anticipated drama Sunday, March 22 on PBS.
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