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[03/27/09 - 06:24 PM]
Development Update: Friday, March 27
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!
BEN HUR (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet is set to team with Alchemy Television Group and Spain's Drimtim Entertainment for a new mini-series about the renegade hero in ancient Rome. William Wyler's 1959 film about the subject took home 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Steve Shill ("Rome") will direct the $22.5 million production from a script by Alan Sharp ("Rob Roy"). Casting is underway on the project, which will begin filming in May in Spain, Morocco and Canada. David Wyler, William Wyler's son, is executive producing alongside Alchemy's Simon Vaughan and Drimtim's Roger Corbi. It's understood ABC plans to air the project as a limited series however no air date has been set.
EMPIRE STATE (ABC) - David Call is the latest addition to the drama pilot, "a contemporary Romeo-and-Juliet tale about the love between the blue-collar Sam (Mike Vogel) and the wealthy Annabelle (Beau Garrett) whose fathers are nemeses." He'll play the man's younger brother in the project, which comes from writer Michael Seitzman, director Jeremy Podeswa and ABC Studios.
MASTERWORK (FOX) - Aussie Matt Passmore and Brit Tom Ellis have both landed lead roles on the drama pilot, a thriller about a race against time to recover the world's most sought-after artifacts. They'll join the previously cast Natalie Dormer. Passmore will play an FBI agent specializing in the acquisition of stolen art who teams with Dormer's character, an MI-5 agent. Ellis then plays her fiance, a special agent at Scotland Yard. Paul T. Scheuring penned the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which Jeffrey Nachmanoff is directing.
NEW YORK GOES TO WORK (VH1, New!) - Tiffany "New York" Pollard is set to topline another series for the cable channel in which she undertakes various jobs suggested by text-messaging viewers. The series, from reality house 51 Minds Entertainment - home to previous Pollard efforts "I Love New York" and "Flavor of Love," will launch on Monday, May 4 at 10:00/9:00c. Here's the network's official description: "Each week America will choose from a list of three possible job opportunities and vote via their mobile phones by texting which job they would like to see Tiffany try. Will she be a Cal Trans sewer worker, a mortuary beautician, or a fast food employee? It will be up to you. And don�t think it will be easy for Tiffany. She�ll be worked, in all aspects of the job! Why again is she doing this? For the money of course. If she can impress her new employers, she�ll receive a $5,000 bonus each week. But, if she quits, fails, or gets fired, she�ll get absolutely nothing." Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego are the executive producers.
STATE OF ROMANCE (NBC) - Stephen Rannazzisi ("Big Day") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about the "Pride & Prejudice"-esque relationship between Mike (Steve Howey) and Emily (Lindsey Broad). He'll play Mike's roommate in the project, which comes from Universal Media Studios and co-creators Barbara Wallace and Tom Wolfe.
VICTORIA SILVSTEDT: MY PERFECT LIFE (E!, New!) - The cable channel has acquired the rights to the rights to the U.K.-produced reality series, which tracks the life of the former Playboy Playmate of the Year. Set to roll out Thursday, April 2 at 8:00/7:00c, the project bowed on E!'s counterpart in the U.K. back in November.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[06/15/26 - 02:30 PM]
NBA Champion New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby to Make Special Guest Appearances on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Airing Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17
The episodes will also feature interviews with Olivia Wilde, Stephen Root and Chef Ham El-Waylly (June 16) and Kerry Washington and Alden Ehrenreich (June 17).
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[06/15/26 - 02:00 PM]
New Fantastical Animated Series "Journey" (wt) Greenlit for Disney+
The magical, music-filled series is now in production from Disney Kids & Family and Higher Ground.
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[06/15/26 - 11:00 AM]
MLB on ESPN Schedule Updates: Texas Rangers Visit Cleveland Guardians on June 29; Cincinnati Reds Host Milwaukee Brewers on July 1; Doubleheader Set for July 8
ESPN's exclusive Major League Baseball coverage throughout the season also includes MLB Game of the Day on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited plan subscribers, plus "Baseball Tonight" coverage surrounding marquee matchups.
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[06/15/26 - 10:01 AM]
"The Four Seasons" Renewed for Season 3 on Netflix
The news was shared live onstage by Netflix's Head of Scripted Series for US and Canada, Jinny Howe, during a fireside chat at the BANFF World Media Festival.
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[06/15/26 - 09:46 AM]
Netflix Announces New Romance Drama, "Icebreaker" - Based on The #1 New York Times Best-Selling Novel by Hannah Grace
The upcoming college romance series follows Anastasia Allen, a competitive figure skater with her eyes on Olympic gold.
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[06/15/26 - 09:46 AM]
FOX Sports Opens FIFA World Cup 2026 with Record Viewership
7,186,000 viewers watched Mexico top South Africa 2-0; while 3,071,000 viewers watched Korea Republic's 2-1 win over Czechia.
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[06/15/26 - 09:10 AM]
ESPN's Presentation of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 Draws Largest Game 5 Audience Since 2018
Thursday night's coverage averaged 5.8 million viewers on ABC.
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[06/15/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "I'm Not Afraid" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a 10-year-old boy stumbles upon a terrifying sight, he learns the brutal realities of life, survival and desperation in a town on the edge.
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[06/15/26 - 07:35 AM]
David Tennant, Nicola Coughlan, Jodie Whittaker, Jim Broadbent, Richard Ayoade, Adrian Lukis and Kathryn Hunter Join the Season 6 Cast of "Only Murders in the Building"
Keep calm and update the case file.
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[06/15/26 - 07:01 AM]
Netflix and iHeartMedia Expand Exclusive Video Podcast Partnership with New Star-Driven iHeartPodcasts
The shows now joining the existing lineup on Netflix include the new "Suite 305 with Lele Pons," "The Martha Stewart Podcast," and "Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson."
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[06/15/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Greenlights New ESPN Original Series "Setting the Tempo"
The four-episode series takes audiences inside the exhilarating, high-stakes process of building a WNBA franchise from the ground up.
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[06/15/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Last House" - Greta Lee and Wagner Moura - Official Trailer - Netflix
A family of four are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out, and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped.
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[06/15/26 - 06:01 AM]
"Disney Celebrates America: Nashville's Star-Spangled Bash," Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, Reveals Performance Lineup
The event will be available live coast to coast Saturday, July 4 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, ABC News Live, which streams on Disney+ and Hulu, the ESPN App, Freeform, FX and NatGeo.
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[06/15/26 - 05:00 AM]
Peacock Debuts First Bravo Original Unscripted Microdrama "Campus Confidential: Miami" Now Streaming on Mobile
Broken down into two chapters, the series follows an elite group of students in sun-soaked Miami as they navigate friendships, romance, Greek life, and social media scandals, proving that behind every yacht party and perfect post lies a much messier reality.
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[06/15/26 - 04:05 AM]
Fox Corporation to Acquire Roku, Inc.
FOX will acquire Roku for $160.00 per share in a combination of cash and FOX Class A common stock, valuing Roku at approximately $22 billion in enterprise value.
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