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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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[10/13/26 - 12:01 PM]
Peacock Greenlights New Series "Assassins" from Executive Producers Scarlett Johansson, Brien Meagher & Rhett Bachner
In "Assassins," a group of players compete in a ruthless game of cunning strategy and wit inspired by the massive global phenomenon played in real life around the world.
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[10/13/26 - 12:01 PM]
Emmy-Winning HBO Original Comedy Series "Girls," Created by and Starring Lena Dunham, to Return for a Limited Run
Returning cast will include Dunham as Hannah, Allison Williams as Marnie, Jemima Kirke as Jessa, Zosia Mamet as Shoshanna, Andrew Rannells as Elijah.
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[10/13/26 - 11:08 AM]
Video: "The Holiday Spark" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
Joey Graziadei and Jamie Chung find a little holiday magic in "The Holiday Spark."
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[10/13/26 - 11:02 AM]
NBC Sports Announces 2026-27 Big 12 Men's Basketball Schedule Featuring 20 Games Across Peacock and NBCSN
The Big 12 conference slate begins on Wednesday, Jan. 6, with the first of three doubleheaders on Peacock and NBCSN, as Texas Tech hosts Baylor at 8 p.m. ET and UCF visits Arizona at 9 p.m. ET.
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[10/13/26 - 11:02 AM]
ESPN and the Big 12 Announce Men's Basketball TV Schedule for 2026-27 Season, Tipping Off November 6
ESPN's five-week Big Monday slate begins Monday, February 1, and continues through March 1, featuring marquee conference matchups including No. 19 Kansas at No. 18 Houston, No. 18 Houston at No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 4 Arizona at No. 20 BYU.
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[10/13/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig brings C.S. Lewis' beloved story to the screen for the first time in a sweeping adventure that invites dreamers of all ages to experience the creation of Narnia.
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[10/13/26 - 10:08 AM]
Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly Reunite This Fall on the CBS Original Series "NCIS: Origins"
The episode airs Tuesday, October 20 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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[10/13/26 - 10:01 AM]
BET Launches "Nick Cannon @ Night," Bringing Candid Conversation to Late Night, Premiering Tuesday, October 20
Hosted by Nick Cannon, BET's modern late-night conversation series brings together entertainers, creators, cultural leaders, doctors, and professionals for candid, funny, and thought-provoking conversations.
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[10/13/26 - 10:00 AM]
Hulu and ESPN Announce New Documentary "Spectacle: Michael Jackson at the Super Bowl" Coming February 2027
In January of 1993, the world of sport, entertainment and broadcast was forever transformed when Michael Jackson took the stage at the Rose Bowl during the Super Bowl XXVII Halftime show.
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[10/13/26 - 09:42 AM]
"From," The Terrifying Sci-Fi Horror Series, Is Coming to Netflix
Seasons 1-3 premiere October 19 on the streaming service.
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[10/13/26 - 09:30 AM]
National Geographic Explorers Uncover Deep-Sea Wonders with Groundbreaking Tech as They Chase Critical Solutions to Dilemmas Facing Life Across All Five Ocean Basins in "Expedition: Saving Our Seas"
The one-hour special premieres Friday, November 13 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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[10/13/26 - 09:30 AM]
FOX Entertainment and Hartbeat Form IP Development and Global Distribution Partnership
The pipeline launches with a slate of 25 live-action titles, spanning thriller, drama, and faith-based storytelling.
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[10/13/26 - 09:17 AM]
Katherine Waterston Joins the Cast of "The Best of Us" for Paramount+
Waterston will play Amy Smith, a lawyer and the soon-to-be ex-wife of Jason (Jeremy Strong).
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[10/13/26 - 09:06 AM]
Great American Media Welcomes 2027 with the 138th Rose Parade Presented by Honda
From the streets of Pasadena to living rooms across America, this treasured New Year's Day tradition will come alive with extraordinary floral artistry, stirring musical performances and spectacular pageantry.
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[10/13/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: NBC Debuts Official Trailers for Monday Night Comedies "St. Denis Medical" & "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins"
Both series return Monday, November 2 starting at 8:00/7:00c.
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