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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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[03/31/26 - 06:45 PM]
CBS News Will Air a Special Report for President Donald J. Trump's Live Primetime Address to the Nation from the White House, Wednesday, April 1, at 9:00 PM ET
The special two-hour "Survivor" episode (starting at 8:00 PM ET/PT) will resume where it left off immediately following the president's address for Eastern and Central Time Zone viewers on the CBS Television Network and air in its entirety.
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[03/31/26 - 05:01 PM]
A Demon Falls for a Human in "Long Vacation": Netflix Greenlights New Romance Series from Director of "Crash Landing on You"
Choo Young-woo stars as Demon 3375, while Lee Se-young plays Deul-pan, setting up a fresh romantic pairing at the center of a supernatural love story with a grounded human emotional core.
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[03/31/26 - 04:01 PM]
"Bad Sisters" Alum Daryl McCormack Joins Dakota Fanning and Stellan Skarsgard in a New Original Thriller
The Apple TV series stars Fanning as an undercover Treasury agent in a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate.
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[03/31/26 - 02:44 PM]
ESPN Scores Third Most-Watched NCAA Women's Sweet 16 Ever
Through the Sweet 16, viewers have consumed 4.9 billion minutes of live game action, making the 2026 tournament the second most-consumed on record.
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[03/31/26 - 02:27 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Delivers Its Best Season-Opening Telecast Since 2021
2,591,000 viewers tuned into a two-game slate highlighted by the New York Yankees' victory over the San Francisco Giants.
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[03/31/26 - 01:01 PM]
Video: "Yiya Murano: Death at Tea Time" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A charming housewife is investigated for poisoning her friends at tea time in this documentary about a true-crime case that continues to grip Argentina.
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[03/31/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of March 23 - Listen Up, Lads - "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" Takes No. 1 in the Top 10
Also maintaining its position in the Top 10 for a third week, "One Piece" Season 2 held strong at No. 1 on the English TV list with 5.9 million views.
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[03/31/26 - 11:31 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "Money Madness: College Basketball at a Crossroads" Now Streaming on CNN App
The documentary special is now streaming for CNN's streaming subscribers and will air Sunday, April 5 at 8pm ET on CNN.
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[03/31/26 - 11:25 AM]
Video: "Big Mood" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Tubi Original
It's been a year since Maggie (Nicola Coughlan) and Eddie (Lydia West) last saw each other, without any contact between the best friends.
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[03/31/26 - 10:20 AM]
"Sesame Street" Arrives on Tubi with 250 Nostalgic Episodes
Every quarter, 10% of the episodes will be refreshed making additional episodes available for fans to discover.
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[03/31/26 - 10:13 AM]
BET Experience FanFest Tickets Now on Sale for June 25-27 in Los Angeles
General admission is free, and VIP tickets are available now at betexperience.com.
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[03/31/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Age of Attraction" Gets Second Shot at Love with Season 2 Renewal
Season 1 debuted in the Netflix English TV Top 10, where it has remained since its release, reaching the Top 10 in 26 countries.
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[03/31/26 - 09:50 AM]
TNT Sports to Serve Up Banana Ball this Summer on truTV & HBO Max
TNT Sports will showcase 15 Banana Ball games this summer on truTV and HBO Max, presented by Tropical Smoothie Cafe, beginning Friday, May 8 at Truist Park - home of the Atlanta Braves - when the Savannah Bananas face the Party Animals as part of the Banana Ball World Tour.
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[03/31/26 - 09:35 AM]
Fiona Gubelmann, Paul Campbell, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Melissa Peterman and Tamera Mowry-Housley Star in "All's Fair in Love & Mahjong" Premiering May 9 on Hallmark Channel, Streaming Next Day on Hallmark+
Ronni (Gubelmann) is a beloved school nurse and devoted mom, who hosts a longstanding mahjong game with her dear friends, Shelley (Lowe), Carly (Mowry-Housley) and Melissa (Peterman).
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[03/31/26 - 09:00 AM]
HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television Partner with Alamo Drafthouse to Host Nationwide Healthcare Appreciation Screenings for "The Pitt" Season 2 Finale
Screenings will take place on Monday, April 13, at select Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide.
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