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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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[04/28/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix Expands "Stranger Things" Universe: "Tales From '85" Scores Early Season 2 Renewal
"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" debuted in the Netflix Global Top 10 at #7 this week, securing a spot in the top 15 animated series debuts of all time.
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[04/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 20 - Charlize Theron Climbs to No. 1 with "Apex" in This Week's Top 10
Another warning to be careful who you trust, the psychological thriller series "Unchosen" debuted at No. 1 on the English TV list with 10.4 million views.
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[04/28/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original Sports Documentary Series "U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men's National Soccer Team" Debuts May 12
The five-part documentary series is an unprecedented look inside the United States Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT) in the leadup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this June.
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[04/28/26 - 10:01 AM]
Dave Chappelle's Pulling Up on Netflix Is a Joke Fest with Star-Studded Music and Comedy Shows
For three nights from May 7-9, the comedian takes over the legendary Hollywood Palladium with shows that blend comedy and music with surprise guest appearances.
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[04/28/26 - 09:08 AM]
CNN Original Series "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose" Premieres Saturday, May 30 at 9PM ET/PT
Timed to America's 250th anniversary, the five-episode sees Ferguson travel coast-to-coast to explore the defining ideas, and contradictions, at the heart of the United States.
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[04/28/26 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Between Father and Son" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In just a few suspenseful minutes, a lawyer's world tilts as her visit to her fiancé's family estate ignites an irresistible bond with her future stepson.
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[04/28/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Perfect Match" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
More swaps. More sparks. More drama. Reality stars from "Love Is Blind," "Vanderpump Rules," "Love Island" and more shake up the game, but who'll find their perfect match?
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[04/28/26 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents "Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live," Airing Tuesday, May 19 on CBS and Paramount+
This two-hour celebration brings viewers on stage and behind the scenes for an all-access concert experience.
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[04/28/26 - 08:53 AM]
"Crime and Punishment in America," New Documentary from Lynn Novick, to Air on PBS in November 2026
Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Linney, Bobby Cannavale, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hyde Pierce, and BD Wong will lend their voices to the four-part, eight-hour documentary series.
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[04/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Soccer Meets America" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
This riveting series reveals how the convergence of key events transformed the United States into the global soccer powerhouse it is today.
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[04/28/26 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Unveils Premiere Date and Glimpse at "Sterling Point"
The series will debut all eight episodes globally on August 5, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
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[04/28/26 - 07:16 AM]
Video: "Welcome to Wrexham" - Season 5 Official Trailer - Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac - FX
The new season returns Thursday, May 14 on FXX and Hulu.
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[04/28/26 - 07:06 AM]
Apple TV's Emmy Award-Winning Series "Ted Lasso" Returns for Season Four on August 5
Season four marks the return of fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.
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[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Funny AF with Kevin Hart" - Live Semi-final and Grand Finale - Official Trailer - Netflix
The break of a lifetime is at stake as the competition turns live and the last remaining comics square off - with the winner crowned by your vote.
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[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Great American Media Announces Mario Lopez, Tony Danza, and Dominic Lopez to Star in New Original Christmas Movie, "Christmas at the Starlight"
In their first known scripted on-screen pairing as father and son, Lopez and Danza bring extraordinary warmth, charisma, and generational appeal to a timeless holiday story about family, legacy, faith, and the traditions that lead us home.
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