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[03/30/09 - 06:08 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 30
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!
ACE IN THE HOLE (CBS) - Newcomers Skylar Astin and Darien Provost have joined the cast of the Adam Carolla-led comedy pilot, which stars Carolla as a husband and father who works as a driving instructor. Provost will play his nine-year son while Astin is set as his teenage stepson. Carolla and Kevin Hench co-created the half-hour, which is set up at CBS Paramount Network Television.
DIAMONDS (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has picked up the broadcast rights to a new four-hour mini-series from Alchemy Television. The ensemble drama, featuring Judy Davis, James Purefoy, Derek Jacobi, Louise Rose and Joanne Kelly, tells five storylines linked to the "personal and political effects of the blood diamond trade on a global scale." Sienna Films is behind the $15 million production, which was originally filmed in South Africa and Canada for the CBC and the U.K. It's understood it will turn up here in late May following the sweeps period. As for specifics, Davis stars as "a U.S. senator who travels to Africa to find out why her daughter was killed at a diamond mine in Sierra Leone." Andy Wilson helmed the project from a script by David Vainola wrote.
HAPPINESS ISN'T EVERYTHING (CBS) - Mary Steenburgen ("Joan of Arcadia") is returning to the small screen, this time on the comedy front. She's been cast as Audrey Veill, the mother of Jason Biggs's character in the comedy pilot, about adult siblings (Biggs, Ben Schwartz) and their parents (Dreyfuss, Steenburgen) who are overly involved in one another's lives. James Vallely and Mitch Hurwitz are behind the project, which comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount banner.
THE SHARK TANK (ABC) - The network has ordered seven episodes of the series, in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ventures to five multimillionaire tycoons each week. Mark Burnett is behind the project, which is based on a Japanese format. BBC America currently airs its U.K. incarnation, "The Dragon's Den." Production was completed on a pilot last fall, which featured such beefed up elements as "a huge auditorium and placing the investors behind an intimidating desk." Burnett however admits said changes took away from "the interpersonal tension between ambitious entrepreneurs struggling to convince five strangers to part with their money" and will now be dialed down. On board as "the sharks" then are Robert Herjavec (focus: internet), Kevin Harrington (infomercials), Barbara Corcoran (real estate), Kevin O'Leary (venture capitalist) and Daymond John (clothing). No air date has been set.
STATE OF ROMANCE (NBC) - "Mad TV" alum Bobby Lee has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, which is described as a modern day "Pride and Prejudice" set in Chicago. He'll play Andrew, an unspecified character. Barbara Wallace and Tom Wolfe are behind the half-hour, which is based at Universal Media Studios.
UNTITLED JUSTIN ADLER PROJECT (NBC) - Leslie Bibb ("Kings") and John Michael Higgins ("Kath & Kim") have both joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about adult siblings and their controlling mother. Bibb is set as Vanessa, the eldest child, a perfect domestic goddess. Higgins, whose casting is in second position to "Kath & Kim," then will play Charles, her husband, a wealthy professional polo player. Justin Adler penned the half-hour, which comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount.
UNTITLED ANITA RENFROE PROJECT (ABC) - "The Drew Carey Show" alum Ryan Stiles is set to star opposite Anita Renfroe in the comedy pilot, about a couple raising kids. He'll play her husband Paul, the pastor of their town. Amy Welsh and Rob Hanning are behind the project, which likewise comes from the Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount.
WAITING TO DIE (CBS) - T.J. Miller ("Carpoolers") and comedian Nick Thune have been tapped for the lead roles on the comedy pilot, about two simple guys who are happy with their lives - no matter how bad things might look from the outside. They'll play Lonnie Ponce and Jeff Helmut, respectively. Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen co-created the half-hour, which again comes from the ever-busy Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[03/24/26 - 07:01 AM]
Frank Castle Returns in a Marvel Television Special Presentation: "The Punisher: One Last Kill" May 12, Only on Disney+
The special drops one week after the second season finale of "Daredevil: Born Again."
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[03/24/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple TV Renews Award-Winning Space Drama "For All Mankind" for Sixth and Final Season
"Getting to explore the 'For All Mankind' universe over six seasons has been an amazing privilege, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to finish the story the way we've always hoped," said Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi.
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[03/24/26 - 06:33 AM]
ID Exposes the Hidden Cost of Pop Stardom in Explosive New Special "Boy Band Confidential" Premiering on April 13 and 14
"Boy Band Confidential: A Hollywood Demons Event" premieres on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 from 9-11pm ET/PT on ID.
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[03/24/26 - 06:32 AM]
Hallmark Stars Take the Stage in First-Time Multi-City Tour Experience Hallmark Stars Live
The inaugural two-week multi-city event will travel to select cities between July 22 and August 2, giving audiences the chance to celebrate a little Hallmark movie magic for an evening that's joyfully unscripted and entirely in the moment.
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[03/24/26 - 06:31 AM]
Most Valuable Promotions' Announces Eight Additional Bouts for Its Blockbuster Professional MMA Event on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, Live Globally Only on Netflix
The blockbuster event marks a major moment in combat sports as MVP and Netflix expand their footprint into MMA following the historic success of their global boxing events.
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[03/24/26 - 05:01 AM]
Video: "Bridgerton" Season 5 - Official Announcement - Netflix
Do not fret, dearest readers, for a certain countess shall find love again... "Bridgerton" Season 5 is now in production.
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[03/24/26 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Unchosen" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Behind the closed doors of a claustrophobic British cult, a woman finds herself trapped between her suffocating marriage and an intriguing newcomer with a dark criminal past.
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[03/24/26 - 01:01 AM]
Video: "Je m'appelle Agneta" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Craving a fresh start, recently unemployed Agneta accepts an au pair gig in Provence that turns into an indulgent escape - and an unexpected awakening.
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[03/23/26 - 04:07 PM]
FX's Global Hit Drama Series "Shogun" Adds Five to Season 2 Cast Coming to FX and Hulu
Production is currently underway in Vancouver, which is set over a decade after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.
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[03/23/26 - 01:17 PM]
Sky Katz and Case Walker to Headline New Tubi Original YA Romantic Comedy Film "Game On"
The film will be a highlighted topic at Tubi's IAB Newfronts presentation on Tuesday, March 24 alongside other breaking news.
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[03/23/26 - 01:16 PM]
Mahershala Ali Joins "Task" Season 2
Welcome to Delco.
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[03/23/26 - 01:04 PM]
Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery Will Return for Marvel Television's "Wonder Man" Season 2
Co-created by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest, the new season is coming to Disney+.
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[03/23/26 - 11:16 AM]
Emmy Award-Winning "Baby Reindeer" Creator Richard Gadd Stars Alongside Jamie Bell in the New Limited Series "Half Man," Premiering April 23 on HBO Max
Some bonds may break you.
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[03/23/26 - 11:08 AM]
ESPN Announces MLB Game of the Day Schedule Through May
The Game of the Day schedule is an out of market offering and is subject to local blackout restrictions.
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[03/23/26 - 11:00 AM]
Survival Icon Bear Grylls Takes Eight Celebrities on the Journey of a Lifetime on "Bear Grylls Is Running Wild"
Elizabeth Banks, Rhys Darby, Colman Domingo, Tiffany Haddish, Matthew McConaughey, MGK, Michelle Monaghan, and Uma Thurman are featured in the series, due April 21 on FOX.
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