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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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[10/22/25 - 09:05 AM]
"Big Break x Good Good" Debuts August 2026 on Golf Channel
Golf Channel's transformative golf reality competition series that broke ground in television entertainment beginning in the early 2000s and ran for a record-breaking 23 seasons - returns to Golf Channel in 2026 in partnership with Good Good Golf.
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[10/22/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Announces "June Farms" November 17 Premiere Date and Releases Official Trailer and Key Art
The new series features farm owner and restaurateur Matt Baumgartner, an accomplished but demanding entrepreneur, who runs the farm, restaurant/bar and events space with the help of a team of well-intentioned 20-somethings who aren't always on the same page as their detail-obsessed boss.
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[10/22/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Key Art & Trailer Debut - Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season Three
he series returns with all 10 episodes on Thursday, November 13 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US and Disney+ internationally.
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[10/22/25 - 09:00 AM]
The CW Network Rings in the Holiday Season with a Festive Slate of Movies and Specials
The holiday season kicks off with "A Waltons Thanksgiving" airing on Saturday, November 22 (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
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[10/22/25 - 08:03 AM]
HGTV Boosts Programming Slate with 50-Episode Pickup of New Series and Nearly 400 Fresh "House Hunters" Episodes
Other pickups include "My Lottery Dream Home," "Hoarding for the Holidays," "Fixer to Fabulous," and "Cheap A$$ Beach Houses."
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[10/22/25 - 08:00 AM]
A24's "Materialists" Begins Streaming Exclusively On HBO Max November 7
A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
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[10/22/25 - 07:44 AM]
"9-1-1: Nashville" Debuts with Over 12 Million Total Audience to Date
The star-studded, high-octane first-responder drama delivered 7.80 million Total Viewers and 1.51 rating among Adults 18-49, excluding encores.
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[10/22/25 - 07:07 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Trailer for Vince Gilligan's Highly Anticipated Drama "Pluribus"
Starring Rhea Seehorn, the nine-episode drama series will make its global debut on Apple TV with its first two episodes on Friday, November 7, followed by new episodes every Friday through December 26.
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[10/22/25 - 07:02 AM]
The History Channel Greenlights "Modern Marvels: WWII" (wt) Marking the Return of Its "Modern Marvels" Franchise
The new series is slated to premiere spring 2026.
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[10/22/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Envious" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
After a devastating breakup, Vicky, almost 40, embarks on a quest for new love, unaware it will lead her to a profound - and hilarious - self-discovery.
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[10/22/25 - 06:44 AM]
Prime Video Reaches Global Broadcast Agreement with the NFL to Present Black Friday Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears to a Worldwide Audience
The game will be the first NFL event to be presented globally on Prime Video, which is available in over 240 countries and territories around the world.
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[10/22/25 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Being Eddie" - Official Trailer - Netflix
From teen comedian to Hollywood legend, Eddie Murphy revisits his extraordinary showbiz ride with raw honesty and humor in this star-studded documentary.
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[10/22/25 - 06:03 AM]
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Filmed at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, "Wicked: One Wonderful Night" will transform the legendary venue into a breathtaking Emerald City-inspired set, complete with a 37-piece live orchestra led by the award-winning musical director Stephen Oremus.
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[10/22/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Emily in Paris" - Season 5 Official Teaser - Netflix
Hearts will Rome farther than ever before.
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[10/22/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Mrs Playmen" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Betrayed by her husband, a woman must step up and run an erotic magazine that becomes a symbol of empowerment in '70s Rome. Inspired by true events.
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