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[04/09/09 - 06:02 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, April 9
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!
DAY ONE (NBC)/INSIDE THE BOX (ABC) - Xander Berkeley has booked recurring roles on both pilots. On the former he'll play Clark Christiansen, the father of Addison Timlin's character, who's injured in an explosion. The project, from Jesse Alexander and Universal Media Studios, revolves around the residents of an apartment complex who bind together after a cataclysmic event. On "Box," he's set as Fred O'Brien, the Washington Bureau Chief of NNC, the show's fictional cable news network. Richard E. Robbins created the ABC Studios-based hour, which also comes from executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.
EASTBOUND & DOWN (HBO) - The pay channel has commissioned a second season of the comedy series, which will begin production later this year for a 2010 premiere. The series opened to modest 671,000 viewers on February 15, eventually climbing to 950,000 viewers on March 15 and closing its freshman season with 904,000 viewers on March 22. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Ben Best are the executive producers.
LIGHTS OUT (FX) - Melora Hardin, Elias Koteas and Kevin Conway have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Patrick "Lights Out" Leary (Holt McCallany), "an aging former heavyweight boxing champion who struggles to find his identity and support his wife and three daughters after his fighting days are over." Hardin will play his wife, Theresa Leary, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Conway then is set as Robert Leary, Patrick's father and former trainer, a widower who still runs a gym, while Koteas is playing Clay Tarpin, Patrick's boyhood friend who is his manager/business partner. Clark Johnson has also signed on to direct the hour, which comes from creator Justin Zackham, Fox TV Studios and FX Productions. Phillip Noyce and Ross Fineman also serve as executive producers.
PRISON BREAK (FOX) - TVShowsonDVD.com is reporting 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will release the final two installments of the series directly to DVD on July 21. Sister company 20th Century Fox Television ordered the episodes back in November, in addition to the two-hour series finale, which airs Friday, May 15 on FOX. Billed, "Prison Break: The Final Break," the single-disc release is detailed as follows: "The shocking series conclusion was just the beginning. Secrets revealed and mysteries solved. The truth will blow you away."
RONNA & BEVERLY (Showtime) - The cable channel has passed on the comedy pilot, about two middle-aged Jewish women (Jessica Chaffin, Jamie Denbo) who tirelessly promote their book, a dating guide for Jewish singles. Lionsgate Television was behind the half-hour, which was penned by Chaffin, Denbo and Jenji Kohan. Paul Feig was the director. It's understood the studio will shop the project to other outlets. Showtime passed on fellow entries "The End of Steve" and "The L Word" spin-off "The Farm" last week, leaving Tim Robbins's drama "Possible Side Effects" as the only pilot still awaiting its fate.
UNTITLED DAVID HEMINGSON PROJECT (ABC) - Noa Tishby ("Ghosts of Girlfriends Past") has been tapped to guest star on the drama pilot, about four young lawyers at one of L.A.'s most prestigious law firms. Her role however wasn't specified. Michael Fresco is helming the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour from a script by David Hemingson.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[04/15/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Perfect Match" Season 4 - Meet the Singles & Premiere Date & Key Art Reveal
Season four premieres May 13, only on Netflix.
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[04/15/26 - 10:01 AM]
Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" Three-Part Reunion Begins Thursday, April 23 at 8 P.M. ET/PT
Host Andy Cohen joins Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards, Bozoma Saint John, Sutton Stracke, and new housewives Amanda Frances and Rachel Zoe as they reflect on an emotional season 15 marked by shocking revelations, shifting alliances, and friendships tested like never before.
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[04/15/26 - 09:35 AM]
U.S. Premiere-Packed May Slate: Nordic Noir Finale, Eurovision Doc & Award-Winning European Series on Viaplay
Highlights include the final season of "Black Sands," due on Thursday, May 14.
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[04/15/26 - 09:30 AM]
Lawrence Jones, Co-Host of FOX News Channel's "FOX & Friends" to Appear on Live Documentary Series "On Patrol: Live" Friday, April 17
Jones will sit in as a guest on the show alongside Host Dan Abrams and analysts Sgt. Sean "Sticks" Larkin, retired Tulsa Police Department lieutenant, and Captain Tom Rizzo from the Howell Township Police Department in New Jersey.
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[04/15/26 - 09:30 AM]
CBS Series Deliver Strong Results vs. Broadcast and Streaming Originals in Live Plus 28-Day Multiplatform Viewership
CBS series make up six of the top 20 most-watched series among all broadcast and streaming competition - more than any broadcast competitor, according to Nielsen.
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[04/15/26 - 09:02 AM]
A&E's New Original Series "Squatters" Follows Flash Shelton and His Team of Specialists as They Take on High-Stakes Missions to Help Victims Reclaim Their Homes
"Squatters" sheds light on the complex legal challenges surrounding property rights and showcases Shelton's unconventional strategies to resolve these conflicts.
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[04/15/26 - 09:00 AM]
Video: AMC+ & Shudder Reveal Haunting Trailer & Key Art from "The Terror: Devil in Silver" Premiering Thursday, May 7
Dan Stevens stars as Pepper - a working-class moving man who, through a combination of bad luck and a bad temper, finds himself wrongfully committed to New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital - an institution filled with those society would rather forget.
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[04/15/26 - 08:16 AM]
Cheryl Miller to Join NBC Sports as WNBA Studio Analyst Beginning This May
NBC Sports' presentation of the WNBA begins in May and includes the 2026 WNBA Finals on NBC and Peacock.
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[04/15/26 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original "The White Lotus" Season 4 Begins Filming in France
The fourth season will follow a new group of White Lotus hotel guests and employees over the span of a week, taking place during the Cannes Film Festival.
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[04/15/26 - 08:00 AM]
TLC's "Baylen Out Loud" Returns May 19
The series follows Baylen Dupree, a vibrant young woman living with extreme Tourette Syndrome, as she and fiancé Colin Dooley enter one of the biggest chapters of their lives.
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[04/15/26 - 07:45 AM]
MGM+ Renews Hit Series "From" for a Fifth and Final Season
"From" is the most-viewed series in the history of the network and launches its fourth season on April 19.
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[04/15/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Trailer for "Unconditional," Suspenseful New Thriller Premiering May 8
The eight-episode thriller will make its global debut on Apple TV with the first two episodes on Friday, May 8, 2026, followed by a new episode every Friday through June 19.
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[04/15/26 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Official Trailer for Epic "Good Omens" Finale
The 90-minute episode will premiere on Wednesday, March 13 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[04/15/26 - 06:32 AM]
Unscripted Prank Comedy Series "Foul Play with Anthony Davis" Scores Strong Premiere Performance with Triple Digit Gains for TBS on Monday, April 6
Following the NCAA Championship Game, the premiere reached a combined 2 million viewers across TBS, TNT and truTV.
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[04/15/26 - 06:04 AM]
Roku Originals Launches "Gamechangers" Anthology Series with "Gamechangers: The Ashlyn Harris Story"
Sharing her triumphs and defeats both on and off the soccer field, Ashlyn bares all, leaving viewers heartbroken at times and inspired at others.
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