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[05/04/09 - 06:47 PM]
Development Update: Monday, May 4
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) - Joseph Morgan, Emily VanCamp and Stephen Campbell Moore are the first to be cast in the upcoming mini-series, a remake of the Oscar-winning film of the same name. Also signing on are Ray Winstone, Kristen Kruek, Hugh Bonneville, Alex Kingston, Lucia Jimenez, Miguel Angel Munoz, Marc Warren, Art Malik and James Faulkner. Morgan will play the title role, "a wealthy Jewish youth in the time of Jesus Christ -- who is seeking revenge and reclaiming his identity after being betrayed by his friend, Messala (Moore)." VanCamp then is set as Esther, Ben-Hur's love interest, with Winstone as his adoptive father, Kruek as his sister and Bonneville as Pontius Pilate. Steven Shill ("Obsessed") is helming the four-hour, $22 million adaptation from a script by Alan Sharp ("Rob Roy"). Production began this week in Ouarzazate, Morocco with David Wyler, Manuel Corbi, Michael Prupas, Frank Konigsberg and Dirk Beinhold executive producing. Co-producing alongside the Alchemy Television Group are Spain's Drimtim Entertainment, Canada's Muse Entertainment, Morocco's Zak Productions and Germany's Akkord Films.
THE CLEVELAND SHOW (FOX) - The network has commissioned 13 additional episodes of the upcoming "Family Guy" spin-off, bringing its series total to 35 installments. The early pickup is designed to keep the show in production while the series rolls out this fall. "Cleveland" had been ready for a spring start however FOX opted to hold the series until this fall. Said delay nevertheless required for FOX to make the call on a second season using the original timetable or risk losing the associated talent. Seth MacFarlane, Rich Appel and Mike Henry are the executive producers.
UNTITLED JENNY MCCARTHY PROJECT (Syndication, New!) - Jenny McCarthy has inked a multi-year overall deal with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The pact calls for the actress/author ("Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism," "Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds") to develop various projects for the company, including a potential syndicated talk show. First up however is McCarthy's blog on Oprah.com, which launched last week. No specifics however were given about the TV component.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[05/20/26 - 12:02 PM]
"A Woman of Substance": Brenda Blethyn Limited Series Marks BritBox's Next Prestige Period Drama
Other June premieres include new seasons of "Beyond Paradise" and "Trigger Point."
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[05/20/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer for Original Film "Miss You, Love You," Debuting May 29
A blunt, grieving widow, Diane Patterson (Allison Janney) is forced to plan her husband's funeral with a total stranger: her estranged son's assistant, Jamie Simms (Andrew Rannells).
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[05/20/26 - 11:01 AM]
Great American Media Announces New Original, Unscripted Series, "Mark vs. The Mountain," Premiering June 11 on Great American Pure Flix
Meteorologist and former New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti, alongside his wife, interior designer, Krysty Ronchetti, star in the new unscripted series.
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[05/20/26 - 11:00 AM]
FOX Entertainment Studios Strikes Multi-Year, First-Look Deal with Emmy Award-Winning Comedian, Actor and Producer JB Smoove
Under the partnership, Smoove will serve as executive producer and creative collaborator on an unscripted slate spanning a range of formats and genres.
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[05/20/26 - 10:50 AM]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Emmy-Nominated Docuseries, "Raise The Flags", Makes Its Linear Premiere on NFL Network May 25-29
The series delivers a sweeping portrait of the Buccaneers organization - chronicling its rise from humble beginnings to championship glory in the most comprehensive account of franchise history ever produced.
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[05/20/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Michael Jackson: The Verdict" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Told by key players who were inside the courtroom, this three-part comprehensive docuseries dissects the trial of Michael Jackson and his complex legacy.
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[05/20/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: MGM+ Debuts Teaser for "The Westies"
The gritty and kinetic crime drama centers on New York City's infamously violent Irish gang of the same name.
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[05/20/26 - 10:00 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights Two New Thrillers for This June
Amber Stevens West and Michael Xavier star in "The Jealous Bride" while Remy Ma leads "Don't Trust the Girls Upstairs."
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[05/20/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art and New Imagery for "Strung"
From director Malcolm D. Lee, a talented violinist takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family.
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[05/20/26 - 09:31 AM]
Hit Drama Series "The Testaments" from Creator Bruce Miller and Starring Chase Infiniti, Renewed for a Second Season
Season one is now streaming with the season finale on Wednesday, May 27.
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[05/20/26 - 09:01 AM]
A24's "Pillion" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max June 5
A timid man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
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[05/20/26 - 09:01 AM]
AMC Global Media's June Highlights Include "The Vampire Lestat," "You're Killing Me," "Devil in Silver," "Doctor Who" and More
Newly announced premieres include ALLBLK's "Funny Thing About Love" and BBC America's "Wild Spring."
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[05/20/26 - 09:00 AM]
The History Channel's Hit Survival Series "Alone" Is Going Global! New Season Premieres June 17
On the heels of the World Cup and for the first time in franchise history, 10 skilled survivalists from around the globe will compete in "Alone: World Championship".
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[05/20/26 - 09:00 AM]
Laura Benanti and Tituss Burgess to Host "The Tony Awards: Act One"
The two stage-and-screen icons will kick off Broadway's biggest night with the presentation of the first round of Tony Awards during the exciting pre-show telecast.
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[05/20/26 - 07:36 AM]
After Record-Setting 2025 Season, "Sunday Night Football" Finishes Fall-Spring TV Season as Primetime's No. 1 Show for Unprecedented 15th Consecutive Year
The series averaged 23.5 million viewers in 2025, marking the show's best-ever viewership - up nearly 1 million viewers from the prior record for the series set a decade ago (22.6 million in 2015 season) and an increase of 9% over the '24 season (21.6 million).
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