or


[09/15/09 - 06:28 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, September 15
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

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!


THE BLACK PANTHERS/IDA TARBELL (HBO, New!) - Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films is developing a pair of historical mini-series at the pay channel. First up is "Ida Tarbell," about the life of the journalist who exposed the unfair practices of John D. Rockefeller and his Standard Oil monopoly. Mimosa Jones ("Wild Card") is writing the script. Also in the works is "The Black Panthers," a look at the inner circle of the 1960s movement based on David Hilliard's "Huey: Spirit of the Panther" and Elaine Brown's "A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story." Carl Franklin ("Devil in a Blue Dress") is attached to write and direct the project. Both efforts will be executive produced by Winfrey and Harpo's Kate Forte. Franklin, Jesse B. Franklin, Cecil Cox and Craig Rice are also attached as executive producers on "Panthers."


DOLLHOUSE (FOX) - "Reaper" alum Ray Wise has booked an arc on the sophomore drama. He'll play Howard, "an intelligent higher-up in the Dollhouse who has huge presence and humor," Entertainment Weekly reports. It's not clear when his first episode will air. Wise joins previously announced guests Jamie Bamber, Keith Carradine, Alexis Denisoff, and Summer Glau on the show's new season, due on Friday, September 25 at 9:00/8:00c.


HANK (ABC) - Jordan Hinson ("Eureka") has joined the cast of the freshman comedy, set to launch on Wednesday, September 30 at 8:00/7:00c. She'll play Maddie, the daughter of Kelsey Grammer's character. Hinson is the third actress attached to said role: Macey Cruthird played Maddie in the original pilot only to be replaced by Sasha Pieterse back in July. Hinson was subsequently brought in after producers decided to age the Maddie character. In addition, Andrew D. Weyman ("Roommates") was tapped to helm the new pilot, which was filmed last month. James Burrows directed the original pilot.


PARENTHOOD (NBC) - Oscar- and Emmy-winner Helen Hunt reportedly has been offered the role of Maura Tierney's character on the midseason drama. Last week Tierney announced she could not participate on the freshman drama due to her breast cancer treatment. The series revolves around four adult siblings (including Peter Krause, Erika Christensen and Dax Shepard) and their parents (Bonnie Bedelia and Craig T. Nelson). Jason Katims is behind the Universal Media Studios-based project and is executive producing alongside Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.


SINS OF THE MOTHER (LMN, New!) - Jill Scott ("The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency") has been tapped to star in the original movie, about "a grad student who returns home to face her abusive, alcoholic mother only to discover that her mom is sober and has a 3-year-old daughter and new life." Scott would play the mother in the project, which is based on Carleen Brice's book "Orange Mint and Honey." Paul Kaufman is directing the project from a script by Elizabeth Hunter with Damon Lee executive producing for Mother Road Productions. Production is set to begin this week.


Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters





  [september 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BLACK PANTHERS, THE (HBO)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOLLHOUSE (FOX)
· EUREKA (SYFY)
· HANK (ABC)
· IDA TARBELL (HBO)
· NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY, THE (HBO)
· PARENTHOOD (NBC)
· REAPER (CW)
· SINS OF THE MOTHER (LMN)
· WILD CARD (LIFETIME)





[02/17/26 - 03:31 PM]
Netflix Announces Adult Animated Series "Bass X Machina"
Brian Tyree Henry, Janelle MonĂ¡e, Tati Gabrielle, Cree Summer, Chaske Spencer, Currie Graham, and Starletta DuPois star in the series, due on October 6, 2026.

[02/17/26 - 02:00 PM]
FOX Unveils Spring 2026 Premiere Dates, Anchored by Eventized Storytelling and Epic High-Profile Adventure
From high-stakes game shows and iconic culinary battles to heartfelt romance, immersive adventure, and epic event series, the spring lineup delivers must-watch programming anchored by familiar favorites and all-new original programming.

[02/17/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of February 9 - "Tyler Perry's Joe's College Road Trip" Takes the Scenic Route to No. 1
Plus: "The Lincoln Lawyer" Season 4 took No. 1 on the English TV list with 9.6 million views.

[02/17/26 - 11:48 AM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Disclosures
Paramount acknowledges the announcement from Warner Bros. Discovery that, acting with Netflix, they have decided to provide Paramount a 7-day "waiver" for negotiation.

[02/17/26 - 11:00 AM]
All-New Series "Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries" Set to Premiere April 23 on UPtv
The series blends cozy mystery, cultural discovery and heartwarming reinvention in a series about finding family in unexpected places and uncovering the truest parts of ourselves.

[02/17/26 - 11:00 AM]
Video: First-Look Teaser for "Sofia the First: Royal Magic" Unveiled
The new series is set to premiere this May on Disney+ and Disney Jr.

[02/17/26 - 10:34 AM]
FOX Nation Has Launched on Prime Video
Subscribers also have the opportunity to bundle FOX Nation with the FOX One streaming service in a single subscription on Prime Video, giving them instant access to the complete portfolio of FOX's leading news, sports, and entertainment branded content all in one app for $24.99.

[02/17/26 - 10:28 AM]
Video: Preview - "Sugar & Vice: A Hannah Swensen Mystery" - Starring Alison Sweeney and Victor Webster
The latest installment premieres Saturday, March 7 at 8:00/7:00c on Hallmark Channel, next day on Hallmark+.

[02/17/26 - 10:06 AM]
Video: Official Series Trailer - "RJ Decker"
Investigate the new drama premiering Tuesday, March 3 on ABC.

[02/17/26 - 10:05 AM]
Miley Cyrus Returns Home for the "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special," Streaming March 24 on Disney+
The special will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and will feature an exclusive, in-depth interview with Miley Cyrus, hosted by Alex Cooper.

[02/17/26 - 10:02 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Official Trailer for Season Two of Global Hit "Deadloch"
The first two episodes premiere March 20, with new episodes released weekly, culminating in the season finale on April 17.

[02/17/26 - 08:00 AM]
Dorinda Medley to Join "The Golden Life" (w/t) Docuseries on E!
Medley joins Kelly Bensimon, Countess Luann De Lesseps, Sonja Morgan and Ramona Singer in new series set in sunny Palm Beach, Florda.

[02/17/26 - 08:00 AM]
New Short-Form Series "Locker Diaries" Unlocks All-New Adventures from Disney's "ZOMBIES," "Phineas and Ferb," and "Descendants"
"Locker Diaries: ZOMBIES" kicks off the series with 11 short-form live-action episodes and gives viewers a glimpse into the drama unfolding in the school halls of Sunnyside & Shadyside.

[02/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
CNN Original Series "Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia" Premieres Sunday, March 22 at 9PM ET/PT
Each episode focuses on a defining confrontation that reverberated far beyond the Oval Office, starting with former FBI Director James Comey's own account of his infamous clash with President Donald Trump.

[02/17/26 - 06:01 AM]
Most Valuable Promotions Brings Professional MMA to Netflix with Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Saturday, May 16, 2026 Live from Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California
Rousey vs. Carano represents a historic moment in combat sports as Netflix's first-ever live MMA broadcast and MVP's inaugural MMA event.