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[10/27/09 - 04:33 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, October 27
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!
DELTA BLUES (TNT) - The cable channel has commissioned a pilot for the drama project, about "an outstanding but unusual Memphis cop who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and lives with his mother." Liz Garcia ("Cold Case") and Josh Harto penned the Warner Horizon Television-based hour and are executive producing alongside Smokehouse Pictures's George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Abby Wolf-Weiss. Casting is underway.
DRY (Showtime, New!)/THE NATURE OF FIRE (CBS, New!) - Augusten Burroughs ("Running With Scissors") has set up a pair of projects, including a comedy at Showtime and a drama at CBS. The former, dubbed "Dry," is based on the author's experience as an advertising executive struggling toward sobriety. The latter, "The Nature of Fire," will center on "a group of male firefighters whose world is rocked when they're joined by a female arson investigator." Burroughs is penning both efforts and executive producing alongside Created By's Vince Gerardis ("FlashForward") and Katalyst's Karey Burke, Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg ("The Beautiful Life") for CBS Television Studios. As previously reported, Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer are developing a small screen take on Burroughs's book "Sellevision" for NBC.
FAMILY GUY (FOX) - Microsoft has dropped out as the sole sponsor of the show's upcoming "Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" special. Said development reportedly comes after the company's executives attending its October 16 taping and grew concerned over its content. "We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of 'Family Guy,' but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand," said a Microsoft spokeswoman. "We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas. We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent." The special will nevertheless continue with another, yet-to-be-named, sponsor when it airs on November 8.
FLASH FORWARD (ABC) - Paula Newsome ("Women's Murder Club") is the latest to land an arc on the freshman drama, Entertainment Weekly reports. She'll play a doctor in several upcoming episodes however details about her character weren't released.
GHOSTS/ALIENS (Comedy Central) - Joey Kern ("The Sasquatch Gang") has been tapped as the new lead of the comedy pilot, about "two potheads who set out on a quest to expose the truth about the existence of ghosts and aliens." He'll take over from Jonathan Sadowski as one of said men, Trey Hamburger. Keir O'Donnell, Allan McLeod, Kaylee DeFer, Keir O'Donnell, Nathan Barnatt and Rebecca Wisocky also star in the project, which Michael Patrick Jann is directing from a script by Phil Johnston.
GOSSIP GIRL (The CW) - Sherri Saum ("In Treatment") has booked a multi-episode arc on the series. She'll play Holland Kemble, "a powerful business executive-turned-Upper East Side trophy wife and could be trouble for Lily (Kelly Rutherford) and Rufus (Matthew Settle)." It's not clear when her first episode will air.
HOUNDS (Comedy Central) - Ron White is back in business with the cable channel as the comedian will lend his voice to a new animated comedy described as "a blue-collar Southern neo-gothic comedy." Chris Thompson ("Ladies Man") is behind the half-hour which White will also co-executive produce. As for specifics, White will voice Chicken, "a countrified Yoda with a bottle of Jack and a bag of weed, an opinionated Southern philosopher who considers himself the center of the universe." Earlier this year, White toplined a pilot presentation for the network in which he "looked at stories from across the country and ran them through his everyman perspective."
RAVENS PARISH (FOX, New!) - Feature writer Dan McDermott ("Eagle Eye") has scored a script commitment from the network about "a man and his teenage son who return to their rural Mississippi hometown in search of a fabled cavern hidden beneath a nearby swamp that allegedly holds hidden treasure." McDermott, who previously served as head of current programming at the network, will pen the hour and executive produce for 20th Century Fox Television. Generate's Peter Aronson and Jordan Levin are also attached as executive producers via their first-look deal with the studio.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[09/25/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Family Guy" Hulu Exclusive Halloween Special Premieres October 5 on Hulu
Brian and Stewie find themselves in Hell - not an annoying day, the actual underworld - paying for 24 seasons' worth of bad behavior.
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[09/25/26 - 10:35 AM]
ESPN Delivered Its Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Ever!
Across 29 games, the WNBA on ESPN networks averaged 1.37M viewers, up 17% year-over-year and ranking as ESPN networks' most-viewed WNBA regular season on record.
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[09/25/26 - 10:02 AM]
Season Two of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Hit Microdrama Series "Who Billionaire? Me Billionaire." Premieres This Sunday, Sept. 27
The vertical comedy series is the first microdrama produced by a late-night television franchise, with its first season generating 27 million digital views.
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[09/25/26 - 09:19 AM]
Volpi Cup Winner and Emmy & Golden Globe Nominee Peter Sarsgaard Joins Scottish Highland Drama "Laird" for Paramount+
Sarsgaard will star as Peter Bergstrom, a ruthless, self-made tech titan and land magnate whose influence spans continents.
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[09/25/26 - 09:01 AM]
"Evil Dead Burn" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max October 2
The film unleashes the franchise's most savage and terrifying ride to date with an all-new chapter of carnage and demonic mayhem.
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[09/25/26 - 07:04 AM]
Video: AMC+ Unveils Bewitching Trailer for the Highly Anticipated Contemporary Mystery Thriller, "Yaga"
The contemporary mystery thriller which reimagines the myth of Baba Yaga, is set for a two-episode premiere on Friday, October 23, exclusively in the U.S. on AMC+.
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[09/25/26 - 07:00 AM]
Paramount and Spotify Partner for the "2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)" on CBS
The collaboration will extend the "VMAs" experience through a dedicated on-platform destination on Spotify, launching today.
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[09/25/26 - 05:17 AM]
Video: "#Love" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A practical dating app founder and her adventurous competitor test their opposing theories about love through a 60-day challenge to find the right match.
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[09/24/26 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Once Japan's most renowned actor, Gen is suddenly forgotten. Fueled by a need for recognition, he claws his way back from zero in this comedy.
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[09/24/26 - 02:02 PM]
Tubi Announces New Original Docuseries "Just One Before I Die" Offering an Inside Look at the Buffalo Bills Fanbase
All episodes premiere for free exclusively on Tubi on Wednesday, October 21.
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[09/24/26 - 02:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces Worldwide Exclusive Streaming of "Quiz from God," a Reboot of the Phenomenal Korean Mystery Drama, Starring Shotaro Mamiya - Premiering Friday, Dec 4, 2026
The series follows Haruto Hatsushima, a genius forensic pathologist and former neurosurgeon hailed by those around him as "a genius chosen by God" - yet dismissed as being eccentric by his colleagues.
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[09/24/26 - 12:25 PM]
ABC News Wins Across the Board in Late Night and Friday Night
"20/20" ranks as Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, drawing its largest audience in two months and growing year to year in all key measures.
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[09/24/26 - 12:01 PM]
"The Graham Norton Show" Returns with All-New Episodes Thursday, October 1 on BBC America
Episodes will also be available to stream on AMC+, Acorn TV, and All Reality.
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[09/24/26 - 12:00 PM]
Presenters Announced for the "2026 Video Music Awards (VMAs)" Airing Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS
Alex Warren, Belmont Cameli, Brandon Sklenar, Charli xcx, Ciara Miller, David Corenswet, Ella Bright, Isabel May, Jeff Probst, Rachel Dratch, Teyana Taylor, Troye Sivan, and Tyla are among the featured talent.
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[09/24/26 - 11:29 AM]
Marquee Championship Doubleheader Leads UFC Return to Madison Square Garden Streaming on Paramount+ Saturday, November 14
In the main event, newly crowned undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane looks to make his first title defense against No. 4 ranked contender Josh Hokit.
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