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[03/26/10 - 12:08 AM]
Development Update: Friday, March 26
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!
ARE WE THERE YET? (TBS) - Telma Hopkins ("Family Matters"), Keesha Sharp ("Why Did I Get Married, Too?") and Christian Finnegan ("Best Week Ever") have all been cast in the upcoming comedy, about a woman, Suzanne (Essence Atkins), who - along with her two children - move in with her new husband Nick (Terry Crews). Hopkins will play Nick's mother, who "isn't happy about his marriage nor her new role as grandmother"; with Sharp as Suzanne's best friend, who "has a taste for men and the finer things in life"; and Finnegan as Nick's best friend and owner of a sports memorabilia store. They join executive producer Ice Cube, who will recur as Suzanne's SWAT officer brother. Ali LeRoi, Joe Roth and Matt Alvarez are also behind the half-hour, which launches in June.
EDGAR FLOATS (ABC) - Alex Solowitz ("Dark Ride") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about the title character (Tom Cavanagh), a police psychologist who becomes a bounty hunter. He'll play Mason ("like a big farm boy with a military hair cut and a big smile"), one of Edgar's fellow bounty hunters, who's regularly paired with another named Jesus (Raoul Trujillo). In addition, Miguel Ferrer ("Bionic Woman") is set to guest star as Bob Martin, an ex-con - whose son is on the lam from Edgar and company - that Edgar offers psychological help. Alicia Witt, Derek Webster and Robert Patrick also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which comes from director Jace Alexander and writer Rand Ravich.
FRANKLIN & BASH (TBS) - Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Reed Diamond and Dana Davis are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about "two street lawyers and lifelong friends (Breckin Meyer, Mark-Paul Gosselaar) who, after taking down a white-shoe law firm in a high-profile case, are recruited by the firm's patriarch (Malcolm McDowell)." Diamond will play the nephew of McDowell's character, with Beauvais-Nilon as his girlfriend. Davis will play an unspecified employee at the firm. Bill Chais and Kevin Falls are behind the hour, which is set up at Sony Pictures Television.
GLORY DAZE (TBS) - Tim Jo and Josh Brener have landed roles on the pilot, a dramedy about the lives of four incoming freshman in the 1980s - Joel (Kelly Blatz), Jason (Drew Seeley), Eli (Matt Bush) and Brian (Hartley Sawyer) - who pledge a fraternity at a Wisconsin college. The former will play Peter Chang, Eli�s roommate, who joins an Asian fraternity. Brener then is believed to be playing Zach Paulson, Joel's roommate, "an early aficionado of the MAC computer, Zach has the wild eyes of a guy who plays a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, and the fashion sense to match." Callard Harris, Julianna Guill and Tim Meadows also star in the ensemble, which comes from co-creators Michael LeSieur and Walt Becker.
HITCHED (CBS) - Thomas Middleditch ("Splinterheads") has scored a role in the comedy pilot, about a newlyweds (Kristin Kreuk, Jack Carpenter) dealing with their family and friends. He's on board as Zarnow, their hopelessly single best friend who's always seen wearing a vintage T-shirt, a vest and a fedora. Eugene Levy and Kurtwood Smith also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based project, which Rob Greenberg is directing from a script by co-creators Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller.
IN SECURITY (TBS) - Brandon Routh, Hal Linden, Amir Arison, Tina Majorino and Kevin Michael Richardson have all landed roles on the drama pilot, about "sisters (Constance Zimmer and Kat Foster) who take over their father's private-security business protecting the super-elite while dealing with personal and family issues." Linden will play their father with Routh as "a former Navy SEAL-turned-bodyguard at the firm who sleeps with one of the sisters." Details on Richardson, Majorino and Arison's characters, all employees of the company, weren't given. Pete Segal is directing the hour from a script he co-wrote with Ric Swartzlander.
THE LINE (CBS) - Terry Kinney ("The Unusuals") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about Jack Donovan (Dylan Walsh), an ATF agent who hunts down the most dangerous criminals. He'll play Alex Gunderson, Donovan's nemesis, a "mystic, poet, philosopher, and fucking sociopath." Lorraine Toussaint, Michael Rapaport and Sean Patrick Thomas also star in the Michael Dinner-created project, a co-production of CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television.
MIDLAND (FOX) - Mark Deklin ("The Ex List") and Hannah Leigh ("The Suite Life of Zack and Cody") have landed the final principal roles on the drama pilot, about a con artist (Jimmy Wolk) juggling two lives in two Texas cities with two different women (Adrianne Palicki, Eloise Mumford). He'll play Trammell ("Brooks Brothers suit, might as well have Wharton MBA stamped on his forehead"), the brother of Palicki's character, Cat. Leigh then is set as Grace ("cute but plain on purpose"), Cat's daughter from her first marriage. Bryce Johnson, David Keith and Jon Voight also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, to be helmed by Marc Webb from a script by Kyle Killen.
MR. SUNSHINE (ABC) - Portia Doubleday ("Youth in Revolt") and James Lesure ("Las Vegas") are both on board the comedy pilot, about Ben (Matthew Perry), a self-involved manager of a second-rate sports arena who begins to reevaluate his life on his 40th birthday. She'll play Ben's assistant Heather ("blonde, very pretty, very sweet") while he's set as Alonzo ("athletic, handsome, unbelievably happy"), a former basketball star whose sunny disposition annoys Ben. Allison Janney, Andrea Anders and Nate Torrence also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, which Perry co-wrote with Alex Barnow and Mark Firek. Thomas Schlamme is directing.
NOMADS (The CW) - Luke Ford ("McLeod's Daughters") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a group of nearly broke young backpackers traveling the world who agree to earn money by working secret missions for the CIA. He's on board as one of them, Zack Morgan, "a shaggy blonde 20's Aussie surfer dude with the good nature (and sex drive) of a Labrador Retriever." Michaela McManus, Scott Porter and Warren Kole also star in the presentation, which comes from CBS Television Studios, Scott Free Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Ken Sanzel is directing off his own script.
PLEADING GUILTY (FOX) - Melinda McGraw ("Hank") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Mack Malloy (Jason Isaacs), an ex-cop and recovering alcoholic now serving as a partner in a top-drawer corporate law firm. She'll play Elise, Mack's ex-wife with whom he shares a teenager daughter, Carrie (yet to be cast). John Larroquette, Madchen Amick and Omid Abtahi co-star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which Jon Avnet is helming off a script by Jason Tracey.
SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT (ABC) - Steve Talley ("American Pie Presents Beta House") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about "a tough, hard-core conservative Texan (Don Johnson) whose life is turned upside down when his grown kids move back in." He'll play Ty Dobson, the eldest son, "a slacker who kissed off a baseball scholarship to pursue writing." Mary Steenburgen also stars in the project, which is set up at ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Television. Chad Kultgen penned the script.
TRUE BLUE (ABC) - Rachael Carpani ("McLeod's Daughters") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about a group of San Francisco cops who reunite to solve the murder of one of their own. She'll play Tess Flynn, the chirpy new partner of Malcolm-Jamal Warner's character whom he dubs "Veronica Mars." Also set to appear are Scott Elrod ("Men in Trees") as Kevin Ulster, the murdered cop in question; Malaya Rivera Drew ("The L Word") as Mia Sherman, Kevin's sometimes lover; and Titus Welliver ("The Good Wife") as John Leeson, her slick ex-husband and the prime suspect in Kevin's murder. Ana Ortiz, Eric Lange, Marc Blucas, Poppy Montgomery and Scott Foley are also among the ensemble. Chris Brancato and Jon Harmon Feldman co-wrote the ABC Studios-based hour, which Peter Horton is directing.
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC) - Jon Bernthal ("Eastwick") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, which is based on the Robert Kirkman comic of the same name about a cop and his family trying to survive after a zombie apocalypse. He'll play Shane Walsh, the man's partner/best friend, an outgoing bachelor. Frank Darabont is behind the hour, which is set up at Circle of Confusion and Valhalla Motion Pictures.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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[04/03/25 - 02:00 PM]
Video: Trailer and Key Art for "Not Just A Goof" Available Now
Just in time for the 30th anniversary of "A Goofy Movie," this documentary follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, facing disappointment upon release, only for the film to gain a passionate following decades later.
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[04/03/25 - 12:06 PM]
Twelve Rebellious Chefs Are Set for Battle on NBC's Bold New Cooking Competition Series "Yes, Chef!" Hosted by Emmy-Award Winning Chefs Jose Andres and Martha Stewart
The series will premiere on Monday, April 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC following "The Voice."
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[04/03/25 - 12:01 PM]
ABC Renews "9-1-1," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "Will Trent" for 2025-26 Season
The network confirmed the pickups on social media this afternoon.
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[04/03/25 - 12:00 PM]
CBS to Present MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for the First Time, Airing Live Sunday, Sept. 7 from UBS Arena, and Streaming on Paramount+
The 2024 VMAs delivered its biggest multi-network audience in four years and ranked as the most social VMAs in show history, with 66.7 million social interactions.
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[04/03/25 - 11:53 AM]
Awesomeness Aquires the Rights to "Racing Hearts," Highly Anticipated Debut Novel from Ann Adams
Set in the cinematic world of competitive rowing, "Racing Hearts" is a coming-of-age romance that follows Olympic hopeful Katherine Parker, who is sent home to Berkeley after another failed race to work with a new coach, Adrian.
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[04/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Gives First Look at "The Equalizer" Spin-Off Featuring Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz
In the episode, airing April 20, McCall is contacted by Samantha Reed, whose father, ex-CIA agent Elijah Reed, is missing.
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[04/03/25 - 10:07 AM]
NBC Celebrates the Life and Career of Joan Rivers with "Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute" Special Airing May 13 on NBC
To celebrate the decade since her passing, the comedy community will revisit Rivers' legendary cabinet of jokes and add their own personal spin to reflect today's social and cultural landscape, along with a dose of their original material.
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[04/03/25 - 10:02 AM]
Date Announcement & First Look: Hulu Original Series "Nine Perfect Strangers" Season Two
Season two premieres on May 21, with two episodes at launch, followed by weekly releases on Hulu.
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[04/03/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for Season Two of the Original Comedy Series "The Rehearsal," from Nathan Fielder, Debuting April 20
In season two, the urgency of Fielder's project grows as he decides to put his resources toward an issue that affects us all.
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[04/03/25 - 09:24 AM]
FOX Nation to Premiere "Rebound: A Year of Triumph and Tragedy at Yeshiva University Basketball" on April 9th
The documentary directed by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Pat Dimon spotlights Yeshiva University's basketball team, the Maccabees, as they navigate their season following the October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel.
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[04/03/25 - 09:01 AM]
Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Back in Season 2 of "FUBAR" - Date Announcement, First Look & Key Art Debut
It's Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Carrie-Anne Moss in season two, due on June 12.
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[04/03/25 - 08:03 AM]
A Dilapidated French Chateau Gets a High-Stakes Fairytale Renovation in the New HGTV Series "Castle Impossible"
High school sweethearts and married couple, Daphne Reckert and Ian Figueira, will abandon their plans of living in a California tiny home when Daphne inherits her late grandfather's 500-year-old chateau on a 130-acre estate just outside of Paris, France, in the new HGTV series.
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[04/03/25 - 08:01 AM]
Grief Has Never Been Funnier. Sarah Silverman Returns to Netflix with New Special, "PostMortem"
The special premieres only on Netflix on May 20.
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[04/03/25 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Series "Like Water for Chocolate" Begins Filming Its Second Season
Based on the celebrated novel by Laura Esquivel, in its first season, the series became the most-watched Latin American content on Max globally and was among the top three most-watched series on the platform during its premiere month.
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[04/03/25 - 07:01 AM]
New Season of "Phineas and Ferb" Returns June 5 on Disney Channel and June 6 on Disney+
A special sneak peek will debut on Monday, May 26, at 11:35 a.m. EDT/PDT on Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Channel YouTube.
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