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[04/02/10 - 12:08 AM]
Development Update: Friday, April 2
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!
HELLCATS (The CW) - Robbie Jones ("One Tree Hill") and Heather Hemmens ("The Candy Shop") are both on board the presentation, a drama set in the world of competitive college cheerleading. He's believed to be playing Luis Famosa, an "easy and laid-back, seriously unserious" member of the squad who befriends Marty (Aly Michalka), much to the chagrin of Dan (Matt Barr). Said role was originally written for someone of Cuban descent. Hemmens then is set as Alice Vandermark ("a willowy beauty with jaded New York cool"), a fellow Hellcat that suffers a hairline wrist fracture. Ashley Tisdale and Gail O'Grady co-star in the hour, which was penned by Kevin Murphy. CBS Television Studios, Tom Welling Productions and Warner Bros. Television are co-producing.
HITCHED (CBS) - Riki Lindhome has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about a twentysomething newlywed couple (Jack Carpenter, Kristin Kreuk) navigating their new life together. She's on board as Shari Ratner, the bride's best friend, "a ball buster" whose husband never speaks. Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which also stars Eugene Levy, Kurtwood Smith and Thomas Middleditch. Rob Greenberg is directing.
HUGE (ABC Family) - Gina Torres ("Gossip Girl") is the latest addition to the series, which launches Monday, June 28 at 9:00/8:00c. She'll play Dr. Dorothy Rand in the hour, about "the lives of seven teens and the staff at a weight-loss camp, as they look beneath the surface to discover their true selves and the truth about each other." Andrew Caldwell, Ari Stidham, Ashley Holliday, Harvey Guillen, Hayley Hasselhoff, Nikki Blonsky and Zander Eckhouse also star in the ensemble.
LAW & ORDER (NBC) - S. Epatha Merkerson is departing the series after 17 seasons. Said decision comes as production is about to begin on the show's 20th season finale. Merkerson reportedly made the request in time to give her character an appropriate send-off. Earlier this week, the Peacock announced Olympic Gold Medal winning skier Lindsey Vonn would guest star on the aforementioned finale, to be written and directed by Rene Balcer. As for the future of the series, rumblings persist that a 21st season will be contingent on whether or not TNT, home to its off-network run, will extend its contract beyond season 20 which in turn will help offset the cost of production.
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (ABC Family) - Chad Lowe ("24") has joined the cast of the upcoming drama, about "four estranged best friends who are reunited one year after their best friend and queen bee of the group, Alison, goes missing only to discover they are receiving messages from an anonymous "A" who knows all their secrets." He'll play Byron, one of the girls' (Lucy Hale) fathers, a "handsome professor that the college girls on campus all talk about when they get drunk and horny." Alexis Denisof originated the role in the pilot. No reason was given for the recasting. Ashley Benson, Laura Leighton, Nia Peeples, Shay Mitchell as Emily and Troian Bellisario also star in the project, which bows Tuesday, June 8 at 8:00/7:00c.
STRANGE BREW (FOX) - Greg Germann ("In Case of Emergency") and Damon Gupton ("Deadline") have both booked roles on the comedy pilot, about a family-owned brewery. The former will play Burt ("fit, comfortable in his Republican skin"), a president of a rival company who tries to convince patriarch Ted (Jere Burns) to sell him a piece of the business. Gupton then is set as Lester Lewis III, a third generation brewmaster who's a de facto member of the family. Aya Cash, Laurie Metcalf, Mo Mandel and Skylar Astin also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which Marc Buckland is directing from a script by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick.
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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