or


[10/06/10 - 06:30 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, October 6
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!


BIG LOVE (HBO) - Robert Patrick ("The Unit") has snagged an arc on the show's upcoming fifth season. He's on board as Bud Mayberry, "the leader of a polygamist fringe group." Patrick joins the previously announced Gregory Itzin, who will also recur as the Republican leader of the Utah State Senate. The new season of "Big Love" rolls out early next year.


CHAMELEON (FOX, New!) - Tom Fontana ("The Philanthropist") has booked a new drama at the network about "a cop goes missing for weeks, only to return a changed and delusional man - much to the chagrin of his partner." Fontana is penning the hour and executive producing alongside his regular collaborator Barry Levinson for Warner Bros. Television. No other details were given.


THE GAME/LET'S STAY TOGETHER (BET) - The cable channel's revival of former CW series "The Game" is reportedly set to begin on Tuesday, January 11 at 10:00/9:00c. Leading out of the new season, the show's fourth, will be newcomer "Let's Stay Together." Malinda Williams and Bert Belasco star in the series, about "a newly engaged couple's efforts to balance their relationship with demanding careers." As for "The Game," production on the series began this week in Atlanta with all of the principal cast members returning.


NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (USA) - Scott Cohen ("The Return of Jezebel James") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Danielle Santino (Callie Thorne), "a tough, sexy Long Island divorcee who, to make ends meet, becomes the therapist for a professional football team and quickly becomes sought after by other athletes, musicians, politicians and those living in the spotlight." He'll play "a 'fixer' for a football franchise who works closely with Danielle." Marc Blucas also stars in the Sony Pictures Television-based project, which Kevin Dowling is directing from a script by Craig Shapiro and Liz Kruger.


OUTLAW (NBC) - The Peacock has confirmed production on the series is being suspended after eight episodes. Said development comes after another third place finish for the newcomer this past Friday (4.72 million, 1.0/4 in adults 18-49), behind CBS's "Blue Bloods" (11.32 million, 2.0/7 in adults 18-49) and ABC's "20/20" (4.60 million, 1.1/4 in adults 18-49). Should ratings rebound, filming could potentially resume. This coming Friday marks its fourth original telecast.


PARTY PEOPLE (NBC, New!) - David Bickel ("The King of Queens") has booked a new comedy at the Peacock about a group of "under-employed grown-ups" who work as entertainers at children's birthday parties. Said half-hour is set up at Ben Silverman's IAC-based Electus with the former NBC chief executive producing alongside Bickel.


RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS) - Sara Rue ("Eastwick") has booked a multi-episode arc on the veteran comedy. She'll play Brenda, Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey's (Megyn Price) new surrogate. In addition, Joan Collins ("Dynasty") has been tapped to guest star as Bunny Dunbar, the mother of David Spade's character. Both are expected to turn up during the November sweeps period.


UNTITLED TAMMY PESCATELLI PROJECT (WE tv, New!) - "Last Comic Standing" alumna Tammy Pescatelli is set to be the focus of a new reality series at the cable channel. 2C Media and ITV Studios are behind the hour-long project, which has a six-episode order. The series will follow the Los Angeles, California-turned-Meadville, Pennsylvania transplant as she juggles work and her large extended family in the small town. Pescatelli will also serve as an executive producer on the effort, which is expected to bow in January alongside the Joan and Melissa Rivers-led "Mother Knows Best."






  [october 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· 20/20 (ABC)
· BIG LOVE (HBO)
· BLUE BLOODS (CBS)
· CHAMELEON (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EASTWICK (ABC)
· GAME, THE (BET)
· JOAN & MELISSA: JOAN KNOWS BEST? (WE)
· KING OF QUEENS, THE (CBS)
· LAST COMIC STANDING (NBC)
· LET'S STAY TOGETHER (BET)
· NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (USA)
· OUTLAW (NBC)
· PARTY PEOPLE (NBC)
· PHILANTHROPIST, THE (NBC)
· RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES, THE (FOX)
· RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
· STAND UP MOTHER, A (WE)
· UNIT, THE (CBS)





[02/20/26 - 12:01 PM]
"Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars" Premieres March 13 on ABC, Streaming Next Day on Hulu
All three prior "Celebrity Jeopardy!" champions - Ike Barinholtz, Lisa Ann Walter, and W. Kamau Bell - will attempt to defend their titles against 18 of their most competitive fellow stars.

[02/20/26 - 11:08 AM]
"The 'Burbs" Continues Hot Start on Peacock
The series has generated nearly 1 billion viewing minutes on platform since its February 8 launch.

[02/20/26 - 10:37 AM]
Hallmark Renews "Mistletoe Murders" for Season 3
Sarah Drew, who also serves as executive producer, stars as Emily Lane, a small-town shop owner with a secret past.

[02/20/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Strip Law" - Official Trailer - Netflix
An uptight lawyer and a Vegas magician take on the city's most outrageous cases in this new adult animated comedy now streaming on Netflix.

[02/20/26 - 07:31 AM]
"Famous Last Words" Captures Interviews with Icons, Including the Late Eric Dane
Conducted by Emmy Award winner Brad Falchuk, the series presents an interview with the beloved "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria" star Eric Dane, which was filmed last November.

[02/20/26 - 07:03 AM]
Video: A First Look at "Descendants: Wicked Wonderland" Revealed Ahead of Disney+ Debut This Summer
The teaser debuted ahead of the all-new "Descendants/ZOMBIES Worlds Collide: Concert Special," available today on Disney+.

[02/20/26 - 06:46 AM]
Paige Desorbo and Scott Evans to Host The Actor's Red Carpet: The 32nd Annual Actor Awards Official Pre-Show Live on Netflix
During the pre-show, winners for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture and Television Series will also be announced.

[02/20/26 - 06:02 AM]
TV One Presents A Definitive Tribute to an Icon with "Luther Vandross: Never Too Much" Premiering This Sunday, February 22 at 6PM/5C
Hailed by critics and audiences as a moving and definitive tribute, the film honors the life, artistry, and enduring cultural impact of music legend Luther Vandross.

[02/20/26 - 12:01 AM]
"A Friend, A Murderer" Launches on Netflix on March 5, 2026
This is the story of how a series of horrific crimes affected a rural community in Denmark and how a Danish town's close-knit community was transformed into distrust and fear.

[02/19/26 - 11:50 AM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Deliver Audience Milestones as Romance Blooms With Valentine's Day Episodes
"Shifting Gears" earned 6.90 million Total Viewers and 0.99 rating among Adults 18-49, after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[02/19/26 - 11:01 AM]
Oscar Winners Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldana Return to the Oscars Stage
All return to the Oscars stage after winning last year in their respective acting categories.

[02/19/26 - 10:32 AM]
Baseball Returns! ESPN to Stream More MLB Spring Training Games Than Ever
The offerings include four national games on ESPN, six games on ESPN Unlimited, and more than 250 out-of-market games via MLB.TV on ESPN platforms.

[02/19/26 - 10:00 AM]
Daring Dark Polish Comedy "The Stroke" Exclusive U.S. Debut Thursday, March 12, 2026 Only on European Streamer Viaplay U.S.
In a fearless performance, Jacek Poniedzialek plays a celebrated culinary critic and TV personality, brilliant and caustic, who built a career skewering bourgeois taste while privately unraveling.

[02/19/26 - 09:36 AM]
Nickelodeon to Air "Bedtime Stories with Ryan," Starring Ryan Reynolds, Beginning Monday, March 2, on Nick Jr. Channel
In the series, Ryan Reynolds reads new and classic bedtime stories as the tales magically come to life around him - creating a warm, playful and imaginative wind-down experience for kids and parents to enjoy together.

[02/19/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The series premieres on Thursday, March 19, 2026, only on Netflix.