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[12/07/10 - 06:30 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, December 7
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!
ALLEN GREGORY (FOX) - David A. Goodman ("Family Guy") has been tapped as the showrunner of the upcoming animated comedy, about "the world's most celebrated seven-year-old embarking on the greatest challenge of his life: attending elementary school with regular kids." Jonah Hill, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel co-created the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which has a seven-episode order for next season. Goodman, who's based at the studio, will then executive produce alongside the trio and Chernin Entertainment's Katherine Pope and Peter Chernin.
THE BIGGEST LOSER (NBC) - Trainer Jillian Michaels is departing the series after its upcoming 11th season. Michaels herself confirmed the news earlier today via her Twitter account. The new season of "The Biggest Loser" premieres Tuesday, January 4 at 8:00/7:00c.
CITY OF DREAMS (ABC, New!) - M. Scott Veach ("Leverage") has booked a second drama at the Alphabet, this time "an action adventure series in the vein of 'National Treasure.'" ABC Studios is behind the hour, which is based on William Martin's book of the same name. The Littlefield Co.'s Warren Littlefield also serves as an executive producer alongside Veach.
Here's how publisher Forge Books details the project: "'Can I interest you in saving America?' That's the text message Peter Fallon receives from a Wall Street bigwig. It's not a challenge he can turn down, especially since the country is in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Hidden somewhere in New York City is a box of 1780 bonds with a face value of ten thousand dollars. The Supreme Court is about to decide if these bonds still have value. If the decision is yes, those ten thousand dollars, at five percent interest, will be worth a very pretty penny... Peter Fallon and his girlfriend, Evangeline Carrington, must find the box - and fast. Suddenly, their race against time becomes a race through time as Peter and Evangeline track the stories of New Yorkers whose lives have been changed by the bonds... and all the while they'll unravel the thrilling and inspiring origins of the City of Dreams."
DETAIL (CBS, New!) - Sarah Thorp ("Hawthorne") has snagged a script commitment from the Eye for a new drama "inspired by top celebrity bodyguard Kim Maree Penn and follows a private female security expert." Said hour comes from CBS Television Studios and Anthony E. Zuiker's Dare To Pass Productions. Zuiker and Thorp then will executive produce with Matthew Weinberg serving as a co-executive producer.
FREE RIDE (FOX, New!) - Mark Perry and Michael Patrick Jann are developing a new single-camera comedy at the network about "a middle aged man at the end of his rope, who accidentally falls to his death and wakes up as himself at 18 on his first day of college and has the opportunity to relive his live differently." 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television are behind the half-hour, which Jann would direct from a script by Perry.
HEADHUNTER (ABC, New!) - Feature writer Eric Heisserer ("Nightmare on Elm Street") is looking to import the 2009 Danish film as a TV series for ABC. Said hour would revolve around "a headhunter entangled into a corporate power game." Laurie Zaks ("Castle") will executive produce the project alongside Heisserer for ABC Studios.
LIE TO ME (FOX) - Network and studio sources have confirmed FOX has passed on a back nine order for the show's third season. The series nevertheless will remain under consideration for a fourth season come May. The remainder of its third season kicks off on January 10 with its season finale set for January 31.
PRICKLY SPHERES (The CW, New!) - Matt Goldman ("The Wizards of Waverly Place") has booked a new drama at the netlet about "a classical-music prodigy who turns down a full ride at Julliard and instead ends up joining an alternative-rock band in Minneapolis filled with quirky but super-talented musicians." Prospect Park's Jeff Kwatinetz, Paul Frank and Rich Frank are also on board to executive produce. No studio was indicated as attached.
RUINED (HBO, New!) - The pay channel is looking to bring Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play to the small screen with Oprah Winfrey in talks to star. The project "focuses on a brothel in war-torn Congo and the struggles of its madam, Mama Nadi, to keep herself and the women working for her from getting caught between the government and rebel armies." Nottage is set to pen the script with Winfrey and Kate Forte executive producing via their Harpo Films banner.
SPIRITS (The CW, New!) - Jesse Alexander ("Day One") has landed a script commitment from the netlet for "a paranormal procedural described as 'Paranormal Activity' meets 'CSI' with a little 'Charmed' mixed in and centers on a team of three young women who solve paranormal mysteries." Said hour is set up at CBS Television Studios and Dare To Pass Productions. The latter's Anthony E. Zuiker will executive produce alongside Alexander with Matthew Weinberg also serving as a co-executive producer.
SUNNYSIDE (ABC, New!) - Victor Fresco ("Better Off Ted") is back in business with the Alphabet as the writer/producer has booked a new comedy about "a guy who moves, along with his wife and child, back to his hometown. Once home, the couple struggles not to turn into their parents." ABC Studios and Stockholm-Copenhagen Productions ("My Generation") are behind the half-hour, which is based on Felix Herngren's Swedish series "Solsidan." The Littlefield Co's Warren Littlefield and Henrik Bastin then will executive produce alongside Fresco.
TRUE BLOOD (HBO) - Christina Moore ("Hawthorne"), Neil Hopkins ("Lost") and Chris Butler ("The Good Wife") have all landed arcs on the show's upcoming fourth season. She'll play Suzanne McKittrick, "a WASPy Texas housewife who possesses certain special abilities," with Hopkins as Claude, "Claudine's (Lara Pulver) mysterious brother," and Butler as Emory, "a prissy and conservative shapeshifter with his own agenda."
UNTITLED MENKEN/PENNETTE/ZIPPEL PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Marco Pennette ("Desperate Housewives") is set to team with composer Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid") and lyricist David Zippel ("City of Angels") for a potential series about "a young female musician living with other musicians as they try to make their way into the world." Said effort, which would feature two to three original songs per episode, is loosely based on the life of Menken's daughter. Pennette, who conceived the idea alongside Menken and Zippel, will pen the script and executive produce alongside the duo for ABC Studios.
UNTITLED GODFREY PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Comedian Godfrey has booked a potential animated comedy at the network based on his stand-up routine, "including his relationship with his father, a conservative Nigerian immigrant." Kenya Barris ("The Game") and Godfrey will co-write the half-hour with Bernie Cahill and Jordan Tilzer also executive producing for 20th Century Fox Television. Godfrey will provide many of voices for the characters as well as serve as a co-executive producer.
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[11/19/25 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "The Price of Confession" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A mystery thriller about Yun-su, a woman accused of murdering her husband, and Mo Eun, a mysterious woman called a witch, and the secrets between them.
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[11/19/25 - 01:52 PM]
Video: "Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion" Premiere Preview
The 90-minute special, hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, looks back on the timeless show, which premiered on September 13, 1996, and aired for nine seasons on CBS.
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[11/19/25 - 01:00 PM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Sarah Squirm: Live + In the Flesh" Debuts December 12
Sarah Sherman's unholy alter ego, Sarah Squirm, slithers onto your screen in her first stand-up comedy special.
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[11/19/25 - 12:31 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - December 2025
Highlights include season two of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians"; the original film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw"; and the premiere of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era."
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[11/19/25 - 12:26 PM]
MLB Forms New Three-Year Media Rights Agreements with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix
FOX/FS1, TBS, Apple TV, and MLB Network will continue their existing packages.
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[11/19/25 - 12:26 PM]
ESPN, Major League Baseball Reach Innovative New Agreement Featuring Significant Collection of National and Local Rights
ESPN to produce new exclusive package of 30 regular season games for its linear networks and direct-to-consumer offering.
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[11/19/25 - 12:24 PM]
Major League Baseball Returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026 with Three-Year Media Rights Partnership Featuring Extensive Exclusivity
"Sunday Night Baseball" on NBC/Peacock now joins NBC Sports' presentations of "Sunday Night Football" (NFL) and "Sunday Night Basketball" (NBA) to deliver year-round primetime sports programming on the same night each week - a broadcast network first.
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[11/19/25 - 12:01 PM]
MLB on Netflix Live in 2026: Opening Night, the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, and Field of Dreams
From 2026 to 2028, Netflix will kick off each MLB season with a singular game on Opening Night, the evening prior to a full slate of traditional Opening Day matchups.
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[11/19/25 - 11:03 AM]
Romantic Drama Series "Heated Rivalry" Debuts November 28 on HBO Max
New episodes of the six-episode season will debut weekly leading up to the finale on Friday, December 26.
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[11/19/25 - 11:01 AM]
Comedy Central Announces "The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize"
The latest special is set to premiere directly after "The Daily Show" on Monday, December 8 at 11:30pm ET/PT and will be available on Paramount+, "The Daily Show's" YouTube Channel, and VOD starting December 9.
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[11/19/25 - 11:00 AM]
Maria Zuckerman Enters Into Multi-Year First-Look Producing Deal with FOX Entertainment Studios to Develop Slate of Premium Scripted Content and Prestige Non-Fiction
An Emmy Award-winning producer and respected industry leader, Zuckerman is known for her ability to identify and champion brand-defining stories and talent that balance artistic excellence with commercial success.
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[11/19/25 - 11:00 AM]
AMC Networks' December Highlights Include "Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale," "Midsomer Murders," "Bridezillas," "Best Christmas Ever" and More
"Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale" returns Thursday, December 25 with new episodes through January 29.
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[11/19/25 - 09:18 AM]
Peacock Announces January 15 Premiere Date for "Ponies"
The espionage thriller series starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson will premiere on Thursday, January 15.
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[11/19/25 - 09:05 AM]
The CW Network Sets 2026 Midseason Premiere Dates for Returning Hit Series
Highlights include the season premiere of "Wild Cards" on Monday, January 26 at 8:00/7:00c.
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[11/19/25 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Stargate" Announcement - Prime Video
Amazon MGM Studios has greenlit a new "Stargate" series for Prime Video.
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