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[12/10/10 - 08:33 PM]
Development Update: Friday, December 10
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!
ALCATRAZ (FOX) - Sam Neill ("Happy Town"), Parminder Nagra ("ER") and Robert Forster ("Heroes") have all joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a group of missing Alcatraz prisoners and guards who reappear in the present day and the efforts of a team of FBI agents to track them down and unravel the mystery behind their disappearance 30 years prior. Neill will play Emerson Hauser, "the head of a government agency who radiates authority and piercing intelligence"; with Nagra as his lab technician, Lucy; and Forster as Ray Archer, "a retired detective who is now owner/bartender of a cop hangout bar." Sarah Jones, Jorge Garcia, Jonny Coyne and Jason Butler Harner also star in the hour, which comes from the Warner Bros. Television-based Bad Robot Productions. Bryan Burk, Elizabeth Sarnoff and J.J. Abrams are among the executive producers. Danny Cannon directs.
AMERICAN WORK PROJECTS (NBC, New!) - Scot Armstrong and Ravi Nandan's American Work has booked six new projects at the Peacock via their first-look deal with the network. The group joins previously announced efforts "Life Is Good" and "I'm with Russell," also at NBC, as well as "Ambulance Chasers" at FX and "Single at 40" at FOX. The new additions include "A Lot Like Us," from Liz Feldman, about "an alternative LA family, centering around an expectant lesbian couple and their donor who lives with them"; "Join the Club," from Thomas Moffett, about "a disenchanted 30-year-old joins his step-grandfather's men's club and finds an unlikely group of friends where he least expected"; and "Shanked It," from Mike Arnold, about "three couples, their lives, and the golf course in the middle of it all."
Rounding out the lineup is "Brothers," from John Blickstead and Trey Kollmer, about "three brothers from three different mothers who try to avoid their father's mistakes"; an untitled effort from Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, about a woman (St. Clair) who "moves back in with her best friend (Lennon) only to find out he's now living with her boyfriend"; and another untitled project from Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh about "a self-centered, once-hot internet entrepreneur and his would-be think tank as he tries to maintain the illusion he's a Sean Parker-like CEO." All six are presumably co-produced by Universal Media Studios.
BRAXTON FAMILY VALUES (WE tv, New!) - The cable channel is set to roll out a new reality series about personal and professional foibles of Atlanta-based singer Toni Braxton and her four sisters - Toni, Tamar, Trina, Towanda. It's understood the newcomer, which also feature their mother Evelyn, will air on Tuesday nights in April following the runs of "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?" and "A Stand-Up Mother," both of which launch Tuesday, January 25 starting at 9:00/8:00c.
BIRD DOG (TNT) - Eric Mabius ("Ugly Betty") has landed a role on the drama pilot, about Gail McGrath (Ashley Williams), "a patrolling officer whose new partner is her cop dad Sam McGrath (Gerald McRaney)." Mabius will play Tim Burke, "the boyishly handsome County Sheriff who is secretly attracted to Gail." Suzy Nakamura, William Ragsdale and Wynn Everett also star in the Mike Robe project, which comes from Warner Horizon Television.
DANNI LOWINSKI (The CW) - Carla Gallo ("Men of a Certain Age") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about "a scrappy hairdresser (Amanda Walsh) who graduates from law school but is brushed off by law firms and sets up her own practice in a shopping mall kiosk." She's on board as "her best friend Kaz who is brassy, a little slutty and fiercely protective of Danni." Jennie Snyder Urman is behind the CBS Television Studios-based hour, to be directed by Richard Shepard. Neal Bledsoe also stars.
PLAYBOY (NBC, New!) - Chad Hodge ("Runaway") is developing a period drama at the Peacock about "a group of women working as Playboy bunnies in the [now defunct] New York club" in the 1960s. 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television are behind the hour, formerly known as "Bunny Tales." Imagine's Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo will executive produce alongside Hodge. It's understood said effort was rolled from last season when a different writer was attached.
THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE (Investigation Discovery, New!) - The cable channel has ordered a new three-episode series detailing the FBI's Civil Rights Unit and its chief, Cynthia Deitle. Filmmaker Keith Beauchamp is behind the project, due to launch in February. Each installment will "reopen cold cases from our country's past, and seeks to solve the crimes once and for all."
TWO BROKE GIRLS (CBS, New!) - "Sex and the City" writer/director Michael Patrick King and comedian Whitney Cummings are set to team for a potential multi-camera comedy at the Eye about "two 22-year-old girls who tackle life in New York: two broke girls, one expensive city." Warner Bros. Television, where King's overall deal is based, is behind the half-hour, which has a pilot production commitment following a heated bidding war. King and Cummings, who also have separate projects at NBC, co-wrote the script on spec with King executive producing and Cummings serving as a co-executive producer.
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[12/12/25 - 01:46 PM]
ID Sets January Return for "People Magazine Investigates," Featuring More Ripped from the Headlines Cases That Captivated the Nation
The new season premieres Monday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c on ID, with new episodes airing weekly.
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[12/12/25 - 01:31 PM]
Hallmark Expands the Universe of "When Calls the Heart" with Prequel Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres and Jill Hennessy
The eight-episode series begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+.
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[12/12/25 - 10:05 AM]
Meet the 14 Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: House of Fear," Premiering Wednesday, January 14th at 9/8c on FOX
Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting - and fear is a weapon.
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[12/12/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: What's Coming in Early 2026 - "Shrinking," "Monarch," "Hijack" & More - Apple TV
Also on tap are "The Last Thing He Told Me" and "Eternity."
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[12/12/25 - 09:06 AM]
Crave Greenlights "Heated Rivalry" Season 2, While Global Momentum Continues
Also confirmed today, HBO Max U.S. and Australia, and NEON (Sky New Zealand), who already exclusively stream Season 1 in those respective markets, have all committed to the streaming rights for a second season.
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[12/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Best Medicine" Season 1 Official Trailer (Starring Josh Charles) - FOX TV
Dr. Martin Best leaves his career as a Boston surgeon to become the general practitioner in the quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent his childhood summers.
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[12/12/25 - 08:09 AM]
HBO Max Rolls Out In-App Curated Channels for Fan-Favorite Series and Genres in the U.S.
Designed for an effortless streaming experience, this feature enables users to seamlessly enter a continuous feed of curated episodes from fan-favorite titles, making it easier than ever to find an episode of their favorite programming.
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[12/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces Season Two for Acclaimed Thriller "Down Cemetery Road"
Season two reunites Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson) and Sarah Trafford (Emma Wilson) chasing down another twisted mystery.
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[12/12/25 - 05:00 AM]
Video: HBO Max Brand Spot Teases 2026 Original Programming Slate with Never-Before-Seen Footage and First Looks
Including exclusive first looks on HBO Max social accounts, the spot underscores HBO Max's commitment to delivering high quality, must-see stories that inspire, entertain, and spark conversations around the globe.
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[12/11/25 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Target Demos
The series also saw gains on the same week last year in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.
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[12/11/25 - 11:58 AM]
Lifetime to Kick Off 2026 with Three New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movies
Kate Beckinsale, Scott Eastwood, Katie Cassidy, Luke Humphrey, Chloe Lanier, Dillon Casey, and Maddy Hillis are among the featured talent.
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[12/11/25 - 11:22 AM]
A&E's New Series "Crime in Progress" Follows the Evolution of Investigations Told Exclusively Through Raw Footage Premieres January 1 at 10pm ET/PT
The story of each crime is woven together through raw, unfiltered video from the point of view of officer body cam and surveillance footage for a first-hand look at justice in action.
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[12/11/25 - 11:01 AM]
New Netflix Doc Series About Jonestown Dives Into One of the Deadliest Mass Murders in American History
From Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper comes a three-part documentary series about the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre.
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[12/11/25 - 10:32 AM]
Lola Petticrew Will Join the World of "Assassin's Creed" Alongside Toby Wallace in the New Live-Action Series Adaptation of Ubisoft's Best-Selling Video Game Franchise
Netflix confirmed the news on social media this morning.
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[12/11/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Breakdown: 1975" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This documentary explores how a turbulent era gave rise to iconic movies like "Taxi Driver," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Network."
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