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[03/17/11 - 11:30 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, March 17
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!
90210 (The CW) - Rebecca Sinclair is stepping down as showrunner of the netlet's soap. "It was a creative decision," she told Deadline.com. "I'm eager to write my own stuff. I'm going to try to write a novel - something I've been wanting to do since college - a pilot and a movie. Working on '90210' has been an incredible learning experience, like going to the most intensive school, and I feel I've come out ready to create my own show." No replacement has been named. The series, which is widely expected to get a fourth season, returns April 18 with its last five episodes of the season.
THE ASSISTANTS (CBS) - David Henrie ("How I Met Your Mother") has snagged a principal role on the comedy pilot, about four assistants who toil for a celebrity couple - Gale Meeks and Ali Vance (who are likened to Rob Riggle and Sarah Jessica Parker). He'll play Mike Beadle, the eager new house assistant. Emily Rutherfurd, Lamorne Morris and T.J. Miller co-star in the CBS Television Studios-based half-hour, from writer Tucker Cawley and director Pamela Fryman.
HERD MENTALITY (CBS) - Damon Wayans ("My Wife & Kids") has been tapped for the lead role on the comedy pilot, inspired by the life of ESPN radio personality Colin Cowherd. He'll play Nick Herd ("fortyish, confident, good looking and well-dressed, though he'd never admit he tries"), whose acerbic ways get him in trouble at home and at work. Bill Martin and Mike Schiff are behind the CBS Television Studios-based half-hour, to be directed by Andy Cadiff. Danny Comden also stars.
MY LIFE AS AN EXPERIMENT (NBC) - Donald Sutherland ("Pillars of the Earth") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about A.J. Wilder (Jon Dore), an immersion journalist whose unusual assignments frequently affect his home life in Brooklyn with his wife, Stacie (Paget Brewster), and two kids. He'll play Sam Bobkin ("pompous, arrogant"), Stacie's father, who is less than thrilled with her choice in a husband. Adam Campbell also stars in the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, from co-creators Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith.
POE (ABC) - Marco Grazzini is the newest addition to the pilot, a period drama which envisions famed author Edgar Allan Poe (Chris Egan) as the world's very first detective in 1840s Boston. He's set as Alexander Shelton ("handsome, wealthy, in a military uniform"), the current beau of Poe's childhood sweetheart Sarah Royster (Tabrett Bethell). Kevin McNally, Leslie Odom Jr. and Natalie Dormer also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, from writer Chris Hollier and director Alex Graves. Separately, Grazzini is also guesting on The CW pilot "Awakening" in an unspecified role.
REVENGE (ABC) - Joshua Bowman (U.K.'s "Holby City") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), a mysterious young woman who comes to the Hamptons to exact revenge on the people who destroyed her family. He'll play her fiance, Daniel Grayson ("young 20s, all American, son of privilege"), whose parents (Madeleine Stowe, Henry Czerny) she blames for her father's death. Ashley Madekwe, Christa B. Allen, Connor Paolo, Gabriel Mann and Nick Wechsler also star. Phillip Noyce is directing the ABC Studios-based hour, which was penned by Mike Kelley.
THE RIVER (ABC) - Thomas Kretschmann and Paulina Gaitan have both boarded the drama pilot, about the search in the Amazon for Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood), a missing TV explorer, led by his wife Tess (Leslie Hope) and son Lincoln (Joe Anderson). Kretschmann will play Captain Reese Byrne ("a soldier's comportment, a boxer's economy of movement; dedication and efficacy rubbed deep into his skin"), the expedition's head of security. Gaitan then is set as Jahel Valenzuela - the daughter of the ship's engineer, Emilio - who's just as good a mechanic as her father. Eloise Mumford, Paul Blackthorne and Shaun Parkes also star. Jaume Collet-Serra is directing the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Michael Green.
S.I.L.A. (NBC) - Jimmy Smits ("Outlaw") is returning to the Peacock as the actor has booked a role on the pilot, a drama depicting a complex web of crime, policework and politics in Los Angeles. He'll play Virgilio Zaragoza, the mayor of Los Angeles, who "cares deeply about his city, power, and women, perhaps in reverse order, and the nakedness of his need to be loved is part of his considerable charm." Also featured in the ensemble are Daniella Alonso, Danny Pino, Emma Dumont, Luis Chavez, Madchen Amick, Matthew Levy and Noah Emmerich. Stephen Gaghan is behind the hour, from 20th Century Fox Television.
SECRET CIRCLE (The CW) - Shelley Hennig and Jessica Parker Kennedy have each snagged a role on the drama pilot, about Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), a California teen who moves to her mom's hometown of New Salem, Maine and discovers that she comes from a family of witches. They'll play two more of the seven-member circle, a coven of young witches: Diana Meade ("smart, sexy, not overly done up"), who quickly befriends Cassie; and Melissa ("steely, disinterested"), who keeps her at arm's length. Phoebe Tonkin and Thomas Dekker also star while Liz Friedlander is directing from a script by Andrew Miller.
UNTITLED LIZ MERIWETHER PROJECT (FOX) - Damon Wayans Jr. ("Happy Endings") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel), an optimistic Midwestern woman who moves into a New York apartment with three juvenile guys. He'll play one of the trio, Coach, an out-of-shape trainer. Said role is in second position to his duties on the yet-to-debut ABC comedy. Hannah Simone, Jake M. Johnson and Max Greenfield also star. Liz Meriwether penned the half-hour for 20th Century Fox Television. Jake Kasdan is directing.
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[01/14/26 - 12:02 PM]
NBC Will Now Offer a Special Premiere of "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins" on Sunday, Jan. 18 Immediately Following Coverage of the NFL Playoff Game
The series will return on Monday, February 23 at 8 p.m. with an encore of the pilot and a new episode immediately following at 8:30 p.m. in its timeslot premiere.
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[01/14/26 - 12:01 PM]
Ryan Hurst to Play Kratos in Prime Video's "God of War" from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios
Hurst played Thor in PlayStation's "God of War Ragnarök," bringing established familiarity with the franchise to the role of Kratos.
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[01/14/26 - 12:00 PM]
HBO Max and A24 Renew Multi-Year U.S. Pay-1 Output and Library Deal
As part of the agreement, HBO Max subscribers will also have access to a library of dozens of A24 films throughout the course of the deal.
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[01/14/26 - 11:49 AM]
This Valentine's Day, Tubi's YA Original Film "Kissing Is the Easy Part" Premieres Exclusively on Tubi on February 13
The romantic comedy is directed by Fawzia Mirza and based on the popular Wattpad webnovel (currently at 31.9 million reads) of the same name by Christine Duann adapted by Rebecca Webb.
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[01/14/26 - 11:32 AM]
Scott Speedman-Led Series "RJ Decker" to Premiere on ABC Tuesday, March 3, Streaming Next Day on Hulu
Season 8 of "The Rookie" shifts to Mondays at 10 p.m. starting January 26, following the highly anticipated season premiere of "American Idol."
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[01/14/26 - 10:36 AM]
OWN Greenlights First-Ever "Belle Collective" Spinoff in 2026, Expanding the Franchise as Its #1 Friday Night Series Returns
The franchise spotlights dynamic women who embody the strength, ambition and pride of Black female entrepreneurship, redefining what it means to be a modern southern Belle who unapologetically carves her own path.
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[01/14/26 - 09:01 AM]
BET's "The Coach Vick Experience," Executive Produced by NFL Legends Michael Vick, Michael Strahan, and Deion Sanders, Premieres February 4, 2026
The emotional, high-stakes docuseries follows Michael Vick as he returns home to Virginia for the biggest challenge of his life - stepping in as a first-time head coach tasked with reigniting Norfolk State's struggling football program.
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[01/14/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Paul McCartney: Man on the Run" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
From Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville, the film chronicles the arc of McCartney's solo career as he faces down a myriad of challenges while creating new music to define a new decade.
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[01/14/26 - 08:31 AM]
Taylor Tomlinson Returns to Her Roots with Her Eagerly Anticipated New Netflix Comedy Special "Prodigal Daughter"
Tomlinson's fourth comedy special premieres globally on February 24, 2026, only on Netflix.
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[01/14/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Trailer for Season Two of Emmy Award-Nominated "Yo Gabba GabbaLand!"
Season two brings this group together with a new roster of musical guests to create dynamic performances and original songs to help kids and families uncover life lessons through music, movement and joyful discovery.
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[01/14/26 - 08:30 AM]
TLC's "90 Day: The Single Life" Returns with Second Chances, Shocking Secrets, and New Romances
The new season follows singles on their journeys to romance, some of which lead to unexpected sparks between familiar 90 Day faces.
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[01/14/26 - 08:01 AM]
Season Three of the HBO Original Drama Series "Euphoria" Debuts April 12
A group of childhood friends wrestle with the virtue of faith, the possibility of redemption, and the problem of evil.
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[01/14/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Lincoln Lawyer" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
On trial for a murder he didn't commit, Mickey must face a relentless DA as he fights to prove his innocence, expose the real killer and save his firm.
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[01/14/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Bluff" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
As her tranquil life is shattered by the return of her vengeful former captain, a skilled ex-pirate must confront her bloody past to save her family.
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[01/14/26 - 06:29 AM]
"State of Fear", The First Spin-Off of a Netflix Brazil Production, Premieres February 11
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