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[03/22/11 - 11:11 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, March 22
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!
BIRD DOG/THE RABBIT FACTORY (TNT) - On the heels of ordering the Eric McCormack-led drama "Perception" to series, the cable channel has reportedly passed on the other two drama pilots from said development cycle. "Bird Dog," from writer/director Mike Robe and Warner Horizon Television, revolved around an unlikely partnership between two cops (Gerald McRaney, Ashley Williams) who happen to be father and daughter. "The Rabbit Factory," from writer Alan Loeb and Lionsgate Television, tracked a recently widowed police detective (Steven Weber) and his newly married partner (D.L. Hughley) as they delve into a world of mystery, intrigue and occasional hijinks. Currently in the pipe at TNT are the "Dallas" reboot as well as the cast-contingent "Generations."
BOSS (Starz) - Connie Nielsen ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") has joined the cast of the upcoming drama, about Thomas Kane (Kesley Grammer), "the mayor of Chicago who is diagnosed with a degenerative mental condition that only he and his doctor know about." She'll play his wife, Meredith ("suited, immaculately groomed"), whom his marriage has disintegrated to the point they only speak in public. Gus Van Sant is directing the pilot to the Lionsgate Television-based hour, from writer Farhad Safinia.
DAMAGES (DirecTV) - Judd Hirsch ("NUMB3RS") is the latest actor set to recur on the show's upcoming fourth season. He'll play a former mentor of Patty's (Glenn Close), "a man who took her under his wing during her first job out of law school," but now spends his time "at the bottom of a bottle." Other new additions this season include Chris Messina, Dylan Baker and John Goodman.
FREE AGENTS (NBC) - Natasha Leggero ("Last Comic Standing") has been cast in the comedy pilot, about "two quirky co-workers - Alex (Hank Azaria) and Helen (Kathryn Hahn) on the rebound who are attracted to one another." She'll play Emma, Alex's opinionated executive assistant. Mo Mandel co-stars in the Universal Media Studios-based half-hour, which Todd Holland is directing from a script by John Enbom.
MAD MEN (AMC) - Matthew Weiner is reportedly on track to sign a new deal with producer Lionsgate Television to continue as showrunner of the Emmy-winning series. Said negotiations will likely push the start of production by several weeks, potentially bumping its usual summer debut into the fall or beyond. No other details were given.
THE RIVER (ABC) - Daniel Zacapa has scored a role on 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). He'll play Emilio Valenzuela, who along with his daughter Jahel (Paulina Gaitan), run the engine room of the S.S. Hopewell, the vessel spearheading the search. Eloise Mumford, Paul Blackthorne, Shaun Parkes and Thomas Kretschmann also star. Meanwhile, Zack Estrin ("No Ordinary Family") has joined the project as part of an overall deal with producer ABC Studios. There he'll serve as an executive producer alongside showrunner Michael Green and ultimately take over said post for the back nine of its presumed freshman run. Green, who's based at 20th Century Fox Television, will then transition back to development. Should the pilot not get ordered to series, Estrin will join another ABC Studios-based property.
UNTITLED SUSANNAH GRANT PROJECT (CBS) - "Law & Order" alumnus S. Epatha Merkerson has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Michael Halstead (Patrick Wilson), an ultra-competitive surgeon whose life is changed forever when his ex-wife, Anna Lindberg (Jennifer Ehle), dies and begins teaching him what life is all about from the hereafter. She'll play Rita, Michael's "don't cross her" assistant. Afton Williamson and Julie Benz also star in the CBS Television Studios-based hour, to be directed by Jonathan Demme.
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[04/29/26 - 04:01 PM]
"American Idol" Scores 5.3 Million Total Viewers with Biggest Audience in Over 2 Months During Taylor Swift Night
Monday's episode was the No. 1 entertainment program on the night among Total Viewers (5.34 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.42 rating).
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[04/29/26 - 02:41 PM]
Record Breaker! ESPN Airs Most-Viewed First Round Game 5 Ever on Cable, Extending Milestone Run of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday averaged 2 million viewers, up 190% vs. ESPN's First Round Game 5 average last year.
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[04/29/26 - 12:17 PM]
First-of-Its-Kind Competition Reality Series "Designed to Last" Begins Streaming May 5
Hosted by Maria Menounos, the Hulu series follows three teams of architects, engineers, and inventors as they compete in 10-hour build challenges, modifying tiny homes to withstand specific environmental hazards.
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[04/29/26 - 10:31 AM]
Netflix Announces the Emmy Nominated Masterpiece, "Bad Thoughts," Tom Segura's Dark and Twisted Comedic Series, Will Return for Its Second Season on May 24
In this six-episode dark comedic series, Tom Segura navigates unthinkable situations and fantasies within a cinematic world.
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[04/29/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New Adult Animated Comedy Series "Dad's House"
In small-town suburban Australia, thirteen year old child of divorce, Sean, spends every second weekend with his laidback, but well meaning dad, Ian.
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[04/29/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas" Debuts May 13
The film is a tapestry of personal vignettes from across the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in America.
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[04/29/26 - 09:46 AM]
Netflix Wins Romantic Drama "Lovesick," Orders Hot Package Straight-to-Series
The straight-to-series Netflix drama stars Danes as Annika, a renowned breast cancer surgeon whose world changes after receiving her own cancer diagnosis.
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[04/29/26 - 09:13 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "Behind the Bob: Vogue's Anna Wintour" Now Streaming on CNN App
The documentary special is now streaming at CNN.com/Watch and on the CNN app for streaming subscribers and will air Sunday, May 3 at 8pm ET on CNN, just one night before the iconic Met Gala.
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[04/29/26 - 09:05 AM]
"The Other Bennet Sister" Premiere: BritBox Shines a Light on Austen's Overlooked Heroine This May
Other highlights include "Twenty Twenty Six," "I Literally Just Told You," and "QI."
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[04/29/26 - 09:01 AM]
Celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th Birthday with "Ocean with David Attenborough"
The world's preeminent natural historian turns 100 on May 8.
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[04/29/26 - 09:01 AM]
Season 2 of "Ransom Canyon" Returns to Netflix on Thursday, July 23, 2026
The new season of the beloved western drama, starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, features eight brand new episodes.
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[04/29/26 - 09:00 AM]
Video: The Main Stage Is Set - Trailer and Guest Judges Revealed for "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" Season 11 Premiering May 8 on Paramount+
Brian Tyree Henry, Bronwyn Newport, Christina Ricci, Cooper Koch, Evan Mulrooney, Gina Gershon, Jamal Sims, Janelle James, Juno Temple, Kate Hudson, La Toya Jackson, Law Roach and Reneé Rapp will serve as celebrity guest judges for the eleventh season.
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[04/29/26 - 08:28 AM]
First Look at Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and Robert De Niro in "The Whisper Man," Premiering August 28th
When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as "The Whisper Man."
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[04/29/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Peacock Debuts First Look Teaser & New July 9 Premiere Date for "The Five Star Weekend"
The series stars Jennifer Garner, D'Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant.
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[04/29/26 - 08:00 AM]
TLC Unveils New Season of "90 Day: The Last Resort" as Six Couples Face Make-or-Break Moments in an English Castle
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