or


[07/18/11 - 10:51 PM]
Development Update: Monday, July 18
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!


BODY OF PROOF (ABC) - Matthew Gross has reupped his overall deal with ABC Studios. The three-year pact will cover his duties as co-showrunner on the drama as well as his future development. "Proof" returns for its second season this fall.


THE DARK TOWER (NBC) - Universal Pictures has pulled the plug on the potential film/TV franchise, based on Stephen King's book series of the same name. Production had been set to begin this summer on the first film of the trilogy - followed by the first of two limited run TV series bridging the gaps - with Javier Bardem starring, Ron Howard directing, Akiva Goldsman writing and Brian Grazer producing. Said decision was understood to be over financial concerns: Universal only felt comfortable committing to the inaugural film while the producers were all in on the trilogy/TV series as a whole.


IN THE HEIGHTS (Adult Swim, New!) - Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning stage show is being developed as a scripted comedy at the network. Said effort, to be penned by Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale, will likewise follow the exploits of the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights. Utkarsh Ambudkar is attached to star in the project, which will feature original music. Ars Nova ("Black Dynamite") is producing.


LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC) - Co-star B.D. Wong won't return for the show's 13th season, the actor himself tweeted this past weekend. Wong stars in the Peacock's midseason drama "Awake," in which he plays one of star Jason Issacs's two psychiatrists. The news marks the second "SVU" departure this season, the other being Christopher Meloni.


ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC) - Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad") is set to recur on the fantasy drama. He'll play Sidney, a reporter for Storybrooke's local newspaper The Daily Mirror who's actually The Magic Mirror from Fairy Tale Land. The newcomer launches on Sunday nights at 8:00/7:00c beginning October 23.


PAN AM (ABC) - Mike Vogel ("Miami Medical") has joined the cast of the period drama. He'll take over from Jonah Lotan as the male lead, the charismatic and confident pilot Dean. No reason was given for the change. "Pan Am" bows Sunday, September 25 on the Alphabet.


POWERS (FX) - Titus Welliver ("The Good Wife") has been tapped for a role on the drama pilot, based on the Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming comic book of the same name. He'll play Triphammer, "a genius and a narcissist [who] has invented technology that can both bestow and remove superhuman abilities." Jason Patric and Lucy Punch topline the hour, which is currently in production in Chicago.


ROYAL PAINS (USA) - Constance Zimmer ("Entourage") has booked a role on the show's current third season. She'll play Abby Burton, "a psychiatrist and an old friend of Hank's who may be able to help an especially important HankMed patient." Her role is billed as a potential love interest for Mark Feuerstein's Hank. She'll presumably turn up in the back half of said run.


UNTITLED PHIL SPECTOR PROJECT (HBO) - Emmy-winner Helen Mirren ("Elizabeth I") has joined the cast of the docudrama, which "explores the client-attorney relationship between legendary music producer Phil Spector (Al Pacino) and defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden (Mirren)." She'll take over from Bette Midler, who bowed out last week mid-production for medical reasons. David Mamet, Barry Levinson and Pacino are the executive producers.






  [july 2011]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· AWAKE (NBC)
· BLACK DYNAMITE (ADULT SWIM)
· BODY OF PROOF (ABC)
· BREAKING BAD (AMC)
· DARK TOWER, THE (AMAZON)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ELIZABETH I (HBO)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· IN THE HEIGHTS (ADULT SWIM)
· LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (NBC)
· MIAMI MEDICAL (CBS)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· PAN AM (ABC)
· PHIL SPECTOR (HBO)
· POWERS (FX)
· ROYAL PAINS (USA)





[01/13/26 - 03:05 PM]
NBC Issues Drama Pilot Order for "Protection"
When a U.S. Marshal falls in the line of duty, a seemingly cut-and-dry case turns into a deadly conspiracy as a family of law enforcement agents become the target of a mysterious assassin.

[01/13/26 - 03:02 PM]
2025-26 College Football Playoff Semifinals Averaging 14.9 Million Viewers, On Par with 2024-25 Season
The Peach Bowl (Oregon vs. Indiana) drew 18 million viewers on average, while the Fiesta Bowl (Miami vs. Ole Miss) scored 15.8 million viewers.

[01/13/26 - 02:30 PM]
FOX Sports Holds Winning Hand Leading All Networks in Viewership on Wild Card Weekend
41 million viewers watched FOX Sports' presentation of Sunday's NFC Wild Card Round showdown featuring the San Francisco 49ers' win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

[01/13/26 - 02:26 PM]
31.61 Million Viewers for Packers-Bears Playoff on Prime Video Shatters NFL Streaming Record
According to Amazon first-party viewership data, Packers-Bears attracted the most concurrent viewers and highest single-day global viewership in the history of Prime Video.

[01/13/26 - 01:33 PM]
NBC Gives Pilot Order to "The Rockford Files"
From Mike Daniels comes a contemporary update on the classic series of the same name.

[01/13/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of January 5 - "People We Meet on Vacation" Takes a Trip to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
In addition to a will they, won't they romance, viewers were sucked into the he said, she said intrigue of "His & Hers," putting the thriller series at No. 1 on the English TV list with 19.9 million views.

[01/13/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: "Portobello" - Official Trailer - HBO
A man on trial. A nation watching.

[01/13/26 - 10:40 AM]
New Episodes of TLC's "Unexpected" Premiere Monday, February 16 at 9PM ET/PT
The new season follows eight teens who are navigating pregnancy, parenthood, and the realities that come far sooner than expected.

[01/13/26 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "33 Photos from the Ghetto" Debuts January 27
The film tells the story of the only known photographs from inside the Warsaw Ghetto during the April 1943 uprising and its brutal repression that were not taken by German forces.

[01/13/26 - 09:03 AM]
Video: MGM+ Unveils Official Trailer for New Mystery Thriller Series "Vanished"
When a couple's trip to Paris takes a dark turn with the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend Tom (Sam Claflin) aboard a train to the south of France, Alice (Kaley Cuoco) is plunged into a web of intrigue and danger, uncovering shocking secrets about the man she thought she knew.

[01/13/26 - 09:00 AM]
"The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition" to Debut on The CW Network
The series is hosted by Ian Ziering, whose four-decade television career, cultural resonance, and deep connection to automotive culture make him a natural guide for this journey.

[01/13/26 - 08:21 AM]
Video: "The Great American Baking Show: Big Game" (Season 2) - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
In this Big Game special, sports analyst Mina Kimes and NFL legends Antonio Gates, Von Miller, and Julian Edelman take on three gridiron-themed challenges as they vie for the coveted Star Baker crown.

[01/13/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Queer Eye" Season 10 - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this final season, the Fab Five help Washington, D.C. heroes live their fullest lives through stunning makeovers and emotional transformations.

[01/13/26 - 08:00 AM]
Trevor Noah Returns to Host "The 68th Annual Grammy Awards," Sunday, Feb. 1
This will be Noah's sixth time as host of the Grammy Awards and he will also serve as an executive producer.

[01/13/26 - 07:05 AM]
Apple TV Announces Upcoming Docuseries Featuring Tennis Icon Andre Agassi
The series, which will tell the thrilling, complex and inspiring story of an American legend, will be directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Smith, produced by Smith's Library Films, and executive produced by Stacy Smith and Justin Gimelstob.