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)





[08/21/26 - 10:46 AM]
HBO Max Orders New Comedy Series "The People v. Gorilla Grodd"
The series stars Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, and "Superman" actors Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

[08/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: HBO Max Releases Official Season 3 Teaser and First Look Images for the Max Original Drama Series "The Pitt"
The critically acclaimed series, which earned 26 Emmy Award nominations for season 2, will return for its third season in January 2027.

[08/21/26 - 08:01 AM]
BritBox Reveals First Look of Edward Bluemel as Hercule Poirot in "Hercule," Now in Production
The series, which has commenced filming in Liverpool, is an intimate study of Hercule Poirot, the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars.

[08/21/26 - 06:33 AM]
Video: "Masterpiece" Fall 2026 Preview
New seasons of "The Marlow Murder Club," "Maigret," and "The Gold," plus the premiere of "Marble Hall Murders" are all coming this fall.

[08/20/26 - 10:31 PM]
A Mother's Fight Against All Odds: Netflix's Gripping Thriller "Gandhari" Premieres September 3, 2026
The emotionally charged action-thriller led by Taapsee Pannu explores the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to when everything she loves is at stake.

[08/20/26 - 07:15 PM]
ESPN Schedule Update: Little League Baseball World Series Coverage Revised for Friday, Aug. 21
The changes are a result of weather-related postponements.

[08/20/26 - 05:01 PM]
Netflix Levels Up Anime-Inspired Slate
"Bass X Machina," "Blue Eye Samurai," "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," "Fool Night," "Lego One Piece," "Sakamoto Days," and "The One Piece" are among the featured titles.

[08/20/26 - 02:11 PM]
"Lanterns" Debuts Among HBO Max's Biggest Series Premieres with 9.3M Global Viewers
The light shines bright.

[08/20/26 - 02:01 PM]
Prime Video to Exclusively Stream Live-Action Drama Adaptation of "Please Save My Earth" in Autumn 2027
The series is a live-action adaptation of Saki Hiwatari's acclaimed reincarnation-themed sci-fi romance manga, which has sold over 16 million copies since its 1986 debut.

[08/20/26 - 12:31 PM]
Netflix and AMC Global Media Announce New Gritty Drama Series, "Bannerman"
The series will premiere on AMC in the US and Canada and will also be available on Netflix in the US and Canada 90 days after the premiere of the season finale on AMC.

[08/20/26 - 11:24 AM]
"Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence": Modernized Crime-Solving Duo Leads BritBox's Fall 2026 Slate
BritBox heads into fall with the highly anticipated return of some of its most acclaimed crime and mystery favorites.

[08/20/26 - 11:00 AM]
CBS to Mark 25 Years Since the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks with Extensive Live Coverage and Two Primetime Specials
At 8:00 PM, Tony Dokoupil will anchor a CBS News special from Ground Zero, "9/11: We Remember," featuring three stories of survival, loss and hope.

[08/20/26 - 10:01 AM]
Headed Back to Muskoka: Prime Video Renews "Sterling Point" for a Second Season
The eight-episode series debuted on August 5 and quickly became a top series on Prime Video.

[08/20/26 - 09:45 AM]
Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Winner Steven Yeun to Lead Netflix Series "Pagans"
Yeun will play Gus: A single father struggling to raise two kids alone following his wife's death.

[08/20/26 - 09:37 AM]
AMC Global Media's September Highlights Include "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "Blue Murder Motel," "Age Inappropriate," "Hell Mode," the Return of "Season of Screams" and More!
Other offerings include Sundance Now's "Murderer Behind the Mask"; Acorn TV's "The Sommerdahl Murders"; and We TV's "Love After Lockup: The Road to Rehab."