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[07/18/11 - 10:51 PM]
Development Update: Monday, July 18
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!
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.
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[06/22/26 - 12:00 PM]
"Love Island USA" Heads to Casa as Peacock Reveals the New Casa Amor Men
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[06/22/26 - 11:55 AM]
BET's Hit Comedy Series "Ms. Pat Settles It" Season 3B Returns Tuesday, June 30
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[06/22/26 - 11:54 AM]
Ms. Pat Signs Expanded Exclusive Overall Deal with BET Studios, with Content Spanning Across Paramount Platforms & Ability to Sell to Third-Party Studios
The sixth season of "The Ms. Pat Show" will stream on Paramount+, the new streaming home for BET+ content, bringing the beloved series to a global platform with nearly 80 million subscribers.
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[06/22/26 - 10:30 AM]
NBCUniversal Unveils Rock Studios, A Next-Generation Creative Engine Powering Brand Growth Across Iconic IP and Fandoms
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[06/22/26 - 10:09 AM]
AMC Global Media's July Highlights Include "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "The Vampire Lestat," "Inspector Ellis," "The Ridge," "Harry Wild" and More
Film premieres for the month include "Chum," "Touch Me," "Faces of Death," "Exit 8," "Saccharine," "Over Your Dead Body," and "Da'partments."
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[06/22/26 - 09:25 AM]
Linda Cohn, ESPN's Longest-Tenured "SportsCenter" Anchor, to Retire from ESPN June 30
Cohn joined ESPN in July of 1992 and hosted her first "SportsCenter" edition at 2 a.m. on July 11, 1992.
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[06/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New "Gabby's Dollhouse" Series, A "Sesame Street" Collection, and Even More for Preschoolers and Kids
In addition to the new series, Gabby and the Gabby Cats return on September 14 for Season 14 of "Gabby's Dollhouse," which was the No. 4 series on Netflix in the second half of 2025 with roughly 108 million views.
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[06/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Award-Winning Rece Davis Joins ESPN's Wimbledon Coverage as Host
A mainstay at ESPN for more than 25 years, Davis is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of college football's premier pre-game show, "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot," as well as other football and basketball-related ESPN programs.
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[06/22/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Golden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid-" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In a fierce three-way fight over a hoard of Ainu gold, Asirpa and Sugimoto head to Abashiri Prison, where Noppera-Bo and the truth about her father wait.
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[06/22/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Reveals Special Honorees for "The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One," Airing Wednesday, July 15, at 8 P.M. on ABC and Streaming on the ESPN App
Jason Collins will posthumously receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Jim Abbott will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
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[06/22/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Ricky Gervais "Alley Cats" - Official Trailer - Netflix
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[06/22/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Sheep Detectives" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
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[06/21/26 - 01:31 PM]
Peacock to Debut Companion Video Podcast "The Five Star Weekend Official Podcast" July 9 in Line with the Series Premiere of "The Five Star Weekend"
Best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand unpacks "The Five Star Weekend" with the show's cast and crew.
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[06/20/26 - 12:23 PM]
USMNT's 2-0 Win Over Australia Scores FOX Best Friday Afternoon Telecast on Any Broadcast Network Since 2022
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[06/20/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Sparks of Tomorrow" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In an alternate past, an unlikely duo team up to look for a missing catalog that could bring electricity to the smoke-filled streets of Kyoto.
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