 |
 |
[03/20/12 - 11:22 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, March 20
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!
THE AMERICANS (FX) - Noah Emmerich ("White Collar") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about the complex marriage of two KGB spies (Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell) posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC in the early 1980's. He'll play their new neighbor, "a Counter Intelligence FBI agent who grows suspicious of the couple next door." Director Gavin O'Connor and writer Joe Weisberg are behind the project, to be produced by DreamWorks Television, Fox Television Studios and FX Productions (Deadline.com)
ANIMAL KINGDOM (NBC) - Kym Whitley ("Let's Stay Together") has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about George Coleman (Justin Kirk), a veterinarian who loves animals but usually hates their owners. She'll presumably play Juanita, a nurse at Rutledge Animal Hospital. Amy Huberman, Bobby Lee and Tyler Labine co-star in the Universal Television-based half-hour, which comes from co-creators Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka. Anthony and Joe Russo are directing. Whitley is also guest starring on fellow NBC pilot "Bad Girls" as Celisa, a correctional officer. (Deadline.com)
BABY BIG SHOT (CBS) - Stephanie March ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") is the latest to be cast in the drama pilot, about Martina Garretti (Janet Montgomery), a working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete with her more polished colleagues at a Manhattan law firm. She's on board as Natalie Minka ("Spence-educated Manhattan royalty with legs up to her neck"), a high-ranking associate at said firm. Erin Cummings, Felix Solis, Kyle MacLachlan, Pablo Schreiber and Toni Trucks also star in the Sony Pictures Television-based hour, from writer Dana Calvo. (Deadline.com)
DAKOTA (The CW) - Erich Bergen and Brooklyn Sudano have both landed roles on the drama pilot, about Maya Beaumont (Amber Stevens), a documentarian who travels back in time to 1990 where she meets and falls in love with the rock star subject of her film, Joey Dakota (Craig Horner), only to return to present day where she must find her way back and prevent his untimely death. They'll presumably play Nicky ("a welldressed, handsome guy with a fun demeanor") and Holly ("pretty in an earthy way"), Joey's manager and his wife - who also happen to be Maya's parents. Leah Renee and Scott Wolf also star the CBS Television Studios-based hour, from writer Bert V. Royal. (Deadline.com)
DOWNWARDLY MOBILE (NBC) - Greg Cromer and Salli Richardson-Whitfield have both been cast in the comedy pilot, about Rose Davis (Roseanne Barr), the proprietor of a mobile home park and surrogate mother to all of the unique people who live there in a challenging economy. They'll play Mr. and Mrs. Denby, a well-to-do attractive couple making a fresh start after losing everything in a Ponzi scheme. John Goodman, Mary Birdsong and Romy Rosemont also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, to be directed by Gail Mancuso. (Deadline.com)
THE FAMILY TRAP (ABC) - James Pumphrey and Ravi Patel are the latest to board the comedy pilot, about newlyweds (Mandy Moore, Nelson Franklin) who get the opportunity of a lifetime to run a hip, new restaurant in her hometown but at the cost of bringing her closer to her needy and high maintenance parents (Stockard Channing, Kurt Fuller). The latter will play Bobby, their internet millionaire pal who hires them, with Pumphrey as Zach, Annie's (Moore) younger brother. Erinn Hayes and Majandra Delfino co-star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, from co-creators Bob Fisher and Stacy Traub. Shawn Levy is directing. (Deadline.com)
MOCKINGBIRD LANE (NBC) - Eddie Izzard ("The Riches") is in final negotiations to star in the drama pilot, an imaginative reinvention of "The Munsters" as a visually spectacular one-hour drama. He's on track to play Grandpa (Al Lewis on the original series), the 580-year-old patriarch of the clan "with a rosy twinkle in his milky eyes." The actor will also receive a producing credit on the project, from writer Bryan Fuller, director Bryan Singer and producer Universal Television. (Deadline.com)
NED FOX IS MY MANNY (FOX) - Abby Elliott has departed the comedy pilot, about Kate, an uptight single mom whose aimless brother Ned (Nat Faxon) moves in to help her raise her five-year-old daughter, Maddie (Maggie Jones). The actress had been attached to play Kate however was released following yesterday's table read. Casting is underway for a replacement. Writer Dana Fox and director Jake Kasdan are behind the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which also stars Echo Kellum and Lucy Punch. (Deadline.com)
OVER AND OUT (CBS) - P.J. Byrne ("The Game") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Ray Barker (Martin Lawrence), a widowed father of two teenagers who, after losing his job in construction, decides to go to the police academy and become a cop at the age of 46. He's on board as Kip Dennis, the station's "fey, self-important busybody." Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger are behind the CBS Television Studios-based half-hour, to be directed by Fred Savage. (Deadline.com)
SUPER FUN NIGHT (CBS) - Alan Ritchson ("Blue Mountain State") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about three nerdy female friends - Kimmie, Helen-Alice and Marika - on their "funcomfortable" quest to have "super fun" every Friday night. He'll play Jason ("a tanned hunk-a-licious buffoon"), the boyfriend of Kimmie's younger, prettier sister Jazmine. Kevin Bishop also stars in the Rebel Wilson-penned half-hour, from the Warner Bros. Television-based Conaco Productions. (THR.com)
THE WIDOW DETECTIVE (CBS) - Eriq La Salle and Michael Irby are set to guest star on the drama pilot, about Denny Brennan (John Corbett), a decorated detective who has lost three partners in the line of duty and serves as the male figure in the lives of his fallen partners' families. The former will play Rob Luttrell ("came up the ranks together, a solid and loyal friendship"), Denny's Lieutenant; with the latter as an unspecified character. Davis Guggenheim is directing the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which also stars Conor Leslie, Elyes Gabel and Natalie Martinez. David Hubbard penned the script. (THR.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Adam Levine is in final negotiations to join the cast of "American Horror Story's" second season (EW.com); Thomas Lennon will guest on the season finale of "New Girl" as a potential new roommate (THR.com); Stepfanie Kramer and Jackson Pace will both drop by the April 4 episode of "CSI" (THR.com); Camilla Luddington is set to recur as Claudette, one of fairy Claude's (Giles Matthey) sisters, on "True Blood" (THR.com); Olivia Wilde's Thirteen will return for the May 21 series finale of "House" (TVLine.com); Martha Plimpton and Michael J. Fox are both due back for "The Good Wife's" third season finale (TVLine.com); "Wipeout" and "Fear Factor" executive producer Matt Kunitz has inked a multi-year overall deal with FremantleMedia North America (Deadline.com); Allison Mack is set to recur on "Wilfred" as Ryan's (Elijah Wood) new love interest, an attractive and edgy biochemist (Deadline.com); and Constance Zimmer has booked an arc on Netflix's "House of Cards" as a school journalist who gets involved in a political scandal (Deadline.com).
|
|
|
 [march 2012]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[03/27/26 - 03:16 PM]
Official Trailer for HBO's Harry Potter Series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," Shatters Records as HBO and HBO Max's Most-Watched Ever by More Than Double, Amassing +277 Million Organic Views in 48 Hours
The series will debut Christmas 2026 on HBO and will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.
|
[03/27/26 - 01:01 PM]
Hugely Popular "Chicago" Series Set to Return to NBC in the Fall
"Chicago Fire" will begin its 15th season in the fall, "Chicago P.D." its 14th and "Chicago Med" its 12th.
|
[03/27/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Rounds Out Cast of "Kennedy" with Production Underway in London
The new drama series based on Fredrik Logevall's book, "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956," will explore the triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family from Chernin Entertainment.
|
[03/27/26 - 09:48 AM]
FOX Sports Assembles Top-Tier Roster for 2026 Major League Baseball Regular Season Coverage
Entering their fifth season together, first-ballot Hall of Famer John Smoltz and Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Davis call FOX Sports' top regular season and playoff games.
|
[03/27/26 - 09:46 AM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers in Late-Night, Friday Night and Sunday Morning
"20/20" scored its best Adults 25-54 performance in 11 months.
|
[03/27/26 - 09:21 AM]
"The Morning Show" News Incoming - Sean Hayes Joins the Cast of Season 5
Apple TV confirmed the news on social media this morning.
|
[03/27/26 - 08:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary Series "The Dark Wizard" Debuts April 14
The four-part documentary series is an up-close and unflinching portrait of Dean Potter, one of the world's most influential and controversial climbers, BASE jumpers, and highline walkers.
|
[03/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
ESPN Original "Why Not Us: UMES Volleyball" to Premiere March 30
Presented by Andscape and produced by Sport & Story, the latest installment follows the inspiring journey of the newly formed men's volleyball team at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore - the first men's volleyball program at a Division I HBCU.
|
[03/26/26 - 02:05 PM]
"The Madison" Marks Taylor Sheridan's Biggest Debut Season Launch with 8 Million Views Globally for Paramount+
The debut of the six-part series also marks the biggest freshman season launch for the prolific creator among women 35+.
|
[03/26/26 - 12:49 PM]
Apple Original Films Lands New Sci-Fi Thriller "Liminal"
Starring Vanessa Kirby and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the feature will be directed by Louis Leterrier.
|
[03/26/26 - 12:01 PM]
"After the Flood" Returns to BritBox: Tensions Rise in High-Stakes Season Two Premiere
Other April highlights include "A Taste For Murder," "Silent Witness," and "Death in Paradise."
|
[03/26/26 - 12:00 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Added on April 8
The game replaces the previously scheduled Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons matchup.
|
[03/26/26 - 11:30 AM]
BET and Paramount+ Announce the Sixth Season Renewal of Multi-Emmy-Nominated Comedy "The Ms. Pat Show"
The upcoming season will be among the first BET originals to stream on Paramount+, which becomes the new streaming home for BET content beginning in June, bringing the beloved series to a global platform with nearly 80 million subscribers.
|
[03/26/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Springs Into April with Back-to-Back Episodes
Jack Black and Colman Domingo will host on April 4 and April 11, respectively.
|
[03/26/26 - 10:03 AM]
Sony Pictures Television Advertiser Sales Heads Into 2026 Upfront Bringing Advertisers Branded Content Opportunities Within High Volume of Originals and a Safe Harbor of Entertainment Programming
The studio continues to elevate its media investment opportunities for advertisers through Game Show Network, a top 10 cable network and a top five general entertainment network.
|
|
|
|
