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[03/28/12 - 11:37 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, March 28
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!
THE FIRST FAMILY (Syndication) - Christopher B. Duncan and Kellita Smith are set to play President William Johnson and First Lady Katherine Johnson in the upcoming syndicated offering from Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios. The company announced a 104-episode commitment to the half-hour comedy back in January for a fall 2012 premiere. They'll be joined by Gladys Knight and Marla Gibbs as their respective mothers; Jackee Harry as the First Lady's sister; John Witherspoon as the President's father; and Khylin Rhambo, Yara Shahidi, Sayeed Shahidi and Layla Crawford as their kids. Other actors featured in the pilot, which recently completed production, include Paul Rodriguez (Dictator Rafael), Michael D. Roberts (the butler), Lee Reherman (a Secret Service agent), John Eric Bentley (also a security agent), Tucker Smallwood (an admiral), Casey Sander (a general), Tom Virtue (also a general), Adam Kulbersh (a speechwriter) and Jet as Max the Dog. (Deadline.com, THR.com)
THE GOODWIN GAMES (FOX) - Melissa Tang is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about three siblings - Coney (Becki Newton), Jimmy (Jake Lacy) and Henry (Scott Foley) - who must heed to the idiosyncratic terms of their father's will to inherit his fortune. She'll play their late father's estate attorney, a role (Lawrence Butler) originally written as a man in his mid-40s. Felisha Terrell also stars in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, from co-creators Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. Peyton Reed is directing. (Deadline.com)
THE LIFE (ABC) - Erin Cahill ("Saving Grace") has boarded the drama pilot, about Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell), the widow of an assassinated criminal who is suddenly forced to adopt her late husband's (Anson Mount) role in order to protect her family. She'll guest star as Felicity ("killer body, trashy style, well lmeaning but oblivious"), nicknamed the Poodle, the trophy wife of Marta's kingpin father Andrei Lazarev (Rade Serbedzija). Mark Pellington is directing the ABC Studios-based hour from a script by Melissa Rosenberg. Erin Moriarty, Jaime Ray Newman, Jakob Salvati, Lee Tergesen, Luke Goss, Sterling Beaumon and Suleka Mathew also star. (Deadline.com)
MALIBU COUNTRY (ABC) - "Queer Eye" alum Jai Rodriquez has been cast in the comedy pilot, about a woman (Reba McEntire) who divorces her broke, cheating rock star husband and moves her family from Nashville to the only asset she has left - a little house in Malibu. He'll guest star as record label executive Jeffrey Wolfe, "an opportunistic, no-nonsense, self-made millionaire who is easily distracted." Juliette Angelo, Justin Prentice, Lily Tomlin and Sara Rue also star in the ABC Studios-based half-hour, from writer Kevin Abbott and director John Pasquin. (Deadline.com)
THE MAZE (Showtime, New!) - Peter Morgan ("The Special Relationship") is developing a new drama at the pay channel billed as "an international political thriller in the mode of 'Bourne Identity.'" No other specifics were given about the project, which Morgan will presumably write and executive produce. (THR.com)
O.C.T. (A&E, New!) - Rosario Dawson is developing a potential starring vehicle at the cable channel about the NYPD's Occult Crimes Taskforce, "which was established after the Civil War to make the New York City streets safe from practitioners of black magic, demons from another dimension and all manner of supernatural malcontents." The project is based on the graphic novel created by Dawson and David Atchison. Dawson would play the lead role of Sophia Ortiz, "a new member of the bureau who uses magic, spells, ghosts, the undead and the unnatural." Jorge Zamacona ("Outlaw") is attached to pen the script and executive produce alongside Dawson and Gale Anne Hurd ("The Walking Dead"). Atchison, who also illustrated the comic, will also receive a producing credit. (THR.com)
OVER AND OUT (CBS) - Regina Hall ("Law & Order: LA") 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. She'll play Katie Doyle ("cute, type-A, a perfectionist"), a fellow cop who takes an immediate shine to him. P.J. Byrne also stars in the CBS Television Studios-based half-hour, from director Fred Savage and co-creators Mike Lisbe and Nate Reger. (Deadline.com)
THE REAL ALL AMERICANS (AMC, New!) - Writer/director Nicholas Meyer ("Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country") is developing a new period drama about the true story of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football program "created by U.S. cavalry officer Richard Henry Pratt, an abolitionist and early equal rights proponent who made a harrowing journey to the Dakota Territory in 1879 to recruit the school's first students." The Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based program featured such alums as Olympian Jim Thorpe and coach Glenn "Pop" Warner. Said hour is based on Sally Jenkins's book of the same name which Meyer will adapt and Tommy Lee Jones is in talks to direct. Harry J. Ufland is also attached as a producer. (THR.com)
UNTITLED ALEXANDER PAYNE/JIM TAYLOR PROJECT (Showtime, New!) - Oscar-winners Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor ("Sideways") are set to reteam for a potential drama at the cable channel which "will explore the impact of a new Indian Casino on its tribe members and its greater Mid-western community." No other details were given about the project. (THR.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Rebecca Creskoff will recur on "Covert Affairs" as a new mentor and confidant for Piper Perabo's Annie whose approach is the opposite of the tough-love technique used by Kari Matchett's Joan (TVGuide.com); Jordan Belfi has booked a two-episode arc on "Grey's Anatomy" as a "funny, self-deprecating and adventurous" patient (TVLine.com); Elias Koteas will guest on the season finale of "Unforgettable" as "a man whom Carrie Wells comes to believe killed her sister all those years ago" (TVLine.com); Rachael Harris is bound for "Suits" as "a representative from Harvard Law whom Louis (Rick Hoffman) must dissuade from rescinding law firm Pearson Hardman's recruiting privileges" (THR.com); Jamie Tarses has inked a new two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television, home to her FanFare banner since 2006 (Deadline.com); Kate McKinnon, Jessica Joy, Lauren Lapkus and Elaine Carroll are among the latest actresses testing for "Saturday Night Live" (Deadline.com); and USA has formally passed on its drama pilots "Over/Under" and "Wild Card" (Deadline.com).
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[04/28/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix Expands "Stranger Things" Universe: "Tales From '85" Scores Early Season 2 Renewal
"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" debuted in the Netflix Global Top 10 at #7 this week, securing a spot in the top 15 animated series debuts of all time.
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[04/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 20 - Charlize Theron Climbs to No. 1 with "Apex" in This Week's Top 10
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[04/28/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original Sports Documentary Series "U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men's National Soccer Team" Debuts May 12
The five-part documentary series is an unprecedented look inside the United States Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT) in the leadup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this June.
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[04/28/26 - 10:01 AM]
Dave Chappelle's Pulling Up on Netflix Is a Joke Fest with Star-Studded Music and Comedy Shows
For three nights from May 7-9, the comedian takes over the legendary Hollywood Palladium with shows that blend comedy and music with surprise guest appearances.
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[04/28/26 - 09:08 AM]
CNN Original Series "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose" Premieres Saturday, May 30 at 9PM ET/PT
Timed to America's 250th anniversary, the five-episode sees Ferguson travel coast-to-coast to explore the defining ideas, and contradictions, at the heart of the United States.
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[04/28/26 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Between Father and Son" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In just a few suspenseful minutes, a lawyer's world tilts as her visit to her fiancé's family estate ignites an irresistible bond with her future stepson.
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[04/28/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Perfect Match" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
More swaps. More sparks. More drama. Reality stars from "Love Is Blind," "Vanderpump Rules," "Love Island" and more shake up the game, but who'll find their perfect match?
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[04/28/26 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents "Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live," Airing Tuesday, May 19 on CBS and Paramount+
This two-hour celebration brings viewers on stage and behind the scenes for an all-access concert experience.
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[04/28/26 - 08:53 AM]
"Crime and Punishment in America," New Documentary from Lynn Novick, to Air on PBS in November 2026
Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Linney, Bobby Cannavale, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hyde Pierce, and BD Wong will lend their voices to the four-part, eight-hour documentary series.
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[04/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Soccer Meets America" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
This riveting series reveals how the convergence of key events transformed the United States into the global soccer powerhouse it is today.
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[04/28/26 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Unveils Premiere Date and Glimpse at "Sterling Point"
The series will debut all eight episodes globally on August 5, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
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[04/28/26 - 07:16 AM]
Video: "Welcome to Wrexham" - Season 5 Official Trailer - Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac - FX
The new season returns Thursday, May 14 on FXX and Hulu.
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[04/28/26 - 07:06 AM]
Apple TV's Emmy Award-Winning Series "Ted Lasso" Returns for Season Four on August 5
Season four marks the return of fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.
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[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Funny AF with Kevin Hart" - Live Semi-final and Grand Finale - Official Trailer - Netflix
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[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Great American Media Announces Mario Lopez, Tony Danza, and Dominic Lopez to Star in New Original Christmas Movie, "Christmas at the Starlight"
In their first known scripted on-screen pairing as father and son, Lopez and Danza bring extraordinary warmth, charisma, and generational appeal to a timeless holiday story about family, legacy, faith, and the traditions that lead us home.
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