or


[03/30/12 - 11:34 PM]
Development Update: Friday, March 30
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!


BANSHEE (Cinemax) - Ryann Shane ("Lights Out") and Ben Cross ("Star Trek") are the latest additions to the ever-expanding cast of the original drama, about Lucas (Antony Starr), an ex-convict and master thief who assumes the identity of a small town sheriff and continues to carry out his criminal activities even as shadowy gangsters hunt him. Shane will play Deva Hopewell, "the goth-rebel teenage daughter of Lucas' old flame Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) and her DA husband Gordon (Rus Blackwell)"; while Cross is set as Mr. Rabbit, "a ruthless Ukrainian gangster who's been hunting Lucas and Carrie for 15 years." Director Greg Yaitanes and co-creators Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler are behind the Alan Ball-produced hour, which also features Daniel Ross, Demetrius Grosse, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Matt Servitto, Trieste Dunn and Ulrich Thomsen. (TVLine.com)


ECHO CHAMBER (HBO, New!) - Feature helmer Rupert Wyatt ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") is developing a potential mini-series at the pay channel about a British soldier who is sent undercover in the Irish Republican Army by British intelligence in the 1980s. Wyatt is penning the script to the project - envisioned as three 90-minute telecasts - and is likewise attached to direct. Alan Moloney ("Albert Hobbs") is set to produce with Sky Atlantic on board as a co-producer. (Variety.com)


GUYS WITH KIDS (A.K.A. DILFS) (NBC) - Sara Rue ("Rules of Engagement") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about a trio of thirtysomething guys who live in the same high-rise - Nick (Zach Cregger), Chris (Jesse Bradford) and Gary (Anthony Anderson) - dealing with parenthood despite the fact they haven't grown up themselves. She's on board as Sheila - Chris's ex-wife, who's now dating former NBA star Patrick Ewing - where she'll take over for the previously cast Courtney Henggeler. Said role is in second position to her duties on the ABC comedy pilot "Malibu Country." Tempestt Bledsoe and Jamie-Lynn Sigler also star in the Universal Television-based half-hour, which Scott Ellis is helming off a script by Charlie Grandy. (THR.com)


HANNIBAL (NBC) - David Slade ("Awake") has been tapped to direct the premiere installment of the upcoming drama, about the early days of Thomas Harris's signature characters FBI agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and his mentor Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Bryan Fuller is behind the Gaumont-based project, which is also executive produced by Katie O'Connell and Martha De Laurentiis. (Deadline.com)


INSIDE (FX, New!) - Kyle Jarrow ("Armless") has booked a new drama at the cable channel about "a San Francisco homicide detective who discovers his real father is a convicted serial killer who claims to be innocent of murdering the cop's mother." Philip Seymour Hoffman and Emily Ziff Cooper are on board to executive produce the hour via their Town Productions banner alongside Jarrow with Sara Murphy also producing. No other specifics were given. (Deadline.com)


MOCKINGBIRD LANE (NBC) - British actress Charity Wakefield is the latest to board the drama pilot, an imaginative reinvention of "The Munsters" as a visually spectacular one-hour drama. She'll play Marilyn, the only "normal" Munster, "a college student who believes in good manners and congeniality toward the new neighbors." Beverly Owen and Pat Priest both played the role in the franchise's original incarnation. Wakefield joins the previously cast Eddie Izzard as Grandpa. Bryan Singer is helming the Universal Television-based hour from a script by Bryan Fuller. (Deadline.com)


SHELTER (The CW) - Zachary Abel ("Make It or Break It") and Malese Jow ("The Vampire Diaries") have both been cast in the Mark Schwahn-penned drama pilot, about the staff and guests at Shelter Bay, a historic New England summer resort. Abel will play the "hopelessly romantic Mitchell Taylor, a 23-year-old former local baseball hero who now works the concierge desk at the Shelter Bay Inn"; with Jow as Morgan, "Shelter Bay's resident party girl." Eka Darville, Elizabeth Henstridge, Hannah New and Trent Ford also star in the project, from the Warner Bros. Television-based Bad Robot Productions and to be directed by Liz Friedlander. (Deadline.com)


TALHOTBLOND (Lifetime, New!) - Ashley Hinshaw ("Chronicle") has booked the title role on the Courteney Cox-helmed original movie, about "a married, blue-collar father who finds himself caught up in the fantasy of his online romance with a beautiful teenager." Garret Dillahunt and Laura San Giacomo also star in the project, which was penned by Trent Haaga and is based on Barbara Schroeder's 2009 documentary. Hinshaw is also set to guest star on HBO's "Enlightened" as Danielle, a flirtatious friend of Levi (Luke Wilson) who he meets in rehab. (Variety.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - BBC America will debut "Copper," its first original drama series, on Sunday, August 19 at 9:00/8:00c (EW.com); Cameron Daddo will guest on "Nikita" as Charles Grayson, the show's President of the United States (TVLine.com); Candy Clark will turn up in the season finale of "Criminal Minds" as JJ's (A.J. Cook) mother (TVGuide.com); Ricky Whittle has booked a seven-episode arc on "Single Ladies" as a potential love interest for Denise Vasi's Raquel (THR.com); Velocity has commissioned a new season of "Overhaulin,'" which ran on sibling TLC from 2004 to 2008, to premiere in the fourth quarter (Variety.com); Ben Feldman is bound for "Mad Men" as a new employee at ad agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (Deadline.com); Patty Jenkins, who directed the pilot to "The Killing," is set to return to helm the show's second season finale (Deadline.com); Dermot Mulroney is set to recur on "Enlightened" as an investigative reporter Amy (Laura Dern) enlists to help her bring down Abaddonn (Deadline.com); Bobbi Kristina, daughter of the late Whitney Houston, will make her acting debut on "For Better or Worse" (Deadline.com); David Costabile has landed an arc on "Suits" as Pearson Hardman's former managing partner Daniel Hardman (Deadline.com); and Mahershala Ali will play successful lobbyist Remy Danton on Netflix's upcoming original "House of Cards" (Deadline.com).






  [march 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· AWAKE (NBC)
· BANSHEE (CINEMAX)
· COPPER (BBC AMERICA)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ECHO CHAMBER (HBO)
· ENLIGHTENED (HBO)
· FOR BETTER OR WORSE (OWN)
· GUYS WITH KIDS (NBC)
· HANNIBAL (NBC)
· HOUSE OF CARDS (NETFLIX)
· INSIDE (FX)
· KILLING, THE (NETFLIX)
· LIGHTS OUT (FX)
· MAD MEN (AMC)
· MAKE IT OR BREAK IT (ABC FAMILY)
· MALIBU COUNTRY (ABC)
· MOCKINGBIRD LANE (NBC)
· NIKITA (CW)
· OVERHAULIN (MOTORTREND)
· RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
· SHELTER (CW)
· SINGLE LADIES (CENTRIC)
· SUITS (USA)
· TALL HOT BLONDE (LIFETIME)
· VAMPIRE DIARIES, THE (CW)





[08/20/25 - 09:42 AM]
New Animated Series "Paris & Pups," Inspired by Paris Hilton and Her Real-Life Pets, Set to Premiere on YouTube September 23, 2025
Created for kids 5-8, the series launches with four episodes in week one, followed by weekly episode drops.

[08/20/25 - 09:18 AM]
ESPN Taps John Cena, Complex, Lyft, Samsung and More in Massive Multi-Platform Marketing Campaign for ESPN Direct-to-Consumer & Enhanced App Launch
The campaign - which features John Cena in its creative TV spots - is designed to build excitement and encourage personalization around the reimagined ESPN App and DTC service.

[08/20/25 - 09:06 AM]
Tilly Ramsay to "Dish It Out" in New Prime Video Original Series September 5
The 32-episode series will release eight new episodes weekly on Fridays through September 26.

[08/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Reasonable Doubt" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Hulu
After a tumultuous season of fighting to save her best friend from a life sentence while healing from her own deadly affair, Jax Stewart has finally earned some peace in her life... even if she sees it all as a little boring.

[08/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Names John Wall to NBA on Prime Studio Team
The longtime Washington Wizards guard will make appearances in-studio alongside Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker and Udonis Haslem.

[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
A24's "Friendship" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max September 5
The film stars Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Paul Rudd.

[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
"Survivor" Announces the 18 New Castaways Competing on the 49th Edition with a Two-Hour Season Premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 24
The series returns with a fresh set of dynamic and determined competitors, including two players who will ultimately compete in the show's landmark 50th season, premiering in spring 2026.

[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
Acorn TV's Brooke Shields Mystery Series "You're Killing Me," Produced by Topsail Entertainment & Shaftesbury, Cast Amalia Williamson and Tom Cavanagh
The six-episode series, which starts production in Nova Scotia, Canada this September, is set to debut on Acorn TV in 2026.

[08/20/25 - 08:02 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Reveals Official Teaser for "Mayor of Kingstown" Season Four, Starring Oscar Nominee Jeremy Renner and Emmy and Golden Globe Winner Edie Falco
In season four, Mike's control over Kingstown is threatened as new players compete to fill the power vacuum left in the Russians' wake, compelling him to confront the resulting gang war and stop them from swallowing the town.

[08/20/25 - 08:02 AM]
Antonia Thomas, Josh Dylan and Imelda Staunton to Star in "Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence" for BritBox
In the first contemporary English language television series adaptation of Agatha Christie's stories, Tommy and Tuppence are a detective duo for the ages.

[08/20/25 - 08:01 AM]
Benvenuto! "Emily in Paris" Season 5 First Look & Date Announcement
All episodes of Season 5 will premiere on December 18.

[08/20/25 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art - Hulu Original K-Drama "Tempest"
The new spy thriller with an international cast, including Gianna Jun, Gang Dongwon, John Cho and more, is launching with three episodes on September 10 on Hulu and Disney+.

[08/20/25 - 08:00 AM]
HBO & BBC Release First Look of Drama Series "Half Man"
The six-episode drama series will debut in 2026 on HBO Max in the US, Latin America, and Europe, and on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland in the UK and Ireland.

[08/20/25 - 07:59 AM]
Video: "Summertide" Official Trailer - Acorn TV
An exhilarating South African multi-generational drama following the Field family and those who cross their paths - each with their own secrets and desires.

[08/20/25 - 07:14 AM]
Video: Apple's Award-Winning Drama "The Morning Show" Unveils Season Four Trailer
"The Morning Show" returns for season four on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 17 with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly until November 19.