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[08/20/12 - 11:21 PM]
Development Update: Monday, August 20
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 FRANCHISE (Showtime) - The pay channel is trimming the show's second season by one week, with the finale now set for this Wednesday, August 22 at 10:00/9:00c. To date its sophomore run, featuring the Miami Marlins, has averaged a very modest 77,000 viewers and a 0.0 rating among adults 18-49. Last summer's inaugural season, showcasing the San Francisco Giants, averaged 106,000 viewers and a 0.0 adults 18-49 rating. (Sun-Sentinel.com)
PAGING DR. FREED (USA) - Kyle Howard and Joel David Moore have booked the lead roles on the long-in-the-works single-camera comedy pilot, about David (Howard) and Jonathan (Moore) Freed, two gynecologist brothers who inherit their father's thriving medical practice after he suffers a heart attack during an attempt at "playing" doctor with his young secretary. Their casting lifts said contingency on the half-hour, which comes from Fox 21, Universal Cable Productions and Watson Pond Productions. Marc Buckland is attached to direct from a script by Michael Feldman with Katy McCaffrey and Brad Johnson also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)
RED WIDOW (ABC) - Goran Visnjic ("ER") has joined the cast of the midseason drama, about a woman, Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell), who must take over her late husband's illegal drug business to protect her three young children. He'll take over for Thomas Kretschmann as mob boss Christian Schiller in the project, from writer Melissa Rosenberg. Clifton Collins Jr., Erin Moriarty, Jaime Ray Newman, Jakob Salvati, Lee Tergesen, Luke Goss, Rade Serbedzija, Sterling Beaumon, Suleka Mathew and Wil Traval also star in the ABC Studios-based project. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED DIGGY SIMMONS PROJECT (BET, New!) - 17-year-old rapper/blogger Daniel "Diggy" Simmons III, son of Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons, is set to star in a new original movie at the cable channel about Blake, a blogger with a "close group of loyal friends who hold him down on his rise to the top." Also cast in the project, a backdoor pilot for a potential series, are Allen Maldonado as Blake's best friend Manny; Teyana Taylor as Manny's twin sister/Blake's ex-girlfriend Tae; Chris Brew as tech geek/fellow pal Dot; Bria Murphy as Manny's girlfriend Nia; and Stephanie Charles as Dot's ex-girlfriend Sheri. Salim Akil ("Sparkle") will direct from a script by Kenya Baris with Mara Brock Akil, Chris Lighty, Laurie Dobbins and James Dubose also among the executive producers. Simmons and Kevin Liles will also serve as co-executive producers. Production is set to begin later this year. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED JONATHAN SHAPIRO PROJECT (FX, New!) - Jonathan Shapiro ("The Firm") has booked a potential drama at the cable channel about a former police detective who now works as a fixer. Ryan Seacrest Productions and The Weinstein Co. are behind the hour, which Shapiro will executive produce presumably alongside Seacrest, Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein, Nina Wass and Adam Sher. No other details were given. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - "Saturday Night Live" will kick off its 38th season on Saturday, September 15 (NBC.com); Sundance Channel has commissioned a second season of its summer series "Push Girls" (Deadline.com); Bryan Cranston is set to direct an episode of "The Office" this season (@RainnWilson); Nicki Minaj is the latest name being tossed around as a judge for "American Idol" (THR.com); Rob Corddry will guest on FOX's freshman entry "Ben & Kate" (EW.com); Ed Skrein and Jacob Anderson have been cast as Daario Naharis and Grey Worm, respectively, on "Game of Thrones" (WinterIsComing.net); Marco Pennette has been tapped as the new showrunner of "Animal Practice," succeeding Gail Lerner beginning with the show's fourth episode (Deadline.com); Jayson Blair has been upped to series regular on "The New Normal" as Goldie's (Georgia King) cheating husband Clay (Deadline.com); Chuck Lorre is finalizing a new four-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, which includes a feature component (Deadline.com); Rob Huebel will drop by "Up All Night" as "Chris's (Will Arnett) annoying roommate from college that he can't seem to get rid of" (TVGuide.com); and Super Bowl XVII winner Joe Theismann will make a cameo on "Necessary Roughness" as himself (THR.com).
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[08/19/25 - 12:02 PM]
"Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." Announces Star-Studded Season 12 Line-Up Following the Second Consecutive Emmy Award Nomination for the Beloved Series
The show's upcoming season premieres January 6 on PBS.
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[08/19/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of August 11: "Wednesday" Charms at No. 1 For Another Top 10 Week
"Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser," a three-part documentary exploring the reality show's biggest scandals, debuted at No. 2 in English TV with 7.5 million views.
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[08/19/25 - 11:54 AM]
Video: "Fallout" Heads to New Vegas with Season Two Teaser-Trailer Debut
The highly anticipated new season will premiere on December 17 with the eight-episode season rolling out with one new episode weekly until the season finale on February 4.
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[08/19/25 - 11:05 AM]
Paramount+ Announces Two New Docuseries: "Don't Date Brandon" and "Thirst Trap: The Fame. The Fantasy. The Fallout."
Both projects explore the dark undercurrents of digital connection, obsession and betrayal, and will stream exclusively on Paramount+ this fall.
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[08/19/25 - 11:00 AM]
AMC Networks' September Highlights Include "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon," "Murder Before Evensong," "Guts & Glory" and More
New additions include the new AMC+ exclusive series "The Red King," premiering Thursday, September 25.
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[08/19/25 - 10:13 AM]
NBC Sports Delivers Most-Watched Premier League Opening Weekend in U.S., Headlined by Record-Setting Manchester United-Arsenal Match on NBC & Peacock
The Manchester United-Arsenal match on NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports Digital platforms on Sunday, featuring 2024-25 PL runner-up Arsenal earning a 1-0 victory, averaged 2.0 million viewers.
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[08/19/25 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "The Vince Staples Show" Season 2 Date Announcement & First Look
In the wake of a tragic death, Vince embarks on a wild journey in search of inner peace. However, his path is littered with reminders of his haunted past.
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[08/19/25 - 10:00 AM]
Video: First-Look Trailer of "Celebrity Weakest Link" Premiering Monday, Sept. 15 at 9/8c on FOX and Next Day on Hulu
The premiere season showcases celebrities competing in themed-episodes including a "Glee" Homecoming, TV Moms, Ex-Wives Club, 8 Degrees of Jane, Roasters, Reality Couples, High School Reunion, TV Doctors, Holiday Night, Football Legends and more!
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[08/19/25 - 09:03 AM]
FOX Sports Delivers Network's Most-Watched NFL Preseason Game Since 2021
This past Sunday, 5.1 million viewers tuned in to FOX's preseason coverage of the Chicago Bears 38-0 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
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[08/19/25 - 08:31 AM]
Cristela Alonzo Returns to Netflix with Even More Class in New Special, "Upper Classy"
In this newest special, Cristela is in the pursuit of happiness.
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[08/19/25 - 08:30 AM]
The American Music Awards Returns to CBS and Paramount+ in 2026 with a New 5-Year Partnership
Following this year's top-rated broadcast, the 52nd American Music Awards will return with a must-see live show Memorial Day weekend, May 2026 from Las Vegas.
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[08/19/25 - 08:19 AM]
"Big Cats 24/7" Season 2 Premieres September 10, 2025 on PBS
Over six new episodes, an elite team of wildlife filmmakers returns to Botswana's breathtaking Okavango Delta to follow the dramatic lives of its lions, leopards and cheetahs, day and night, in one of Africa's last wildernesses.
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[08/19/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: National Geographic Unveils Jet-Fueled Trailer for New Docuseries "Top Guns: The Next Generation," Taking Viewers Inside the U.S. Navy's Elite Aviation Program
The six-part series premieres September 16 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
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[08/19/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Wolf King" - Season 2 Trailer - Netflix
As he fights for his throne and faces enemies from all sides, Drew learns the heavy burden of being king - and the daunting task of choosing a queen.
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[08/19/25 - 08:01 AM]
Apple's Emmy-Nominated Comedy "Palm Royale" Returns for Season Two on November 12
Season one of "Palm Royale" was led by a renowned ensemble cast including Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Carol Burnett, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy and Kaia Gerber.
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