or


[08/23/12 - 11:08 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, August 23
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!


20S VS 30S (ABC, New!) - Cassie Pappas ("Awkward") has snagged a script order from the Alphabet for a single-camera comedy about two sisters, their group of friends and the decade between them. ABC Studios is behind the half-hour, where Pappas had a blind script deal. 3 Arts Entertainment's Tom Lassally and Jonathan Berr also serve as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


BETTY & CORETTA (A.K.A. PARALLEL LIVES) (Lifetime) - Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige and Ruby Dee are set to star in the telefilm, which "tells the dual stories of Coretta Scott King (Bassett) and Dr. Betty Shabazz (Blige) as they carry on as single mothers following the assassinations of their husbands, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X." Dee then "will appear onscreen as a historical witness to narrate the duo's story as someone familiar with the events of both their lives." Yves Simoneau is directing the project from a script by Shem Bitterman and Ron Hutchinson. Larry Sanitsky, Blige, Jaja Johnson and Polly Anthony are the executive producers. Production begins next month. (THR.com)


CRAZY GENE (ABC, New!) - Andrea Abbate ("Accidentally on Purpose") has snagged a put pilot commitment from the Alphabet for an autobiographical comedy about "a woman who, with her brother behind bars, tries to raise his kids as well as her adopted African American teenage son." The single-camera project is set up at the 20th Century Fox Television-based 21 Laps/Adelstein Productions with Marty Adelstein, Shawn Levy and Becky Clements also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


CYRANO (NBC, New!) - Michael Oates Palmer ("Rubicon") has landed a script commitment - with a penalty attached - from the Peacock for a modern take on Edmond Rostand's classic tale about "a less-than-attractive but genius campaign strategist who returns to save the floundering gubernatorial campaign of the handsome but inarticulate Mayor whose career he helped launch. With the candidate being the photogenic, charismatic mouthpiece for the strategist's ideas and rhetoric, the sky's the limit - until both men fall for the same woman, a journalist covering the campaign." Universal Television-based Prospect Park is behind the hour with Palmer (who is also slated to serve as a co-executive producer on NBC's "Crossbones"), Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry executive producing. (Deadline.com)


THE FARM (NBC) - Thomas Middleditch ("The Campaign") is the latest to board the Peacock's "The Office" spin-off, which follows Dwight (Rainn Wilson) living at the Schrute family beet farm/bed and breakfast. He'll play Jeb Schrute, his easygoing brother, "who hasn't done well in any previous career paths he's taken - worm breeder and Bigfoot hunter among them - but has found some success with a pot farm and has made an exercise video about things you can do with a knife and a canoe." Majandra Delfino also stars in the Universal Television-based project, from co-creators Wilson and Paul Lieberstein. (Deadline.com)


HANNIBAL (NBC) - Hettienne Park has scored a role on the upcoming drama, a contemporary take on the Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) characters from Thomas Harris's novels. She'll play Beverly Katz, "a bright-eyed yet weary crime scene investigator who specializes in working with fibers." Caroline Dhavernas, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Aaron Abrams and Laurence Fishburne also star in the Gaumont International Television-based hour, from writer Bryan Fuller and director David Slade. (THR.com)


LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN (BET, New!) - Actress Regina King is set to direct and produce a new telefilm at the cable channel about "the wayward daughter of a charismatic Houston pastor whose family falls apart over the years while he's busy building up his church." She'll work from a script by Crystal Garrett, who adapted ReShonda Tate Billingsley's book of the same name. Production is set to begin next month in Atlanta with Flavor Unit's Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere, Shelby Stone and Roger Bobb executive producing alongside King and her sister, Reina King, via their Royal Ties banner. (Variety.com)


MAKE IT WORK (FOX, New!) - Adam Stein ("I Just Want My Pants Back") has booked a single-camera comedy at the network about "a man who, after proposing to his girlfriend, finds out he has a 7-year-old daughter with his previous girlfriend." Universal Cable Productions-based Hypnotic is behind the half-hour, with Doug Liman and David Bartis also among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)


PATIENTS REQUIRED (FOX, New!) - Chris Cox has sold a new single-camera comedy to the network about "an irreverent young pediatrician who joins the practice run by his mother, with whom he has a strained relationship." Sony Pictures Television-based Original Film is behind the half-hour, with the company's Neal Moritz presumably among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)


SQUARE ROOTS (ABC, New!) - Vijal Patel ("The Middle") has scored a script commitment from the network for a new comedy about "a young married couple perpetually tormented by the husband's opinionated family of engineers who think they have a solution for every problem in life." The single-camera project is set up at ABC Studios, where he recently signed an overall deal. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JUSTIN SPITZER PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Justin Spitzer ("The Office") has sold a new comedy to the Peacock about "a group of friends whose lives change on the way to a destination wedding." The presumably single-camera project is set up at the Universal Television-based TBD Productions with the company's Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan also among the executive producers. No other details were given. (THR.com)


UNTITLED LAGRAVENESE & GOLDWYN PROJECT (AMC) - Paul Schneider ("The Newsroom") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Adam Powell (yet to be cast), a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. He's set as Clark Rylance, "a senior attorney at the Innocence Project with a secret crush on Christine (Malin Ireland), who's initially skeptical about taking on the controversial case." Tony Goldwyn is directing the hour from a script by Richard LaGravenese for AMC Studios. Joe Anderson also stars. (THR.com)


UNTITLED MICHALKA SISTERS PROJECT (FOX, New!) - Aly and A.J. Michalka are set to star in a potential comedy at the network in which they play versions of themselves, "finally out of the house and into their first apartment, only to have their exciting new lives interrupted when their mother unexpectedly moves in with them." Matt Dearborn and Adam F. Goldberg ("Breaking In") are penning the single-camera project with the Michalkas receiving co-producer credits. Sony Pictures Television-based Happy Madison is producing with Dearborn, Goldberg and Doug Robinson serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - FOX has asked for six additional scripts of its animated comedy "Bob's Burgers" (Deadline.com); Robert Sean Leonard, Gloria Reuben and Doug Jones are all set to recur on the third season of TNT's "Falling Skies" (Deadline.com, EW.com); Malin Akerman has been cast as Tessa's (Jane Levy) free-spirited singer/songwriter mom, Alex, in the upcoming season of "Suburgatory" (EW.com); Mädchen Amick will guest on "Beauty and the Beast" as "a wealthy polo-club president named Lois who owns a therapeutic horse camp" (TVLine.com); Garcelle Beauvais is bound for "Psych" as "a confident radio station owner who aggressively flirts with Gus even though she knows he's spoken for" (TVLine.com); Tessa Ferrer has been cast as the latest newcomer to Seattle Grace on "Grey's Anatomy" (TVLine.com);

Arielle Kebbel and Robbie Amell will both guest on "Hawaii Five-0" as "a couple who enter a fortune-teller's lair and ultimately face devastating consequences" (TVLine.com); Michael Vartan is set to drop by "Go On" as a hockey player who hits the rink with Matthew Perry's Ryan King, with real-life NHL star Jeremy Roenick also slated to appear (TVLine.com); Lindsay Sloane will visit "Ben & Kate" as "an ex-girlfriend of Ben's (Nat Faxon) who unexpectedly tracks him down now that he's returned to town" (TVLine.com); Timothy Busfield and Jurnee Smollett will both drop by FOX's new drama "The Mob Doctor" (TVGuide.com); and Lori Petty will guest on "Shameless" as "a woman who will cross paths with Fiona (Emmy Rossum) and Steve/Jimmy (Justin Chatwin) when her daughter keeps constantly running away from home" (TVGuide.com).






  [august 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· 20S VS 30S (ABC)
· ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (CBS)
· ADOPTED (ABC)
· AWKWARD (MTV)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (CW)
· BEN & KATE (FOX)
· BETTY & CORETTA (LIFETIME)
· BOB'S BURGERS (FOX)
· BREAKING IN (FOX)
· CROSSBONES (NBC)
· CYRANO (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIVIDE, THE (WE)
· FALLING SKIES (TNT)
· FARM, THE (NBC)
· GO ON (NBC)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· HOLDING PATTERNS (NBC)
· I JUST WANT MY PANTS BACK (MTV)
· LET THE CHURCH SAY AMEN (BET)
· MAKE IT WORK (FOX)
· MIDDLE, THE (ABC)
· MOB DOCTOR, THE (FOX)
· NEWSROOM, THE (HBO)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· PATIENTS REQUIRED (FOX)
· PSYCH (USA)
· RUBICON (AMC)
· SHAMELESS (SHOWTIME)
· SQUARE ROOTS (ABC)
· SUBURGATORY (ABC)
· UNTITLED MICHALKA SISTERS PROJECT (FOX)





[04/10/26 - 08:22 AM]
Video: "Tales from the Crypt" - Coming Soon to Shudder
Featuring the iconic Crypt Keeper, voiced by John Kassir, the series' first season debuts Friday, May 1, with additional seasons rolling out weekly every Friday through June 12.

[04/10/26 - 07:02 AM]
FX's "Welcome to Wrexham" Renewed for Three More Seasons - Reveals Season Five Premiere Date
The news comes as the series prepares to premiere its fifth season on Thursday, May 14 with the first two episodes available on FXX and Hulu at 9 p.m. ET and on Disney+ internationally.

[04/10/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Moria" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Moria Casán turned her life into a stage and made transgression her survival. This fictional retelling celebrates her 80 years and Argentine pop culture.

[04/09/26 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "Sold Out on You" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A workaholic home shopping host heads to the countryside to get her sales back on top, but a mysterious farmer shakes up her plans - and her heart.

[04/09/26 - 04:17 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Builds on Momentum from "Countdown to the Oscars" - Scores Big with Show's Post-Oscars Week
"Live with Kelly and Mark" has now delivered four straight weeks of growth among Women 25-54, with the strongest performance in that key demo in 15 weeks.

[04/09/26 - 02:16 PM]
Women Drive the Housemaid to Record-Numbers as Starz's Best-Performing Pay 1 Film Ever
It debuted on April 1 on the Starz app, all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms as part of Starz's multi-year theatrical film agreement with Lionsgate.

[04/09/26 - 01:30 PM]
CBS News to Present "Artemis II Return to Earth" a One-Hour Special, Friday, April 10
The previously scheduled episodes of "Sheriff Country," "Fire Country," and "Boston Blue" will start a half-hour later than originally announced.

[04/09/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for "My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders"
The series unravels a decades-long mystery of The Monster of Green Hollow, a rumored serial killer believed to have murdered dozens of women including three of his wives, deaths once ruled as suicides.

[04/09/26 - 11:31 AM]
ESPN, APX Content Ventures, Rich Eisen Productions, Firefly Studios and Hello Sunshine Announce "Women's Sports Now" Premiering April 16
Making the move to ESPN, "Women Sports Now" will once again be presented by Miller Lite.

[04/09/26 - 10:31 AM]
Kerry Condon Joins Netflix's Series Adaptation of "The God of the Woods"
Condon will co-star alongside previously announced cast member Maya Hawke.

[04/09/26 - 10:01 AM]
Pink to Host "The 79th Annual Tony Awards"
The triple threat and lifelong theater fan will bring her unparalleled performance skills and magnetic stage presence to Radio City Music Hall when the American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards return on Sunday, June 7.

[04/09/26 - 09:44 AM]
TNT Sports & DAZN Launch Landmark U.S. Partnership with New Monthly Live Boxing Event Series "The Fight"
Under the agreement, select fight nights will be presented across TNT Sports' U.S. networks and streamed globally on DAZN, bringing marquee matchups and championship bouts to a broad national audience.

[04/09/26 - 09:15 AM]
Rich Eisen Returns to Bristol, Conn., to Host "SportsCenter" Sunday Night
This marks Eisen's second return to host "SportsCenter" and his first time back at ESPN headquarters in more than 20 years.

[04/09/26 - 09:01 AM]
"The Ultimate Fighter" Returns with Coaches Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping on Sunday, June 14 Exclusively on Paramount+
The series will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America and Australia on Sunday, June 14, the same day as UFC Freedom 250, with new episodes premiering every Tuesday for the remainder of the 12-episode season.

[04/09/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Supernova Genesis" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Epic fights. Electric performances. Celebs and influencers step into the ring while stars light up the stage in Mexico's live boxing phenomenon.