or


[01/24/13 - 11:09 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, January 24
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!


ADVOCATES, THE (CBS) - Pilot wunderkind David Nutter has signed on to direct and executive produce the drama, about "a female lawyer and a male ex-con who team up as victim advocates, going to the edge of the law to right wrongs and fight for the underdog." Nutter, who has delivered 17 of his 18 pilots to series, will work from a script by Bruno Heller for Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)


BROWSERS (Amazon) - Newcomers Dustin Ingram, Constance Wu, Bridgette Davidovici, Marque Richardson and Chris Wood have all been cast in the pilot, a musical comedy set in contemporary Manhattan that follows four young people as they start their first jobs at a news website. Details on their roles weren't given. Bebe Neuwirth also stars in the half-hour, from writer David Javerbaum and director Don Scardino. Amazon Studios is producing. (Deadline.com)


ENLISTED (A.K.A. UNTITLED KEVIN BIEGEL PROJECT) (FOX) - Kevin Biegel's comedy - about "three very different brothers working together in the Army at a small base in Florida" - has been given a pilot commitment by the network. 20th Century Fox Television is behind the single-camera project with Mike Royce also expected to serve in some capacity alongside Biegel. (Deadline.com)


GATES (NBC) - Ken Marino and Aasif Mandvi are the latest to board the comedy pilot, about the hijinks that ensue when parents drop off and pick up their kids at school each day. The former will play Mark Baxley, "a loveable, sweet, well-meaning, puppy-dog of a guy, a type B, or C, maybe even D to his wife's (Kathleen Rose Perkins) type-A personality." Mandvi then is set as another dad at the school, Trevor Palmer, "a super-driven, competitive Yale-educated lawyer who's one of these comedically intense guys who pushes his kids way too hard." Christina Kirk, Diana Maria Riva, John Grisetti and Justin Chon also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, from director Marc Buckland and writers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith. (Deadline.com)


JACK JOHNSON (HBO, New!) - Beau Willimon ("Ides of March") is spearheading a new four to six part mini-series at the pay channel about the storied life of the first African-American world heavyweight champion. Ken Burns and Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are on board to executive produce the project, which will be based on Geoffrey C. Ward's book "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson." Burns, who was behind the Emmy-winning documentary of the same name, will also direct while Willimon will serve as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)


TOGETHERNESS (HBO, New!) - Mark and Jay Duplass ("Jeff, Who Lives at Home") have likewise booked a single-camera comedy pilot at the pay network about "two couples living under the same roof who struggle to keep their relationships alive while pursuing their individual dreams." Said duo penned the half-hour and will direct and executive produce with production eyed for an April start. Stephanie Langhoff also serves as a co-executive producer for their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. (Deadline.com)


TWO WRONGS (A.K.A. UNTITLED MICHELLE MORGAN PROJECT) (FOX) - Michelle Morgan has received a pilot commitment from the network for her comedy, about "a couple whose friends and family don't think they are right for each other." The single-camera effort is set up at the 20th Century Fox Television-based Chernin Entertainment with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope as well as Kaplan Perrone Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan and Sean Perrone executive producing alongside Morgan. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED ANDREW GURLAND PROJECT (FX, New!) - Andrew Gurland ("The Last Exorcism") has scored a pilot order from the cable channel for a comedy about "a married man who is given permission by his wife to get a mistress in order to save their marriage." Said effort is set up at FX Productions with Paul Young and Peter Principato executive producing alongside Gurland. Salamo Levin will serve as a producer. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED CRAIG ROBINSON PROJECT (NBC) - The Craig Robinson-led comedy - about "a talented musician with rough edges who adjusts to his new life as a music teacher in a big-city middle school, where he encounters teacher politics and the temptations of single moms" - has scored a pilot order at the Peacock. Owen Ellickson penned the single-camera project and is executive producing alongside Greg Daniels, Tracy Katsky, Howard Klein and Mark Schulman for Universal Television. Robinson will also receive a producer credit. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese's small screen take on "Zombieland" reportedly has found a new home at Amazon (Deadline.com); John Pyper-Ferguson will guest on "Once Upon a Time" as "a widower who wants nothing more than to help his young son heal from the loss of his mother" (EW.com); Sean Patrick Flanery and Charlotte Rampling have both landed roles on the upcoming season of "Dexter" as "the ex-cop owner of a private investigation company in Miami" and "a neuro-psychiatrist who specializes profiling criminals in unorthodox ways," respectively (Deadline.com, EW.com); Larry Manetti is bound for "Hawaii Five-0" as a local lounge legend who assists the team with a case (TVGuide.com); and Sendhil Ramamurthy soon-to-debut ADA Gabe Lowen has been upped to series regular on "Beauty and the Beast" (THR.com).






  [january 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· ADVOCATES, THE (CBS)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (CW)
· BROWSERS (AMAZON)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
· ENLISTED (FOX)
· GATES (NBC)
· HAWAII FIVE-0 (CBS)
· MARRIED (FX)
· MR ROBINSON (NBC)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· TOGETHERNESS (HBO)
· TWO WRONGS (FOX)
· UNRULY (HBO)
· ZOMBIELAND (AMAZON)





[10/21/26 - 04:01 PM]
USA Sports' Coverage of Dream-Valkyries Game 2 Is Most-Watched WNBA Finals Game 2 Ever on Cable
Monday night's coverage averaged 1.33 million viewers across USA Sports' linear platforms (USA Network, CNBC and E!).

[10/21/26 - 03:31 PM]
BET Renews "ComicView: Rooftop Series" for a Second Season
The 20-episode order puts 60 comedians on the Hollywood rooftop and cements the series as an anchor of the network's Comedy Fun Night.

[10/21/26 - 03:15 PM]
It's Back to School at "Abbott Elementary" as Show Returns with Over 6 Million Total Viewers
The premiere episode scored the show's best streaming performance since Season 4, based on views over seven days on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.

[10/21/26 - 02:31 PM]
Commanders-49ers on "Monday Night Football" Delivers 17.9 Million Viewers
Six weeks into ESPN's Super Bowl LXI season, "Monday Night Football" is up 23% compared to the same point in 2025, averaging 19 million viewers.

[10/21/26 - 11:31 AM]
"Tyler Perry's Beauty In Black" Season 4 Kicks Off Production in Atlanta
"'Beauty in Black' is back for Season 4 and the Bellarie family's story is far from finished," said Perry.

[10/21/26 - 11:30 AM]
Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya to Star in "Fourth Wing" on Prime Video
McGregor will play the fiercely intelligent and often underestimated Violet Sorrengail; while Sakraya will play the enigmatic and ruthless Xaden Riorson.

[10/21/26 - 11:21 AM]
"Blue Lights" Season Four Chronicles a Changing Belfast as the Acclaimed Drama Returns to BritBox
Other November highlights include the return of "Death Valley" on November 17.

[10/21/26 - 11:06 AM]
Sabine Grace, Logan Kim, Marin Ireland and Intae Kim Have Joined the Cast of "Pagans," Alongside Steven Yeun
A father becomes the sole caretaker of his two children after the tragic loss of his wife. What starts as a strained father-daughter relationship soon evolves into something far more sinister.

[10/21/26 - 11:01 AM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of October 12
"Carrie," "Neagley," "Reacher," "Off Campus," and "Sterling Point" led all original series worldwide.

[10/21/26 - 10:01 AM]
Hulu Announces Tinx as Host of "The Circle," Featuring Celebrity Contestants and Audience Voting
Beginning November 17, "The Circle" will debut three new episodes weekly, airing Tuesday through Thursday for five weeks, culminating in the season finale on Friday, December 18.

[10/21/26 - 09:30 AM]
Video: It Has All Led to This - Forging The One Ring to Rule Them All in Season 3 Trailer for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" from Prime Video
The first four episodes of season three will premiere on November 11, 2026.

[10/21/26 - 09:07 AM]
FOX Sports Expands Year-Round Horse Racing Coverage with Gulfstream Park Championship Meet
As part of the agreement, the $1 million EquiTrack Florida Derby will air live on FOX broadcast network on March 27, 2027.

[10/21/26 - 09:00 AM]
Versant Announces Licensing Agreement to Stream E!'s "The Golden Life" on Hulu
The first two episodes will be available on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. beginning November 3, with remaining episodes available seven days after premiering on E!.

[10/21/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Avedon" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The life and work of legendary photographer Richard Avedon come into focus through archival footage and new interviews in this intimate documentary.

[10/21/26 - 08:30 AM]
Prime Video Unveils Key Art and Premiere Date for Docuseries "The Boy Who Stole Billions?" Premiering November 30
The series delves into one of the biggest frauds in U.S. history with unprecedented access and exclusive firsthand accounts from Sam Bankman-Fried himself from prison.