or


[01/29/13 - 11:05 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, January 29
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!


BIG THUNDER (ABC) - Jason Fuchs's small screen take on Disney's famed roller-coaster ride - about "a brilliant, late 19th century New York doctor who relocates his family to a frontier mining town run by a powerful, but mysterious tycoon" - has received a pilot order from the network. Chris Morgan also serves as an executive producer on the hour, from ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


BRENDA FOREVER (NBC, New!) - Andrew Leeds and David Lampson have snagged a pilot order from the Peacock for a new high-concept comedy which follows the title role both as a 31-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl. Sony Pictures Television-based Fedora Entertainment is behind the half-hour with Peter Tolan and Michael Wimer executive producing alongside said duo. Ellie Kemper ("The Office") is reportedly in early discussions to topline the project. (Deadline.com)


GOTHICA (ABC) - Matt Lopez's drama - "a sexy gothic soap set in present day that weaves together a mythology that incorporates the legends of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray among others" - is moving forward to pilot at the Alphabet. Said hour is set up at ABC Studios with Mark Gordon and Nicholas Pepper of The Mark Gordon Company also on board as executive producers. (Deadline.com)


HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, THE (OWN) - John Schneider ("Smallville") is the first to be cast in Tyler Perry's upcoming drama, about the dynamics of the affluent Cryer family and the impoverished family of Hanna, their housekeeper, and the obstacles and secrets that exist within both families. He'll play Jim Cryer, the Cryer family patriarch. The one-hour series launches Wednesday, May 29 on the cable channel. (Deadline.com)


LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (OWN) - Jonathan Chase, Palmer Williams, Patrice Lovely, Kendra C. Johnson, Andre Hall and Darmirra Brunson have all been cast in the upcoming series, a half-hour comedy set at Love's Diner, where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a whole lot of love for its zany neighbors. Lovely will play Hattie, the diner's owner, with Johnson and Hall as her daughter Linda and grandson Danny, respectively. Rounding out the cast are Chase as Danny's co-worker/best friend Sam; Brunson as Amber, Sam's neighbor; and Williams as Floyd. Tyler Perry Studios is behind the project, which launches Wednesday, May 29. (Deadline.com)


MURDER IN MANHATTAN (A.K.A. PARK & LEX) (ABC) - The Maria Maggenti-penned hour - about a mother and daughter who team up as amateur sleuths in New York City - is the latest to receive a pilot commitment at the Alphabet. DarkFire Television's Ryan Reynolds, Allan Loeb, Jonathon Komack Martin and Steven Pearl also serve as executive producers on the project, which is set up at ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)


RECKLESS (A.K.A. COUP) (ABC) - Chris Black's drama - about "a resourceful problem solver who, when his wife is unjustly imprisoned during a political uprising overseas, resorts to entering a world of political intrigue, dangerous alliances and high emotional stakes in order to get her out" - has been given a pilot order by the Alphabet. ABC Studios is behind the hour with Martin Campbell executive producing alongside Black. (Deadline.com)


WONDERLAND (NBC) - The Anthony E. Zuiker-produced drama - a sequel to Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" centering on a new character, Clara, who must wage war against Wonderland's reigning Queen, the woman we once knew as Alice - has scored a pilot commitment at the Peacock. Whit Anderson penned the hour, which is now set up at Universal Television after originally being shepherded by ABC Studios. Dare to Pass's Matt Weinberg as well as JoAnn Alfano and Margaret Riley of Brillstein Entertainment Partners are executive producing alongside Zuiker and Anderson. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Warner Bros. Pictures has given a green light to a big screen version of HBO's "Entourage" with creator Doug Ellin directing from his own script (Deadline.com); Steve Callaghan has been tapped as the new showrunner of "American Dad," succeeding co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman (Deadline.com); Neal Purvis and Robert Wade has been tapped to pen Gaumont International Television's proposed small screen take on "Barbarella" (Deadline.com); Eric Mabius will guest on "Blue Bloods" as "a likable and sexy multi-millionaire philanthropist with an unblemished record who may not be as perfect as he appears" (TVLine.com); and Mark Hamill will drop by the season finale of "The Neighbors" as a co-worker of Larry Bird's dad, played by the previously cast George Takei (TVGuide.com).






  [january 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· AMERICAN DAD (FOX)
· BIG THUNDER (ABC)
· BLUE BLOODS (CBS)
· BRENDA FOREVER (NBC)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· ENTOURAGE (HBO)
· GOTHICA (ABC)
· HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, THE (OWN)
· LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (OWN)
· MURDER IN MANHATTAN (ABC)
· NEIGHBORS, THE (ABC)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· RECKLESS (ABC)
· SMALLVILLE (CW)
· WONDERLAND (NBC)





[04/22/26 - 05:30 PM]
Hulu's Second-Annual Get Real House Event Brings Together the Biggest Names in Reality TV and Delivers Major Announcements
The ultimate crossover event gathered over 150 unscripted TV icons and creatives, including Khloé Kardashian, Travis Barker, Lisa Vanderpump, Heidi Klum, Maura Higgins and more.

[04/22/26 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "The WONDERfools" - Official Teaser - Netflix
A goofy group of townies stumbles into superpowers and fights rising evil as doomsday panic grows in this wild, turn-of-the-century action comedy.

[04/22/26 - 04:46 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Expands Hit Franchise with a New Competition Series, "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro," Coming to ABC and Hulu
The series will premiere July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with episodes available the next day on Hulu.

[04/22/26 - 01:00 PM]
ESPN Opens NBA Playoffs with Most-Watched Playoff Game of Opening Weekend
Saturday's Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers matchup on ABC averaged 5.2 million viewers, peaking at 6.4 million viewers during the 11 p.m. ET quarter hour.

[04/22/26 - 12:01 PM]
HBO Original Film "Miss You, Love You," Starring Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells, Debuts May 29
A blunt, grieving widow, Diane Patterson (Allison Janney) is forced to plan her husband's funeral with a total stranger: her estranged son's assistant, Jamie Simms (Andrew Rannells).

[04/22/26 - 11:17 AM]
USA Sports Announces 2026 WNBA on USA Network Schedule, Highlighted by Wednesday Night Doubleheaders, Marquee Matchups and 2026 WNBA Finals Games
The WNBA on USA Network schedule tips off on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, as 2025 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces visit Cameron Brink, Kelsey Plum and the Los Angeles Sparks at 6 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

[04/22/26 - 11:11 AM]
NBC Sports Announces Its Complete 2026 WNBA Regular-Season Schedule Across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN
NBC Sports' 2026 WNBA slate of 22 regular season games begins with the reigning WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces visiting the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, May 17 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

[04/22/26 - 11:07 AM]
NBC Sports' Manchester City-Arsenal Is Most-Watched Premier League Match in U.S. History
Coverage averaged 2.6 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo and NBC Sports Digital platforms this past Sunday.

[04/22/26 - 11:06 AM]
ESPN, ABC Announce 2026 WNBA Regular Season Schedule
ESPN, which has televised the WNBA since the league's inaugural season in 1997, will tip off its 30th consecutive season on Saturday, May 9, with expanded coverage across ESPN, ABC, Disney+ and ESPN Deportes.

[04/22/26 - 11:03 AM]
Video: "We'll Be Fine" - Trailer - Hulu
Some love stories don't just consume you... they undo you.

[04/22/26 - 10:03 AM]
"In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers" - New Docu-Series Premieres Sunday, May 17 on Discovery Channel
The six-part series captures raw, harrowing encounters as storm chasers, outfitted with their own camera rigs and advanced weather tech, race into the American Midwest during one of the most active tornado seasons in decades.

[04/22/26 - 09:32 AM]
Record Setter! ESPN Opens 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Three Most-Watched First Round Games on Cable Ever, Excluding Game 7's
The Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins matchup (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET) drew 2.1 million viewers, becoming the most-viewed First Round Playoff game ever on cable (excluding game 7's).

[04/22/26 - 09:29 AM]
Stage Set in the Steel City: ESPN's "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" to Air Live from the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
The Draft marks ESPN's first major event of the 2026 football season, culminating with ESPN's first-ever Super Bowl on February 14, 2027.

[04/22/26 - 09:11 AM]
Video: Jaw-Dropping Official Trailer for Highly Anticipated Drama "The Vampire Lestat" Released
The wild and captivating next chapter in Anne Rice's Immortal Universe follows Lestat as the world's first immortal rock star on an electric multi-city tour, while he's haunted by "muses" from his rebellious past.

[04/22/26 - 09:01 AM]
Start Your Engines... "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" Season 11 Unveils Its Iconic Cast Ahead of Friday, May 8 Premiere on Paramount+
With the return of the high-stakes "Tournament of All Stars" format, the competition reaches new heights across 12-episodes packed with jaw-dropping runway looks, unforgettable performances, and the kind of drama only Drag Race can deliver.