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[02/22/13 - 11:36 PM]
Development Update: Friday, February 22
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!
ADVOCATES, THE (CBS) - Esai Morales ("Magic City") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about a lawyer, Shannon Carter, and an ex-con, Henry Bird (both yet to be cast), who team up as victim advocates, going to the edge of the law to right wrongs and fight for the underdog. He'll play District Attorney Rafael "Raffa" Cortez ("handsome, vain, arrogant"), who's "a sharply focussed student of Machiavelli and Bill Clinton" not to mention has a history with Shannon. Writer Bruno Heller and director David Nutter are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which also stars CCH Pounder. (Deadline.com)
BLINK (The CW) - Michael Weston ("House") has been cast in the drama pilot, about about Ari Trask (Madeline Carroll), a 16-year-old girl reeling from a car accident that put her father, Greg, in a coma and his attempts to communicate from the great beyond. He'll play Ari's manic uncle, Neal, who moves in with the Trasks after being dumped - and robbed - by his new bride. Vera Harbert penned the project, which is set up at CBS Television Studios. (Deadline.com)
DADS (FOX) - Peter Riegert ("The Good Wife") has landed a role on the Seth MacFarlane-produced comedy pilot, about two successful video game developers - family man Warner (Tommy Dewey) and perpetually single Eli (yet to be cast) - who have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads unexpectedly move in with them. He'll play David, the latter's Jewish father, a "quiet monster of negativity." Brenda Song also stars in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which Mark Cendrowski will direct from a script by Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. (Deadline.com)
DIVORCE: A LOVE STORY (ABC) - Andrea Anders ("Mr. Sunshine") has snagged the female lead on the multi-camera comedy pilot, about a recently divorced couple who were bad at marriage and prove to be even worse at divorce. She'll play Robin, one half of the aforementioned couple, who's "what guys of a different era would have called a real firecracker." Mike Sikowitz and Daniel Lappin penned the half-hour, which is based on the Israeli format "Life Isn't Everything." Pamela Fryman is directing while ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Television are co-producing. (Deadline.com)
ENLISTED (FOX) - Angelique Cabral has booked the female lead on the single-camera comedy pilot, about three very different brothers working together in the Army at a small base in Florida. She'll play Jill Perez née Pop, a confident, funny and ballsy Sergeant. Geoff Stults and Keith David also star in the project, which comes from 20th Century Fox Television and writer Kevin Biegel. (Deadline.com)
FRIENDS & FAMILY (FOX) - Dustin Ybarra ("21 and Over") has landed a role on the comedy pilot, about Gavin (Jason Ritter) and Stacey (yet to be cast), a long distance couple who try to maintain their relationship despite their polarizing families' lives. He's set as Smithy ("surprisingly confident for a husky man"), Gavin's roommate in New York City. David J. Rosen is behind the Sony Pictures Television-produced half-hour, which is based on the U.K. series "Gavin & Stacey." (Deadline.com)
FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES (CBS) - James Van Der Beek ("Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23") is the first to land a role on the multi-camera comedy pilot, about six 30-something friends who each think the other has it better. He'll play Will Stokes, a gynecologist still reeling from his wife's infidelity and subsequently expects the absolute worst from everyone and everything. James Burrows is directing the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour from a script by Dana Klein. (Deadline.com)
GAFFIGAN (CBS) - Christian Barillas has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about a husband and wife (Jim Gaffigan, Mira Sorvino) trying to raise their five kids in a New York two-bedroom apartment. He's set as the larger than life Arlen, "the neighborhood drag queen, and one of Jim's good friends." Peter Tolan penned the teleplay to the single-camera project, which is set up at Sony Pictures Television. (Deadline.com)
GANG RELATED (FOX) - Inbar Lavi ("Underemployed") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez), a gang member sent in to infiltrate the San Francisco Police Department only to be caught between his crime family ties and an increasing sense of loyalty to his new brothers in blue. She'll play Vanessa "Vee" Hicks, the youngest member of the Gang Task Force and the wildest. Allen Hughes is directing the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour from a script by Chris Morgan. Sung Kang also stars. (Deadline.com)
HOSTAGES (CBS) - Rhys Coiro ("A Gifted Man") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette), a successful surgeon who is selected to operate on the President, only to be told she must kill him after her family is taken hostage. He'll play Kramer Daly, one of the hostage takers. The Warner Bros. Television-based hour also stars Dylan McDermott, Mateus Ward, Quinn Shephard, Sandrine Holt and Tate Donovan. Jeffrey Nachmanoff is directing off his own script. (Deadline.com)
HUNDRED, THE (The CW) - Henry Ian Cusick ("Scandal") has joined the cast of the pilot, a post-apocalyptic drama about 100 juvenile delinquents that are sent from the remnants of the multi-ringed space stations that are all that left of humanity to the surface of a wildly changed Earth as a test for recolonization. He'll play Councillor Kane ("handsome, but there's a coldness about him even at first glance"), an ambitious officer looking to unseat the current leader, Chancellor Jaha (yet to be cast). Bob Morley and Eli Goree also star in the Warner Bros. Television-produced hour, based on the novel by Kass Morgan. Bharat Nalluri will direct from a script by Jason Rothenberg. (Deadline.com)
I AM VICTOR (NBC) - John Stamos ("The New Normal") is in final negotiations for the title role on the drama pilot, about Victor Port, a high powered divorce attorney with a unique view of relationships. He'd play said fellow ("excellent physique, bad boy grin") in the Universal Television-based hour, from writer Mark Goffman based on Jo Nesbo's book of the same name. (Deadline.com)
I SUCK AT GIRLS (FOX) - Connor Buckley ("Deception") and Claudia Lee ("Hart of Dixie") are the first to board the comedy pilot, about a lanky, self-deprecating 15-year-old coming of age in San Diego circa 1991. He'll play the title role, Frankie Dunlevy, with Lee as his older sister Rachel ("beautiful, straight-A student, ballsy"), who's more than ready to be an adult. Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker are behind the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which is based on the former's book of the same name. (Deadline.com)
INTELLIGENCE (CBS) - James Martinez ("Gravity") has booked a role on the drama pilot, about the U.S. Cyber Command and its key agent, Gabriel Black (Josh Holloway), who has a microchip implanted in his brain that allows him to access the entire electromagnetic spectrum. He'll play Gonzalo "Gonzo" Sanchez, a "scrappy, muscular" member of the team who's partnered with the by-the-book Chris Jameson (Michael Rady). Director David Semel and writer Michael Seitzman are behind the project, from co-producers ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios. (Deadline.com)
MURDER IN MANHATTAN (ABC) - Bridget Regan ("Legend of the Seeker") has been cast while Cherie Nowlan ("Mistresses") will direct the drama pilot, about a mother and daughter who team up as amateur sleuths in New York City. She'll play said daughter Lex ("sassy, voluble, brilliant at everything but her own life"), whose day job is at the Mayor's office. Maria Maggenti penned the hour, which is set up at ABC Studios. (Deadline.com)
SELECTION, THE (The CW) - Israeli actress Yael Grobglas has been tapped for the lead role on the drama pilot, which is set 300 years in the future and tracks a poor woman who is chosen by lottery to compete to become the next queen of a war-torn nation. She'll play the woman in question, America Singer, a fresh-faced beauty who's a member of the Labor Class, the lowest of the six Classes. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain are behind the Warner Bros. Television-produced hour, which is based on Kiera Cass's book of the same name. Peta Sergeant and Sean Patrick Thomas also star while Alex Graves is directing. (Deadline.com)
SPY (ABC) - Ken Jeong ("Community") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about Tim Elliot (Rob Corddry), a hapless single father who tries to impress his precocious 10-year-old son, Marcus (Mason Cook), by joining the CIA. He'll play the Examiner ("lithe, mischievous"), the CIA's gatekeeper for new agents who unexpectedly signs off on Tim's hiring. Said role is in second position to his duties on the NBC comedy. Paget Brewster also stars in the single-camera project, from ABC Studios, director Alex Hardcastle and writer Simeon Goulden based on the latter's U.K. series of the same name. (Deadline.com)
SUPER CLYDE (CBS) - Tyler Labine ("Mad Love") is back in business with the Eye, landing a role on the Rupert Grint-led half-hour. He'll play Duke, the older brother of the title character, a meek, unassuming fast food worker who decides to become a "superhero" for the downtrodden after inherting his uncle's fortune. CBS Television Studios is behind the single-camera project, which Michael Fresco is directing from a script by Greg Garcia. (Deadline.com)
TOGETHERNESS (HBO) - Melanie Lynskey ("Two and a Half Men") has booked a lead role on the comedy pilot, about two couples living under the same roof who struggle to keep their relationships alive while pursuing their individual dreams. She'll play a "sweet-natured, hard-working, full-time mom, a wife and the mother of two children, whose marriage is dying on its feet as she yearns for a more fulfilling life." Jay and Mark Duplass are behind the project, which they'll direct and executive produce via their Duplass Brothers Productions. (Deadline.com)
TOMORROW PEOPLE, THE (The CW) - Mark Pellegrino ("Being Human") has been tapped for a key role on the pilot, a drama based on the U.K. series about young people from around the world who possesses special powers as a result of the next stage in human evolution. He'll play Dr. Jedikiah Price ("handsome, charismatic"), an evolutionary biologist who also spearheads ULTRA, a secret government program tasked with containing the threat posed by the "tomorrow people." Luke Mitchell, Peyton List and Robbie Amell also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which Danny Cannon is directing from a teleplay by Phil Klemmer. (Deadline.com)
UNAUTHORIZED GREG GARCIA PILOT, THE (CBS) - Margo Martindale ("A Gifted Man") has been cast in the multi-camera comedy pilot, about Jack (Will Arnett), a recently divorced man whose life is complicated when his parents decide to move in with him. She'll play said mother, Carol, "a vibrant but meddlesome and slightly controlling character who has to have her finger in every pie." CBS Television Studios is behind the project, from director James Burrows and writer Greg Garcia. (Deadline.com)
WEST SIDE (ABC) - Odette Annable ("Breaking In") and Bruce Greenwood ("The River") are the latest to board the "Romeo and Juliet"-esque drama pilot, about star-crossed lovers, Sophie and Chris, from rival families in Venice, California. She'll play said woman ("stunner, effortless style, pure heart"), who owns an exclusive boutique in the city. Greenwood then will play her father, Gordy ("focused, rugged stud"), who was once best friends and business partners with Chris's late father, Jay. Jennifer Beals also stars as Chris's mother in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, which McG is directing from a script by Byron Balasco. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Steven Weber will recur on "Dallas" as "an ambitious politico who conspires with Cliff Barnes and Harris Ryland to take down the Ewing family" (TVLine.com); Stephanie March has been cast as Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) and Jane's (Eliza Coupe) never-before-seen older sister on "Happy Endings" (TVLine.com); and the producers of "Once Upon a Time" are reportedly planning to recast Sebastian Stan's The Mad Hatter with an eye towards spinning off the character into his own series (Deadline.com).
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[02/27/26 - 01:28 PM]
Paramount to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery to Form Next-Generation Global Media and Entertainment Company
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearances and approval by WBD shareholders, with a vote expected in the early spring of 2026.
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[02/27/26 - 12:30 PM]
The Jaw-Dropping Fifth and Final Season of Starz's Hit Drama Series, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Set to Premiere June 12
To date, the series has accumulated over 21 billion minutes viewed across all episodes and remains one of Starz's top-performing series.
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[02/27/26 - 09:12 AM]
Team USA Hockey Olympic Gold Medalists Hilary Knight, Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes to Appear Together on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Monday, March 2
The episode will also feature guests Nicole Kidman, Luke Thompson and a cooking demo by Chef Mario Carbone.
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[02/27/26 - 08:12 AM]
Paul Wesley Joins Season Three of Hit Apple TV Series "The Buccaneers"
Wesley will play the role as Frank, a mysterious but charming stranger who arrives into Nan and Mrs. St. George's world, turning it upside down.
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[02/27/26 - 07:31 AM]
Peacock to Exclusively Stream Focus Features' "Hamnet" Beginning March 6
Directed by two-time Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao, the film tells the untold story behind one of Shakespeare's most memorable works and celebrates the power of imagination and the creative spirit.
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[02/27/26 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video Debuts First-Look Image of Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus On Set of New Series "God of War"
The series is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions, and has received a two-season order.
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[02/27/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Netflix and Apple TV Join Forces to Stream Formula 1 Thrills
The entire new season of "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" is now on Netflix globally and Apple TV in the U.S.
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[02/26/26 - 08:46 PM]
"Dandelion": Netflix Adapts "Gintama" Creator Hideaki Sorachi's Debut Work into New Anime Series
Set within the Send-Off Department of the Japanese Angel Federation, Dandelion follows "Angels" Tetsuo Tanba and Misaki Kurogane as they scramble to track down Earthbound spirits - souls unable to move on and find peace - and gently guide them to pass on.
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[02/26/26 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Still Shining" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After falling in love as teens, two young adults drift apart - only to reunite 10 years later and confront their heartbreak, growth and new challenges.
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[02/26/26 - 02:46 PM]
Netflix Declines to Raise Offer for Warner Bros.
"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid," said co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters.
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[02/26/26 - 02:19 PM]
"Live with Kelly and Mark" Soars to Season High with Best Audience in Over a Year
"Live" has now ranked as the No. 1 talk show in syndication for 157 consecutive weeks across all key measures.
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[02/26/26 - 02:08 PM]
Britbox Unveils Spring Slate with "The Lady" Starring Mia McKenna-Bruce; Premieres March 18
Other highlights include the return of "Hope Street" and the debut of "Mudtown."
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[02/26/26 - 01:36 PM]
Paramount Comments on Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Determination of Paramount's Proposal as Superior
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: "We are pleased WBD's Board has unanimously affirmed the superior value of our offer, which delivers to WBD shareholders superior value, certainty and speed to closing."
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[02/26/26 - 01:16 PM]
Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors Determines Revised Proposal from Paramount Skydance Constitutes a "Company Superior Proposal"
Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a "Company Superior Proposal."
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[02/26/26 - 01:00 PM]
FOX Television Network Renews Hit Joel McHale Series "Animal Control" for Season Five
In addition, the first three seasons of the series are currently streaming on Netflix, and the show has been sold in territories around the world.
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