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[04/04/13 - 11:26 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, April 4
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!


DO IT YOURSELF (TBS; W: Rob Long & Walt Becker; D: James Widdoes) - Cheech Marin and Efren Ramirez are the latest additions to the comedy pilot, about Nick (Ben Rappaport), a 20-something laid-off math teacher who finds himself thrust into the blue collar world when he gets a job at that most American of retail institutions: the big box home supply store. They'll play his fellow employees Perez and Javier alongside the previously cast Bill Engvall, Melora Hardin, Nicky Whelan, Parvesh Cheena and Ryan McPartlin. (ETOnline.com)


GORBACHEV (HBO, New!) - Actors/producers Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks are developing a biopic of former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev, who "ushered democracy into the Soviet block by introducing glasnost and perestroika and helped end the Cold War." John Shiban is penning the project, with DiCaprio's Appian Way and Hanks's Playtone co-producing. DiCaprio, Hanks, Jennifer Killoran, Gary Goetzman and Industry Entertainment's Keith Addis are the executive producers with Pavel Palazhchenko, David E. Hoffman, Dejan Karaklajic and Gorbachev himself serving as consultants. (Deadline.com)


HOLE TO HOLE (Adult Swim, New!) - Arden Myrin ("MadTV") is set to star in a potential live-action series at the network about "the fabulous exploits of Ashleigh and Amelia Dangerhole, America's sexiest billionaire detectives." Pam Brady co-wrote the quarter-hour pilot, which is billed as a parody of 1980s detective shows. No other details were given. (Deadline.com)


MURDER IN THE FIRST (TNT; W: Eric Lodal & Steven Bochco; D: TBA) - Steven Weber and Mimi Kirkland have both landed roles on the pilot, a crime drama that will intimately dissect a single murder case over an entire season, from the commitment of the crime through the investigation, arrest and trial. He'll play Bill Wilkerson, "Applicon CEO's all-American personal pilot who is very protective of his boss." Kirkland then is set as the daughter of one of the detectives, played by Kathleen Robertson. Bess Rous and Taye Diggs also star. (Deadline.com)


ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC) - Paul Reubens will lend his voice to the Alphabet's proposed "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" spin-off while Ralph Hemecker has been tapped to direct. Reubens will play the White Rabbit, a CGI character, alongside the previously cast Sophie Lowe as Alice, Peter Gadiot as Cyrus, Michael Socha as the Knave of Hearts and Emma Rigby as the Red Queen. Hemecker then will work from a script by "Once" creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. (Deadline.com)


WESTSIDE (ABC/Warner Bros.; W: Byron Balasco; D: McG) - Jessica Lu ("Awkward") has snagged a role on the drama pilot, about "Romeo & Juliet"-esque lovers Chris (Luke Bracey) and Sophie (Odette Annable) from rival families in the surfing community of Venice, California. She'll guest star as Eva, "Sophie's employee and confidant at her Venice boutique who urges her pursuit of Chris." Brooklyn Sudano, Bruce Greenwood, Dean Winters, Jennifer Beals, Lexi Ainsworth, Lincoln Lewis and Michael Graziadei also star. (THR.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Christopher Abbott's Charlie won't return for the third season of "Girls" (EW.com); Katey Sagal has been cast as Artie's (Kevin McHale) mom on "Glee" (@MrRPMurphy); Ryan Murphy and Lauren Gussis are currently shopping "Open," a new drama described as "a modern, provocative exploration of human sexuality and relationships" to the cable networks (Deadline.com); former Comedy Central executive-turned-producer Lou Wallach has inked an overall deal with Universal Television (Deadline.com); Kamar de los Reyes is bound for two episodes of "Blue Bloods" as "a deadly Latino gang leader who rules over the inner-city projects with his drug and vice trade" (TVLine.com); and David Andrews, Jonathan Keltz and Johanna Braddy are among the faces set to appear on the new season of "Necessary Roughness" (TVGuide.com).






  [april 2013]  
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· AWKWARD (MTV)
· BLUE BLOODS (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DO IT YOURSELF (TBS)
· GIRLS (HBO)
· GLEE (FOX)
· GORBACHEV (HBO)
· HOLE TO HOLE (ADULT SWIM)
· MADTV (CW)
· MURDER IN THE FIRST (TNT)
· NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (USA)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND (ABC)
· WESTSIDE (ABC)





[04/03/26 - 08:00 AM]
Season Six of The Global Hit Series "The Chosen" Premieres Exclusively on Prime Video, November 15, 2026
Featuring six episodes, season six will debut three episodes on November 15, followed by the release of a weekly episode through December 6.

[04/03/26 - 07:01 AM]
BET to Air "HBCU AWAREFEST Benefit Concert Special" Sunday, April 5 at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT
The star-studded benefit concert supporting HBCUs features a genre-spanning lineup including Jill Scott, Tems, Common, Jeezy, Yolanda Adams, Coco Jones, Kirk Franklin, BigXthaPlug, and more.

[04/03/26 - 07:00 AM]
James Marsden Returns to Host "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat" Reunion Special For Prime Video On April 10
The bonus episodes will debut on April 10, 2026, and will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[04/03/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Fake Profile" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Camila meets her Prince Charming through a dating app. After an idyllic romance, she plans to surprise him - only to end up trapped in a false paradise.

[04/02/26 - 08:01 PM]
Video: Competition Heats Up with Intrigue and Spices - Netflix Unveils Trailer for New Drama "Made with Love"
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[04/02/26 - 01:46 PM]
ABC News Is #1 in Total Viewers Sunday Morning, in Late-Night and Friday Night
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[04/02/26 - 01:45 PM]
Katie Conway Promoted to Executive Producer of Robin Roberts Production Unit at ABC News Studios
Conway joined the unit in 2023 when it launched as a senior producer.

[04/02/26 - 12:31 PM]
Paramount+ Greenlights New Reality Series, "Team Moms," Executive Produced by Kim Kardashian and Love Island Producers, ITV
"Team Moms" launches viewers into the world of nationally competitive youth baseball via immersion into the Legendary Prep Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona's first and only baseball prep school.

[04/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
Jamie Bell and Charlie Heaton Lead a New Generation of "Peaky Blinders" and First Look of Bell as Duke Is Revealed
Jessica Brown Findlay, Lashana Lynch, and Lucy Karczewski are also on board.

[04/02/26 - 12:01 PM]
"Wizards Beyond Waverly Place" Returns for One Last Spell This Summer on Disney+ and Disney Channel
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[04/02/26 - 11:44 AM]
First-Ever "American Idol" Simulcast on ABC and Disney+ Surges Double Digits
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[04/02/26 - 11:11 AM]
Sarah Drew and Eric Johnson to Headline "When I Said I Do" (wt), The New Movie Inspired by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black's Beloved Duet of the Same Name
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[04/02/26 - 11:07 AM]
Thursday Night Heats Up as "9-1-1: Nashville" and "9-1-1" Soar to Best Performance of the Season
On linear over three days, "9-1-1" earned 5.94 million Total Viewers, also nearly matching the show's previous season high in January.

[04/02/26 - 11:05 AM]
Hulu's Critically Acclaimed Comedy Series "Deli Boys" Returns for a Second Season on May 28
Andrew Rannells and Kumail Nanjiani join as recurring guest stars for the second season, alongside series regulars Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan and Fred Armisen.

[04/02/26 - 10:58 AM]
ESPN to Present WNBA Expansion Draft Friday, April 3
Malika Andrews will host the special, joined by analysts Carolyn Peck and Monica McNutt.