or


[12/05/13 - 11:31 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, December 5
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!


THE BRINK (HBO; W: Kim Benabib & Roberto Benabib; D: Jay Roach) - Esai Morales ("Criminal Minds") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about three compromised souls who must pull through the chaos around them to save the planet from World War Three: U.S. Secretary of State Walter Hollander (Tim Robbins); Alex Coppins (Jack Black), a lowly Foreign Service officer; and Zeke Callahan (Pablo Schreiber), an ace Navy fighter pilot. He'll play Julian Navarro, the President of the United States. Aasif Mandvi, Geoff Pierson and Maribeth Monroe also star. (Deadline.com)


GIRLS IN THE GAME (VH1, New!) - Ryan Seacrest Productions has scored a six-episode order from the cable channel for a half-hour reality series about "a group of up-and-coming white female rappers as they aspire to and struggle for fame." Ryan Seacrest is executive producing alongside Adam Sher. (THR.com)


THE GRIM SLEEPER (Lifetime, New!) - Dreama Walker, Macy Gray, Ernie Hudson and Michael O'Neill are set to star in an original movie at the cable channel "inspired by the true stories of the victims and survivor of the alleged serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" - referring to the apparent 14-year hiatus between his alleged murders." Walker will play investigative reporter Christine Pelisek, "who broke the story of the serial killer and coined the nickname," with Gray as Enietra "Margette" Washington (Gray), "the only known surviving victim of the Grim Sleeper, who provided a detailed account of the killer and his MO." Hudson and O'Neill then will play police officers investigating the case with Pelisek. Stanley M. Brooks is directing from a script by Robert Nathan and Teena Booth with Michael Jaffe and Joe Pichirallo serving as executive producers and Richard Bullock and Christian Bruyere as producers. (Deadline.com)


MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (Amazon; W: Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman & Alex Timbers; D: TBA) - Malcolm McDowell, Lola Kirke, Bernadette Peters, Saffron Burrows, Peter Vack and Hannah Dunne will all join Gael García Bernal in the comedy pilot, about sex, drugs - and classical music - and shows that what happens behind the curtains at the symphony can be just as captivating as what happens on stage. McDowell will play Thomas, "a seasoned conductor being forced into retirement by the arrival of hotshot new conductor Rodrigo (Bernal)"; with Kirke as "the impressionable oboist Hailey"; Peters as Gloria, "the Chairwoman of the Board of the symphony"; Burrows as Cynthia, "a cellist in the middle of an affair with Thomas," Vack as Joshua, "a talented dancer out of Juilliard who becomes Hailey's love interest"; and Dunne as Lizzie, "Hailey's friend and roommate." (Deadline.com)


MULANEY (FOX/Universal; W: John Mulaney; D: Andy Ackerman) - Elliott Gould, Nasim Pedrad, Seaton Smith and Zack Pearlman have all been cast in the network's revival of the NBC pilot, about an aspiring comedian (John Mulaney) coming of age under the influence of his boss (Martin Short), his roommates and his neighbors. The former trio also starred in the original incarnation. Gould will return as Alfred, Mulaney's intimidating gay neighbor; with Pedrad as Jane, Mulaney's roommate who has been reconceived as "a personal trainer fixated on fairness and justice in her life - particularly, her romantic life." Smith then will play Motif, "an experienced comedian and ladies' man whom Mulaney often tries to emulate, but never quite will"; with Pearlman as a new character Andre, "a stubborn but energetic 29-year-old trust fund baby." Griffin Newman, who played Mulaney's other roommate, will not return. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED FOSTERS PROJECT (VH1, New!) - Erin Foster and Sara Foster, daughters of Grammy Award winner and Verve Music Group chairman David Foster, are set to star in a potential comic reality series about "two sisters who say they would never do a reality show, but are being filmed by a camera crew." 3 Arts Entertainment's Oly Obst, Kimberly Carver and Josh Lieberman are executive producing alongside Good Clean Fun's Jason Carbone. The show, which "explores the hypocrisy of reality TV," has a presentation commitment. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Norwegian broadcaster NRK is in the final stages of negotiations with producer Rubicon TV for a third season of "Lilyhammer" (Deadline.com); Brianne Howey will recur on "Twisted" as "a free spirit who is full of life and takes chances [who] comes to Green Grove to live with her father (Ivan Sergei) for a fresh start" (Deadline.com); Entertainment One is developing a new action drama with actress Pam Grier and writer Bennie Richburg (Deadline.com); Regina King and Melanie Merkosky are both bound for FX's "The Strain" as Ruby Wain, "the smart and accomplished manager of philandering rock star Gabriel Bolivar (Jack Kesy)," and "Jim Kent's (Sean Astin) wife Sylvia, who is suffering from cancer," respectively (Deadline.com);

Dianna Agron is the latest "Glee" alum set to return for the show's 100th episode (@MrRPMurphy); Chris Elliott will drop by "Community" as "the quirky founder of Greendale Community College who went missing many years ago after a bizarre sex scandal" (EW.com); Rebecca Mader will visit "Once Upon a Time" as "the newest villain going up against Storybrooke's forces of good" (EOnline.com); and James Landry Hebert will guest on "The Tomorrow People" as "a mysterious hitman who teleports past security and reads his victims minds" (TVGuide.com).






  [december 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· BARELY FAMOUS (VH1)
· BRINK, THE (HBO)
· COMMUNITY (YAHOO)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· GLEE (FOX)
· GRIM SLEEPER, THE (LIFETIME)
· LILYHAMMER (NORWAY) (NETFLIX)
· MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (AMAZON)
· MULANEY (FOX)
· ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC)
· STRAIN, THE (FX)
· TOMORROW PEOPLE, THE (CW)
· TWISTED (ABC FAMILY)
· WHITE GIRLS OF RAP (VH1)





[04/30/26 - 10:31 AM]
Meet the Six Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: 48 Hours of Fear," Where Fear and Sleep Deprivation Are Guaranteed!
The two-week special event airs Thursday, May 14 and May 21 on FOX.

[04/30/26 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix Announces New Series "Minimum Wage," Set to Debut Later This Year
Based on the breakout American High Shorts series of the same name, which has drawn over 30 million views across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram since launching in May 2024 and will debut exclusively on Netflix later this year.

[04/30/26 - 10:00 AM]
Starz Greenlights Untitled Drama Series Set in the Electrifying World of the Black Rodeo
Infused with hip hop swagger and country soul, the series unfolds in Southeast Texas, where rodeo isn't just what you do - it's who you are.

[04/30/26 - 10:00 AM]
Video: An Epic Story 450 Million Years in the Making - NBC Unveils "Surviving Earth" Trailer and Key Art
The highly anticipated landmark docuseries will now premiere Thursday, June 11.

[04/30/26 - 09:42 AM]
ABC Renews "Shifting Gears," "Scrubs" for 2026-27 Season
Both moves were confirmed on social media this morning.

[04/30/26 - 09:11 AM]
Award-Winning Comedian, Entertainer & Cultural Sensation Druski Set to Host "BET Awards" 2026
This year's event airs live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT.

[04/30/26 - 09:09 AM]
Discovery Channel May Programming Highlights
Newcomers "Naked and Afraid: Global Showdown" and "In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers" will be joined by returning series "Deadliest Catch," "Homestead Rescue" and "The Last Woodsmen."

[04/30/26 - 09:01 AM]
Season Two of "Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman" Premieres Friday, June 5 on USA Network
Following a breakout first season, Strowman will eat his way through 12 American culinary capitals, including Seattle, Detroit, Austin, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, New York, Houston, Bristol, and Nashville.

[04/30/26 - 09:01 AM]
Jesse Collins Entertainment Set to Produce the 78th Emmy Awards Airing Live Sept. 14 on NBC and Peacock
Nominations will be announced by the Television Academy on Wednesday, July 8, streaming live at 8:30 a.m. PT on Emmys.com.

[04/30/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Spotlights Trailer for "It's Not Like That" Starring Scott Foley Timed to Global Launch
The show blends heartfelt drama with warmth and humor, focusing on connection, second chances, and the realities of modern family life.

[04/30/26 - 09:00 AM]
Watch The Skies! Season 7 of The History Channel's "The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch" Returns May 19
The new season will follow ranch owner Brandon Fugal and his fearless team of credited scientists and researchers as they employ cutting-edge science and technology to identify what or who is behind all of the high-strangeness that has long been reported on the 512-acre Utah property.

[04/30/26 - 08:00 AM]
Saif Ali Khan Anchors a Story of Duty and Dilemma, Red Chillies Entertainment's Next with Netflix, "Kartavya"; Out on May 15
The film brings to screen a tense heartland story of a police officer pushed to his limits in a morally complex world.

[04/30/26 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "The Crash" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A teen slams her car into a building, killing her boyfriend and his friend. What seems like a tragic accident becomes a murder case in this documentary.

[04/30/26 - 07:28 AM]
Great American Media Begins Production on Season 2, Original Series, "Crossroad Springs," as Audience Momentum Builds Across All Platforms
Season two is slated to premiere this Fall, streaming on Great American Pure Flix and premiering on Great American Family and GFAM+.

[04/30/26 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video Launches "Obsession Is in Session," A New Initiative Celebrating Young Adult Storytelling and Fandom Culture
"Elle," "Every Year After," "Maxton Hall - The World Between Us," "Off Campus," and "Sterling Point" are among the featured projects.