 |
 |
[03/06/14 - 11:48 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, March 6
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!
ELLEN MORE OR LESS (NBC/Universal; W: J.J. Philbin; D: Peyton Reed) - Chris Diamantopoulos ("Episodes") is the latest to be cast in the comedy pilot, about Ellen (Stacey McGunnigle), an average-size woman who, after losing 100 pounds, begins reinventing herself in life and love. He's set as Jerry, her impossibly handsome and charming co-worker. (Deadline.com)
EMPIRE (FOX/20th; W: Danny Strong & Lee Daniels; D: Lee Daniels) - Rapper Bryshere Y. Gray has been cast in the pilot, a unique family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire. He'll play Hakeem Lyon, the bad boy son of music superstar Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), who "might be the front-runner to head Empire Entertainment." Jussie Smollett and Taraji P. Henson also star. (Deadline.com)
EXPOSED (ABC/Universal; W: Charles Randolph; D: TBA) - Fran Kranz ("Dollhouse") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Anna Loach (yet to be cast), an investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth including making questionable alliances. He's on board as her hipster brother Jeremy, "a tech genius who runs a corporation and has top-secret security clearance." Brian F. O'Byrne, Sandrine Holt, Pedro Pascal and Peter De Jersey also star. (Deadline.com)
MADAM SECRETARY (CBS/CTS; W: Barbara Hall; D: David Semel) - Bebe Neuwirth, Erich Bergen and Evan Roe have all snagged roles on the drama pilot, about the personal and professional life of maverick Secretary of State Elizabeth Faulkner McGill (Tea Leoni) as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. Neuwirth will play Nadine Tolliver, her Chief of Staff; with Bergen as Blake Calibrese, Elizabeth's young, Kennedy handsome assistant; and Roe as Adam, Elizabeth's 13-year-old son, a budding anarchist. Geoffrey Arend, Patina Miller and Tim Daly also star. (Deadline.com)
OUTLAW PROPHET (Lifetime, New!) - Tony Goldwyn ("Scandal") is set to star as Warren Jeffs in an original movie about "the leader of a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist sect who spent more than a year on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List." Said effort is based on Stephen Singular's New York Times best-selling book "When Men Become Gods" with Gabriel Range directing from a script by Art Monterastelli, Steve Kornacki and Bryce Kass. Sony Pictures Television is behind the hour with Judith Verno, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron executive producing. (THR.com)
SAINT FRANCIS (ABC/ABC Studios; W: Christopher Moynihan; D: TBA) - Spencer Grammer ("Ironside") has booked the female lead on the comedy pilot, about Francis Quinlan (Michael Imperioli), a blue-collar, no-nonsense Long Island cop and family man who butts heads with the modern, liberal world when his 29-year-old sister gets pregnant out of wedlock. She's set as said sister, Heather, in the project, which also stars Henry Simmons and Paget Brewster. (Deadline.com)
SALVATION (NBC/Universal; W: Liz Heldens; D: Jeffrey Reiner) - Ryan McPartlin ("Chuck") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, a family saga set against the backdrop of a Texas mega church where faith, family and corruption are explored in equal measure. He'll play Todd Bishop, Lilly's (Meg Steedle) Congressman husband, "an ambitious man whose political life keeps him from home, making him a bit of an absent husband and father." Ashley Judd, Emma Dumont, Jake Picking, Meg Steedle, Rob Brown, Stark Sands and Warren Kole also star. (Deadline.com)
SELFIE (ABC/Warner Bros.; W: Emily Kapnek; D: Julie Anne Robinson) - David Harewood ("Homeland") is the latest to be cast in the comedy pilot, about Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan), a self-obsessed 20-something woman who enlists the help of Henry Higenbottam (yet to be cast), a marketing expert at her company to help repair her tarnished image after she becomes the subject of a viral video. He'll play Sam Saperstein, the off/crazy president of their company, Kinderlabs Pharmaceuticals. Allyn Rachel, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Karen Gillan and Tim Peper also star. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT (CBS/Warner Bros.; W: Kevin Williamson; D: Liz Friedlander) - Mariana Klaveno ("Devious Maids") has boarded the drama pilot, a psychological thriller centering around a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD. She's set as Janice Lawrence, a flashy detective who can be underestimated, which is a mistake because she's usually the smartest person in the room. Dylan McDermott also stars. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Isaiah Washington will return to "Grey's Anatomy" for a May episode that will mark the departure of fellow original co-star Sandra Oh (Deadline.com); Paul Reiser is set to recur on FX's new comedy "Married" as "the older love interest of co-star Jenny Slate's character" (Deadline.com); Michael Cerveris has been cast as "the charming and well-liked Cook County state's attorney" on "The Good Wife" (Deadline.com); "Hawaii Five-0" showrunner Peter M. Lenkov has inked a two-year overall deal with producer CBS Television Studios (Deadline.com); Steve Carell's Carousel Television and Jessica Biel's Iron Ocean Productions have both signed development deals with Universal Cable Productions (Deadline.com); and Entertainment One Television and Gary Oldman and Douglas Urbanski's Flying Studio are developing "The Diabolic," a serialized horror drama series (Deadline.com).
|
|
|
 [march 2014]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| | | | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[08/20/25 - 01:06 PM]
WWE Premium Live Events to Debut on ESPN Platforms in the U.S. Beginning September 20 with First-Ever Wrestlepalooza
Additional upcoming WWE PLEs this year include Crown Jewel on Saturday, October 11, and Survivor Series on Saturday, November 29.
|
[08/20/25 - 12:27 PM]
All of the 2025 US Open. All in One Place. ESPN's Exclusive "First Ball to Last Ball" Coverage August 24 - September 7
Every match from the tournament streams live on the ESPN App.
|
[08/20/25 - 12:01 PM]
FOX Entertainment Studios' Scripted Programming Team Names JJ Klein as SVP, Current and Brie Neimand as SVP, Development
Klein and Neimand both report directly to Hannah Pillemer, EVP & Head of Scripted Entertainment for FOX Entertainment Studios.
|
[08/20/25 - 11:58 AM]
Andscape Announces Next Film in Its &360 Anthology Series, "Imported," to Premiere on Hulu August 28th
Directed by Fiz Olajide in her feature debut, the film tells the story of American athletes who, after falling short of their NBA dreams, discover purpose, growth, and global fandom on courts around the world.
|
[08/20/25 - 11:07 AM]
Alicia Silverstone-Led Crime Drama "Irish Blood" Is the Biggest New Series Premiere in Acorn TV History
The August 11 premiere also drove the biggest day of subscriber sign-ups on Acorn TV's direct-to-consumer platforms in nearly two years.
|
[08/20/25 - 11:01 AM]
Global Boxing Superstars Jake "El Gallo" Paul and Gervonta "Tank" Davis to Face Off in Most Valuable Promotions "Jake vs. Tank" on Friday, November 14 from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Live Globally Only on Netflix
Paul now returns to Netflix following his record-shattering Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson matchup in November 2024.
|
[08/20/25 - 10:05 AM]
ESPN Tips Off Its Coverage of the 2025 NBA Preseason on Sunday, October 5
Look for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors to kick things off on said night at 8:30/7:30c.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:42 AM]
New Animated Series "Paris & Pups," Inspired by Paris Hilton and Her Real-Life Pets, Set to Premiere on YouTube September 23, 2025
Created for kids 5-8, the series launches with four episodes in week one, followed by weekly episode drops.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:18 AM]
ESPN Taps John Cena, Complex, Lyft, Samsung and More in Massive Multi-Platform Marketing Campaign for ESPN Direct-to-Consumer & Enhanced App Launch
The campaign - which features John Cena in its creative TV spots - is designed to build excitement and encourage personalization around the reimagined ESPN App and DTC service.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:06 AM]
Tilly Ramsay to "Dish It Out" in New Prime Video Original Series September 5
The 32-episode series will release eight new episodes weekly on Fridays through September 26.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Reasonable Doubt" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Hulu
After a tumultuous season of fighting to save her best friend from a life sentence while healing from her own deadly affair, Jax Stewart has finally earned some peace in her life... even if she sees it all as a little boring.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:01 AM]
Prime Video Names John Wall to NBA on Prime Studio Team
The longtime Washington Wizards guard will make appearances in-studio alongside Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker and Udonis Haslem.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
A24's "Friendship" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max September 5
The film stars Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Paul Rudd.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
"Survivor" Announces the 18 New Castaways Competing on the 49th Edition with a Two-Hour Season Premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 24
The series returns with a fresh set of dynamic and determined competitors, including two players who will ultimately compete in the show's landmark 50th season, premiering in spring 2026.
|
[08/20/25 - 09:00 AM]
Acorn TV's Brooke Shields Mystery Series "You're Killing Me," Produced by Topsail Entertainment & Shaftesbury, Cast Amalia Williamson and Tom Cavanagh
The six-episode series, which starts production in Nova Scotia, Canada this September, is set to debut on Acorn TV in 2026.
|
|
|
|
