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[12/05/14 - 11:39 PM]
Development Update: Friday, 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!


IMITATION (NBC, New!) - Heather Hildenbrand's digital novel, which "takes place in a world where human clones exist and the privileged elite use them to maintain their status," is being developed as a drama at the Peacock. Ian Sobel and Matt Morgan ("From Dusk Till Dawn") are penning the adaptation, which centers on a "24-year-old clone who replaces her imperiled human and threatens to bring down everything her creators have built." Alloy Entertainment's Leslie Morgenstein and Cheryl Dolins and Jerry Bruckheimer Television's Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman will executive produce for Warner Bros. Television with Sobel, Morgan and the latter's KristieAnne Reed serving as co-executive producers. (THR.com)


LUMEN (TNT/ABCS; W: Chris Black; D: Joe Johnson) - Wynn Everett ("The Newsroom") has been cast in the drama pilot, about a family of four who finds themselves transported to the mystical alternate world inspired by the work of a missing author's best-selling series of fantasy books. She will play the author, Helen Royce, in the project, which also stars Sam Jaeger. TNT Original Productions, Amblin Television, Full Fathom Five and ABC Signature Studios are all behind the hour, which begins filming next month in New Zealand. (Deadline.com)


MAGICIANS, THE (Syfy/UCP; W: John McNamara & Sera Gamble; D: Mike Cahill) - Summer Bishil ("Lucky 7") has boarded the drama pilot, the television adaptation of Lev Grossman's beloved #1 New York Times best-selling book series. She'll play Margo Hanson, "a brilliant young student at the Brakebill's Academy." Arjun Gupta, Hale Appleman, Jason Ralph, Sosie Bacon and Stella Maeve also star. (Deadline.com)


SHANNARA (MTV; W: Al Gough & Miles Millar; D: Jonathan Liebesman) - Aaron Jakubenko ("Spartacus") is the latest to be cast in the upcoming drama, based on Terry Brooks's best-selling fantasy novels about the Shannara family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world. He's set as Ander, "Amberle's (Poppy Drayton) uncle, an Elven Prince with the reputation for being the wild party boy who has yet to find his way in the world." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JONES & BEE PROJECT (TBS; W: Jason Jones & Samantha Bee; D: TBA) - Ashley Gerasimovich (We Need To Talk About Kevin) and Liam Carroll (The Neighbors) have both been cast in the comedy pilot, about hopeful dad Nate (Jason Jones), who hops in the car with his wife Robin (Natalie Zea) and two young kids for a 24-hour adventure to the Keys. Gerasimovich will play Delilah, "Nate's rebellious and strong-willed daughter who speaks an incomprehensible pig Latin language"; with Carroll as Jared, "her fraternal twin brother, an off-beat kid who likes to act knowing and cool, however, he's completely clueless when it comes to matters of sex." (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Afemo Omilami, Chris Kerson, Emily Rios and Ronnie Gene Blevins are among the latest faces bound for "True Detective" (Deadline.com); Annie Potts will guest on the season finale of "Major Crimes" as an "astrologer to the stars, who treats her field as a science" (EW.com); Ana Ortiz has booked a recurring role on "Marry Me" as "the sexy, quippy new love interest of Kay (Tymberlee Hill)" (EW.com); Peri Gilpin has joined NBC's multi-camera incarnation of "Mr. Robinson" as the high school principal, succeeding Jean Smart from the original single-camera pilot (TVLine.com); Annie Wersching will return to "Castle" later this season as ice queen Dr. Kelly Nieman (TVLine.com); and Brian Baumgartner will visit "Melissa & Joey" as "a campaign investor who considers helping Mel (Melissa Joan Hart) run for Congress" (THR.com).






  [december 2014]  
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· CASTLE (ABC)
· DETOUR, THE (TBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: THE SERIES (EL REY)
· IMITATION (NBC)
· LUCKY 7 (ABC)
· LUMEN (TNT)
· MAGICIANS, THE (SYFY)
· MAJOR CRIMES (TNT)
· MARRY ME (NBC)
· MELISSA & JOEY (ABC FAMILY)
· MR ROBINSON (NBC)
· NEWSROOM, THE (HBO)
· SHANNARA CHRONICLES, THE (SPIKE TV)
· SPARTACUS (STARZ)
· TRUE DETECTIVE (HBO)





[12/15/25 - 09:31 AM]
Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix Announce On-Air Talent for MVP's Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day, Live Only on Netflix on Friday, December 19 from Kaseya Center in Miami
On Friday, December 19, the Jake vs. Joshua preliminary card begins at 4:45pm ET / 1:45pm PT on Netflix's Tudum and MVP's YouTube Channel, with the main card starting at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT, live only on Netflix.

[12/15/25 - 09:19 AM]
Driven by Strong November Viewership, ESPN Earns Third Straight Month of Year-Over-Year Audience Growth for Weekday Studio Programming
Highlights include "The Pat McAfee Show" having its most-viewed November of all time across linear and YouTube with 445,000 average viewers per show and "NFL Live" reaching its second most-watched November since 2016 with 445,000 average viewers.

[12/15/25 - 09:02 AM]
TNT Sports to Present Wall-to-Wall Coverage of Saturday's College Football Playoff First Round
Saturday's game crews will include Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George and Quint Kessenich calling Tulane/Ole Miss, with Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden and Stormy Buonantony assigned to JMU/Oregon.

[12/15/25 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Announces All-New Special, "Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2," to Air Monday, Dec. 22 on CBS
This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series.

[12/15/25 - 08:01 AM]
The Wasteland Comes Bearing Gifts... "Fallout" Season Two Surprises with Early Release Date
The premiere episode will debut one day earlier on Tuesday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m. PT.

[12/15/25 - 07:01 AM]
USA Sports Announces Wednesday Night Primetime Schedule for 2026 LOVB Season on USA Network
USA Network's Match of the Week coverage begins with the first serve of the 2026 season on Wednesday, January 7, at 6 p.m. ET, featuring a rematch of the 2025 Championship when LOVB Nebraska faces defending champion LOVB Austin.

[12/15/25 - 07:01 AM]
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All eight episodes of espionage thriller series starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson will debut Thursday, January 15 on Peacock.

[12/15/25 - 07:00 AM]
Golden Globe-Nominated "One Battle After Another" - Including Best Picture - Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max December 19
The film stars Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe winners Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, and Golden Globe nominees Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti.

[12/15/25 - 05:41 AM]
Video: "Stranger Things 5" - Volume 2 Trailer - Netflix
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[12/13/25 - 10:02 AM]
Flex Game! LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Lakers Host Cade Cunningham and Eastern-Conference Leading Pistons on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 10:30 P.M. ET on NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports' NBA coverage on December 23, December 29, and December 30 will now feature nationwide doubleheaders, with the entire country getting both games on NBC and Peacock.

[12/12/25 - 03:04 PM]
ESPN Scored Most-Watched Jimmy V Women's Classic Ever; Men's Classic Most-Watched in Five Years
The former averaged 1.0 million viewers, peaking with 1.3 million.

[12/12/25 - 01:46 PM]
ID Sets January Return for "People Magazine Investigates," Featuring More Ripped from the Headlines Cases That Captivated the Nation
The new season premieres Monday, January 12 at 9:00/8:00c on ID, with new episodes airing weekly.

[12/12/25 - 01:31 PM]
Hallmark Expands the Universe of "When Calls the Heart" with Prequel Series "Hope Valley: 1874" Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Benjamin Ayres and Jill Hennessy
The eight-episode series begins production next week in Vancouver, BC and will premiere in March 2026 exclusively on Hallmark+.

[12/12/25 - 10:05 AM]
Meet the 14 Contestants Competing on "Fear Factor: House of Fear," Premiering Wednesday, January 14th at 9/8c on FOX
Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting - and fear is a weapon.

[12/12/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: What's Coming in Early 2026 - "Shrinking," "Monarch," "Hijack" & More - Apple TV
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