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[02/10/15 - 11:40 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, February 10
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!


DR. KEN (ABC/ABCS/Sony; W: Jared Stern; D: TBA) - The Ken Jeong-led multi-camera comedy, about a brilliant physician with zero bedside manner, has formally been ordered to pilot by the Alphabet. Said green light comes after ABC Studios has signed on as a co-producer alongside Sony Pictures Television. Davis Entertainment's John Davis and John Fox also serve as executive producers. Jeong's involvement is in first position to his MTV comedy pilot "Ken Jeong Made Me Do It." (Deadline.com)


JOE TIME (CBS/WBT; W: Bill Wrubel; D: James Burrows) - Duane Martin ("Real Husbands of Hollywood") and Eric Petersen ("Kirstie") are the first to be cast in the multi-camera comedy pilot, about Joe (yet to be cast), a family man who struggles with the fact that everyone around him is pursuing their dreams and enjoying life more than he is. Martin will play Theodore, "a very famous and accomplished music producer who is a neighbor of Joe's"; with Petersen as Scott, "Joe's gay brother who works with him in the family construction business." (Deadline.com)


LIFE IN PIECES (CBS/20th; W: Justin Adler; D: Jason Winer) - Betsy Brandt ("The Michael J. Fox Show") has joined the cast of the single-camera comedy pilot, about one family as told through the separate stories of its different family members. She'll play the eldest of the three siblings, Heather, "a mother of three who is struggling to come to grips with how quickly her children are growing up." Colin Hanks also stars. In addition, Jason Winer ("The Crazy Ones") has signed on to direct. (Deadline.com)


OUTSIDERS (WGN; W: Peter Mattei; D: TBA) - Ryan Hurst ("King & Maxwell") has joined the cast of the upcoming drama, about a struggle for power and control set in the rugged and mysterious hills of Appalachia. He's on board as Lil Foster, "the son of Big Foster and brother of Hasil. He is pathologically loyal to his father and will always take his father's side in an argument or confrontation - until he doesn't." Christina Jackson, David Morse, Joe Anderson, Kyle Gallner and Thomas M. Wright also star. (Deadline.com)


RECOVERY ROAD (ABC Family; W: Bert V. Royal & Karen DiConcetto; D: Lawrence Trilling) - Jessica Sula (U.K.'s "Skins") has been tapped as the new lead on the upcoming drama, about Maddie, a party girl who doesn't think she has a problem, until she's confronted one day by her school guidance counselor and is forced to choose between expulsion and rehab. She'll succeed Samantha Logan from the original pilot. Alexis Carra, Kyla Pratt, Sebastian De Souza and Sharon Leal also star in the project, while Daniel Franzese's Vern has been upped to series regular. It's not clear if co-stars Caroline Sunshine, Doug Savant and Justin Prentice will return. (Deadline.com)


SHANNARA (MTV; W: Al Gough & Miles Millar; D: Jonathan Liebesman) - Brooke Williams, Daniel MacPherson and Marcus Vanco will round out the cast of 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. Williams will play Catania, "a witty and wise Elf who is not only Amberle's (Poppy Drayton) handmaiden, but her trusted best friend in the palace"; with MacPherson as Arion, "the heir to the Elvin throne who takes himself very seriously and is the opposite of his wilder brother Ander"; and Vanco as Bandon, "feared by his family for his mysterious visions, Bandon is discovered by Wil (Austin Butler) and Amberle starving and chained to a wall." Aaron Jakubenko, Manu Bennett and Ivana Baquero also star. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Jason Winer has likewise signed on to direct NBC's comedy pilot "Strange Calls" (Deadline.com); Selma director Ava DuVernay has been tapped to direct and executive produce the pilot "For Justice" at CBS (Deadline.com); Jennifer Esposito has joined the cast of "Mistresses" as Calista Raines, "the uber-fabulous and larger-than-life Creative Director of a luxury fashion brand who has the high-class socialite lifestyle that goes with it" (Deadline.com); Meagan Good will recur on NBC's "Mr. Robinson" as Victoria Wavers, "a successful former Wall Street trader who left to pursue her true calling as a high school English teacher," replacing Lenora Crichlow from its new pilot (Deadline.com);

Cassie Scerbo will reprise her role as Nova Clarke in Syfy's "Sharknado 3" (Deadline.com); Ben Stiller is attached as an executive producer/director on MRC's proposed dramedy "Sad True Love Story" (Deadline.com); Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has formally renewed "The Real" for a second season (Deadline.com); Kiersey Clemons will recur on "Extant" as "a lifelike robot who's a bit morally ambiguous" (TVLine.com); and Diedrich Bader will guest on "The Goldbergs" as "a die-hard Phillies fan and avid tailgater who gives Murray some unconventional advice on being a good dad" (TVLine.com).






  [february 2015]  
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T
W
T
F
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· CRAZY ONES, THE (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DR KEN (ABC)
· EXTANT (CBS)
· FOR JUSTICE (CBS)
· GOLDBERGS, THE (ABC)
· HAPPY LIFE (CBS)
· KING & MAXWELL (TNT)
· KIRSTIE (TV LAND)
· LIFE IN PIECES (CBS)
· MICHAEL J FOX SHOW, THE (NBC)
· MISTRESSES (ABC)
· MR ROBINSON (NBC)
· OUTSIDERS (WGN)
· REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD (BET)
· REAL, THE (SYNDICATION)
· RECOVERY ROAD (FREEFORM)
· SHANNARA CHRONICLES, THE (SPIKE TV)
· SHARKNADO 3: OH HELL NO! (SYFY)
· SKINS (BBC AMERICA)
· STRANGE CALLS (NBC)





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