or


[02/13/15 - 11:55 PM]
Development Update: Friday, February 13
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!


CASUAL (Hulu/Lionsgate; W: Zander Lehmann; D: Jason Reitman) - Tommy Dewey ("The Mindy Project") is set to star in the upcoming original, which follows the story of a dysfunctional family with a bachelor brother and his newly divorced sister (Michaela Watkins). Together, they coach each other through the crazy world of dating (on-line and off), while living under one roof again and raising a teenager (Tara Lynne Barr). He'll play said brother, Alex Cole. (Deadline.com)


CHEV & BEV (ABC/ABCS; W: Brad Copeland; D: Ben Taylor) - Ed Oxenbould (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) has joined the cast of the single-camera comedy pilot, about two baby boomers (Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo) who are fun, relevant and living a selfish retirement when their world is turned upside down and they are suddenly left to raise their grandchildren. He'll play Taylor, "the oldest of the three grandchildren, a nerdy handsome amateur magician." (Deadline.com)


CHICAGO FIRE (NBC) - S. Epatha Merkerson ("Law & Order") is returning to the Peacock for the show's latest spin-off, "Chicago Med," this time set at the county hospital. She'll play Sharon Goodwin, "the head of the hospital where the show is set. Although she doesn't love the politics that go into running a hospital and doesn't suffer fools, she is damn good at keeping the doors open." Nick Gehlfuss and Yaya DaCosta also star in the project, which will be set up via backdoor pilot in episode 19 of the parent series this season. (Deadline.com)


DIVORCE (HBO; W: Sharon Horgan; D: Jesse Peretz) - Jemaine Clement ("Flight of the Conchords") has booked a role on the Sarah Jessica Parker-led comedy pilot, about Frances, a woman who suddenly begins to reassess her life and her marriage, and finds that making a clean break and a fresh start is harder than she thought. He'll play Julian, "Frances' close friend, a literature professor who lives in Manhattan." Thomas Haden Church, Molly Shannon and Talia Balsam also star. (Deadline.com)


FAMILY FORTUNE (ABC/Universal; W: Fortune Feimster & Matt Hubbard; D: TBA) - Annie Potts and John Carroll Lynch have both been cast in the Fortune Feimster-led multi-camera comedy pilot, "set in North Carolina and centers on popular gym teacher Fortune (Feimster) who comes out of the closet to her close-knit group of family and friends." They'll play her parents: "fun-loving, needy and sometimes egoistical" Ginger and "taciturn and tough" Mike, respectively. (Deadline.com)


FLESH & BLOOD (ABC/ABCS; W: Jenna Bans; D: TBA) - Zach Gilford ("The Mob Doctor") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about the return of a politician's young son, Adam Warren, who was presumed dead after disappearing over a decade earlier, sending shockwaves throughout their tight knit community. He'll play "Adam's self-destructive older brother." (Deadline.com)


LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD (NBC/20th; W: Diana Son; D: TBA) - Nadine Velazquez ("Major Crimes") and Cynthia McWilliams ("Real Husbands of Hollywood") have both scored roles on the drama pilot, in which race, sexuality and gender roles collide when three diverse couples put modern marriage to the test. The former play Rebecca, "a Cuban American who is deeply in love with Julie and very happy with their marriage, but doesn't realize her wife is actively considering getting back together with her ex, Nick"; while the latter is set as Tandi, "one half of a happy couple with a young son who is experiencing difficulties fulfilling her dream of having another child." Brian Tee co-stars. (Deadline.com)


MINORITY REPORT (FOX/20th; W: Max Borenstein; D: Mark Mylod) - Daniel London and Li Jun Li are the first to board the small screen follow up to the 2002 film, in which Dash (yet to be cast), one of the three Precogs - still haunted by visions the future - meets Lara Vega (also yet to be cast), a detective haunted by her past who just may help him find a purpose to his gift. London will reprise his role as Wally the Caretaker, "the gawky caretaker at the Precrime Temple where the children were observed"; with Li as Akeela, "a Crime Scene Investigation technician who works closely with Vega." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED DANA KLEIN PROJECT (FOX/20th; W: Dana Klein; D: Pamela Fryman) - Matt Letscher ("Boardwalk Empire") has been tapped for a role on the Jenna Elfman-led multi-camera comedy pilot, about Ellen, a working mom who is in constant competition with her perfect, stay-at-home sister-in-law. He'll play Ellen's husband Matt, "an intelligent, responsible Professor of Ethics with a very strong sense of right and wrong who plans ahead and over-thinks everything." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED DARBY KEALEY PROJECT (AMC, New!) - Newcomer Darby Kealey has sold a new drama to the cable channel about "an award-winning actress who is kidnapped by the dictator of a foreign country and becomes the centerpiece of a covert power struggle." MGM Television is behind the hour with Whalerock Industries' Lloyd Braun executive producing alongside showrunner Thomas Kelly with Kealey and Andrew Mittman serving as co-executive producers. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED SUZANNE MARTIN PROJECT (NBC/Universal; W: Suzanne Martin; D: James Burrows) - Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly") is the first to be cast in the multi-camera comedy pilot, which chronicles how things backfire for recent empty-nesters when their children and their parents move back home. She's set as the younger daughter, Shea, "who has a doctorate in astrophysics and wants to be an astronaut, yet she is slightly socially awkward." (THR.com)


VALENTINA (ABC Family, New!) - Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan ("Chasing Life") and RCTV International's Jorge Granier ("Jane the Virgin") are looking to import Carolina Espada's telenovela "Mi Gorda Bella Valentina," about "a young girl whose incredibly wealthy mother is killed in an accident. After the mother's extended family takes over her company, Valentina realizes that her mother may in fact have been murdered by her family for control of her business. Valentina, the sole heir to the empire, fears that she may be next so she disappears and returns 10 years later, looking totally different and set out for revenge against her family to take back what is rightfully hers." The search is presumably underway for a writer. (Deadline.com)


WARRIOR (NBC/Universal; W: David DiGilio; D: Phillip Noyce) - Natalie Martinez, Lance Gross and Andy Allo have all been cast in the drama pilot, about a damaged heroine who works undercover with physical and spiritual guidance from a mysterious martial arts master to bring down an international crime lord. She'll play said woman, Kai Forrester, with Gross as Agent Golden, "an Interpol agent and former Navy SEAL who gives Kai the news that she is their best shot at getting an agent inside the triad"; and Allo as "the daughter of organized crime syndicate YOMI's New York boss." Will Yun Lee also stars. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Warren Christie will recur on "Chicago Fire" as "a new firefighter on the squad who is a childhood friend of Lt Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney)," a role which has the option to become a series regular (Deadline.com); Elizabeth Kruger and Craig Shapiro have been tapped as the new showunners of "Extant" at CBS, succeeding Greg Walker (Deadline.com); Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie are likewise set as showrunners of ABC's drama pilot "Kingmakers" as part of a new two-year overall deal with ABC Studios (Deadline.com);

20th Century Fox Television, New Regency Television and Prime Universe Films are developing an event series based on the comic book "Enormous" from publisher 215 Ink (Deadline.com); Charlie McDowell is set to helm the Sarah Silverman-led comedy pilot at HBO while Jeremy Garelick will do the same for FOX's comedy pilot "DeTour" (Deadline.com); Linda Park will guest on "Castle" as Kate Beckett's new partner (TVLine.com); and Christina Aguilera will recur on "Nashville" as "a pop superstar who's been going pretty much nonstop since she broke out a decade ago" (People.com).






  [february 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
· CASTLE (ABC)
· CASUAL (HULU)
· CHASING LIFE (ABC FAMILY)
· CHEVY (ABC)
· CHICAGO FIRE (NBC)
· CHICAGO MED (NBC)
· CROWDED (NBC)
· DETOUR (FOX)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIVORCE (HBO)
· EXTANT (CBS)
· FAMILY FORTUNE (ABC)
· FAMILY, THE (ABC)
· FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (HBO)
· ICARLY (NICKELODEON)
· JANE THE VIRGIN (CW)
· KINGMAKERS (ABC)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD (NBC)
· MAJOR CRIMES (TNT)
· MINDY PROJECT, THE (HULU)
· MINORITY REPORT (FOX)
· MOB DOCTOR, THE (FOX)
· NASHVILLE (CMT)
· REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD (BET)
· UNTITLED DANA KLEIN PROJECT (FOX)
· UNTITLED DARBY KEALEY PROJECT (AMC)
· UNTITLED SARAH SILVERMAN PROJECT (HBO)
· VALENTINA (ABC FAMILY)
· WARRIOR (NBC)





[03/27/25 - 11:04 AM]
Part Two of FOX Nation's "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" to Roll Out Through the Holy Season
FOX Nation will roll out part two of its hit docudrama series beginning on Friday, April 4 and through the Easter season.

[03/27/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Survivor" Hits Broadcast and Live Streaming Season Highs
The telecast averaged 4.50 million broadcast viewers up +7% from its season-to-date average, and up +13% from its season-to-date average live streaming on Paramount+.

[03/27/25 - 10:06 AM]
All-New Series "Red Bull Soapbox Race" Premieres Tuesday, April 29 at 9PM on Discovery Channel
Hosted by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and motorsports announcer Mike Bagley, the series features amateur teams as they design and build one-of-a-kind, gravity-powered soapbox racers that compete - and crash - on intricate, downhill courses.

[03/27/25 - 10:01 AM]
Viral Dating Series "Pop the Balloon" Is Coming Live to Netflix
Yvonne Orji will host the live edition of the series, streaming every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET beginning April 10, only on Netflix.

[03/27/25 - 10:00 AM]
"Jeopardy! Masters" Returns Wednesday, April 30, on ABC, Following New Episodes of Pat Sajak's "Final Spin" as Host on "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune"
Hosted by "Jeopardy!" G.O.A.T. Ken Jennings, the third annual "Jeopardy! Masters" 2025 tournament will feature an expanded lineup of the top-ranked current "Jeopardy!" contestants, each competing in two action-packed games per hourlong episode for the grand prize of $500,000.

[03/27/25 - 09:34 AM]
Lifetime Announces "The 13th Wife: Escaping Polygamy" A Two Part Movie Event Starring Felicity Huffman, Olga Petsa and Eric Johnson Premiering May 31 and June 1
The film is based on the extraordinary true story of Rena Chynoweth (played by Huffman as present day Rena and Petsa as young Rena), a brave survivor and former wife of a manipulative polygamist group leader, who escaped a life of oppression and dedicated herself to freeing others.

[03/27/25 - 09:01 AM]
Award-Winning Chef Andrew Zimmern Returns with an All-New Season of "Wild Game Kitchen" May 3 on FYI
20 all-new episodes will explore the art of creating easy and delicious meals while cooking wild food over open flame.

[03/27/25 - 09:00 AM]
Prime Video Reveals First Look and Premiere Date for "The Better Sister," Starring and Executive Produced by Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks
All eight episodes of the limited series produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Tomorrow Studios will premiere on Thursday, May 29 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[03/27/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Ransom Canyon" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Secrets, love and lies intertwine as rancher Staten Kirkland follows his heart, fights to protect his land and investigates a painful personal loss.

[03/27/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "You" - Series Trailer - Netflix
Joe's story comes full circle to New York, as a family conflict threatens his glamorous marriage and an alluring new crush revives his darkest impulses.

[03/27/25 - 07:01 AM]
Prime Video to Premiere "Octopus!" - A Documentary Special from Phoebe Waller-Bridge on May 8
The documentary, narrated by Waller-Bridge, transports viewers into the otherworldly depths of one of the most intelligent and mysterious life forms on Earth as it follows the Giant Pacific Octopus from birth to death.

[03/27/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Devil May Cry" - Official Lyric Video - Afterlife by Evanescence - Netflix
When a mysterious villain threatens to open the gates of Hell, a devilishly handsome demon hunter could be the world's best hope for salvation.

[03/26/25 - 04:01 PM]
New Netflix Series "Scandals" (wt) Brings a Risque Love Game to the Joseon Era
Set in a time when harboring desires was forbidden, the series depicts characters who challenge the strict order of society and engage in a risqué game of love and temptation.

[03/26/25 - 01:30 PM]
The Hit Freshman Drama Series "Watson" Renewed by CBS for a Second Season for 2025-2026
The series averages 6.79 million viewers each week according to Nielsen season-to-date most current data.

[03/26/25 - 11:08 AM]
New Series "Beer Budget Reno" & New Episodes of "Zombie House Flipping" Premiere this April on A&E!
Everyone dreams of a home makeover, but budgets often get in the way. Enter Kristen Coutts, who specializes in life-changing renovations for those told they can't afford them.