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[02/27/15 - 11:48 PM]
Development Update: Friday, February 27
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) |
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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!
46 PERCENTERS, THE (ABC/WBT; W: Ellen Kreamer & Sherry Bilsing-Graham; D: TBA) - Nazneen Contractor ("Covert Affairs") has scored a role on the multi-camera comedy pilot, about the 46 percent of the population who choose to stay married, told through the POV of three couples. She'll play Kiri, "one half of a couple planning the most amicable divorce in history." Angela Kinsey also stars. (Deadline.com)
48 HOURS 'TIL MONDAY (FOX/Universal; W: Charlie Grandy; D: TBA) - Sarah Chalke ("How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)") is set to star opposite Rob Riggle in the single-camera comedy pilot, about one husband's (Riggle) desperate struggle to not let every weekend go completely to hell. She'll play his wife Kelly Bishop, "who is happily married to Charlie and the mother of their three kids, Kelly quit her job as a local TV news producer to spend more time with her family... and is finding that being a stay-at-home mom is much more exhausting, time-consuming and frustrating than working in an office." Jane Curtin, Merrin Dungey and Kyla Kenedy also star. (Deadline.com)
ADVERSARIES, THE (ABC/ABCS; W: David Zabel; D: TBA) - Terry O'Quinn ("666 Park Avenue") is set to star in the drama pilot, about the patriarch of a New York legal dynasty who becomes embroiled in a trial of his own, and his federal prosecutor daughter must decide which side she will fight on. He'll play the former, the sleek and worldly Charlie Fisher. (Deadline.com)
BOOM (ABC/ABCS; W: Josh Pate & Rodes Fishburne; D: TBA) - Rebecca Rittenhouse and India de Beaufort have both been cast in the drama pilot, about a young couple who moves to a contemporary boomtown in North Dakota in pursuit of the American dream and are seduced by the sudden wealth of frontier life. The former will play Kelly LeFever, one half of said couple; while the latter is set as Jules Jackman, "the sexy proprietor of the local salon and loan shark of the town." Scott Michael Foster also stars. (Deadline.com)
DOUBT (CBS/CBSP; W: Joan Rater & Tony Phelan; D: TBA) - Elliott Gould ("Mulaney") has been tapped for a role on the drama pilot, about Sadie Barrow (yet to be cast), a smart, successful 30-something defense attorney who shockingly falls for one of her clients who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime. He's set as Isaiah Klein, "the head of the boutique go-to criminal defense firm in New York." Dule Hill, Kobi Libii and Laverne Cox also star. (Deadline.com)
FAMILY FORTUNE (ABC/Universal; W: Fortune Feimster & Matt Hubbard; D: TBA) - Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) has joined the cast of 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. She'll play her sister-in-law Nichole, "Tyler's (Parker Young) wife and a devoted mom to their two young children." Annie Potts and John Carroll Lynch also star. (Deadline.com)
FAMILY OF THE YEAR (ABC/ABCS; W: Casey Johnson & David Windsor; D: Todd Holland) - Newcomer Noah Galvin has been cast as the lead in the single-camera comedy pilot, about the O'Neals, a picture perfect family that is turned upside down when the youngest son, Danny, comes out of the closet. He'll play the aforementioned Danny in the project, which also stars Jay R. Ferguson as his father and Matthew Shively and Bebe Wood as his siblings. (Deadline.com)
HEART MATTERS (NBC/Universal; W: Jill Gordon; D: Robert Duncan McNeill) - Dave Annable ("Red Band Society") has been cast in the drama pilot, a medical soap that follows the outspoken Alex Panttiere (Melissa George), one of the rare female heart transplant surgeons. Alex brings an innovative eye to treating patients week to week while also balancing the complications of her professional and romantic life. He'll play her boyfriend. (Deadline.com)
HOW WE LIVE (NBC/Universal; W: Brian Bradley & Steven Cragg; D: Gail Mancuso) - Sam Huntington ("Being Human") and Briga Heelan ("Ground Floor") have booked the lead roles on the single-camera comedy pilot, about blogger Russell, and his wife, Holly, who move to the suburbs where he begins writing about marriage and the family lives of his suburban friends and neighbors, in the style of an anthropologist who's stumbled on an undiscovered tribe. In addition, Gail Mancuso has signed on to direct the project, which also stars Andrea Anders, Chris Klein, Jared Gertner and Lindsay Price. (Deadline.com)
KING OF 7B, THE (ABC/ABCS; W: Howard Franklin; D: David Frankel) - Craig Ferguson, Carla Jimenez and Kirby Howell-Baptiste are the first to be cast in the comedy pilot, about an agoraphobic recluse who ventures outside for the first time in 20 years when he spies what could be his soulmate moving into the building across the street. Ferguson will play said fellow, Prentiss Porter, with Jiminez presumably as Juana de la Cruz, his housekeeper, and Howell-Baptiste as Greta Milgrim, an art courier. (Deadline.com)
KINGMAKERS, THE (ABC/ABCS; W: Sallie Patrick; D: TBA) - Colm Feore ("Revolution") is the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about Jacob Darlow, a young man who adopts a new identity to infiltrate the murder of his sister at an elite Ivy League school and its century-old secret society. He'll play Simon Vandermeer, the dean of Braddock College, a charming ass who loves to hear himself bray. (Deadline.com)
LFE (CBS/CBSP; W: Paul Downs Colaizzo; D: David Slade) - Annie Funke (A Most Violent Year) is the latest addition to the drama pilot, a high-octane medical procedural centering on second-year residents at New York City's top hospital as they attempt to balance their god complexes with their humanity. She'll play Chelsi, "a genius resident who works in the hospital's internal wing." Ana Kayne also stars. (Deadline.com)
LUCIFER (FOX/WBT; W: Tom Kapinos; D: Len Wiseman) - Tom Ellis ("Rush") has booked the title role on the drama pilot, about Lucifer "who, bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals." Said effort is based DC Entertainment's Vertigo comic book of the same name. (Deadline.com)
MIX (ABC/WBT; W: Jennifer Cecil; D: Daniel Barnz) - Walter Perez is the latest to be cast in the drama pilot, about the realities of modern-day families - multi-cultural and multi-generational, built through divorces, affairs and adoptions - set against the backdrop of a revered family restaurant at a crossroads. He'll play Mateo Ruiz Wells, "a pediatrician who is Ray and Stella son." Camille Guaty also stars. (Deadline.com)
STRANGE CALLS (NBC/20th; W: Blake McCormick; D: Jason Winer) - Daniel Stern, Allison Miller and Aliyah Royale have all scored roles on the single-camera comedy pilot, about Toby (Danny Pudi), an affable but down on his luck young police officer who is transferred to a rural town where - with the help of a peculiar elderly night watchman - he starts to realize the town has a bizarre supernatural underbelly. Stern will play Gregor, the aforementioned night watchman; with Miller as Kath, who runs the local veterinary clinic; and Royale as an unspecified character. Patrick Brammall also stars. (Deadline.com)
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE (Disney Channel, New!) - Jenna Ortega ("Jane the Virgin") is set to star in a new comedy pilot at the network about "12-year-old Harley, the ultimate middle child who lives life in the eye of the tornado that is her family. But Harley has big-family life figured out - that is, until the day she needs everyone to be in one place, on time, for her event. It's chaos times seven, but Harley realizes guts, ingenuity and a seat near the mashed potatoes make living large a whole lot of fun." Alison Brown and Linda Videtti Figueiredo penned the half-hour, to be directed by Jonathan Judge. Production begins in the spring with Figueiredo as an executive producer and Brown as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)
UNDERGROUND (WGN America/Sony; W: Joe Pokaski & Misha Green; D: Anthony Hemingway) - Christopher Meloni, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Jessica De Gouw are set to star in the period drama, set in the pre-Civil War South and following the slaves who set foot on the fabled Underground Railroad, the secret network of men and women who risked their lives aiding them, and the mercenaries tasked with hunting them down at any cost. Smollett-Bell plays Rosalee, "a shy house slave with a powerful inner strength and courage"; with Aldis Hodge as Noah, "a brave and clever slave on the plantation with dreams of freedom and a dangerous plan to escape"; Meloni as August, "a secretive mercenary who walks a tightrope between survival and morality"; and De Gouw as Elizabeth, "a socialite who shares her husband's abolitionist ideals." Anthony Hemingway is on board to direct the first two episodes while Kanye West is in talks for a role on the music side of the series. Production is set to begin this spring for a 2016 premiere. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED ASEEM BATRA PROJECT (NBC/Universal; W: Aseem Batra; D: Betsy Thomas) - Actor Michael Cassidy and director Betsy Thomas have both signed onto the comedy pilot, about best friends Dale and Georgie whose relationship is upended when he starts dating the "perfect" woman. He'll play Dale in the project. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED NBA PROJECT (ABC/ABCS; W: Casey Johnson & David Windsor; D: TBA) - Ving Rhames ("Monday Mornings") has signed on for a role on the single-camera comedy pilot, set in the world of the NBA about a rookie, Mo (Blondy Baruti), who doesn't speak English and a translator, Jason (Skylar Astin), who doesn't speak basketball. He's on board as Don D'Alessario, "the team's confident and smooth general manager." Jami Gertz and Laura Steinel also star. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED SUZANNE MARTIN PROJECT (NBC/Universal; W: Suzanne Martin; D: James Burrows) - Patrick Warburton ("Rules of Engagement") has been tapped as the male lead on the multi-camera comedy pilot, which chronicles how things backfire for recent empty-nesters when their children and their parents move back home. He'll play said father, Mike Gunn, in the project, which also stars Miranda Cosgrove and Stacy Keach. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED TOMMY JOHNAGIN PROJECT (CBS/WBT; W: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker & Tommy Johnagin; D: TBA) - JoAnna Garcia Swisher ("Better with You") has scored the female lead on the multi-camera project, which revolves around a stand-up comic (Tommy Johnagin) raising a family in a small Midwestern town. She'll play Michelle, "an accomplished pediatrician married to Tommy, with whom she has a daughter, Ashley." (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Dean Cain and Helen Slater are both bound for "Supergirl" in mystery roles (Deadline.com); Darlene Hunt and Jodie Foster are developing "Charlie, a new comedy from Sony Pictures Television being targeted for cable (Deadline.com); Eric Mabius will recur on "Chicago Fire" as "a high-end strip club owner" (Deadline.com); Marc Vann will guest on "Criminal Minds" as "an FBI agent in the Organized Crime Division" (TVLine.com); Geoff Stults is bound for newcomer "Zoo" as "a rogue FBI agent who is investigating the wave of bizarre animal attacks" (EW.com); K.J. Steinberg is spearheading a new drama from Sony Pictures Television based on the life of Eileen Ford, co-found of the famous Ford Modeling Agency (Deadline.com); and Wise Entertainment's Mauricio Mota has inked a first-look deal with ABC (Variety.com).
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[02/05/26 - 02:03 PM]
Great American Media Signs Exclusive Multi-Picture Deal with Fan-Favorite Actress, Merritt Patterson
The company also announces the first film of the new deal is "Meet Me in the Margins," adapted from bestselling author Melissa Ferguson's novel of the same name.
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[02/05/26 - 12:42 PM]
"20/20" Ranks No. 1 in the Two-Hour Time Period Across the Board
Hitting new season highs on January 30, "20/20" grew from the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
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[02/05/26 - 11:31 AM]
Apple Original Films Lands Global Rights to Sundance Film Festival Selection "The Last First: Winter K2"
Director Amir Bar-Lev tells a complex, harrowing and moving story that unpacks the industry of extreme mountain climbing and its changing culture.
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[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original "Murder in Glitterball City," A Two-Part Documentary, Debuts February 19
Inspired by the non-fiction book "A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City" by David Dominé, the film chronicles a 2010 murder case that starts with a 911 phone call that leads police to the gruesome discovery of a body buried in the basement of a Victorian mansion.
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[02/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: ALLBLK Releases Trailer and Key Art for New Original Feature Film, "Deb Is Boss" Premiering Thursday, March 5
Before becoming a powerhouse music executive who launched Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, and French Montana, Deb Antney (Lil Mama) was a street-smart survivor navigating the dangerous underworlds of Queens, NY and Boston, MA.
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[02/05/26 - 10:31 AM]
Nicolette van Dam and Bas Smit Present the Dutch Version of "Love Is Blind"
"Love Is Blind: Netherlands" arrives on Netflix in 2026.
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[02/05/26 - 10:12 AM]
"Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time" Premieres March 27, 2026 on PBS
As the Graham Company nears its landmark 100th anniversary, "We Are Our Time" offers a rare behind-the-scenes portrait of the company, exploring Graham's legacy through the dancers who embody her work today.
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[02/05/26 - 10:03 AM]
ABC's Juggernaut Tuesday Scores More Wins
"High Potential's" January 20 episode jumped to 12.98 million Total Viewers and a 2.17 rating among Adults 18-49 after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, scoring a series high among Total Viewers.
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[02/05/26 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Series "Rooster," Starring Steve Carell, From Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, Debuts March 8
A comedy set on a college campus centering on an author's (Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter (Charly Clive).
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[02/05/26 - 10:01 AM]
Small State, Big Drama. Secrets Rise with the Tide on "The Real Housewives of Rhode Island," Premiering on Thursday, April 2 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
The series will move to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 9:00/8:00c on April 5.
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[02/05/26 - 09:31 AM]
CNN Original Series Releases First Look and Introduces "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose"
"Any chance I get to remind my fellow Americans that we are still the best idea for a country anyone has ever had I'm going to take it. My eagle is still bald and my banner is still spangled with stars," said Ferguson.
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[02/05/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Predator: Badlands" - Trailer - Hulu
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film streams on Hulu and with Hulu on Disney+ February 12.
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[02/05/26 - 09:00 AM]
Date Announcement: Will Forte & D'Arcy Carden's "Sunny Nights" Comes to Hulu
After a critical acclaimed Australian debut, the darkly comedic crime drama starring Will Forte and D'Arcy Carden makes its U.S. debut on March 11 on Hulu.
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[02/05/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Teaser and Premiere Date for Upcoming Original Series "The Miniature Wife"
All episodes of the series starring Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen will premiere on April 9, 2026 only on Peacock.
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[02/05/26 - 08:29 AM]
Video: "The Forsytes" Official Trailer
Don't miss the U.S. premiere of this highly anticipated drama Sunday, March 22 on PBS.
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