or


[03/06/15 - 11:49 PM]
Development Update: Friday, 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!


ADVOCATE, THE (ABC/WBT; W: Sheldon Turner; D: Michael M. Robin) - Joy Bryant, Coby Bell and Freddie Thorp are the latest to board the drama pilot, about Francis "Frankie" Reese (Kim Raver), a tough, resourceful and at the top of her game type-A business woman, who, after a medical scare in which she was dangerously misdiagnosed, leaves her career behind to become a relentless advocate for anyone caught in the chaotic and ever-changing maze that is modern medicine. She'll play Frankie's partner, Dr. Ryan Clarke, "a brilliant doctor who meets Frankie by chance, helps her out of a tight spot and subsequently opens a patient advocacy firm with her hard-driving new friend"; with Bell as Chris Holiday, "who is trying to keep the medical firm afloat"; and Thorp as Frankie's 16-year-old son, Tommy. Elliot Knight also stars. (Deadline.com)


ALL STARS (ABC/20th; W: Judah Miller; D: TBA) - Efren Ramirez ("Napoleon Dynamite") has booked a role on the single-camera comedy pilot, about a Tony Award-winning mother (Megan Hilty) and a cerebral, risk-averse father blessed with a natural-born athlete for a son. He'll play Jose Luis, "one The Three Bears - three large men (of varying sizes) who are Irene's (Hilty) gay Greek chorus. They are the one thing in the suburbs that remind Irene of her days living in Manhattan." (Deadline.com)


BRAINY BUNCH, THE (ABC/20th; W: Lizzie & Wendy Molyneux; D: Jamie Travis) - Actress Melanie Griffith and director Jamie Travis have both signed onto the single-camera comedy pilot, in which parents Kip and Mona Lisa Mitchell (yet to be cast) find themselves raising their extraordinarily intelligent kids with limited life and social skills. She'll play Mona Lisa's mom Celeste, "a former pageant queen who has graciously invited her daughter's family to live with her in Orange County." (Deadline.com)


BROAD SQUAD, THE (ABC/ABCS; W: Bess Wohl; D: Coky Giedroyc) - Lauren Ambrose, Michael Gaston, Kenneth Mitchell and Alberto Frezza have all been cast in the drama pilot, a fictionalized account of the graduating class of Boston's first female patrol officers in 1978. She'll play Eileen Pearce, one of the four female rookie cops alongside the previously cast Rutina Wesley, Charlotte Spencer and Cody Horn; with Gaston as Captain Donahue, "who oversees his boys' club precinct with a take-charge affability"; Mitchell as Jim Pearce, "a police officer, now sidelined due to an injury, and Eileen's supportive husband"; and Frezza as Frank Butler, "a rookie cop on the BPD, a charming ex-high school football star who found a higher calling." (Deadline.com)


DEAD PEOPLE (The CW/WBT; W: Tom Kapinos; D: TBA) - Alexandra Chando ("The Lying Game") has been cast in the drama pilot, about Floyd Hale (Andrew J. West), a down-on-his-luck, semi-alcoholic but roguishly charming cab driver who after a near-death experience, he suddenly has the ability to interact with ghosts, including his late ex-wife who he has never gotten over. She'll play said woman, Pearl, "described as perceptive, sweet and funny and a perfect match for Floyd." (THR.com)


HEART MATTERS (NBC/Universal; W: Jill Gordon; D: Robert Duncan McNeill) - Shelley Conn ("The Lottery") has joined the cast of 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. She'll play Millicent: "she and Alex are not exactly rivals but they do not get along." Dave Annable also stars. (Deadline.com)


MADAME X (HBO, New!) - Anna Paquin ("True Blood") is set to star in a potential mini-series at the pay channel based on Kate Manning's book "My Notorious Life," billed as "a love story, a family saga, and the confessions of a charismatic and passionate woman who changed the lives of countless others" in Victorian New York City. She'll play Axie Muldoon, "one of the wealthiest and controversial women of her day, who helped her husband build a thriving midwife business and defied the law in the name of women's reproductive rights." Writer Julia Hart (The Keeping Room) and director Lynn Shelton (Your Sister's Sister) are spearheading the project with Paquin and her CASM partner Stephen Moyer executive producing alongside Jack Black and Priyanka Mattoo of Electric Dynamite; and Cerise Larkin and Mark Larnin of Untold Pictures. (Deadline.com)


OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC/ABCS; W: Adam Cooper & Bill Collage; D: Jeffrey Nachmanoff) - Maisie Richardson-Sellers ("The Originals") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, billed as an epic biblical saga of faith, ambition and betrayal as told through the eyes of a battle-weary king, a powerful and resentful prophet and a resourceful young shepherd on a collision course with destiny. She'll play Michal, "the youngest child of King Saul (Ray Winstone)" who is caught between her love for David and love for her father. (Deadline.com)


PEOPLE ARE TALKING (NBC/Universal; W: D.J. Nash; D: Pamela Fryman) - Mark-Paul Gosselaar ("Franklin & Bash") is the latest addition to the multi-camera comedy pilot, about a white and a black couple and examines sex, race and everything else your parents told you never to talk about. He'll play Mitch, "a neurotic guy who tends to overthink things, which is completely offset by his optimism, humor and likability." The cast also includes Bresha Webb, Brooke Ishibashi and Tone Bell. (THR.com)


ROSEWOOD (FOX/20th; W: Todd Harthan; D: Richard Shepard) - Jaina Lee Ortiz and Maggie Elizabeth Jones are both bound for the Morris Chestnut-led drama pilot, about Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, Jr., the top private pathologist in all of Miami. She will play Karissa Villa, "a former NYPD detective who recently moved back to Miami and ends up helping Dr. Rosewood"; with Jones as Millie, "Rosewood's neighbor and an aspiring chef who spends a lot of time with him and very regularly provides him with insight beyond her years." (Deadline.com)


RUSH HOUR (CBS/WBT; W: Bill Lawrence & Blake McCormick; D: Jon Turteltaub) - Aimee Garcia and Jessika Van have both scored roles on the drama pilot, a small screen take on the film franchise about a stoic, by-the-book Hong Kong police officer (Jon Foo) assigned to a case in Los Angeles, where he's forced to work with a cocky black LAPD officer. Garcia will play Didi Diaz, "a sergeant with the LAPD who chose to leave the streets once she became a mom; Carter's former partner who knows him better than most people and is not afraid to call him out"; and Van as "Det. Lee's (Foo) younger sister Kim, one of the few female officers with the Hong Kong Police Department." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED JOHNNY KNOXVILLE PROJECT (ABC/ABCS; W: Johnny Knoxville & Victor Fresco; D: Michael Fresco) - Julie Ann Emery and Brad Carter are the first to be cast in the single-camera comedy which follows the exploits of 12-year-old Johnny navigating the "outlaw culture" of his family and small hometown of Knoxville, TN. She'll play Genevieve, "Johnny's shamelessly narcissistic and caring mother"; while Carter is set as "Jukebox" Johnson Jr, "an employee of his father Ray's tire shop, who got his name from stealing from a jukebox right in front of the store owner." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED O'SHANNON & WARREN PROJECT (CBS/CBSP; W: Dan O'Shannon & Peter Warren; D: Pamela Fryman) - Kelly O'Sullivan ("Sirens") is the first to land a role on the comedy pilot, about a group of friends and family at three different times in their lives. She'll play Katie, "a fun, feisty and likable woman who's been a fireball her entire life. She is soon to be married, and we see her throughout the vibrant and wild days of her past." (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED SUZANNE MARTIN PROJECT (NBC/Universal; W: Suzanne Martin; D: James Burrows) - Carlease Burke ("Switched at Birth") has been tapped for a role on the multi-camera comedy pilot, which chronicles how things backfire for recent empty-nesters (Patrick Warburton, Carrie Preston) when their children and their parents move back home. She's set as Alice, "Bob's (Stacy Keach) second wife and Mike's mother." Miranda Cosgrove and Mia Serafino also star. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED TOMMY JOHNAGIN PROJECT (CBS/WBT; W: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker & Tommy Johnagin; D: TBA) - Talia Tabin ("Parks & Recreation") has been cast in the multi-camera project, which revolves around a stand-up comic (Tommy Johnagin) raising a family in a small Midwestern town. She will play Stacy, "Tommy's younger sister, and a single mom with a 2-year-old son." JoAnna Garcia Swisher also stars. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Chris Chalk has been cast as Lucius Fox on "Gotham" while Jada Pinkett-Smith's Fish Mooney will depart at the end of the current season (Deadline.com); and David Witts and Lindsay Pearce are both bound for ABC Family's "Recovery Road" as Craig, "the counselor at Springtime Meadows, though not a recovering addict himself," and Rebecca, "Maddie's (Jessica Sula) childhood friend who blames her for everything that's gone wrong in her life, since Maddie was the one who revealed that Rebecca had an addiction" (Deadline.com).






  [march 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· ADVOCATE, THE (ABC)
· BRAINY (ABC)
· BROAD SQUAD (ABC)
· CROWDED (NBC)
· DEAD PEOPLE (CW)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIVA THE DOC AND THE JOC, THE (ABC)
· FRANKLIN & BASH (TNT)
· GOTHAM (FOX)
· HEARTBEAT (NBC)
· KNOXVILLE (ABC)
· LOTTERY, THE (LIFETIME)
· LYING GAME, THE (ABC FAMILY)
· MADAME X (HBO)
· NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (FOX)
· OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC)
· ORIGINALS, THE (CW)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· RECOVERY ROAD (FREEFORM)
· ROSEWOOD (FOX)
· RUSH HOUR (CBS)
· SIRENS (USA)
· SWITCHED AT BIRTH (FREEFORM)
· TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
· TRUTH BE TOLD (NBC)
· UNTITLED O'SHANNON & WARREN PROJECT (CBS)
· UNTITLED TOMMY JOHNAGIN PROJECT (CBS)





[10/14/25 - 03:06 PM]
ESPN Records the Most-Watched WNBA Postseason Ever Across Its Networks
Across 24 games, the '25 WNBA postseason averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 5% from last year.

[10/14/25 - 03:03 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Delivers Most-Watched West Coast Episode Ever; ESPN College Football on ABC Scores Top Three Programs Across All Networks and Content for Saturday, Oct. 11
The Texas Longhorns' upset victory over the Oklahoma Sooners averaged 8.7 million viewers.

[10/14/25 - 02:50 PM]
ALCS Game 1 on FOX and FOX Deportes Draws 5.3 Million Viewers
The Mariners victory over the Blue Jays averaged 5,310,000 viewers across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports streaming services.

[10/14/25 - 02:39 PM]
FOX Sports Delivers Most-Watched LDS on FOX/FS1 Since Launch of Postseason Baseball on FS1 in 2014
On Friday, 8,723,000 viewers tuned in for the Mariners' historic 15-inning ALDS Game 5 victory.

[10/14/25 - 02:15 PM]
"Sunday Night Football" Registers Record Fourth Blockbuster Audience of 25+ Million Viewers This Season, As Lions-Chiefs Averages 27.3 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock
Lions-Chiefs averaged 27.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, based on official Nielsen Big Data + Panel and digital data from Adobe Analytics, marking the second-most watched October audience in the history of NBC "SNF."

[10/14/25 - 02:01 PM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Announcement - Netflix
Your favorites from Season 9 will join hosts Nick and Vanessa Lachey to reveal where their relationships stand today and revisit the moments that made us all wonder is love truly blind?

[10/14/25 - 01:45 PM]
ABC Wednesday Comedies Return Strong for New Seasons
"Shifting Gears" earned the biggest audience since the show's Valentine's Day episode; while "Abbott Elementary" jumped over the show's season four premiere among Total Viewers as well as the season four average.

[10/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
Video: "Ms. Pat Settles It" Returns Nov 4 at 10/9c - Season 3 Trailer
In the third season, the comedian and actress returns to the bench to preside over real-life court cases with her signature "real and raw" brand of humor.

[10/14/25 - 12:28 PM]
NBC Sports Announces 2025-26 Big 12 Men's Basketball Schedule Featuring 20 Games Streaming Live Exclusively on Peacock
Peacock Big 12 men's basketball schedule tips off on Friday, November 21, with a non-conference matchup of preseason Associated Press Top 25 teams as No. 8 BYU hosts No. 24 Wisconsin at 4 p.m. ET.

[10/14/25 - 12:19 PM]
Lifetime Greenlights New "Ripped from the Headlines" Movie for 2026 "Shopping Cart Killer" Starring Lela Rochon and Jarod Joseph
Elisabeth Rohm continues her relationship with Lifetime to direct and executive produce the movie.

[10/14/25 - 12:14 PM]
ESPN and the Big 12 Announce Men's Basketball TV Schedule for 2025-26 Season, Tipping Off November 9
Games will be presented across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU an stream on the all new ESPN App.

[10/14/25 - 12:05 PM]
Video: Oxygen Debuts Trailers for Three New Series Premiering on Sunday, November 9
The night of killer new programming kicks off with season three of "Snapped: Behind Bars"; followed by the fourth season of "Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins"; and wrapping with the premiere of new series "Killer Grannies," hosted by Oscar-nominated actress June Squibb.

[10/14/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of October 6: "The Woman in Cabin 10" Rocks the Boat as No. 1 Debut in This Week's Top 10
In the spirit of the season of chills, "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" claimed the No. 1 spot on the English TV list, rising to the top in its second week with 20.7 million views.

[10/14/25 - 12:00 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for "Angela Diniz: Murdered and Convicted," Debuting November 13
The series is inspired by the acclaimed podcast "Praia dos Ossos" and revisits the story of Ângela Diniz, a woman who, through her freedom and autonomy, defied the standards imposed on women and was brutally punished for it.

[10/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Official Trailer and Key Art Debut - "Obituary" Season 2 (APC Studios)
The second season of "Obituary" is now streaming all six episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.