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[03/16/15 - 11:31 PM]
Development Update: Monday, March 16
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!


ALL STARS (ABC/20th; W: Judah Miller; D: TBA) - Mary Lynn Rajskub and Marissa Jaret Winokur have both signed onto the single-camera comedy pilot, about a Tony Award-winning mother, Irene (Megan Hilty), and Gary (Greg Grunberg), a cerebral, risk-averse father blessed with a natural-born athlete for a son. The former will play Susie, "Gary's twin sister, who's described as opportunistic and always starting a new business"; while the latter is set as Donna, "the ultimate normal soccer mom and a foil to Irene." Efren Ramirez and Tony Rock also star. (Deadline.com)


DAMIEN (Lifetime/FTS; W: Glen Mazzara; D: Shekhar Kapur) - Oscar nominee Barbara Hershey (The Portrait of a Lady) is the latest to be cast in the upcoming drama, which follows the adult life of Damien Thorn (Bradley James), the mysterious child from the 1976 motion picture who has grown up, seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him. She'll play Ann Rutledge, "the world's most powerful woman who has been tasked with making sure Damien fulfills his destiny as the Antichrist." Megalyn Echikunwoke and Omid Abtahi also star. (THR.com)


FANTASY LIFE (FOX/20th; W: Tim McAuliffe; D: TBA) - James Caan ("Back in the Game") has signed onto the comedy pilot, about Mitch (Kevin Connolly), a hard-working guy who lands his ultimate dream job hosting a fantasy football show where he's forced to navigate office politics while becoming the star he never thought he could be. He'll play the tough and humorless Chuck Byrne, "an ex-legendary football player/coach who's on Mitch's new team working on Fox's fantasy football league show. Chuck doesn't get fantasy football since he played real football and suffered real pain, however, Mitch eventually impresses him, and the former football star is willing to work with him." Chaz Lamar Shepherd, Kimberley Crossman, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Vanessa Williams also star. (Deadline.com)


FLESH & BLOOD (ABC/ABCS; W: Jenna Bans; D: Paul McGuigan) - Rupert Graves and Madeleine Arthur are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Claire Warren (Joan Allen), the Mayor of Red Pines, California, whose young son, Adam Warren (Liam James), returns after being presumed dead after disappearing over a decade earlier, sending shockwaves throughout their tight knit community. He'll play Peter, "Claire's handsome, warm and charismatic husband who has poured his energy into writing a book series about grief as the loss of their child took a toll on his and Claire's relationship"; while she's set as young Willa Warren (Alison Pill as an adult), "who becomes frantic when her little brother Adam goes missing." Andrew McCarthy, Floriana Lima, Margot Bingham, Rarmian Newton and Zach Gilford also star. (Deadline.com)


HAP & LEONARD (SundanceTV; W: Jim Mickle & Nick Damici; D: Jim Mickle) - Bill Sage ("Boardwalk Empire") is set to star opposite Michael Kenneth Williams in the upcoming drama, based on the rollicking Joe Lansdale Southern noir book series about an unlikely pair of best friends and martial arts experts who struggle through misadventure, to stay on the right side of the law in 1980's East Texas. He'll play Howard, "the ex-husband of Hap's ex-wife. A master of passive aggression, Howard plays the part of peace-loving hippie leader to a band of misfits and past their sell-by date leftists who recruit our heroes, Hap and Leonard, to help them with a dangerous plan." (Deadline.com)


KINGMAKERS, THE (ABC/ABCS; W: Sallie Patrick; D: TBA) - Adrian Pasdar ("Marvel's Agents of SHIELD") has been tapped for a role on the drama pilot, about Eli Hennessy (Gus Halper), a young man who adopts the identity of Jacob Darlow to infiltrate the murder of his sister, Julia, at an elite Ivy League school and its century-old secret society. He'll play Senator Adam Walden, "possibly a member of a secret society who is running for president." Colm Feore and Parminder Nagra also star. (Deadline.com)


LFE (CBS/CBSP; W: Paul Downs Colaizzo; D: David Slad) - Reed Birney and Luke Slattery are both bound for 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. Birney will play Scotty, "the terminally ill father of new surgical resident Joe (Daniel Sharman) and Bobby (Slattery), a troublemaking high school senior who happens to be brilliant." Ana Kayne, Andy Mientus, Annie Funke and Melissa Leo also star. (Deadline.com)


LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD (NBC/20th; W: Diana Son; D: TBA) - Cynthia McWilliams has been upped to the female lead on the drama pilot, in which race, sexuality and gender roles collide when three diverse couples put modern marriage to the test. She'll play Julie, a successful attorney who is Nick's (Rockmund Dunbar) ex-wife and the mother of his two children, succeeding Meta Golding. McWilliams's previous role of Tandi will be recast. Brian Tee, Colin Donnell, Monet Mazur and Nadine Velazquez also star. (Deadline.com)


OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC/ABCS; W: Adam Cooper & Bill Collage; D: Jeffrey Nachmanoff) - James Floyd (My Brother the Devil) is the latest to board 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. He's set as Ish-Boseth, "the youngest warrior son of Saul (Ray Winstone) and Ahinoam (Simone Kessell)." Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Oliver Rix also star. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Robbie Kay has joined the cast of "Heroes Reborn" as a new character (Deadline.com); and Jack Wagner will visit "Ray Donovan" as "an obnoxious and self-important game show host, opposite Cheryl Ladd who was previously announced as a hostess" (Variety.com).






  [march 2015]  
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· BACK IN THE GAME (ABC)
· BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
· DAMIEN (A AND E)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DIVA THE DOC AND THE JOC, THE (ABC)
· FAMILY, THE (ABC)
· FANTASY LIFE (FOX)
· HAP & LEONARD (SUNDANCE)
· HEROES (NBC)
· KINGMAKERS (ABC)
· LFE (CBS)
· LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD (NBC)
· MARVEL'S AGENTS OF SHIELD (ABC)
· OF KINGS AND PROPHETS (ABC)
· RAY DONOVAN (SHOWTIME)





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