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[03/19/15 - 11:25 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, March 19
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!
COOPER BARRETT'S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE (FOX/20th; W: Jay Lacopo; D: TBA) - Charlie Saxton ("Betas") has scored a role on the pilot, a single camera comedy that celebrates the mistakes and misadventures we all make during the years after college, before settling down. He'll play Neal Kang, "one of Cooper's (Jack Cutmore-Scott) roommates. Fresh out of college, he is excited about his new job working in an office, designing scalable software platforms, but terrified about the number of strangers he's going to have to interact with." James Earl and Meaghan Rath also star. (Deadline.com)
CURSE OF THE FUENTES WOMEN, THE (NBC/WBT; W: Silvio Horta; D: Jason Ensler) - Robbie Jones ("90210") has been cast in the drama pilot, which revolves around a magical and mysterious young man (Adan Canto) who inexplicably emerges from the ocean, breathing new passion into the lives of the Fuentes women - the beautiful but lonely Lola (Christina Vidal), her ailing mother Esperanza (Rachel Ticotin) and her troubled daughter Soledad (Katie Sarife). He'll play Jean-Baptiste, "the line cook at Café Fuentes who's taken over for Esperanza. With business dwindling he spends most of his time gawking at his boss, Lola, whom he's desperately in love with." (Deadline.com)
FAMOUS IN LOVE (ABC Family, New!) - Actress Bella Thorne ("Shake It Up!") and writer I. Marlene King ("Pretty Little Liars") are set to team for a potential drama based on Rebecca Serle's romantic novel of the same name, about "a college student (Thorne) plucked from obscurity to star in a major Hollywood movie franchise who struggles with her new-found fame." Warner Horizon Television is behind the hour with Dan Farah and Long Lake Media's King executive producing and Serle, who will co-write the script with King, as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)
GRANDPA (FOX/ABCS; W: Danny Chun; D: TBA) - Ravi Patel ("Super Fun Night") is the latest addition to the comedy pilot, about Jimmy (John Stamos), a charismatic longtime bachelor whose life is upended when he discovers he's a father - and a grandfather. He's set as Ken, "Jimmy's good friend who is always up for a party but is never invited to one." Christina Milian, Kelly Jenrette, Paget Brewster and Josh Peck also star. (Deadline.com)
HEART MATTERS (NBC/Universal; W: Jill Gordon; D: Robert Duncan McNeill) - Comedian D.L. Hughley is the latest to be 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 Dr. Hackett, "the psychiatrist at the hospital." Dave Annable, Don Hany, Jamie Kennedy, Joshua Leonard, Maya Erskine and Shelley Conn also star. (Deadline.com)
HOUDINI & DOYLE (FOX, New!) - The network has signed onto a 10-episode drama centering on Harry Houdini, "master magician, escape artist and paranormal debunker, and Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the world's greatest detective and a paranormal aficionado - grudgingly join forces to investigate crimes with a supernatural slant. Although they're both rich, famous and brilliant, they're the original odd couple, with Houdini believing in nothing, Doyle in everything." Sony Pictures Television, Shaftesbury Films and Big Talk Productions are all behind the hour with a teleplay by David Hoselton from a story he conceived with David Titcher. They'll likewise executive produce alongside David Shore. (Deadline.com)
PREACHER (AMC/Sony; W: Sam Catlin; D: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen) - Ian Colletti ("Rake") has been cast in the drama pilot, about Jesse Custer, a conflicted Preacher in a small Texas town who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven and develops the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Along with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip (Ruth Negga), and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, the three embark on a journey to literally find God. He's set as Eugene Root, aka Arseface: "Even with his horribly disfigured face and severe speech impediment, Eugene's still the nicest kid you'll ever meet and really looks up to Jesse. Stomach-churningly difficult to look at, Eugene's the town's reviled Frankenstein's monster, but that won't change his earnest, sweet and pure outlook on life. However, he is troubled by something terrible he's done in the past - something he fears might have turned God himself against him." (Deadline.com)
WARRIOR (NBC/Universal; W: David DiGilio; D: Phillip Noyce) - Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) has been cast in the drama pilot, about Kai Forrester (Natalie Martinez), a damaged heroine who works undercover with physical and spiritual guidance from a mysterious martial arts master (Holt McCallany) to bring down an international crime lord. He'll play Koto, "a martial arts master chosen to recruit Kai (Martinez) to work with Interpol on stopping a Japanese organized crime syndicate." Andy Allo, Lance Gross, Rila Fukushima and Will Yun Lee also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - James Caan has bowed out of the FOX comedy pilot "Fantasy Life" due to scheduling issues (Deadline.com); Kelli Williams has been tapped for the lead role in UP TV's first scripted series "Ties That Bind" (Deadline.com); "Trophy Wife" creators Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins have signed a new two-year overall deal with ABC Studios (Deadline.com); "The Walking Dead" executive producer Greg Nicotero has likewise inked a two-year overall deal with AMC (Deadline.com); Necar Zadegan and Lyndon Smith have both landed roles on the new season of "Extant" (Deadline.com); Ehren Kruger is spearheading a TV series following "the swashbuckling adventures of brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm" for Miramax Television (Deadline.com); and adult film stars Amia Miley and Peta Jensen will both appear in the upcoming season of "True Detective" (THR.com).
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[04/28/26 - 12:16 PM]
Netflix Expands "Stranger Things" Universe: "Tales From '85" Scores Early Season 2 Renewal
"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" debuted in the Netflix Global Top 10 at #7 this week, securing a spot in the top 15 animated series debuts of all time.
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[04/28/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of April 20 - Charlize Theron Climbs to No. 1 with "Apex" in This Week's Top 10
Another warning to be careful who you trust, the psychological thriller series "Unchosen" debuted at No. 1 on the English TV list with 10.4 million views.
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[04/28/26 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original Sports Documentary Series "U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men's National Soccer Team" Debuts May 12
The five-part documentary series is an unprecedented look inside the United States Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT) in the leadup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this June.
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[04/28/26 - 10:01 AM]
Dave Chappelle's Pulling Up on Netflix Is a Joke Fest with Star-Studded Music and Comedy Shows
For three nights from May 7-9, the comedian takes over the legendary Hollywood Palladium with shows that blend comedy and music with surprise guest appearances.
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[04/28/26 - 09:08 AM]
CNN Original Series "Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose" Premieres Saturday, May 30 at 9PM ET/PT
Timed to America's 250th anniversary, the five-episode sees Ferguson travel coast-to-coast to explore the defining ideas, and contradictions, at the heart of the United States.
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[04/28/26 - 09:02 AM]
Video: "Between Father and Son" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In just a few suspenseful minutes, a lawyer's world tilts as her visit to her fiancé's family estate ignites an irresistible bond with her future stepson.
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[04/28/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Perfect Match" Season 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
More swaps. More sparks. More drama. Reality stars from "Love Is Blind," "Vanderpump Rules," "Love Island" and more shake up the game, but who'll find their perfect match?
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[04/28/26 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Presents "Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live," Airing Tuesday, May 19 on CBS and Paramount+
This two-hour celebration brings viewers on stage and behind the scenes for an all-access concert experience.
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[04/28/26 - 08:53 AM]
"Crime and Punishment in America," New Documentary from Lynn Novick, to Air on PBS in November 2026
Samuel L. Jackson, Laura Linney, Bobby Cannavale, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hyde Pierce, and BD Wong will lend their voices to the four-part, eight-hour documentary series.
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[04/28/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Soccer Meets America" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel
This riveting series reveals how the convergence of key events transformed the United States into the global soccer powerhouse it is today.
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[04/28/26 - 08:00 AM]
Prime Video Unveils Premiere Date and Glimpse at "Sterling Point"
The series will debut all eight episodes globally on August 5, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
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[04/28/26 - 07:16 AM]
Video: "Welcome to Wrexham" - Season 5 Official Trailer - Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac - FX
The new season returns Thursday, May 14 on FXX and Hulu.
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[04/28/26 - 07:06 AM]
Apple TV's Emmy Award-Winning Series "Ted Lasso" Returns for Season Four on August 5
Season four marks the return of fan favorites, including Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift, alongside new additions Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern and Grant Feely.
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[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Funny AF with Kevin Hart" - Live Semi-final and Grand Finale - Official Trailer - Netflix
The break of a lifetime is at stake as the competition turns live and the last remaining comics square off - with the winner crowned by your vote.
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[04/28/26 - 07:01 AM]
Great American Media Announces Mario Lopez, Tony Danza, and Dominic Lopez to Star in New Original Christmas Movie, "Christmas at the Starlight"
In their first known scripted on-screen pairing as father and son, Lopez and Danza bring extraordinary warmth, charisma, and generational appeal to a timeless holiday story about family, legacy, faith, and the traditions that lead us home.
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