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[09/10/15 - 11:31 PM]
Development Update: Thursday, September 10
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!
CANARY (ABC, New!) - Zack Estrin ("The Whispers") is developing a new drama at the Alphabet about "a woman who risks everything to help a whistleblower come forward with secret information that will impact the lives of millions." Said effort comes from ABC Studios and Momentum Television with the latter's Nick Hamm and Sabrina Eisenstadt also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)
CHAMPION: THE JEFF BEEKMAN STORY (FOX, New!) - John Aboud and Michael Colton (Penguins of Madagascar) have scored a put pilot commitment from the network for a single-camera comedy which "chronicles the everyday experiences of a hyper-competitive but perpetual underdog dad presented like a sports documentary, with commentary and analysis." The project is set up at ABC Studios with Mila Kunis, Susan Curtis, Cami Curtis and Lisa Sterbakov of Orchard Farm Productions also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)
CRUSADERS, THE (FOX, New!) - Actor Idris Elba and writer/director Thomas Ikimi (Legacy) are set to re-team for a new drama at the network about "an extended family of second-generation Africans living in the U.S. who specialize in locating and returning valuable objects stolen from Africa during colonial occupation." Legendary Television-based Di Bonaventura Television is behind the project with Green Door Pictures' Elba, T&T Studios' Ikimi and Di Bonaventura's Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Dan McDermott serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)
DOWNWARD DOG (ABC, New!) - Samm Hodges and Michael Killen have received an off-cycle pilot production order from the Alphabet for a single-camera comedy about "a woman and her dog." Legendary Television and ABC Studios are behind the project, which began as a web series produced by Animal Media Group. Mosaic Media Group's Jimmy Miller and Sam Hansen and Animal's Kathy Dziubek are also serving as executive producers. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED LENA WAITHE PROJECT (Showtime/Fox 21; W: Lena Waithe; D: Clark Johnson) - Tequan Richmond, Aisha Hinds, Alex Henderson, Sierra McClain, Olivia Dawson and Jason Weaver are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, a relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story of a young African American male in which just growing up can be a matter of life and death. Richmond will play Emmett, "an attractive, young African-American teen who believes his sexual prowess is what defines him"; with Hinds as Jada, "Emmett's young, single mother"; Henderson as Kevin, "an adolescent whose childlike innocence collides with his pent up aggression"; McClain as Jerrika, "a tightly wound restaurant manager"; Dawson as "the mother of two of the main characters Brandon and Coogie"; and Weaver as Ronnie, "a street corner philosopher and a fixture in the neighborhood, who must go to extraordinary lengths to try and win back the love of his life." Production is set to begin in Chicago later this year with Elwood Reid recently added as showrunner. (Deadline.com)
URBAN COWBOY (FOX/20th/Paramount; W/D: Craig Brewer) - Nathalie Kelley ("UnREAL") and Lindsey Gort ("Impastor") are both bound for the network's modern reimagining of the 1980 movie, about star-crossed young lovers Kyle (Alfonso Herrera) and Gaby as they pursue their dreams and passions through the sweat of line dancing in honky tonks, the grime of the oil refineries and the glamour of modern Texas. Kelley will play the aforementioned Gaby, "the gorgeous, feisty, independent minded, bright and resourceful daughter of Marshall (Jim Belushi), the owner of Gilley's, a super-popular Houston honky tonk." Gort then is set as Pam, "the beautiful daughter of one of Houston's most powerful families who captures Kyle's attention." Bryana Salaz and Edward James Olmos also star. (Deadline.com)
AND IN OTHER NEWS... - HBO's Bernie Madoff docudrama "The Wizard of Lies" has added Nathan Darrow (as Andrew Madoff), Kathrine Narducci (Eleanor Squillari), Steve Coulter (Martin London), Kristen Connolly (Stephanie Madoff) and Diana Henriques (herself) to the cast (Deadline.com); Vivica A. Fox has been cast as Cookie's (Taraji P. Henson) older sister on "Empire" (Deadline.com); David Slade has been tapped to direct the pilot and several more episodes of Starz's "American Gods" (Deadline.com); and Christopher Stanley will recur on "American Crime" as "a handsome and sophisticated businessman and love interest to Felicity Huffman's character" (THR.com).
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[04/24/26 - 12:00 PM]
What's New on HBO Max This May
Highlights include season two of "On The Roam," comedy special "Josh Johnson: Symphony," documentary series "U.S. Against The World: Four Years With The Men's National Soccer Team," new episode of "The Yogurt Shop Murders," and documentary "The A List: 15 Stories From Asia And Pacific Diasporas."
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[04/24/26 - 11:16 AM]
"Wuthering Heights" Begins Streaming Exclusively on HBO Max May 1
The Emerald Fennell film stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, whose forbidden passion for one another turns from romantic to intoxicating in an epic tale of lust, love and madness.
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[04/24/26 - 09:01 AM]
Zizians Documentary Series Set at HBO
The multi-part documentary series explores the Zizians, an enigmatic group of young technologists who garnered national attention in 2025 after law enforcement linked members of the group to a series of violent crimes across the country.
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[04/24/26 - 08:59 AM]
NBA Playoffs Return to NBC Sports Delivers Big Viewership Gains Over First Three Nights
NBC Sports' first six NBA Playoff games averaged 4.9 million viewers, up 38% vs. comparable coverage last year and the most-watched for the first Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights of the playoffs since 1994.
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[04/24/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: New Featurette - Hulu Original Series "Rivals" Season 2
Ahead of the highly anticipated second season of the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning "Rivals," Hulu has released a new recap featurette.
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[04/24/26 - 08:00 AM]
La La Anthony, Rutina Wesley, Taylor Polidore Williams, DeVaughn Nixon and Alexxis Lemire Join Season 4 of Hulu's Hit Legal Drama "Reasonable Doubt" as Recurring Guest Stars
Morris Chestnut, Joseph Sikora and Brandee Evans also return as recurring guest stars.
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[04/24/26 - 07:01 AM]
"Scooby-Doo: Origins" Starts Production in Atlanta
A modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their very special dog.
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[04/24/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Gordon" - First Look - Netflix
Based on the novel by Marcelo Larraquy, "Gordon" arrives on Netflix in 2026.
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[04/23/26 - 11:41 PM]
Prime Video Unleashes UK's Biggest Digital Stars in Highly Anticipated Comedy Reality Series, "Would You Rather: Decide to Survive"
The series will launch exclusively worldwide on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories in June 2026.
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[04/23/26 - 09:00 PM]
The Vampire Lestat's Gritty Cover of Billy Idol's Legendary Song "Dancing with Myself" Is Now Available on All Digital Platforms
AMC Global Media and Lakeshore Records released the single on the Vampire Lestat artist profile pages at major digital music services, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.
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[04/23/26 - 03:13 PM]
"Euphoria" Season 3 Premiere Surpasses 20M Global Viewers, Up 68% vs. Season 2
Episode 2 matched the premiere with approximately 8.5 million U.S. viewers in its first three days.
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[04/23/26 - 02:50 PM]
Goal! ESPN Airs Two Most-Viewed First Round Game 2's on Cable Ever, Continuing Successful Start to 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Monday's Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins matchup (Game 2, 7 p.m. ET) delivered 1.6 million viewers and Tuesday's Boston Bruins-Buffalo Sabres matchup (Game 2, 7:30 p.m.) delivered 1.2 million viewers, setting the new Game 2 record.
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[04/23/26 - 02:02 PM]
"The Cult of Natureboy," A New Four-Part Docuseries That Offers a Raw and Unfiltered Look Inside a Modern Cult, Premieres April 28 on Hulu
In 2016, a rising social media star named Eligio Bishop, also known as "NatureBoy," used his platforms to recruit followers into a group he called Carbon Nation, encouraging them to abandon their families and join his vision of a self-proclaimed Black utopia.
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[04/23/26 - 01:03 PM]
Apple TV Sets New Comedy Series, Elizabeth Banks to Star and Executive Produce
The series is set to begin production in Los Angeles this year.
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[04/23/26 - 12:19 PM]
USA Sports Delivers Most-Watched Match in LOVB Volleyball History to Cap Inaugural Season of Record Viewership on USA Network
The first Finals match on Thursday, April 16, which Salt Lake won 3-2 in a closely-contested fifth set, averaged 163,000 viewers, ranking as the most-watched LOVB game of all-time.
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