or


[03/23/16 - 11:30 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, March 23
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!


BROKEN (ABC/ABCS; W: Meaghan Oppenheimer; D: TBA) - Enrique Murciano ("Bloodline") has booked a role on the Reese Witherspoon-produced drama pilot, about the personal and professional life of Gemma (Anna Paquin), a ruthless divorce attorney in Dallas, which begins to unravel when her emotionally damaged, love-addicted sister (Charity Wakefield) resurfaces triggering self-destructive tendencies and exposing long-hidden family secrets. He's set as Peter, "Gemma's childhood friend-turned-nemesis after she represented his ex-wife in his divorce. Peter comes from a similarly rough upbringing as Gemma, but through hard work has become a successful doctor." (Deadline.com)


CONVICTION (TNT, New!) - The cable channel is developing a new drama inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, "the chief prosecutor of Wayne County, MI, known as the toughest woman in Detroit." Ayanna Floyd ("Empire") is spearheading the project, which was previously set up at ABC in 2014 under Jason Wilborn. Viola Davis and Julius Tennon of JuVee Productions; Debra Martin Chase of Martin Chase Productions; and Kim Swann and Leah Keith remain attached as executive producers for ABC Studios. Worthy herself serves as a consultant. (Deadline.com)


FOUR STARS (CBS/CTS; W: Becky Mode; D: R.J. Cutler) - Bojana Novakovic ("Shameless") has scored a principal role on the drama pilot, about two powerful rival families in the military community of Tampa, Florida who make decisions at the highest levels in the interest of national security. She's set as Ali Buckley, "a sharp-witted, Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist and the daughter of four-star special ops legend General Buckley (Bruce Greenwood)." (Deadline.com)


MANIAC (Netflix, New!) - Cary Fukunaga's and Paramount Television proposed import of the 2014 Norwegian comedy series - about "a guy who lives a fantasy life in his dreams but in reality is locked up at an institution" - has found a home at the streaming service with a 10-episode order. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill have already been cast in the project, with Hill as said guy and Stone as a fellow patient. Fukunaga, who is expected to helm all episodes, will also executive produce alongside Stone, Hill; Anonymous Content's Michael Sugar and Doug Wald; Kruke Kristiansen, Anne Kolbjornsen, Espen P.A. Lervaag and Kjetil Indegard with Ashley Zalta as a co-executive producer. The search is underway for a writer. (Deadline.com)


MIRANDA'S RIGHTS (NBC/Universal; W: Katie Lovejoy; D: Jennifer Getzinger) - Gail O'Grady ("Revenge") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about an idealistic group of lawyers who not only work together but live together at their start-up firm. She'll play Karen Klein, "a whip-smart, formidable career woman who is head of the Klein & Associates law firm." (Deadline.com)


NO TOMORROW (The CW/CTS; W: Corinne Brinkerhoff, Scott McCabe & Tory Stanton; D: Brad Silberling) - Jesse Rath ("Defiance") is the latest to be cast in the drama pilot, about Evie (Tori Anderson), a risk-averse quality-control assessor who falls for free-spirited thrill seeker Xavier (Joshua Sasse) only to find out he lives his life that way because he believes the apocalypse is coming. He's been cast as Timothy, who's "sweet, smart, successful, appealing in that cool-tech-nerd kind of way, Timothy is Evie's ex-boyfriend - the guy she probably 'should' marry." (Deadline.com)


RANDALL & HILDA ARE NOT A COUPLE (ABC/ABCS; W: Ed Weeks & Hannah Mackay; D: Leslye Headland) - Christine Horn ("Complications") is the latest addition to the single-camera comedy pilot, about the co-dependent relationship between Hilda, a lesbian lothario, and Randall (Andy Ridings), her cautious, straight male best friend. She's on board as Gail, "a slightly pretentious ex-lawyer who gave up the rat race to open a bar in Austin with her girlfriend, where she mothers everybody." (Deadline.com)


SPARK (ABC/ABCS; W: Michael Cooney; D: TBA) - Rachel Hurd-Wood (ITV's "Home Fires") has booked a role on the drama pilot, a lavish primetime soap of passion, greed and hope set in the alternate reality of Steampunk, circa 2016, telling the story of two rival families battling for power and the woman who takes them down. She'll play Keira Stockton, "Hazel Stockton's (Lena Olin) daughter who is being groomed by her mother to take over the Stockton Coal Company one day." (Deadline.com)


SPEECHLESS (ABC/20th; W: Scott Silveri; D: Christine Gernon) - Micah Fowler, John Ross Bowie and Kyla Kenedy have all been cast in the single-camera comedy pilot, about a family with a special-needs child described as being good at dealing with the challenges it faces and excellent at creating new ones. Fowler will play J.J., the aforementioned child; with Kenedy as Dylan, his no-nonsense jock sister; and Bowie as Jimmy, their dry and smarter-than-he-seems father. They join the previously cast Minnie Driver as mom Maya, Mason Cook as middle child Ray; and Cedric Yarbrough as school groundskeeper Kenneth. (Variety.com)


UNTITLED JENNA DEWAN TATUM PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Endemol Shine North America has reportedly scored a six-episode order from the Peacock for a new reality series billed as "a fresh take on the dance competition genre." Jenna Dewan Tatum and Meegan Kiernan are on board to executive produce via their Purple Cup Productions banner with Tatum serving as a judge and mentor. Tatum's husband Channing Tatum is also expected to make an on-camera appearance. Peter Kiernan and Reid Carolin will also executive produce. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Shemar Moore is departing "Criminal Minds" after 11 seasons (TVLine.com); Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick have been tapped as showrunners of a proposed fifth season of "Nashville," succeeding Dee Johnson (TVLine.com); Sandrine Holt, Michael Maize, Dorothi Fox and Luke Robertson are among the new faces bound for "Mr. Robot" (Deadline.com); and Sarah Clarke will guest in two upcoming episodes of "NCIS" as "an FBI Special Agent who has recently transferred to D.C. from New York City," a role which has an option to become a series regular (Deadline.com).






  [march 2016]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· BLOODLINE (NETFLIX)
· BROKEN (ABC)
· COMPLICATIONS (USA)
· CONVICTION (TNT)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· DEFIANCE (SYFY)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· EMPIRE (FOX)
· FOUR STARS (CBS)
· MANIAC (NETFLIX)
· MIRANDA'S RIGHTS (NBC)
· MR. ROBOT (USA)
· NASHVILLE (CMT)
· NCIS (CBS)
· NO TOMORROW (CW)
· RANDALL & HILDA ARE NOT A COUPLE (ABC)
· REVENGE (ABC)
· SHAMELESS (SHOWTIME)
· SPARK (ABC)
· SPEECHLESS (ABC)
· UNTITLED JENNA DEWAN TATUM PROJECT (NBC)





[10/15/25 - 01:01 PM]
Season 2 Announcement - "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch"
In this first-ever adaptation of the acclaimed stealth video game franchise, legendary agent Sam Fisher is drawn back into the field when a wounded young operative seeks out his help.

[10/15/25 - 01:01 PM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts First Look at "Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age," Featuring the Playful Snow Sloths of the Pleistocene
Narrated by Golden Globe and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston, with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, the five-part series premieres globally on Apple TV on November 26.

[10/15/25 - 12:30 PM]
Follow Chris Hemsworth and His Father, Craig, on a Deeply Emotional Road Trip Back in Time in "Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember"
The one-hour special premieres Sunday, November 23 at 9:00/8:00c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

[10/15/25 - 12:01 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - November 2025
Highlights include the premiere of Hulu's "All's Fair"; the return of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"; and the debut of "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie" on Disney+.

[10/15/25 - 11:14 AM]
"OWN For the Holidays" Returns for Its Seventh Year with Three Festive New Movies
"Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Showdown," and "Very Merry Mystery" will premiere on successive Saturdays beginning November 29.

[10/15/25 - 11:01 AM]
National Geographic Documents Athlete Jim Morrison's Unprecedented, Historic Ski Descent on North Face of Mount Everest on October 15, 2025
National Geographic Documentary Films once again teams with Oscar and BAFTA Award-winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin to film the exhilarating and heartbreaking odyssey for the upcoming documentary "Everest North" (wt).

[10/15/25 - 11:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces New Stand-Up Comedy Special "Kathleen Madigan - The Family Thread"
The one-hour special will premiere November 21 on Prime Video.

[10/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
"His & Hers" - Official First Look & Date Announcement
From visionary filmmaker William Oldroyd, this six-episode, twisty psychological thriller is adapted from Alice Feeney's novel of the same name and stars Tessa Thompson (who also executive produces) and Jon Bernthal.

[10/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO and Raw Are in Production on a Documentary Series About the Epic Release of a Famous Whale
The series, directed by Becky Read, will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

[10/15/25 - 09:37 AM]
Viaplay November 2025 Exclusive U.S. Premieres: "Vanguard"; "Meaning of Life," Season 2; "A Life's Worth"
"Vanguard" is a five-part, award-winning drama series featuring high-stakes deals, groundbreaking innovation, and fierce family rivalries.

[10/15/25 - 09:14 AM]
MGM+ Greenlights "Bosch: Start of Watch," A New Prequel Series to the Iconic Detective Franchise
The series stars Cameron Monaghan as rookie cop Harry Bosch and Omari Hardwick as veteran officer Eli Bridges.

[10/15/25 - 09:13 AM]
"Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films" to Premiere Exclusively on Disney+ November 7
The two-part documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into the making of the Oscar-winning box office phenomenon "Avatar: The Way of Water" and a first look at the upcoming "Avatar: Fire and Ash," features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, and interviews with cast and filmmakers.

[10/15/25 - 09:05 AM]
Video: NBC Releases Official Season 2 Trailer for Comedy Series "St. Denis Medical"
The series returns Monday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC with back-to-back episodes and will be available to stream on Peacock.

[10/15/25 - 09:02 AM]
Sirens On: BAFTA-Winning "Blue Lights" Returns to BritBox for Explosive Third Season
Other November highlights include "Belgravia," "Friday Night Dinner," and "Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators."

[10/15/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "All's Fair" - Meet the Women of All's Fair - Hulu
Starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close, "All's Fair" tells the story of a team of fierce female divorce attorneys who leave a male-dominated firm to start their own.