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[12/17/19 - 11:47 PM]
Development Update: Tuesday, December 17
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!
AMERICANAH (HBO Max) - Uzo Aduba and Zackary Momoh are the latest additions to the Lupita Nyong'o-led adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel. Aduba will play Aunty Uju, "Ifemelu's young aunt and confidant. A highly intelligent doctor, Uju left Nigeria under tumultuous circumstances and has resettled in America to build a better life for herself and her son Dike." Momoh then is Obinze, a classmate of Ifemelu (Nyong'o) whom she falls in love with as a teenager. (Variety.com)
COLD SHOULDER (CBS, New!) - Pam Veasey is looking to bring Lynda La Plante's novel to the small screen at the Eye. In the CBS Television Studios-based project, "after a police officer is unable to prevent the death of her partner in the line of duty, she seeks help from a fellow detective as she attempts to pick up the pieces of her broken life at home and on the force." The Jackal Group's Gail Berman and PatMa Productions' Nina Tassler and Denise Di Novi will also executive produce. The news marks the Eye's second attempt at an adaptation: Kelly McGillis toplined a 2000 effort that didn't move forward to series. (Deadline.com)
CREW, THE (Netflix) - The Kevin James-led NASCAR comedy series has cast Gary Anthony Williams as Chuck; Dan Ahdoot as Amir; Freddie Stroma as Jake; Sarah Stiles as Beth; and Jillian Mueller as Catherine. The multi-camera project has a 10-episode order. (Deadline.com)
FIREFLY LANE (Netflix) - Patrick Sabongui and Brendan Taylor have scored recurring roles on the upcoming drama. Sabongui plays Chad Wiley, "a former journalist, now a college professor, who falls into a forbidden relationship with Tully Hart (Katherine Heigl), a promising young journalism student in the 1980s." Taylor portrays Mutt, a 1980s TV news cameraman who pines for his coworker Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke). Mutt is a funny, sweet, geeky underdog, with a great heart and hidden depths." (Deadline.com)
FROM SCRATCH (FYI, New!) - David Moscow is set to host a new 10-episode series for the cable channel which "follows the actor, producer and adventurer on a worldwide expedition making meals literally from scratch." UnLTD Productions is behind the project, due on Sunday, February 16 at 6:00/5:00c, with David Moscow, Karen Moscow, Graeme Swanepoel, Jordan Harman, Christian Murphy, Jason Dreyer, Graeme Swanepoel and Damien Brown executive producing. (Deadline.com)
GAME, THE (The CW, New!) - Mara Brock Akil is developing a one-hour sequel series to the 2006-2015 half-hour comedy alongside Devon Greggory, this time set in Baltimore, where "our out-of-touch old-timers are determined to help a bunch of knuckle-head new-schoolers navigate the ruthless game of football on and off the field." Salim Akil and Grammnet NH Productions' Kelsey Grammer and Tom Russo will also executive produce for CBS Television Studios. (Deadline.com)
HOMECOMING (Amazon) - Joan Cusack and Mary Holland have both scored roles on the show's second season. Cusack will portray Francine Bunda, "an Army officer with an unconventional approach to the job"; while Holland will play Wendy, "an ambitious executive in Geist's R&D department." (Deadline.com)
INFAMOUS (The CW, New!) - George Northy and Darren Stein are set to team for a new drama at the netlet in which "celebrities who've experienced a devastating fall from grace are recruited by a top-secret arm of the CIA, with the promise to rehab their careers in exchange for using their global access (and eccentric reputations) to perform high-risk missions across the globe." Mike Tollin and Maia Glikman of Tollin Productions will also executive produce. No studio was indicated. (Deadline.com)
IRON SHARPENS IRON (Quibi, New!) - The streaming service has commissioned eight episodes of a new docu-series which "will pair star athletes with another professional athlete from a completely different sport." Cam Newton, Trae Young, Amanda Nunes and Carli Lloyd are among the initial participants. Iconic Saga Productions, Liquid Light and Endeavor Content's Film 45 are behind the project with Newton and David Ricks executive producing. (Variety.com)
LODGE 49 (AMC) - Creator Jim Gavin confirmed on social media today the series wasn't able to find a new home following AMC's cancellation. (@jimatdeltaco)
LORD OF THE RINGS, THE (Amazon) - Morfydd Clark has reportedly been cast as young Galadriel in the TV series. The character was famously portrayed by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson's various film incarnations. (Variety.com)
NO STONE UNTURNED (NBC, New!) - Steve Jackson's book, subtitled "The Story of NecroSearch International," is being developed as a drama at the Peacock network. Jonathan Collier is behind the project, which will follow "a group of the nation's top scientists, specialists and behaviorists who use the latest technology and the most advanced techniques to solve unsolvable crimes." Hazy Mills Productions' Todd Milliner and Sean Hayes will also executive produce for Universal Television. (Deadline.com)
RUSSIAN DOLL (Netflix) - Co-creator Leslye Headland has signed a multi-year overall deal with Fox 21 Television Studios. There she'll develop new series projects for the company. (Deadline.com)
SAVED BY THE BELL (Peacock) - John Michael Higgins has been cast as Bayside High's newest principal in the revival series. Principal Toddman "is constantly being pranked by his privileged students and yelled at by their entitled parents. But all this changes when Bayside gets an influx of new, low-income students and Toddman gets a second chance to really make a difference." (TVLine.com)
SEAL TEAM (CBS) - Luis Jose Lopez has booked a multi-episode arc on the series as Carlos Ramos, "a CIA agent operating under a NOC (Non-Official Cover) who has been discovered/captured by the Venezuelan government. He's being held captive and risks being moved from South America to Middle East. " (Deadline.com)
SISTAS (BET) - Keena Ferguson will recur on the Tyler Perry-produced drama as Leslie Davenport, "a no-nonsense, tough private investigator who is hired to investigate a love triangle involving Andi, played by KJ Smith." (Deadline.com)
TRAITORS (Netflix) - MGM Television has closed a first-look deal with British management and production company 42, producer of said drama. (Deadline.com)
TRILL LEAGUE (Quibi, New!) - Anthony Piper's graphic novel is being developed as an animated series at the streaming service. The project, billed as "anime-inflected, hip-hop-informed vision of a black superhero universe," will be written by Piper and Jameel Saleem with G-Unit Film & Television's Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and 3 Arts Entertainment's Jermaine Johnson also executive producing for Lionsgate Television. (Deadline.com)
UNTITLED NADER & SHLESINGER PROJECT (CBS, New!) - Comedian Iliza Shlesinger has been tapped to star in a multi-camera comedy at the Eye about Iliza (Shlesinger), "who returns home to Austin, Texas, to help her mom and sister run their family business." She'll co-write the half-hour alongside Michelle Nader with Danielle Stokdyk, Kara Baker, David Martin, Richard Allen-Turner and Jon Thoday also executive producing for Avalon Television, CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. (Deadline.com)
VAN HELSING (Syfy) - The cable channel has renewed the series for a fifth and final season of 13 episodes, due in 2020. (THR.com)
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[12/06/25 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "The Boys" Explosive Final Season Premiere Date & Teaser Drop at CCXP Brazil
The fifth and final season will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on April 8, 2026.
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[12/06/25 - 02:46 PM]
Paramount and UFC Announce New Seasons of "Dana White's Contender Series" and "The Ultimate Fighter"
Beginning in 2026, Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, and Australia will become the exclusive home for all episodes of both series.
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[12/06/25 - 02:27 PM]
Video: "School Spirits" Returns - Paramount+ Drops First Look at Season Three Premiering January 28
The date was unveiled alongside first look images at today's Paramount+ CCXP panel in São Paolo, Brazil featuring series lead and executive producer Peyton List.
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[12/06/25 - 02:12 PM]
Video: Oscar-Nominee Paul Giamatti Surprises Fans at CCXP and Reveals Exclusive Scene from "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy"
The series will premiere globally with two episodes on Thursday, January 15 on Paramount+, and in Japan on Tuesday, January 23.
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[12/06/25 - 10:47 AM]
Hulu Debuts First-Look Images from "The Testaments" Out of Brazil Comic Con
"The Testaments," a new chapter from the showrunner and executive producers of "The Handmaid's Tale," is coming in April 2026 to Hulu.
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[12/06/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: Date Announcement & Teaser Debut - Hulu's "Paradise" Season 2
The second season of the Emmy Award-nominated series premieres Monday, February 23 with three episodes, followed by new episodes weekly on Hulu and Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US and Disney+ internationally.
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[12/05/25 - 03:31 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers
"Nightline" improved on the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, hitting nine-week highs in both measures.
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[12/05/25 - 03:30 PM]
In Anticipation of "Avatar: Fire and Ash," ABC News to Premiere Two New Specials This December
First up: "Avatar: A New Era - Special Edition of 20/20" premieres Friday, December 12 on ABC.
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[12/05/25 - 02:05 PM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Best College Football Regular Season Since 2011; "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Scores Most-Watched Season Ever
ESPN networks aired the most-watched game in 34 of 42 key Saturday windows, including seven of 14 noon windows, 13 of 14 late afternoon windows and all 14 prime windows.
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[12/05/25 - 12:35 PM]
2025 CFB Viewership Surges on FOX & FS1
The 2025 regular season wrapped with big numbers for "Big Noon Saturday," "Big Noon Kickoff" and more - including year-over-year gains across the board.
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[12/05/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Premiere Week Episodes Post Gains and Lead In Live Plus 35-Day Multiplatform Viewership
"Tracker" delivered 17.3 million viewers, up +6% versus its year-ago premiere.
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[12/05/25 - 10:05 AM]
"Landman" Booms Into a Third Season Renewal and Breaks Viewing Records on Paramount+
The second season is set to be a top three series among all original content the week of November 17 and a top two series for the week of November 24 according to Nielsen preliminary data.
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[12/05/25 - 09:45 AM]
Video: "Taylor" - A CW Documentary Special - Trailer
The special - airing Saturday, December 13 - explores the global phenomenon of Taylor Swift and digs deep across the musician's 20-year career, a period that has seen her transcend the realm of pop star to become a cultural icon like no other.
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[12/05/25 - 08:45 AM]
ESPN Delivered Most-Watched Women's College Volleyball Season on Record
Said coverage averaged 190,000 viewers, up 36% from the 2024 season.
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[12/05/25 - 08:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Monkeypaw Productions' "Him" Beginning December 19
The film stars Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies and more.
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