or


[09/16/20 - 11:05 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, September 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!


HAPPY FACE (CBSAA, New!) - Jennifer Cacicio is spearheading a small screen take on the iHeartMedia podcast of the same name, which "tells the story of Melissa Moore, who at age 15 discovered that her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was a serial murderer, known as the Happy Face Killer because he drew smiley faces on his letters to the media and prosecutors. As an adult, Moore has changed her name, guarded her secret and cut off all ties to her father who is currently serving life in prison. But when he contacts her to take credit for more victims, she is pulled into an extraordinary investigation into her father's crimes, the impact they had on his victims' families and ultimately into reckoning with her own identity." The project is set up at the CBS Television Studios-based King Size Productions with Robert King, Michelle King and Jennifer Cacicio likewise executive producing. A writers' room has been opened for the potential series. (Deadline.com)
HAPPY FOR YOU (ABC, New!) - Taylor Cox has sold a single-camera comedy to the Alphabet in which "when the youngest of three sisters announces she's getting married first, it sends her older, unmarried sisters - and their newly separated mother - into an existential tailspin." The project, which has a penalty attached, will also be executive produced by the 20th Television-based Kim Rosenstock. (Deadline.com)
KUNG FU (The CW) - Vanessa Kai has joined the cast of the upcoming drama as Pei-Ling Zhang, "a skilled fighter, spiritual guide, and mentor to Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), one of dozens of monks that lived and trained in an all-female Shaolin temple buried deep in the mountains of Yuanyang province. After her tragic death at the hands of a mysterious assassin, Pei-Ling lives on in Nicky's memory, evoking the lessons and skills her mentor taught her at the monastery. But as Nicky hunts down Pei-Ling's murderer, she will discover her beloved Sifu had her own dark secrets… and will learn that Pei-Ling's past might hold the key to Nicky's future." (Deadline.com)
MINX (HBO Max) - Ophelia Lovibond has booked the lead role on the comedy pilot, which "centers on Joyce (Lovibond), an earnest young feminist who dreams of producing a magazine by, for and about women and joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women." (Deadline.com)
STUMPTOWN (ABC) - The Alphabet has opted not to move forward with the show's previously ordered second season. Said report indicates "a timing issue related to the production start delay made it impossible for the show to be ready for a fall launch when the network had scheduling needs for the 2020-21 season." Adding, "[the new season] would not have been ready until April, which is the end of the broadcast season, ultimately leading to the cancellation. " Producer ABC Signature plans to shop the series elsewhere. (Deadline.com)





  [september 2020]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· HAPPY FACE (PARAMOUNT PLUS)
· HAPPY FOR YOU (ABC)
· KUNG FU (CW)
· MINX (STARZ)
· STUMPTOWN (ABC)





[01/09/26 - 12:02 PM]
A New Season of Hilarie Burton-Morgan's Documentary Series "True Crime Story: It Couldn't Happen Here" Returns February 19 on SundanceTV and Streaming Across AMC+ and All Reality
The new six-episode season examines the challenges and complexities of small-town justice, spotlighting cases that range from unsolved missing persons and wrongful convictions, to death while in police custody.

[01/09/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: "Eternity" - Official Trailer - Apple TV
"Eternity," starring Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner, premieres February 13 on Apple TV.

[01/09/26 - 11:01 AM]
"Love Island: All Stars" Returns to Peacock as Season Three Premieres on January 14
The first episode premieres exclusively in the U.S. on Wednesday, January 14, with new episodes streaming on Peacock every day at 9:00/8:00c.

[01/09/26 - 09:05 AM]
Ohtani, Judge, Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Yankees, Cubs-Cardinals, and Additional Premium Matchups Headline "Sunday Night Baseball" Schedule as Major League Baseball Returns to NBC and Peacock
Highlights include the special July 5 "Star-Spangled Sunday" featuring all 15 MLB games exclusively presented nationally on Peacock and NBC.

[01/09/26 - 09:00 AM]
CBS Program Advisory: "Harlan Coben's Final Twist"
Beginning Tuesday, January 13, "Harlan Coben's Final Twist" will air original episodes Tuesdays at 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT, with encore episodes airing Wednesdays at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT.

[01/09/26 - 08:47 AM]
ESPN's Second Most-Watched NBA Regular Season Ever
Through 21 games, the NBA on ESPN networks is averaging 2.6M viewers, up 35 percent from last season.

[01/09/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Official Trailer, Key Art and New Images for "The 'Burbs"
All 8 episodes will premiere on Peacock Sunday, February 8, 2026.

[01/09/26 - 02:35 AM]
Paapa Essiedu Returns for "The Capture" Series 3 with New Pictures and Further Casting for the Hit Thriller Announced
The BBC has released new pictures from the series which show Paapa alongside Holliday Grainger who leads the cast as Rachel Carey.

[01/08/26 - 06:01 PM]
Video: "Undercover Miss Hong" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A tenacious investigator goes undercover at a securities firm to expose corruption, but her mission is complicated by its new CEO - her former lover.

[01/08/26 - 02:00 PM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record-Breaking Viewership for 2025-26 FCS Playoffs and Championship
The 2026 FCS Championship Game averaged 2.3 million viewers on ESPN, ranking as the third-best FCS Championship audience ever.

[01/08/26 - 01:17 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in All Key Demos
In fact, "Nightline" is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 3rd straight year.

[01/08/26 - 01:16 PM]
ABC News' Primetime Special "The Year: 2025" Earns Nearly 4 Million Total Viewers - Growing by Double Digits Over Last Year in Multiplatform Viewing
The 15th annual year-end special earned 3.857 million Total Viewers, growing impressively over last year's performance by +37% (vs. 2.818 million), after three days of viewing on ABC, Disney+, Hulu and digital platforms.

[01/08/26 - 01:15 PM]
"Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV" Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 14, on ABC and Streams Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
By exploring the psychological forces that shaped the talk TV genre, the series reveals how these shows transformed from trusted confessional spaces into lightning rods of controversy, leaving a lasting impact on culture, media and the people caught in the chaos.

[01/08/26 - 12:07 PM]
Hulu Acquires Rights to All Seasons of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" from Versant, Expanding the Kardashian Universe Offering of Series and Specials
All titles will be available to stream on Hulu beginning February 17, 2026.

[01/08/26 - 12:01 PM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for New Docuseries "Handsome Devil: Charming Killer"
The three-part docuseries premieres Tuesday, January 20, exclusively on Paramount+.