or


[02/13/12 - 10:40 PM]
Development Update: Monday, February 13
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!


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (ABC) - Yves Simoneau ("V") has signed on to helm the drama pilot, an epic fantasy re-imagining of the classic tale. Jonathan E. Steinberg penned the script to the project, which comes from ABC Studios and Gary Fleder's Mojo Films. (Deadline.com)


DO NO HARM (NBC) - Alana De La Garza ("Law & Order: LA") and Ruta Gedmintas ("The Borgias") are the first to be cast in the drama pilot, about Jeffrey Kohn, a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego, Ian Price, that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. The former will play fellow doctor Lena Steck ("attending neurologist; strong willed; confident") with Gedmintas as Olivia Case ("delicate features; fragile by nature"), Kohn's former fiance. Michael Mayer is directing the Universal Television-based hour from a script by David Schulner. (Deadline.com)


GOTHAM (ABC) - Director Francis Lawrence ("Kings") is set to reteam with Michael Green on the drama pilot, about "a female cop who, after pursuing a seemingly unsolvable case, discovers a magical world that exists within New York City." 20th Century Fox Television is behind the hour, which Erwin Stoff is executive producing alongside Green. (Deadline.com)


LET IT GO (FOX) - Zachary Levi ("Chuck") has booked a lead role on the single-camera comedy pilot, about "a married couple, his best friend and her sister as they try to navigate, negotiate and sometimes manipulate society's unspoken rules." He'll play Ben, one half of the aforementioned couple, in the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, from creator D.J. Nash. Fedora Entertainment's Michael Wimer and Peter Tolan also serve as executive producers on the project, production of which was contingent on casting Levi's role. (Deadline.com)


LIVING LOADED (FOX) - Michael Marc Friedman is the latest addition to the Mike Vogel-led comedy pilot, about a loose partying blogger of the popular blog who is forced to change his career plans when he becomes an NPR radio host. He's on board as his best friend Bobby ("a roughneck with skin like a catcher's mitt"), a roofer. Rob McElhenney and Rob Rosell are all behind the single-camera project, which is set up at FX Productions. (Deadline.com)


MIDNIGHT SUN (NBC) - Brad Anderson ("Fringe") is set to direct the drama pilot, about a police investigation into disappearance of a remote cult which taps into a grander political conspiracy. Lisa Zwerling penned the Universal Television-based hour, which is based on Noah Stollman and Oded Davidoff's Israeli drama "Pillars of Smoke." (Deadline.com)


MUST HIRE (FOX) - Adam Bernstein ("30 Rock") has been tapped to direct the comedy pilot, about an uptight, young executive who hires his dad for an entry level position and is shocked to discover that his new hire is a disruptive office clown. Eli Jorne and Reed Agnew are behind the Sony Pictures Television-based half-hour, production of which is cast-contingent. (Deadline.com)


POLITICAL ANIMALS (USA) - Brittany Ishibashi has boarded the upcoming Greg Berlanti-penned drama, about Elaine Barrish, a divorced former First Lady and current Secretary of State, who struggles to keep her family together while simultaneously dealing with the crises of the State Department. She's set as Anne Ogami, the shy, bohemian, Asian-American girlfriend of Barrish's son/chief of staff Douglas (Jimmy Wolk). Warner Horizon Television is behind the project, due this summer. (Deadline.com)


THE SELECTION (The CW) - Mark Piznarski ("Gossip Girl") has been tapped to direct the drama pilot, set 300 years in the future, about "a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads." He'll work from a script by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, which is based on the upcoming series of books by Kiera Cass. Warner Bros. Television is producing. (Deadline.com)


SINGLE BLACK FEMALE (BET, New!) - "The Game" masterminds Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil have booked a new drama at the cable channel which "chronicles the work and family life of a black woman who is the host of a popular Atlanta-based talk show in the vein of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show.'" Said duo recently inked an overall deal with BET back in May, which included a series and several pilot commitments. No other specifics were given about the project. (Deadline.com)


TROOPER (CBS) - Craig Gillespie ("My Generation") is set to direct and executive produce the drama pilot, about a common-sense mother who becomes a New York state trooper. Aron Eli Coleite penned the hour, from the Warner Bros. Television-based Jerry Bruckheimer Television. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT (FOX) - Shawn Ashmore and Valorie Curry are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about a diabolical serial killer (James Purefoy) who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers and the retired FBI profiler (Kevin Bacon) who finds himself in the middle of it. Ashmore is on board as one of the younger agents who assists Ryan Hardy (Bacon), presumably Mike Weston ("eager; more brains than brawn"), with Curry as Denise ("a sweet faced girl of 24"), Hardy's nanny. Kevin Williamson is behind the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, to be directed by Marcos Siega. (Deadline.com)


WHITE VAN MAN (ABC) - J.K. Simmons ("The Closer") has joined the cast of the Kyle Bornheimer-led comedy pilot, about a man who is forced to put his dreams on hold in order to take over the family handyman business from his father. He'll play said father, Tony, in the ABC Studios-based half-hour, based on Adrian Poynton's U.K. series of the same name, from director Michael Fresco and writer Bobby Bowman. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Peter Mensah will recur on "True Blood" as Kibwe, Chancellor for the Authority (Deadline.com); upcoming guest star Kelli Williams has been upped to series regular on "Army Wives," while Lawrence Gilliard has been tapped for a five-episode arc (Deadline.com); Bradley Whitford will turn up on "Parks & Recreation" as Pawnee's departing city councilman whose seat Leslie (Amy Poehler) is vying for (HuffingtonPost.com); and Jaime Ray Newman will return to "CSI: NY" as the late Claire Taylor for its eighth season finale (TVLine.com).






  [february 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· 30 ROCK (NBC)
· ARMY WIVES (LIFETIME)
· BEAUTY & THE BEAST (ABC)
· BEING MARY JANE (BET)
· BORGIAS, THE (SHOWTIME)
· CHUCK (NBC)
· CLOSER, THE (TNT)
· CSI: NEW YORK (CBS)
· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DO NO HARM (NBC)
· FAMILY TOOLS (ABC)
· FOLLOWING, THE (FOX)
· FRINGE (FOX)
· GAME, THE (BET)
· GOSSIP GIRL (CW)
· GOTHAM (ABC)
· KINGS (NBC)
· LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES (NBC)
· LET IT GO (FOX)
· LIVING LOADED (FOX)
· MIDNIGHT SUN (NBC)
· MUST HIRE (FOX)
· MY GENERATION (ABC)
· PARKS & RECREATION (NBC)
· POLITICAL ANIMALS (USA)
· SELECTION, THE - 2012 VERSION (CW)
· TROOPER (CBS)
· TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
· V (ABC)





[02/28/25 - 09:09 AM]
A&E Announces the Return of "Accused: Guilty or Innocent?" Followed by the Premiere of New Series "Accused: Did I Do It?
Unlike the original series, "Accused: Did I Do It?" will focus on cases that have already been fully adjudicated, following the high-stakes stories of individuals who stood trial and are facing charges for serious offenses such as first-degree murder, manslaughter, domestic terrorism, and aggravated assault.

[02/28/25 - 08:53 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights New Unscripted Series "A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush" from Vice Studios
Each one-hour episode will follow along during the most high-stakes time in a college-bound girl's life, Sorority Rush.

[02/28/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" - Season 7 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Familiar faces make a comeback, team stalwarts defect to arch rivals, and new champions emerge in one of Formula One's most tumultuous seasons yet.

[02/28/25 - 07:32 AM]
"Agatha Christie's Towards Zero" Starring Anjelica Huston and Matthew Rhys Premieres April 16
The series, led by Anjelica Huston and Matthew Rhys, features a stellar ensemble cast including Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ella Lily Hyland, Mimi Keene, Anjana Vasan and Clarke Peters.

[02/28/25 - 07:05 AM]
"First to the Finish" - a New Docuseries Focused on the Relentless Pursuit of the MX-5 Cup Championship - Will Premiere March 25 on Prime Video
This high-stakes docuseries takes viewers inside the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship for the triumphs and challenges that go along with getting started in racing, as seen through the unique prism of three inspiring protagonists - two drivers and a team owner.

[02/28/25 - 05:31 AM]
Paramount+ Reveals First-Look Photos for "MobLand" - Guy Ritchie's New Global Crime Series Set to Premiere on Sunday, March 30
The series stars Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan as the head of an organized crime family, fighting for power within a global crime syndicate.

[02/27/25 - 11:06 AM]
A&E Announces New Series "Stadium Lockup" Following Law Enforcement & Security Teams at the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Ohio
With so much excitement comes plenty of action and the security team must stay on high alert as rule breaking and bad behavior won't be tolerated.

[02/27/25 - 11:00 AM]
Season Two of the HBO Original Comedy Series "The Rehearsal," from Nathan Fielder, Debuts April 20
In season two, the urgency of Fielder's project grows as he decides to put his resources toward an issue that affects us all.

[02/27/25 - 10:28 AM]
Bravo's "Southern Hospitality" Returns to the Clubhouse for a Supersized "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" Reunion on Thursday, March 6 at 10 P.M. ET/PT
Andy Cohen is joined by Mia Alario, Joe Bradley, Leva Bonaparte, Bradley Carter, TJ Dinch, Grace Lilly, Molly Moore, Michols Peña, Maddi Reese, Lake Rucker, Emmy Sharrett, and Austin Stephan to reflect on an emotional season that left the group's friendships more challenged than ever before.

[02/27/25 - 10:00 AM]
Video: "Control Freak" - Official Trailer - Hulu
A motivational speaker is tormented by an unrelenting itch on the back of her head.

[02/27/25 - 10:00 AM]
Video: "Becoming Katharine Graham" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
The story of a woman's evolution from a self-proclaimed "doormat-wife" into one of the most powerful newspaper publishers of the 20th century.

[02/27/25 - 09:31 AM]
HBO Original Drama Series "Lanterns" Begins Production
The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

[02/27/25 - 09:30 AM]
FOX Ups "Next Level Chef" with Two New Seasons of Hit Cooking Competition Series
Plus: the network will expand the franchise with its new holiday competition offering "Next Level Baker."

[02/27/25 - 09:15 AM]
"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Announces Two New Cast Members for Season Three
Jamie Campbell Bower and Eddie Marsan have joined the cast of the series' upcoming third season, which is currently in pre-production and will begin filming this spring at the series' new production home at Shepperton Studios in the UK.

[02/27/25 - 09:02 AM]
OWN's "The Never Ever Mets" Returns with a Dynamic New Season, As Couples Taking Their Online Relationships Into the Real World Uncover Surprising Secrets About Their Partners
The dynamic new season features seven new couples who have built strong love connections online but have never met in person.