or


[01/22/14 - 11:17 PM]
Development Update: Wednesday, January 22
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!


GRACEPOINT (FOX; W: Chris Chibnall; D: James Strong) - Madalyn Horcher has been cast in the event series, a gripping crime drama which follows the tragic and mysterious death of a young boy found dead on an idyllic beach surrounded by rocks and a jutting cliff-face, from where he may have fallen. She's set as Chloe Lasseter, "the smart and sassy daughter of Mark (Michael Pena) and Beth (Virginia Kull), who is hit hard by her brother Danny's death." The project's ensemble also includes Anna Gunn, David Tennant, Jacki Weaver, Jessica Lucas, Josh Hamilton, Kendrick Sampson, Kevin Rankin, Kevin Zegers and Nick Nolte. (Deadline.com)


HIGHER (HBO, New!) - "Trainspotting" author Irvine Welsh is spearheading a new project at the pay channel billed as "a fictional comedy is set in the world of electronic music." Calvin Harris, Will Smith and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter are among the executive producers of the project, which also include Overbrook Entertainment's James Lassiter, Jada Pinkett Smith and Miguel Melendez; Three Six Zero Group's Mark Gillespie and Dean Wilson; and Marcy Media's Jay Brown and Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith. (Deadline.com)


OPEN (HBO/Fox 21; W: Lauren Gussis & Ryan Murphy; D: TBA) - Jaimie Alexander (Thor: The Dark World) and Lina Esco (LOL) are the latest additions to the drama pilot, billed as "a modern, provocative exploration of human sexuality and relationships." Esco will play Gina, "a smoking hot and extremely ambitious employee at Jonathan's (Scott Speedman) sports management agency (and the object of his sexting and extra-curricular exploits) who will stop at nothing to get the job promotion and her man." Alexander then will guest as Claire, "the postpartum-suffering, pill-popping Stepford wife of Evan (Wes Bentley)." Aisha Tyler, Anna Torv, Cheyenne Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michelle Monaghan also star. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED BILL COSBY PROJECT (NBC, New!) - Comedian Bill Cosby is eyeing a return to the small screen as part of a new comedy at the Peacock. Said effort will be built around Cosby, "who will play the patriarch of a multi-generational family." Former "The Cosby Show" producer Tom Werner is on board to executive produce the half-hour alongside Cosby. The search is underway for a writer on the project, which has been put on the off-season development track. (Deadline.com)


UNTITLED DAVID O. RUSSELL/SUSANNAH GRANT PROJECT (ABC, New!) - Oscar-nominated director David O. Russell (American Hustle) and writer Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) are set to team for a new drama billed as "an upstairs/downstairs soap set at a private country club" at the Alphabet. The project has been given a straight-to-series 13-episode order with ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios co-producing. Grant penning the pilot teleplay off a story she conceived with Russell. Both will executive produce alongside Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly of Timberman-Beverly Productions. It's not clear if Russell also plans to direct. (Deadline.com)


AND IN OTHER NEWS... - Emmy-winner Ann Peacock ("A Lesson Before Dying") has been tapped to pen the CBS mini-series "The Dovekeepers," based on Alice Hoffman's novel of the same name (Deadline.com); HBO has passed on its Topher Grace/Sarah Silverman-led comedy pilot "People in New Jersey" while its untitled half-hour from Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin is being redeveloped with a production commitment (Deadline.com); Pedro Pascal is bound for at least five episodes of "The Mentalist" as "a charming man with integrity, a blue-collar cop with FBI smarts" and a potential love interest for Robin Tunney's Lisbon; (TVLine.com)

Elisa Donovan will succeed Tara Reid on "Melissa & Joey" as "a museum director who hits it off with Joe (Joey Lawrence) at a bar" (TVGuide.com); Stephen Merchant will guest on "Modern Family" as "the officious Mandalay Bay hotel butler assigned to take care of the Pritchett-Dunphy clan" during its upcoming Las Vegas-set episode (TVGuide.com); and Nicole Ari Parker has joined the cast of TNT's upcoming drama "Murder in the First" as Sonia Perez, "a brilliant and tough district attorney whose career hedges on a high-profile murder case" (THR.com).






  [january 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· DEVELOPMENT UPDATE (TFC)
· DOVEKEEPERS, THE (CBS)
· GRACEPOINT (FOX)
· HIGHER (HBO)
· MELISSA & JOEY (ABC FAMILY)
· MEMBERS ONLY (ABC)
· MENTALIST, THE (CBS)
· MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
· MURDER IN THE FIRST (TNT)
· OPEN (HBO)
· PEOPLE IN NEW JERSEY (HBO)
· UNTITLED BILL COSBY PROJECT (NBC)
· UNTITLED RIDDLE & SALAHUDDIN PROJECT (HBO)





[02/19/25 - 01:18 PM]
NBC's Epic Nature Documentary Series "The Americas," Narrated by Tom Hanks, to Simulcast on Bravo, CNBC, E!, Syfy and USA on Sunday, Feb. 23
Plus: "The Making of 'The Americas,'" one-episode special, will stream exclusively on Peacock, Monday, April 21.

[02/19/25 - 01:00 PM]
Season Two of the HBO Original Drama Series "The Last of Us" Debuts April 13
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

[02/19/25 - 12:06 PM]
"Shifting Gears" Surges to Three-Week High in Multiplatform Viewing Among Total Viewers
After three days of viewing on linear (2/12/25), the acclaimed comedy starring Tim Allen, was the No. 1 program of the night in both Total Viewers (5.78 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.57 rating).

[02/19/25 - 10:00 AM]
Cynthia Erivo to Host "The 78th Annual Tony Awards"
This year's ceremony will return to the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City, broadcasting live to both coasts on Sunday, June 8 on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

[02/19/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Black Ops" - Season 1 Official Trailer - Hulu
Two highly inexperienced police community support officers are forced into the world of undercover work to stop a violent criminal gang - but any wrong move could be their last.

[02/19/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hulu Original "Good American Family"
Told from multiple points of view, as a means to explore issues of perspective, bias, and trauma, this compelling drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism.

[02/19/25 - 09:00 AM]
Prime Video Announces March 6 Premiere Date for "For the Win: NWSL"
The immersive four-part docuseries offers unprecedented access into the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) playoffs and Championship.

[02/19/25 - 08:07 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Universal Pictures' Global Cinematic Event "Wicked" Beginning March 21
The biggest Broadway adaptation of all-time globally, "Wicked" won the Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

[02/19/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Residence" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a White House state dinner becomes a crime scene, detective Cordelia Cupp must investigate dozens of staff members and guests to catch a killer.

[02/19/25 - 08:00 AM]
Video: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip" - Trailer - March 28 on Disney+
This March, the Garcias are going on a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad road trip.

[02/19/25 - 07:53 AM]
Pack Your Bags and "Savor the City" with Chef Jernard Wells Premiering Thursday, April 3 on TV One
Known for his masterful fusion of bold Southern flavors with contemporary flair, "Savor the City" and Chef Jernard Wells lead audiences on a tour through some of the nation's most influential cities, revealing the untold stories of Black culinary and regional history.

[02/19/25 - 07:30 AM]
ABC News Studios Announces Primetime Special "Will Reeve: Finding My Father"
Reeve takes audiences along with him on a journey he has been dreaming of making for 30 years: reliving the last great expedition his father and "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve took in 1995 just before a horse riding accident left him paralyzed with a spinal cord injury when Will was only 2 years old.

[02/19/25 - 07:01 AM]
"Miss Scarlet" Renewed for Season 6
Kate Phillips will reprise her role as the title character in the new installment.

[02/19/25 - 07:01 AM]
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Ratings Increase in 2024 Driven by Growth in Key Series Among African American Women 25-54
Four returning shows saw season-over-season ratings growth with Women 25-54 from prior seasons: "Ready to Love" Season 9 (+8%), "Belle Collective" Season 4 (+8%), "Belle Collective" Season 5 (+36%), and "Love & Marriage Detroit" Season 3 (+4%).

[02/19/25 - 07:00 AM]
Video: "Tyler Perry's Duplicity" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
High-powered attorney Marley (Kat Graham) faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the shooting of her best friend Fela's (Meagan Tandy) husband (Joshua Adeyeye).