Nellie Andreeva

Anthony Zuicker’s Dare To Pass Prods. is having its busiest development season ever with four projects sold to the broadcast networks and several more in final stages of development at CBS TV Studios where the company is based with a first-look deal. Additionally, CSI creator Zuiker has been working full-time on the mothership CSI series this season, taking a break recently to promote Dark Prophecy, the second  book from his Level 26 digi-novel series. In the first literary/broadcast crossover, Sqweegel, the super villain from Level 26, did a guest appearance on CSI this fall, driving ratings up for the veteran crime drama, now in its 11th season. The plan is to bring Sqweegel back in the CSI season finale, which would be co-written by Zuiker and the series showrunner Carol Mendelsohn. “I appreciate it more now than the first time,” Zuiker said about returning to the show that jump started his career.

At the broadcast networks, Dare to Pass has set up four dramas – 3 at CBS and 1 at the CW. All are executive produced by Zuiker and co-exec produced by Dare to Pass’ president of production Matthew Weinberg. The CBS projects include Detail, which is inspired by top celebrity bodyguard Kim Maree Penn and follows a private female security expert. It is being written by Sarah Thorp (The Bounty Hunter). At CBS, Detail joins previously announced Desperado, a modern-day lawman show set in Desperado, Texas with Kyle Ward writing, and Treadstone, which centers on the workings of the Robert Ludlum-created fictional division of the CIA and chronicles how real spies live and operate in today’s world. “We are fascinated by the concept of the citizen spy who lives among us every day,” Zuiker said. In his first time developing at the CW, Zuiker, repped by CAA and Brillstein, is behind Spirits. Written by Jesse Alexander (Lost), it is a paranormal procedural described as Paranormal Activity meets CSI with a little Charmed mixed in and centers on a team of 3 young women who solve paranormal mysteries.

The projects Zuiker has in internal development are: Cyber Crimes, which was set up at CBS last season; an adaptation of his digi-novel Level 26 for cable; Enigma, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes from British writer Ed Whitmore; Rift, a time-travel cop show; and The Seekers, a younger-skewing CSI-type show targeted for such networks as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network.

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