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NBC has bought Pariah, a drama project from Lionsgate Television and Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet Prods. Written by Kevin Fox (The Negotiator, Law & Order: SVU), the police procedural features characters inspired by the economic theory ‘Freakonomics’ made popular by authors/economists Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner. In Pariah, the Mayor of San Diego appoints a rogue academic with no law enforcement background to run a task force using Freakonomics-inspired alternative methods of policing. This causes an uproar within the police department as the morally conflicted, conspiracy-minded academic solves crimes by conducting his controversial experiments on citizens of the city. Grammer and Grammnet’s Stella Stolper and Brian Sher will executive produce, with Levitt and Dubner attached as producers. The project extends Grammnet’s relationship with Lionsgate — the two companies also co-produce the Grammer-starring Starz drama Boss. Grammnet, whose head of development Brian Taylor has spearheaded Pariah, and Levitt & Dubner are repped by WME. Fox is with Gersh.
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This is a formidable concept. Freakonomics is full of well conceived ideas and combining it with a city cop show is inspired.
Combining Freakonomics as a cop show is very cool idea!
A brilliant idea! Freakonomics is a huge, huge brand. It’s about time someone thought of this. I can’t wait to see this. NBC got it right — finally!!!! Go NBC!
I love Freakonomics! What an excellent idea. I can’t wait to watch it. This is brilliant.
like Gypsy Rose used to sing, “you gotta have a gimmick.”
What a great book. It should make a great tv show. Really looking forward to it.
Interesting idea… I’m not normally a fan of procedurals, but the humor and insight of Levitt and Dubner will add needed flair to the detective stories. Looking forward to this one.
A really smart move for NBC. Well done. This is going to go the distance.
This is an excellent programming move for NBC. First good idea Ive heard all development season!
Freakonomics is a great concept and that a Freakonomics professor running a city police force is a novel, interesting idea.
WHAT AN AWESOME IDEA! i was wondering if these guys were ever gonna get a show around that book… i hope they use real statistics – i LOVED all the oddball facts they wrangled together.
Sounds like a variation on “Numb3rs”.
I agree. This is a really good idea. Weird.
This is a phenomenal idea for NBC. They’ve finally got one right.
Really interesting idea. Feels like something that might have a fantastic pilot, but run out of steam. On the other hand, NUMB3RS was on the air for quite a long time.
Horrible. Will not happen.
Tundra = TATOOSHORRIBLE
I have never seen more fake posts in a row.
How can I tell they’re fake? Because they’re positive, and this is a Deadline Hollywood message board.
Yeah, the comments are suspiciously positive. People have been known to say nice things on here, but something’s off about this particular lovefest.
I’m glad I’m not the only cynic in the room. I was thinking, so is there some other book called Freakonomics, because the one I’m thinking of doesn’t lend itself to any kind of scripted drama, certainly not in some same dunk kind of way.
I loved this book and have no doubt it will go to series. Great idea! Go BT!
This is the kind of show that can get NBC back on track. Freakonomics has a huge following – maybe NBC will now too.
Props to Kev Fox — great writer, great guy!!!
To Get Real -
Correct!!!!!! I said the same thing. Think BS is working it?
This idea is a dud. Will never happen.
It doesn’t take a Freakonomicist to realize that most of these posts are fake. Somebody was working overtime fast and furious to rave about this as if it was the greatest idea in history. The fake posts are easy to spot:
This is a formidable concept. Freakonomics is full of well conceived ideas and combining it with a city cop show is inspired.
Comment by Erin Timmer — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 6:00pm PDT
Combining Freakonomics as a cop show is very cool idea!
Comment by Samantha Porter — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 6:04pm PDT
A brilliant idea! Freakonomics is a huge, huge brand. It’s about time someone thought of this. I can’t wait to see this. NBC got it right — finally!!!! Go NBC!
Comment by Sean — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 6:05pm PDT
I love Freakonomics! What an excellent idea. I can’t wait to watch it. This is brilliant.
Comment by Sam Burns — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 6:07pm PDT
What a great book. It should make a great tv show. Really looking forward to it.
Comment by Eli Robinson — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 6:10pm PDT
A really smart move for NBC. Well done. This is going to go the distance.
Comment by Hank — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 6:24pm PDT
This is a phenomenal idea for NBC. They’ve finally got one right.
Comment by RDM — Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 7:04pm PDT
The fake posts are even easier to spot if you’ve read Freakonomics. Interesting book, but in what universe is it some kind of obviously great basis for a scripted TV series? Documentary, that’s easier to see.
This sounds awesome. Can’t wait for it to run for a season or two on NBC and then be unceremoniously dumped due to low ratings, only to be picked up by a different cable net, who will proceed to nurture it for many more successful seasons.
GetReal hit the nail on the head. I smell plants.
The positivity on the board this morning is scaring me. It’s either plants or people like me who love Freakonomics. Whatever the case, I’m rooting for this show.