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EXCLUSIVE: Hostages, a drama from writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. TV, has landed at CBS with a pilot production commitment. Based on an Israeli format, the project centers on a family caught in the middle of a grand political conspiracy that will change their lives forever. Hostages was originally developed for Israel’s Channel 10 by Alon Aranya, Omri Givon and Rotem Shamir. The show has not been produced in Israel, but an U.S. adaptation written by Aranya found its way to Bruckheimer TV, which bought the rights and then brought in Nachmanoff (Traitor). Nachmanoff is set to write and direct Hostages as well as executive produce it with Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Givon, Rotem Shamir and Chayim Sharir. Aranya and KristieAnne Reed serve as co-executive producers.
This is the latest big commitment for Jerry Bruckheimer TV this season. The company has a pilot order at NBC for drama The Secret Lives Of Husbands And Wives and put pilot commitments for The Bureau, an FBI drama penned by Aron Eli Coleite, at CBS and docu-style military comedy At Ease, from writers Josh Bycel & Jonathan Fener, at NBC. It also has comedy The B-Side, from writer Sheri Elwood, set up at NBC.
Hostages also marks the the third sale this season for Aranya. He has two other projects with his Scripted World partner Rob Golenberg who, as an agent, sold Hostages to Bruckheimer TV. The two have Ritter, a legal drama at NBC from Homeland‘s Howard Gordon and Alex Cary inspired by the Icelandic series Réttur, and Betrayal, a drama based on the 2011 Dutch series Overspel at ABC, with David Zabel writing/exec producing. The duo are also behind ABC’s midseason drama series Red Widow, also based on a Dutch format.
Nachmanoff recently directed the pilot for NBC’s upcoming firefighter drama Chicago Fire and two episodes of Showtime’s acclaimed thriller drama Homeland, also based on an Israeli format. Nachmanoff and Bruckheimer TV are with CAA.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Well played Aranya! Can’t wait to see it.
Sounds great. Love Homeland. Bring on more shows based on Israeli series. Too bad Family Dinner show was a no-go at NBC.
Great writer, great producers, great idea.
Once again, as a study in absurdity if nothing else, I hope Nellie keep track of all these so-called ‘put pilot commitments’ the networks hand out like Halloween candy during pitching season, and total up how many of them actually get to the ‘pilot’ part.
And the idea that virtually every project Bruckheimer takes to the marketplace is in such demand that it ends up with a ‘put pilot commitment’ is comical at this point.
He absolutely, unequivocally deserves all of his staggering success, but he’s launched eleven original series since 2004 and none of them have been hits – none. Indeed only two, ‘Dark Blue’ and ‘Close to Home,’ even went two seasons. At the risk of pointing out the obvious: if he won’t sell you his project without a ‘pilot commitment,’ then let someone else lose money on it.
Glad to heard from someone rational on facts instead of drooling on themselves on how fast they can piss away someone else’s money.
more of the same…how bout rogue cia turned terrorist cell traveling the country in singing competitions
Because when you think of the glaring holes in CBS’s drama schedule, you think “hostage show.” And because it was such a big hit in Israel. Who does Peter Roth have pictures of anyway?
The show was never even produced in Israel? Was a script even written? Was it just scribbled on a napkin at some cafe in Tel Aviv?
What happened when networks had faith in American screenwriters and their ideas? Why is everything based on a foreign format or a book so valuable? Was Seinfeld a foreign format? What about Cheers? Or LA Law? Or Grey’s or The Big Bang Theory? Were they based on books?
The networks send out the implicit message that American writers’ ideas are no good, then wonder why all their development ends up so terrible.
Ugh. how bout a show about something NOT based in fantasy but based in real life. Nothing like relatable real life train wreck events to get viewers to connect.