You are viewing the archive: “Lionsgate Television”

NBC Buys ‘Freakonomics’-Inspired Drama Procedural Produced By Kelsey Grammer

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday August 7, 2012 @ 5:52pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, Kelsey Grammer, Lionsgate Television, Pariah
Nellie Andreeva

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.

Comments 32

Feature Producer Jason Blum Signs First-Look Television Deal With Lionsgate

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday February 14, 2012 @ 5:01pm PSTTags: Jason Blum, Lionsgate Television
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Prods., which made its first foray into television with the ABC midseaosn drama The River, is putting down TV roots with its first television deal, a first-look pact with Lionsgate TV. Under the deal, Blumhouse will … Read More »

Comments (8)

Netflix Eyeing Second Original Series – Comedy From ‘Weeds’ Creator Jenji Kohan

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday July 22, 2011 @ 4:05pm PDTTags: Jenji Kohan, Lionsgate Television, Netflix
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Streaming video/DVD-by-mail giant Netflix continues its quest to become an original programming player. Following its eye-popping 26-episode straight-to-series deal with MRC for the David Fincher/Kevin Spacey drama House Of Cards, I hear the the Web subscription company … Read More »

Comments (1)

Chris Selak Gets Lionsgate TV Development Job

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday July 19, 2011 @ 1:26pm PDTTags: Barbara Wall, Lionsgate Television
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: I hear longtime John Wells Prods. executive Chris Selak is going to Lionsgate TV to take over the top development position vacated by Barbara Wall. Wall stepped down in May as EVP Television at Lionsgate where she served as head of development and current programming. (She is stay … Read More »

Comments (7)

Reality Series About Swingers Headed To TV

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday May 26, 2011 @ 12:10pm PDTTags: Eli Frankel, Lionsgate Television
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: After exploring pot-dealing in suburbia in its dark comedy Weeds, Lionsgate Television is taking on another suburban taboo in a new reality series. Certain to create controversy, Bedroom Community revolves around a group of swingers — suburban couples who swap partners. Lionsgate shot a presentation for the project, which is now being shopped to cable networks. Bedroom Community is one of the first projects shepherded by reality producer Eli Frankel, who in March signed a two-year deal with Lionsgate. “The world of swingers is mythologized in American pop culture, but very few people outside of it have seen it,” Frankel said. And many would be surprised looking in, he said. “What we have seen on shows about swingers are primarily older hippies, fringe people who are a little bit dirty. What we found are elite groups of people in upscale communities who are good-looking and have money and access. That glossy version is much more interesting to watch.” Read More »

Comments 298

Starz Sets Production Start And Remaining Cast For Kelsey Grammer Series ‘Boss’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday April 20, 2011 @ 11:16am PDTTags: Boss, Chicago, Gus Van Sant, Kelsey Grammer, Lionsgate Television, Starz
Nellie Andreeva

Deadline told you about the Kelsey Grammer Starz series Boss last fall, and now the network has confirmed everything, with Gus Van Sant set to make his TV directing debut. Not included in the release is that Troy Garity will join the series for a key story arc as … Read More »

Comments (5)

Matt Weiner’s Talks For ‘Mad Men’ Mega Deal Could Collapse Over Cost-Shaving

By MIKE FLEMING JR. AND NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday March 28, 2011 @ 8:13pm PDTTags: AMC, Lionsgate Television, Mad Men, Matt Weiner

Negotiations between Mad Men creator/executive producer Matt Weiner and AMC and Lionsgate Television seemed close enough to expect the cable network’s signature show to lock a fifth season in time for AMC’s April upfront meetings with advertisers.

But, with just few … Read More »

Comments 144