Actual reality sets in for TV exec Balaban
WB vet to head up Cutler's TV development and production
Balaban will serve as vice president of development and current programming for Cutler's Actual Reality Pictures. She joins the company from the WB, where she worked on series such as "Popstars" and "Grosse Pointe" as director of development. She also helped develop "Strangers With Candy" as an exec at Comedy Central.
"It's extremely exciting to have Belisa working with Actual Reality," Cutler said. "She's smart and savvy and has great instincts, a terrific imagination and impeccable taste."
At Actual Reality, Balaban inherits a slate that includes the nonfiction drama "The Residents" for TNT. Actual Reality and partner Columbia TriStar Domestic Television have a 13-episode order for the skein, which follows a group of young doctors over the course of the year.
Cutler and Balaban are also prepping a sequel to "American High," which picked up the Emmy for outstanding nonfiction (reality) program. Actual Reality is scouting out inner-city schools on the East Coast to serve as the setting for "American High II," which hasn't yet received a firm pickup order. Twentieth Century Fox TV produced "American High," which initially aired on Fox but was dropped after disappointing numbers. PBS later aired the full run of the series.
Actual Reality also has projects in the works at HBO, TNN and VH1.
Cutler and Actual Reality are repped by UTA and Talent Entertainment Group.
