'Trace' scribe outlines long-term Par plans

Walker makes three-year deal with studio

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

Walker

"Without a Trace" scribe Greg Walker, who recently took over showrunner duties, has sealed a hefty three-year overall deal with Paramount Network TV.

New deal will keep Walker on "Trace" as an executive producer for the next two years, before he turns his attention to development. Walker is taking over the Warner Bros. TV/Paramount/Bruckheimer drama as creator Hank Steinberg steps down. Steinberg will continue as a consultant.

"We consider ourselves the 'Bruckheimer Classics' division," Walker quipped. "We're quiet, but people are starting to see what we do well, telling emotional stories and throwing out possibilities of hope."

Walker, who's been with "Trace" from the show's launch, will have worked through six seasons by the time he leaves. Once he turns to development, Walker said he'll likely stick with the procedural genre.

"I'm going to milk the procedural until its last dying breath," he said. "I like the mix of emotion and intense professional quality that people in the business of solving mysteries bring to their daily life."

Walker's other credits include "The X-Files," "Harsh Realm" and "Smallville."

"The success of 'Without a Trace' is in no small part due to Greg's thoughtful and strong guidance of the show," Paramount Network TV prexy David Stapf said.