Sorcher
Riding high on the ratings from Robert Duvall's "Broken Trail," AMC is unveiling its first development slate of scripted series.
Cabler has lined up drama and comedy projects from "Donnie Darko" writer-director Richard Kelley, "Monster's Ball" scribe Will Rokos and "Boston Legal" writer Phoef Sutton.
"NYPD Blue" exec producer William Finkelstein, "Shadow of the Vampire" scribe Steven Katz and "Blade" TV helmer Peter O'Fallon also have closed to deals to develop series projects for the net.
Among the untitled scripts in development are a hybrid family-horror drama set in suburbia from feature scribes Adam and Seth Gross and exec producer Kelley; a dark, Gotham-set detective hour from writer-exec producer Rokos; an American adaptation of the Brit series "My Life in Film" from showrunner-scribe Sutton; and a sci-fi dramedy similar in tone to "MASH" from showrunner Vic Levin ("Mad About You").
Also in the pipeline are a New York-set 1970s period drama, from exec producer Finkelstein; graphic novelist Warren Ellis' half-hour "Dead Channel," a sci-fi story about a fictional entertainment industry; a modern-day horror effort in the vein of "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Shining," from writer-exec producer Katz; a supernatural hour about what happens when dreams and desires are fulfilled, from O'Fallon and writer Dan Sinclair; and Rohan Gavin's sci-fi series set in a small Midwestern town.
Packed roster is the result of the efforts of the original-programming team led by exec VP of programming, packaging and production Rob Sorcher, who last year brought in VP Christina Wayne to oversee the inaugural scripted series for the cabler (
Daily Variety, Nov. 16).
Separately at AMC, cabler has upped Tom Halleen to senior VP of programming and scheduling, a position overseeing acquisitions, scheduling, media planning and operations. He'll report to Sorcher.
AMC has taken several significant steps into the scripted arena, last year partnering with the BBC to co-produce the U.K. con-men hourlong "Hustle" and greenlighting the drama pilot "Mad Men," a 1920s-era advertising-age story from "The Sopranos" producer Matthew Weiner (
Daily Variety, March 13). Sorcher said a pickup decision on the latter is imminent.
Two-part oater "Broken Trail" set network records when it drew 10 million viewers to its July premiere.
Wayne said the strategy behind the premiere slate is to develop projects in line with genres that already perform well on the network, i.e., sci-fi, horror, Westerns and action.
"We have a Monster Fest horror marathon that runs in October, so it makes a lots of sense to develop in that genre," she said. "That said, our shows will put a distinct spin on traditional genres. We're not just going to rehash a Western or a horror. They all will feel contemporary in some way and new," she emphasized.
"All of these projects are informed by the qualities of our brand, 'American Movie Classics,' " Sorcher added. "As with 'Broken Trail' and the pilot for 'Mad Men,' it's important that everything we do feels cinematic in execution and scope."
Both executives said the goal is to launch one weekly series next summer.
"We're not in the volume business," Sorcher added. "We're very focused; we'll only roll out projects that make sense."
Wayne said the cabler is still in negotiations on a handful of other scripts in a variety of genres and formats.
For the month of July, AMC grew 23% in primetime overall viewership and 17% in both adults 25-54 and 18-49.
As VP of programming, Halleen has been instrumental in buying and scheduling movies for the network for the past four years. Prior to AMC, he spent twelve years as a senior VP at ABC Family and its previous incarnations, Fox Family and Family Channel.
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