NBC feeds its 'Desire'

Telemundo, Galan soaping up 'Body'

By ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE

NBC Universal Television Group has inked a two-year, first-look development deal with Galan Entertainment for the production of telenovelas and other Spanish-language formats in English.

First project under the new deal is hit Telemundo production "Body of Desire," written by Julio Jimenez. Production kicks off this summer in a yet-to-be-determined facility.

NBC U unit Telemundo will license all its current and acquired formats to Galan to adapt into English. Galan chief Nely Galan, who was entertainment prexy of Telemundo from 1998-2000, plans to tap Latino talent and crew with expertise in the genre.

"It's important to work with people who understand the format and who understand the recipe for an authentic telenovela," said Galan, who will be working closely with old friends Patricio Wills, head of Telemundo Studios, and Telemundo development chief Marcos Santana.

"This represents a fantastic opportunity to achieve many of our goals at NBC U," said NBC Universal TV Group CEO Jeff Zucker. "First, we can better integrate our English- and Spanish-speaking audiences to achieve enhanced cultural understanding with different programming genres, and second, maximize our many broadcast platforms for what promises to have a huge financial upside."

Galan has produced more than 600 episodes of television in both Spanish and English. Most recently, she created Fox's hit reality show "The Swan," which has been airing in 58 countries around the world. She co-produced Mexican media giant Televisa's "Imperio de Cristal" (Empire) in the mid-'90s. In 2003, Galan created hit reality telenovela skein "La Cenicienta" (Cinderella) as well as its offshoots "La Cenicienta 2" and male version "El Principe azul" (Prince Charming) for Telemundo.

NBC joins other rivals in the race to tap the telenovela genre.

CBS Daytime topper Barbara Bloom is developing four potential telenovelas from a range of sources, from an adaptation of an existing FremantleMedia format to an original creation by scribe Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook").

ABC is looking at a mix of existing formats and original productions, including the adaptation of Colombian global phenom "Yo soy Betty la fea." Fox's new mini-web My Network TV will launch with telenovela adaptations under the banner "Desire."

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