AMC Announces Scripted and Unscripted Development Slate

AMC has announced a slew of drama, comedy and unscripted projects that are in development. Included are the green light of comedy pilot “We Hate Paul Revere,” new creative relationships for drama and comedy projects with Chris Carter (“The X-Files”), Amy Lippman (“Masters of Sex”), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This is the End), Dave Erickson (“Sons of Anarchy”), and John Leguizamo (“Ice Age” films), as well as a renewal of “Comic Book Men” and more Kevin Smith projects. Here’s the full announcement:

Leading into the annual Upfront season AMC – the network and brand committed to delivering rich stories and characters that provide viewers something more – announces a robust development slate including numerous scripted drama projects, its first foray into scripted comedy, “overall” talent deals, and several new unscripted series.

The network’s first scripted comedy project will be the greenlight of a pilot for “We Hate Paul Revere.” Written, executive produced and starring Ethan Sandler and Adrian Wenner (the duo worked together on “My Boys,” “Whitney”), “We Hate Paul Revere” tells the story of brothers Hugh and Ebenezer Moody and their struggle to find their place and the recognition they believe they deserve as they live in the shadow of history in Colonial Boston. “We Hate Paul Revere” is set to shoot in Q3’14 for consideration for 2015.

New creative relationships on drama and comedy projects include Chris Carter (“The X Files”), Amy Lippman (“Masters of Sex”), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (“This is the End”), and John Leguizamo (“Ice Age”), to name a few.

AMC also announced the renewal of the unscripted series “Comic Book Men” which, in its third season, is averaging one million viewers (live + same day) and more than 720,000 adults 18-49 at midnight on Sunday nights. Building on the late night success of “Comic Book Men,” AMC is expanding its relationship with Kevin Smith to include the development of a late night project, “Hollywood Babble-On,” starring Smith and his co-host of their wildly popular podcast, Ralph Garman, to be produced by Wilshire Studios (“The Soup,” “Fashion Police”) and executive produced by Kevin Smith, Ralph Garman and Gary Auerbach. Additionally, AMC is also working with Smith on the development of a docuseries featuring super-collector and “Comic Book Men” regular, Robert Bruce. Produced by Original Media, LLC and Smith’s Smodcast Pictures, and executive produced by Dan Laikind, Charlie Corwin, Elyse Seiden and Kevin Smith, Bruce and his fellow experts scour the country searching real estate sales, auction houses and flea markets on a quest to find rare items that will feed the needs of his demanding clients and add to Bruce’s own colossal collection.

AMC also announced an overall deal with Dave Erickson (“Sons of Anarchy”), who in addition has been engaged to co-write, along with Robert Kirkman, and serve as an Executive Producer on the unnamed “The Walking Dead” companion series.

“2013 was by all meaningful measures the most successful year in AMC’s history and we are building on this momentum in every imaginable way. AMC is introducing more hours of original programming and the most robust, diverse development slate in our network’s history. Unwavering is our commitment to the eclectic, quality dramatic series that have come to define our brand and to the unconventional unscripted worlds we love to explore. And today we also happily dive head-first into our first-ever scripted comedy pilot,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “It is a personal point of pride for all of us to be working with a roster of such creative, talented and successful professionals, many of whom are entrusting us with personal passion projects. We appreciate their confidence and look forward to working collaboratively to bring their visions to fruition.”

“We’re very excited to continue our growth in original programming over the coming year. Along with some great new dramas, and our growing slate of unscripted series; we’ll be expanding our brand of unexpected and unconventional original programming into scripted comedy. As always, we’ll continue to look for unique creative voices to pair with passionate audiences through stories you’d never expect to see on television,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s executive vice president of original programming, production and digital content. “We’ve got some terrific comedy projects in development, and are thrilled that we’ll be making our first comedy pilot this year. In We Hate Paul Revere, we’ll explore the characters that history forgot. For more than 200 years, Paul Revere has had a pretty good ride. It’s about time someone took him down a peg!”

Below are details of today’s announcements:

SCRIPTED DRAMA DEVELOPMENT

Note: All show titles are Working Titles

· “Area 51”

Writer and Executive Producer: Chris Carter (“The X Files”); Executive Producer: Gale Anne Hurd (“The Walking Dead,” “The Terminator”)

Based on the NY Times best-seller “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base” by Annie Jacobson. A contemporary conspiracy thriller revealing the true story behind the infamous Area 51, America’s most mysterious military installation.

· “Police State”

Writer and Executive Producer: Michael Tolkin (“The Player”); Executive Producers: Josh Applebaum, André Nemec, Scott Rosenberg & Jeff Pinkner

A dark comedic tale of Ollie, a big-box store security guard, who is secretly recruited by an NSA-like organization. Starting as an observer, a person who can see everything by manipulating our electronic devices, Ollie will rise to power in hopes of changing the system but will ultimately compromise his intentions.

· “Kingmakers”

Writer and Executive Producer: Tom Kelly (“Blue Bloods,” “Copper”); Co-Production with Endemol Studios

Based on the French series, “Les Hommes De L’Ombre,” “Kingmakers” follows a former campaign manager forced to get back into politics when his friend and current gubernatorial candidate is assassinated during a campaign speech. This series marks the first project in AMC’s overall deal with Kelly.

· “Bombingham”

Writer and Executive Producer: Alexander Woo (“True Blood”); Executive Producer: Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment

The fragile peace in present day Birmingham, Alabama is shattered when a murderer from 1963 is discovered and buried demons from the Civil Rights Era resurface.

· “The Sparrow”

Writer and Executive Producer: Michael Perry (“The River,” “Paranormal Activity 2”)

Based on Mary Doria Russell’s acclaimed science-fiction epic, “The Sparrow” tells the story of a Jesuit-led mission to make first contact with an alien race.

· “Jerry’s World”

Writer and Executive Producer: Jan Oxenberg (“Once and Again”); Executive Producers: David Shore and Erin Gunn of Shore Z and Wendy Riche (“Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County”); Co-production with Sony Pictures Television

This drama follows Dinah, a commitment-phobic artist and the world’s most unlikely caregivers she cobbles together an unusual and very modern family when she moves in with her boyfriend, his daughter, and her estranged father Jerry (who has early onset Alzheimers). Although Dinah thinks she is saving Jerry by taking him in, Jerry’s unusual perspective on the world ends up saving Dinah, and the rest of the family.

· “Paradise Lost”

Writer and Executive Producer Amy Lippman (“Masters of Sex,” “Party of Five”)

“Paradise Lost” is the story of a group of friends who withdraw from society to create a new, more positive community in which to raise their families – but at what cost?

FIRST LOOK DEVELOPMENT

AMC’s first-look deal with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free has yielded the previously-announced pilot “Galyntine,” from Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead,” “This Is The End,” “Oz The Great And Powerful,” “Transformers”) and Jason Cahill (“The Sopranos,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” “Fringe,” “Surface,” “Profiler”), which is currently in pre-production, and the previously-announced development project “Raiders,” from writer and executive producer, Evan Wright (“Generation Kill”). Today, AMC announced the addition of pilot script supervising and executive producer John McNamara to “Raiders,” as well as another project from the first-look deal:

· “Strange Angel”

Executive Producers: Ridley Scott and David Zucker of Scott Free

AMC has optioned the book, “Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons” by George Pendle, based on the life of Jim Parsons, a brilliant rocket scientist and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While a pioneer in research that had only recently been dreamed up in science fiction, his bright future gave way to ruin as Parsons headed down another, darker path into the occult community of mid-century Los Angeles.

AMC’s overall deal with Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg’s Double Feature Films has yielded a project in development:

· “Outer Darkness”

Writer and Co-Executive Producer: Jim McDermott; Executive Producers: Stacey Sher (“Pulp Fiction”) and Michael Shamberg (“Django Unchained,” “Pulp Fiction”) of Double Feature Films

A grounded take on exorcism by exploring everyday evil in an idyllic midwestern town.

SCRIPTED COMEDY DEVELOPMENT

· “Untitled John Leguizamo Project”

Writer, Executive Producer and Star: John Leguizamo (“Ice Age”); Writer and Executive Producer: Sal Stabile (“Revenge”); Executive Producers: Jeff Golenberg and Sam Maydew of Silver Lining Entertainment

Drawing inspiration from John’s real life, this half hour follows a group of men in Queens, The Bronx and upper Manhattan wrestling with careers, relationships, family, ambition, and getting older.

· “No Money Down”

Writer, Executive Producer and Star: Wyatt Cenac (“The Daily Show”); Executive Producers: Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Liza Chasin of Working Title; Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski of Working Title

The comedy series follows a guy who bottoms out and begins working at an Austin car dealership with a variety of personalities.

· “Random Acts”

Writer and Executive Producer: Andrea Abbate (based on her play of the same name); Executive Producers: Todd Holland and Karey Burke of Dark Toy Entertainment and Kenton Allen of Big Talk Productions

As single girls in their early 30’s, Katie and Lisa work through issues with relationships, family, and growing up. As contract killers in Echo Park, Katie and Lisa work through issues with drug lords, crooked cops and unpaid debts.

· “Sober Buddies”

Writers and Executive Producers: Danny Comden (“Pretty Persuasion”) and Barry Schwartz; Executive Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver (“This is the End”) of Point Grey Pictures

Jonesy, a loveably washed up pro surfer turned sober coach works to help Jason, the privileged, ne’er-do-well son of a wealthy industrialist. Together 24-7 in a sort of arranged marriage, the two will come to rely on one another since as of yesterday, Jonesy isn’t exactly sober.

BOOK OPTIONS:

AMC also announced that the network has optioned three books for scripted drama series development including:

· “Somewhere East of Life”

Author: Brian Aldiss

Set in the near future, this book tells the story of a man as he tries to reclaim his identity after having the last ten years of his memories stolen.

· “Silent History”

Serialized, exploratory novel for iPad and iPhone created by: Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby and Kevin Moffett; Executive Producer: Amy Lippman (“Party of Five,” “Masters of Sex”)

Chronicling a generation of children born without the ability to communicate.

UNSCRIPTED DEVELOPMENT

Note: All show titles are Working Titles.

· “Untitled Billy Corgan Wrestling Project”

Produced by Left/Right, LLC (“Small Town Security,” “This American Life,” “Mob Wives”); Executive Producers: Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, Billy Corgan and Ghen Maynard.

Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan pulls back the curtains on the pro-wrestling world as he takes over creative direction for the independent wrestling company Resistance Pro.

· “Bronx Pop”

Produced by Richard Devinki Productions, LLC and Red Hot Poker Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television, Executive Producers: Anne Clements and Mike Wittlin

A comedic docu-soap following tough guys and lifelong friends Ralph Rubino and Nicky D’Angelo, as they hit the streets to launch an old fashioned soda pop company, Bronx Pop.

· “Prison Redemption”

Produced by Custom Redtail Partners, LLC (“The Devil’s Ride,” “$24 in 24 Hours”); Executive Producers: Chris Burke, Jared Cotton and Steve Stockman

A docuseries that takes a gritty, no holds barred look at life for both the inmates and the employees of the Pierce County Jail in Tacoma, Washington.

This broad development slate joins other projects currently in development including the pilots for “Knifeman,” (Rolin Jones – “United States of Tara,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Weeds,” “Low Winter Sun”) and “Galyntine,” (Jason Cahill – “The Sopranos,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” “Fringe,” “Surface,” “Profiler” – and Greg Nicotero – “The Walking Dead,” “This Is The End,” “Oz The Great And Powerful,” “Transformers”) which are currently in pre-production, and “Preacher,” which is currently being written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who together worked on “This is the End,” “Pineapple Express,” “Superbad”) and developed by AMC and Sony Pictures Television.