Upfronts 2012: Bravo Plans First Scripted Series for 2013

Greenlights 11 new series, eight series renewed as part of 27% increase in originals

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/4/2012 1:15:00 PM

Complete Coverage: Upfronts 2012

Bravo Media on Wednesday announced it has two new scripted projects in development and plans to premiere its first scripted series in 2013.

The scripted series are 22 Birthdays, about the scandalous activities of a group of parents at an exclusive private school, with each episode centering on a lavish birthday party. From creator Jason Ning (90210, Burn Notice) is Blowing Sunshine, which follows the staff and high profile patients at a fictional private rehabilitation center.

Both scripted series are part of an overall 27 percent increase in original programming including the greenlight of 11 new unscripted series and the introduction of a sixth passion point "digital" to join Bravo's existing programming pillars of food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture. The first series in the digital pillar are Silicon Valley, starring the internet entrepreneur Randi Zuckerberg and the intertwining lives of budding young professionals in Silicon Valley; and Huh?, which goes inside the icanhascheezburger.com office.

Other new series are Below Deck, about the young, single crew of a luxurious mega yacht; the Top Chef spinoff Life After Top Chef which follows the lives of former "cheftestants"; SUR, about Lisa Vanderpump's (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) Hollywood restaurant and lounge; Miss Advised, about three relationships experts who struggle on the dating scene; and Newlyweds: The First Year, which captures couples in their first year of marriage.

Also greenlit are Gallery Girls, about seven young women with a passion for art living in New York City; LA Shrinks, about the professional and personal lives of top Los Angeles therapists; Decades, which shows off the vintage couture at a renowned boutique; and The Kandi Factory, where Kandi Buress (The Real Housewives of Atlanta) works with musicians with no industry experience to turn them into pop stars.

Bravo has renewed returning series Flipping Out, Tabatha Takes Over, Million Dollar Decorators, Top Chef Masters, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, Chef Roble & Co. and Pregnant in Heels, in addition to the net's longstanding Inside the Actors Studio.

The network ranked No. 11 in primetime among cable entertainment networks with adults 18-49 in 2011 and had 10 original series attract more than two million total viewers each. Bravo will host an upfront party on Wednesday evening at Center 548 in New York.