AMC Orders Two Period Drama Pilots

Projects come from 'Breaking Bad' producers; 'Nikita' writer

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/27/2012 4:58:43 PM

AMC on Tuesday greenlit two period drama pilots, Halt & Catch Fire and Turn.

Halt & Catch Fire will center on the early 1980s computing boom, where an engineer's "innovations directly confront the corporate behemoths of the time." It will be set in Texas' Silicon Prairie. The project comes from AMC Studios and is created by Chris Cantwell and Chris Rodgers. Breaking Bad's Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein will serve as executive producers.

Turn, which is based on Alexander Rose's book Washington's Spies, is set in Revolution-era 1778. It features Abe Woodhull, a New York farmer, who forms a group of spies with his childhood friends who "turn the tide in America's fight for independence." Turn is also from AMC Studios with Craig Silverstein (Nikita) on board as writer/showrunner. Barry Josephson (Bones) will executive produce.

"These additional pilot orders demonstrate AMC's investment in our original scripted programming," said Susie Fitzgerald, AMC's senior VP of scripted development and current programming. "Both of these projects take the audience into unique worlds through compelling characters told with an original voice. We are so fortunate to be working with such exceptional talent on both of these projects."

Both will go into production in 2013. AMC has recently ordered pilots for Low Winter Sun and the untitled LaGravenese/Tony Goldwyn project.