Nat Geo Sets Silicon Valley-Based Scripted Series

National Geographic will develop a limited series based around the early days of Silicon Valley's dot-com boom, the network said Wednesday.

The series, Valley of the Boom, will be executive produced by Matthew Carnahan (Showtime’s House of Lies) and Arianna Huffington (founder of The Huffington Post), and will chronicle the meteoric rise and cataclysmic fall of some of the most influential people and brands created during the 1990s tech boom that forever changed the way we access information and connect with each other, according to Nat Geo.

“The provocative world of Silicon Valley has long dominated headlines and captured the public's imagination,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president and head of global scripted programming and development at National Geographic in a statement. “We cannot wait to tell this timely, wildly unpredictable and captivating story of the early days of the dot-com boom and bust with showrunner Matthew Carnahan and his signature irreverent blend of drama, comedy and pathos.”

Carnahan and Huffington are joined by fellow executive producers Jason Goldberg (E!’s The Platinum Life, MTV’s Punk’d), Brant Pinvidic (Spike TV’s Bar Rescue), David Walpert (House of Lies, New Girl) and co-executive producer David Newsom, who will lead the non-scripted unit of the production.

Valley of the Boom will be produced by STX Entertainment’s TV studio, STXtv.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.