Upfronts 2013: Turner Announces New Projects for TNT, TBS

CompleteCoverage:  Upfronts 2013

RELATED: TurnerTakes Wraps Off Live Streaming for TNT, TBS

Turner Broadcasting, holding its upfront presentation
Wednesday, announced new series coming to its TNT and TBS entertainment
networks.

Turner's projects come from high-profile names including Steven Spielberg, Steve Carell, Diablo Cody,
Denis Leary, Sylvester Stallone, Dick Wolf, Nicholas Sparks, Marcia Clark, Dee Johnson, Walt Becker, Jamie Foxx and
James Duff.

"For a decade, we've been beating
the drum the loudest -- that cable is as good as broadcast," said Steve
Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks. "Now, our industry has
reached a tipping point. From creative strength to ratings power, cable has emerged
as the leader in television. I'm
proud of the role we've played at TNT and TBS. Today, we're looking toward the
next horizon -- becoming a multiscreen video company serving multiple
audiences."

Here is a list of new scripted series from TNT, as
described by the network.

Portal House
This projectis the story of a group of
young scientists who, while investigating what they believe to be a haunted
house, stumble upon a portal into the time-space continuum. Things then take a
turn for the worse when one of their own vanishes into the portal.
- Executive
Producers: Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Scott
Rosenberg
(writer), Jeff Pinkner
(writer), Josh Appelbaum (writer)
and Andre Nemec (writer)
- Production
Company/Studio: Amblin Television

Peter Gunn
This re-imagining of the classic
post-modern Blake Edwards-Craig Stevens' series centers on a gentleman private
eye who is not above getting his bespoke suit and tie dirty, if that's what it
takes to bring down the bad guys, save his hometown and win back the love of
the gal he left behind.
- Executive
Producers: Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Julie Andrews,
Lou Pitt, Scott Rosenberg (writer), Jeff
Pinkner
(writer), Josh Appelbaum
(writer), Andre Nemec (writer)
- Production Company/Studio:
Amblin Television

The Last Cop
Life can seem to pass in the blink of
an eye, but for LAPD cop Mick Branigan it actually did in this project based on
the hit German series. After almost 20 years in a coma, Mick awakens to a
changed world - his loving wife has moved on, his teenage daughter doesn't know
him, and his old police force bears no resemblance to the one he knew in the
'90s.
- Executive
Producers: Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King, Mikkel Bondesen, Chris Fedak
(writer) and Kristen Campo (co-executive
producer)
- Production
Company/Studio: Fuse Entertainment, Fox Television Studios

A Bend in the Road
This character drama
based on Nicholas Sparks' book is set in a resort town. Sheriff Miles Ryan is
known for his keen ability to solve crimes and his deep understanding of the
town's citizens. But what Miles doesn't realize is just how many secrets
are buried beneath the very streets he walks - the most unsettling having to do
with the unsolved murder of his wife.
- Executive
Producers: Nicholas Sparks, Theresa Park and Brandon Camp (writer)
- Production
Company/Studio: Nicholas Sparks
Productions
, Warner Horizon
Television

Guilt by Association
Based on the debut novel by Marcia
Clark, lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, this project centers on
Rachel Knight, a gutsy Deputy District Attorney in the Special Trials Unit of
the D.A.'s office for L.A. County. She works closely with a tough-as-nails
female LAPD detective named Bailey Keller and a stylish female prosecutor named
Toni LaCollette, both of whom routinely crash at Rachel's place.
- Executive
Producers: Marcia Clark (writer), Dee Johnson (writer) and Nelson
McCormick
(director)

Lew
Archer

Based on the title
character from Ross McDonald's popular novels, this project from The Closer
creator James Duff and Close to
Home
creator Jim Leonard follows
the sleuth many consider to be "the original P.I."
- Executive Producers: James
Duff
, Jim Leonard (writer) and Steve N. White.
- Production
Company/Studio: Warner Horizon Television

Crushed
This primetime soap focuses on two
rich lovers: Caz, whose father, Jeremy owns Terra Winery, and Daphne, Jeremy's
young wife. When Jeremy announces that he has amended his will to leave them
each 50% of the business, their rivalry gets the better of them. They make a
unique bet to determine who has the best seductive powers.
- Executive
Producers/Writers: Sara Parriott and
Josann McGibbon
- Production
Company/Studio: Prospect Park, NBC
Universal

Here's
a list of scripted projects for TBS, as described by the network.

Bad Parents
Between sexting and house parties,
flashing and crushing on teachers, it's hard to figure out who the kids are and
who the adults are in this half hour comedy
centered on four couples who must navigate the responsibilities of parenthood
while holding on to the last bastions of their youth.
- Executive
Producers: Walt Becker, Andrew Panay and Brent Golberg (writer)

Tribeca (working
title)
The brainchild of Steve and Nancy Carell, Tribeca
is a comedy anchored by heroine Angie Tribeca ,a
10-year veteran of the LAPD's elite RHCU (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). The show
explores an eccentric but brilliant group of people who investigate crime,
reveal way too much personal information about themselves and refuse to rest
until justice has been served. These dedicated men and women are more than
counter-intuitive; they are non-intuitive.
- Executive
Producers: Steve Carell and Nancy Carell
- Production
Company/Studio: Carousel Television

Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me
Every teenager is embarrassed by
his/her parents. But what if your dad decided to descend upon your life in
every way? Inspired by Jamie Foxx's relationship with his 18-year-old daughter,
this comedy explores the dynamic between a parent and a child and all the
embarrassment that comes with it.
- Executive
Producers: Jamie Foxx and Jaime King
- Writer: Marsh McCall & Jamie Foxx
- Production
Company/Studio: Foxx/King Entertainment

Dream House(working title)
When a young
guy has the chance to buy the house of his dreams, he quickly discovers that
the owner, a seemingly feeble old man, is actually a grifter who manages to
sell the house and become his roommate.
- Executive Producers: Elizabeth Banks
and Max Handelman
- Writers: Dottie Zicklin and Eric
Zicklin

- Production Company/Studio: Warner Horizon Television

Clipsters
Written bythe creators of Will & Grace, this ensemble
workplace comedy revolves around an eclectic cast of stylists working in a barbershop in the Boston
suburb of Worcester, Mass.
- Executive
Producers/Writers: David Kohan
and Max Mutchnick
- Production
Company/Studio: KoMut Entertainment

Here
are unscripted series being developed for TNT, as described by the network:

Burn
From executive producer Denis Leary, Burn is an action-packed docudrama told through the eyes of Detroit
firefighters, who are charged with the task of saving a city that many have
written off as dead. Burn will take
viewers closer than ever to the fires and the lives of the men and women who
fight them, exploring human struggles, hope and personal courage in the face of
overwhelming odds.
- Executive
Producers: Denis Leary, Tom Putnam, Brenna Sanchez and Jim
Serpico

- Production
Company/Studio: Apostle Pictures, Inc.
and Callbox

Cop Swap
From legendary producer Dick Wolf comes a unique unscripted
format. Each week, two law enforcement officials from diverse backgrounds and
departments immerse themselves in each other's lives and jobs in an effort to
learn something that will make them better officers, partners and citizens of
the law. When all is said and done, the cops reflect on their mutual journeys,
and reveal new perspectives on what it means to protect and serve.
- Executive
Producers: Dick Wolf, Tom Thayer and Rasha Drachkovitch
- Production
Company/Studio: Wolf Films, 44 Blue Productions

Monopoly
From the iconic toy and
game company Hasbro comes the
reality version of the popular game. Eight two-person teams will play a game of
real-world Monopoly with a huge cash
prize at stake. Just like the iconic game, the ultimate goal is to amass as
much property and wealth as possible in this game that requires strategy,
business acumen, people skills and chance.
- Executive
Producers: Stephen J. Davis, Kevin Belinkoff, Dan Cutforth and Jane
Lipsitz

- Production
Company/Studio: The Magical Elves, Hasbro Studios

The Big Deal
From the producers of The Biggest
Loser
and MasterChef comes the
biggest treasure hunt America has ever seen. Teams of antique and collectible
enthusiasts from across the country compete in an epic scavenger hunt for the
chance to win thousands in cash.
- Executive
Producers: Eden Gaha and Paul Franklin
- Production
Company/Studio: Shine America

The new unscripted shows in development for TBS are as
follows:

Me Time with Diablo Cody
Oscar-winner Diablo Cody, the
creator of United States of Tara and Young Adult, brings her signature charm
and style to the screen as host of her own show. Tailored around Diablo's
unique perspective on all things pop culture and told in her very own
tongue-in-cheek way, Me Time with Diablo
Cody
will reveal a side of Hollywood and celebs that the public very rarely
gets to see.
- Executive Producers: Mark Cronin, Courtland Cox and Diablo
Cody

- Production
Company/Studio: 51 Minds

Cheeseheads(working
title)
Green Bay, Wis., is
home to the World Famous Green Bay Packers and their fans: The Cheeseheads.
These citizens don't just bleed green and gold; they eat victory for breakfast.
For them, being a Cheesehead is more than just being a fan. It's a way of life.
This show will take viewers into the hilarious subculture through the eyes of a
group of proud Wisconsinites as they navigate life in the only way they know
how - loud, proud and with lots of beer. For these folks, there is no off-season.
- Executive
Producers: Jason Carbone
-
Production Company/Studio: Good Clean
Fun

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.