After striking a vein with scripted dramas like “Mad Men” and “The Walking Dead,” then supplementing those series with reality programming, entertainment cabler AMC will now pursue laughs.
The AMC Networks flagship said it had greenlit a pilot for “We Hate Paul Revere.” Written and exec produced by Ethan Sandler and Adrian Wenner, the comedy series aims to tell the story of two brothers trying to find their place in colonial Boston. Series is set to shoot in the third quarter of this year in consideration for 2015.
AMC also said it would expand its relationship with director Kevin Smith to include the development of a late night project, “Hollywood Babble-On,” starring Smith and Ralph Garman, co-host of a popular. Series will be produced by Wilshire Studios, and exec produced by Smith, Garman and Gary Auerbach.
The development in a genre new to the network comes as AMC enters the first half of the final season of “Mad Men,” the show that brought it to greater attention. AMC has also announced plans for a spinoff of its other big hit, “Walking Dead.” The third of AMC’s most popular shows, “Breaking Bad,” recently wrapped.
“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, in a prepared statement.
AMC’s development slate follows below:
SCRIPTED DRAMA
“Area 51” Based on the NY Times best-seller “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base” by Annie Jacobson. Writer and Executive Producer: Chris Carter ; Executive Producer: Gale Anne Hurd.
“Police State” A dark comedic tale of Ollie, a big-box store security guard, who is secretly recruited by an NSA-like organization. Writer and Executive Producer: Michael Tolkin; Executive Producers: Josh Applebaum, André Nemec, Scott Rosenberg & Jeff Pinkner
“Kingmakers” Based on the French series, “Les Hommes De L’Ombre.” Writer and Executive Producer: Tom Kelly. Co-Production with Endemol Studios
“Bombingham” In present day Birmingham, Alabama, a murder from 1963 is discovered and buried demons from the Civil Rights Era resurface. Writer and Executive Producer: Alexander Woo; Executive Producer: Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment
“The Sparrow” 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. Writer and Executive Producer: Michael Perry
“Jerry’s World” A commitment-phobic artist and the world’s most unlikely caregiver cobbles together an unusual and very modern family. 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
“Paradise Lost” A group of friends withdraw from society to create a new, more positive community in which to raise their families. Writer and Executive Producer Amy Lippman
SCRIPTED COMEDY
“Untitled John Leguizamo Project” This half hour follows a group of men in Queens, The Bronx and upper Manhattan wrestling with careers, relationships, family, ambition, and getting older. Writer, Executive Producer and Star: John Leguizamo; Writer and Executive Producer: Sal Stabile; Executive Producers: Jeff Golenberg and Sam Maydew of Silver Lining Entertainment
“No Money Down” Comedy series follows a guy who bottoms out and begins working at an Austin car dealership with a variety of personalities. Writer, Executive Producer and Star: Wyatt Cenac ; Executive Producers: Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Liza Chasin of Working Title; Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski of Working Title
“Random Acts” Single girls – and contract killers – work through issues with relationships, family and growing up, not to mention drug lords and crooked cops. 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
“Sober Buddies” 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. Writers and Executive Producers: Danny Comden and Barry Schwartz; Executive Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver of Point Grey Pictures
UNSCRIPTED DEVELOPMENT
“Untitled Billy Corgan Wrestling Project” 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. Produced by Left/Right, LLC; Executive Producers: Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, Billy Corgan and Ghen Maynard.
“Bronx Pop” A comedic docu-soap following tough guys and lifelong friends Ralph Rubino and Nicky D’Angelo. Produced by Richard Devinki Productions, LLC and Red Hot Poker Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television, Executive Producers: Anne Clements and Mike Wittlin
“Prison Redemption” Docuseries takes a gritty, no holds barred look at life for both the inmates and the employees of the Pierce County Jail in Tacoma, Washington. Produced by Custom Redtail Partners, LLC; Executive Producers: Chris Burke, Jared Cotton and Steve Stockman
