NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-chairman Ben Silverman has given the green light for his network to commit to a 13-episode horror anthology series titled “Fear Itself.”
The project will air next summer as a replacement for one of the network’s regulary scheduled shows that will be on its normal summer hiatus.
“Fear Itself” is to be based on the popular Showtime Cable Channel’s Emmy-winning series “Masters of Horror.” Showtime “Masters of Horror” excutive producers Keith Addis, Mick Garris and Andrew Deane will be showrunners for the new series on the peacock network.
NBC is quickly trying to regain much of its first place status that it has lost over the last decade. This fall’s programming is geared toward doing that very thing and Silverman wants to continue that surge through the summer months, right up to and including the Fall 2008 releases by including new scripted shows over traditional repeats and lackluster specials. Following the lead of such cable giants as FX and the USA Network, the NBC co-chair is wanting to drive the viewing market the same way for network television by bring in fresh, scripted programming during the summer months.
“It’s less expensive than the traditional license fees we pay,” Silverman told Variety. “That’s allowing us to open up original programming to work across the whole year. There are different ways to get scripted shows on the air all year round.”
Silverman openly admits that this NBC plan is similar to the aforementioned cable programming deal than the traditional broadcast network blueprint. NBC Universal is the parent company of the USA Network.
Production on “Fear Itself” is set to begin in early 2008 with an eye to allure famous writers and directors from the horror genre. Again, depending on whether or not the Writers Guild of America calls for a strike, production on the series could go as planned, be delayed or cancelled altogether.
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