In a surprising move that caught most of us in the scifi news business off guard, CBS Paramount Network Televison has signed a first-look deal with Circle of Confusion (COC).

If this production company is not a household name don’t let that make you think they aren’t a major player in the game of media entertainment. COC’s management team can boast of many clients that have their foothold firmly in the scifi universe, the comic book world, and the video game industry.

CBS Paramount’s David Stapf admitted that the TV network wants to be more involved with genre productions, despite its decision to slash the very popular “Threshold” from its schedule, but the mindset at the network is not geared in that direction and thus the need for this alliance with Circle of Confusion. “The world they (COC) live and breathe in everyday isn’t one that we’re usually exposed to,” admitted Staph. “They come from a completely different creative space.”

With the success of hits like NBC’s “Medium,” CBS’s own “Ghost Whisperer,” The USA’s winner “The 4400” and The Sci-Fi Channel’s mega blockbuster Peabody Award winning “Battlestar Galactica,” the message is ringing loud and clear in exec’s and advertiser’s ears that the genre is alive and well and has a major audience to tap into if the production value and the story-telling is of high enough quality.

With this new partnership with Circle of Confusion, CBS Paramount is looking to dip its toes more into the scifi/fantasy/horror genre over the next several years with some serious behind-the-scenes chatter going on about resurrecting another STAR TREK for the small screen.