While it is currently enjoying the success of shows such as the long-running Suits, the second-season renewal Sirens, and the brand new Dig, USA Network has now announced its 2015/2015 development slate, and it contains nine new scripted dramas to get excited about.
Backed by big names – including Rob Reiner, Catherine Hardwicke, Len Wiseman, Barry Sonnenfeld and Charlize Theron – these fledgling projects indicate a major push forward in original programming for the channel, and a major shift into television for high profile filmmakers.
Paradise Pictures: From the team that delivered Suits (Aaron Korsh, Rick Muirragui), this period drama is set in 1940s Hollywood and follows the fortunes of those trying to make it to the top of the entertainment industry tree, against a backdrop of blacklists, the rise of television, and the fall of studio monopolies.
Starchitects: An episodic drama exploring the workplace pressures at a top-level Los Angeles architecture firm. This project features Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke at the helm, as well as in an executive producer role. She is joined by Mark Steilen (Mozart In The Jungle) as producer, along with Christine Wayne (Copper).
Amped: USA Network’s answer to the sudden influx of superhero TV shows on other channels, Amped is based on the upcoming comic book that Supernatural writer Eric Kripke has created for Vertigo, which is an imprint of DC Entertainment. The story follows a family man who resorts to using a ‘smart pill’ purchased online to enhance his focus, but instead finds it generates super strength and, consequently, problems in his personal life.
The Tap: Set at Yale University in 1969, this project from Aaron Tracy (Law & Order: SVU) and Andrew Lenchewski (Royal Pains) follows student Jay Butler as he navigates campus life amid social revolution, and is recruited by both the CIA and a shadowy group known as the Skull And Bones. Rob Reiner is attached to direct, and will also executive produce.
Mythos: The premise of this adventure series, executive produced by Charlize Theron, suggests that everything historically dismissed as myth is actually real, and has been covered up with disinformation strategies by two groups serving different, sinister agendas. The lead character, Nate Brigman, is unwittingly caught in the midst of this hidden battle when his wife disappears in mysterious circumstances.
AWOL: This topical drama follows the struggles of a former military officer as he returns from combat and faces the process of reintegration into family life and society as a whole. Things go awry as he is drawn into the local criminal underworld. AWOL is executive produced by Len Wiseman, who co-created the successful Underworld franchise.
Swamplandia! A literary adaptation, this project comes from the popular novel of the same name, by Karen Russell. A family by the name of Bigtrees owns and operates the most successful alligator wrestling theme park in Florida, but their prosperity is threatened by the combined stresses of a new competitor, and a family tragedy. Barry Sonnenfeld is at the helm and will serve as executive producer, while the author of the source material is on board in a consulting capacity.
Cooley And The Tank: This high concept drama examines the antagonistic relationship between the two leading stars of a fictional detective television show, supposedly filmed in 1981. This is more work from Suits alumni – this time, Anton Cropper and Daniel Arkin.
Mile High: Another topical project, this time sprouting from the recently legalized cannabis industry in Colorado. A Wall Street broker and his entrepreneurial best friend partner up to take advantage of this new business opportunity, but find the venture to be far more problematic than they first anticipated. This pilot is executive produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura of the Transformers film franchise.
The Recessionistas: Planned as a limited series, this adaptation of the book of the same name, by Alexandra Lebenthal, focuses on the lives of Manhattan couples made up of high society women and their unscrupulous Wall Street husbands. The group struggle to adjust to the new lifestyles they are forced to adopt after the 2008 economic collapse. This is an ensemble drama.
The Rock Untitled Project: This is a project that sees Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia team up to develop and produce unscripted television for the channel.
These nine dramatic projects are all high profile developments for USA Network, and now that they have been announced, we should expect to hear further details about casting some time soon.
