NBC Greenlights Soap/Thriller Drama Pilot Produced By Jerry Bruckheimer
NBC is kicking off the 2012-13 pilot season early with an off-cycle pilot order to The Secret Lives Of Husbands And Wives, an hourlong project from Jerry Bruckheimer Television, writer Sascha Penn and Warner Bros TV. Inspired by Josie Brown’s 2010 novel that takes on life love, marriage, infidelity and friendship in suburban California, the project is described as thriller/dramatic soap that centers on a murder and the secrets and lies within a tightly woven group of three couples and their families exposed in its aftermath. Penn, Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman will executive produce, with KristieAnne Reed co-executive producing. Casting on the pilot is starting now, with filming slated to begin in the fall as part of new NBC topper Bob Greenblatt’s strategy to transition to year-round pilot production. Last year, NBC ordered four off-cycle pilots, one of which, Save Me, was picked up to series for next season.
Secret Lives, which marks the first pilot order for Penn, was originally set up at ABC last season. It was a passion project for Bruckheimer and Littman, so when ABC passed on it, the two sent the script to NBC. NBC brass expressed interest if WBTV was able to secure a release from ABC, and when that happened, NBC gave it a pilot green light. This is the second post-upfronts pilot order at the broadcast networks. ABC just greenlighted a new single-camera pilot for Rebel Wilson’s Super Fun Might, which did a multi-camera for CBS this past season.
Secret Lives reunites Bruckheimer TV with NBC, where the company had a 1980s pro wresting drama executive produced by Dwayne Johnson in development last season with a put pilot commitment. On the feature side, Penn, repped by CAA and Madhouse Entertainment, has spec sci-fi actioner The Ditch set up at Warner Bros and another spec, action/thriller Gone, is being financed with Simon West attached to direct and Pierce Brosnan to produce.
First Hatfields & McCoys and now this?
Does NBC do anything besides derivative rip-offs? How is this not Desperate Housewives? Even the title is a barely-there veil.
Juicy secret lives. Of course you gotta throw in a murder to tie the loose strands together, give it a narrative through-line, and some gravitas. Paint-by-numbers, soulless, hackneyed dreck.
But what does one expect from something developed by the king of uninspired commerce, and a project that has been through two networks worth of meddling execs?
Wow. NBC taking an early risk, that’s a great sign. this project sounds cool, good for Sascha penn!
Can you imagine how sexist and revolting the casting of this will be? Between the taste of the head of WBTV and Bruckheimer the women will look like blow up dolls.
They’re incapable of casting a woman who hasn’t been stuffed with silicone and liposuctioned within an inch of her life.
This smells like The Playboy Club.
Well deserved. Sascha is a great guy. An incredibly talented writer. And a sneaky good jump-shooter.
I think you are getting a little too excited there what a joke. At this point, everything has been done at least once before. Perhaps you should read the script- perhaps it very well executed.
I will say that its interesting that NBC made all those deals, but then is greenlighting something coming from left field…but then again, maaybe its a great script.
After all- breaking bad was picked up by amc after fx passed…that’s seemed to workout.
Carel
Sounds like The Californians to me.
Desperate Housewives meets Revenge?
Well, at least the desperate part is honest.
When was the last time an off-cycle pilot actually went to series? It seems like they usually end up going nowhere.
All these men think they can capitalize of 50 Shades of Grey. The just realized women like sex. It’s the new black. Must make shows with sex in them. Right now! It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad.
Sascha Penn is a serious talent. Good for him. Good for NBC.
Not with his white gangster look here. He may be a serious talent but deluded talent seems more like it.