Charlie Ebersol is segueing into the scripted arena.
The reality producer behind TNT's The Great Escape and his The Company banner has inked a one-year overall deal with Universal Cable Productions, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. (The company previously had an unscripted pact with Dori Media.)
Under the pact, Ebersol will for the first time develop and produce scripted programming for the studio and its NBCUniversal counterparts including external and digital networks.
"Charlie Ebersol amazes me,” UCP exec vp development Dawn Olmstead said. "He has his hand in all areas of pop culture in very relevant ways. He's a big thinker with big ideas who looks at our business from a unique perspective. Meetings with Charlie run the gamut from sports to politics and he is incredibly versed in both."
The deal continues Ebersol's relationship with NBCU, for whom he exec produced CNBC's The Profit as well as award-winning documentary NFL Characters Unite on USA Network. His credits also include TNT’s The Great Escape.
"Universal Cable Productions has produced some of our favorite shows of all time from Psych to Suits to Royal Pains, but what meant the most to us was that they are the kind of partners who match our enthusiasm for creative freedom and strong, side-by-side collaboration,” said Ebersol, who founded and serves as CEO of The Company. "As The Company has expanded into feature film and scripted television, we’ve placed a premium on partners who instinctively seek to do big things while always producing content that creates joy, happiness and change. UCP exemplifies that.”
Ebersol joins fellow producers with development pacts at UCP including Charlize Theron’s Denver & Delilah Films, Chris Bender, JC Spink and Jake Weiner’s Benderspink, Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment, Doug Liman’s Hypnotic, Jessica Biel’s Iron Ocean Films and Steve Carell’s Carousel Television.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
