Author: Lesley Goldberg

October 17, 2016 6:45pm PT by Lesley Goldberg

Michael Parmelee/CBS

‘BrainDead’

Of the network’s summer scripted fare, only ‘Zoo’ remains.

CBS is abandoning ship on two of its three summer scripted originals.

The network has canceled dramas BrainDead and American Gothic after one season each, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Of the network’s three summer 2016 dramas, only the previously renewed Zoo will return. 

BrainDead marked the first post-The Good Wife series for showrunners Robert and Michelle King. The Washington, D.C.-set political horror satire was averaging a dismal 0.4 among adults 18-49 — with seven days of DVR. The drama, produced in-house at CBS Television Studios, where the Kings are under a rich overall deal, starred Elizabeth Winstead, Danny Pino, Tony Shalhoub and Aaron Tveit and was picked up straight to series as part of CBS’ summer model. After launching with a massive marketing push, the series debuted to just under 5 million live-same-day viewers in June before finishing its run in September with half the viewership.

The move comes after CBS All Access recently announced that the Kings will serve as showrunners on the Good Wife spinoff after the duo initially wanted to take a backseat on the digital platform’s follow-up drama. The decision to cancel BrainDead was further complicated by CBS’ SVOD deal with Amazon, which has rights to one summer scripted entry per year through 2018.

American Gothic, from executive producer Corinne Brinkerhoff (who worked with the Kings on The Good Wife), starred Juliet Rylance and Justin Chatwin in a family drama with a serialized whodunnit twist. Produced by CBS Television Studios and Amblin Television, the straight-to-series project debuted to 3.4 million total viewers before ending its run with numbers that were only slightly better than BrainDead.

CBS president Glenn Geller, talking with THR this summer, was the first to acknowledge that critical bombs BrainDead and American Gothic hadn’t delivered what he anticipated. The returns on both series paled in comparison to CBS’ Under the Dome, which opened the door for pricey scripted originals to air in the typically low-rated summer months. Geller remains committed to scripted in the summer, but also is looking to broaden the field with game shows similar to ABC’s retro lineup that helped the Disney-owned network improve its summer fortunes this year. 

CBS American Gothic BrainDead

October 17, 2016 3:20pm PT by Lesley Goldberg

Heidi Gutman/NBC

Lara Spotts

Lara Spotts helped the cable network enter the scripted space.

A key player in Bravo’s scripted expansion is transitioning into a different role at the cable network.

Lara Spotts has exited her post as senior vp development at the NBCUniversal-owned cable network, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Instead, the executive who helped spearhead Bravo’s entry into scripted with Marti Noxon’s Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce and Odd Mom Out, will instead take over as showrunner on the cabler’s first scripted comedy series Odd Mom Out.

Spotts’ development role has yet to be filled.

Spotts’ move comes a month after Bravo renewed Jill Kargmanvehicle Odd Mom Out for a third season.

“Led by Jill Kargman, the incredible cast and crew of Odd Mom Out delivered comedy gold in season two that culminated in an epic cliffhanger, leaving our viewers desperate for more,” Spotts said in making the renewal announcement last month. “Another season of this hilarious and sophisticated gem further demonstrates Bravo’s commitment to unique and high-quality scripted programming.”

The move marks a return to the writers’ room for Spotts, who is a member of the WGA and counts writing gig on Showtime’s The L Word among her credits.

Next up for Bravo is dark comedy My So-Called Wife with Uma Thurman.

Bravo

October 17, 2016 2:57pm PT by Lesley Goldberg

Courtesy of Untitled Entertainment

Joner

The Jeff Davis adaptation of the Swedish vampire cult hit is rounding out its cast.

TNT’s Let the Right One In is rounding out its cast.

The Revenant actor Kristoffer Joner has joined the cast of the drama from exec producer Jeff Davis, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The pilot is based on the best-selling Swedish book by John Ajvide Lindqvist that was subsequently adapted into the critically acclaimed 2008 movie directed by Tomas Alfredson. It’s an eerie drama about a young boy named Henry (Benjamin Wadsworth), long tormented by his classmates, who finds solace in a friendship with a charismatic female vampire named Eli (Kristine Froseth) who appears to be near his age. The vampire settles into the boy’s small town with her mysterious caretaker, just as a series of bizarre murders begins attracting the attention of law enforcement.

Joner will play the series regular role of Matheus Volk, Eli’s protector and enabler, the sad man who keeps her well-supplied with fresh blood. He’s been doing this feral work for 10 years, and he’s gotten very good indeed at trapping his victims, exsanguinating them, and staying one step ahead of the law. Weary and cold, Matheus is just sick enough of this life to get sloppy for one brief moment.

The project, which is being written by Teen Wolf showrunner Davis, was previously in development at A&E after landing at the cabler following a bidding war with Showtime. Initially set up at A+E Studios, the rights to the project have reverted to Tomorrow Studios, with Marty Adelstein (Prison Break, Teen Wolf) and Becky Clements also on board to exec produce alongside Davis, Simon Oakes (the American reboot of the film Let Me In) and Alex Brunner. The pilot is a co-production of Tomorrow Studios and Turner’s in-house Studio T banner.

Joner’s credits include The Revenant and Norway’s best actor award for his part I The Orheim Company. He’s repped by Untitled Entertainment.

Pilot Season