Peacock Adjusts Development Strategy, Orders Ian McCulloch/James Wan Horror Drama & ‘Queen’s Court‘ Reality Series, Nears ’Bumper In Berlin’ Renewal
16.12.2022 - 19:07
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Peacock launched — some of it by design some by necessity because of the pandemic — with original comedies as well as dramas repurposed from linear NBCUniversal networks. In the first year following its July 2020 launch, Peacock debuted comedies Saved By the Bell, Punky Brewster, Rutherford Falls and Girls5eva, along with drama Brave New World, which had been originally produced for USA Network.
None of these shows are still on the platform. And as the NBCUniversal streamer is headed into 2023 with the first full slate of originals developed by Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, and her team, it also is adjusting its development strategy for the next stage of its evolution, with a stronger emphasis on drama, led by eventized series, a focus on bingeable comedies as well as more true crime limited docu series and celebrity-driven shows on the unscripted side.
As Deadline can reveal exclusively, some of the projects under that strategy shift, which NBCU executives have been presenting to the agency community, include horror thriller from Ian McCulloch and genre film master James Wan and dating reality series Queen’s Court starring Tamar Braxton, Evelyn Lozada and Nivea, both of which have been picked up to series, as well as true crime docu series World’s Most Notorious Killers and Myth of the Zodiac Killer, which have been set for development.
After an early push in original comedy series, which didn’t get much traction, Peacock is shifting the balance with about 2/3 drama and 1/3 comedy development for next year but remains committed to comedy on the heels of the success of Pitch Perfect: Bumper In Berlin, which I hear is closing in on a Season 2 renewal.