ABC Family's purchase this week of eight half-hour episodes of reality series, Kicked Out, will be the first pickup out of a new shop, High Noon Entertainment, which is being formed from the combination of Denver-based production companies Rocket Pictures, High Noon Productions and Great Divide Pictures.
“We wanted to simplify our lives,” said CEO Jim Berger of the decision to create High Noon Entertainment. “It’s an incredibly competitive marketplace. We thought we’d all throw in together and focus our energies on what we do best – story-driven non-scripted programming.”
Berger and High Noon principals Sonny Hutchison, Chris Wheeler, and Duke Hartman are best known for reality fare including Food Network’s Unwrapped and Style Network’s Stripped.
The new shingle will focus on information and entertainment-focused reality fare, expecting to announce four or five new shows for fall in the coming weeks.
The company also secured renewals for eight shows: 26 episodes of Generation Renovation (HGTV), 39 episodes of Designer Finals (HGTV), 65 of If Walls Could Talk (HGTV), 26 of Unwrapped (Food Network), 13 of Food Network Challenge (Food Network), 52 of What you Get for the Money (Fine Living), 26 of Trade School (DIY) and 13 episodes of Stripped (Style).
High Noon Entertainment will be pitching both broadcast and cable and expects to announce four or five new shows for fall in the coming weeks, likely in partnership again with HGTV, Food Network and Animal Planet.
Expect the new shows to rely less on narration and on-camera hosts in favor of “real people” telling their own stories.
Combined, the new company will have 175 employees – 125 in Denver and 50 in development and production offices in L.A.
High Noon does not expect layoffs as a result of the merge.
